Speedball
Speedball is a team sport that was derived from various elements of handball and soccer. Speedball originated in the United States and is currently played only at a high school level in the country.
The sport can be played outdoors on soccer fields or indoors on basketball courts. The goalposts are 6ft wide and 2.5 ft high. A soccer ball or a volley ball can be used to play. Teams have five players per side where one player is designated as a goalkeeper.
The objective of the sport is very simple, to score a goal by sending the ball through the opponent's goalposts. In speedball goals can be scored by kicking or throwing. Kicking counts as two points and throwing counts as one point. The team with the most points at the end of the match is the winner.
The game play starts with a jumpball at the center of the court. The team with the ball then tries to move the ball towards the opponent’s goalposts. The ball can be moved by kicking or throwing the ball. Players are not allowed to run with the ball in their hands.
There are several variants of speedball based on the number of players, points awarded for goals, and the duration of the match.
Similar Sports
- Handball — a sport usually played indoors between teams of seven players, who pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team. Also known as Team Handball, Olympic Handball, European (Team) handball
- Association Football — more commonly known as Football or Soccer. It is the world's most popular sport, played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object is to score by using any part of the body except the arms and hands to get the ball into the opposing goal.
Related Pages
- There is a similarly named sport Speed-Ball, an Egyptian racket sport
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
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