Motoball or Moto-ball, also referred to as Motorcycle Polo, is a team sport in which players use a motorcycle to move around the football type field. The sport which was derived from association football and polo, originated in France, and became an official sport in the mid 1930s.
Moto-ball is played between two teams with five players on each team. Four players on each team are on motorcycles, while the fifth player, who is a goalkeeper does not use a motorcycle. The sport is usually played on an association football field, with same sized goalposts. There is a semi-circular area in front of each goal post that riders cannot enter into. The ball used for the sport is similar to a football, but is bigger measuring 40 cm in diameter.
A match is played in four 20 minute periods. The objective of the sport is to score as many goals as possible. Goals can only be scored by kicking the ball with legs, from outside the restricted area.
The sport is popular in France with a few major league tournaments, like Coupe de France and Championship of France. The sport is also played in leagues in other European countries. European Nations Championship is the highest level of international competition conducted annually for the sport.
Similar Sports
- 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.
- Cycle Ball — the gameplay is similar to that of association football, but is played with each player riding a bicycle.
- Polo (Horse)
Related Pages
- About the ususual sport of Tuk Tuk Polo — a variation of polo, in which players are on vehicles called tuk tuk.
- About Motorcycle Sports
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
- About Sport in France