Socket
The new sport of socket was created by Jonguxolo Wiseman Mbodla from Port Elizabeth, South Africa in March 2016. This sport is a merge between the sports of soccer and cricket. The sport will be launching soon in South Africa with the aim to popularize it world wide.
Equipment Required
- goalposts with net
- Boundary rope
- Soccer ball (size 5)
- Soccer boots, shirt, short and socks, hand gloves
Description
Socket is played by two teams of 11 players each. There is a striking team with two strikers on the field at a time and the defending team with one bowler and ten fielders. There is no batsmen and no wickets, instead we have strikers and goalposts respectively.
The goalposts are 1.15 m (width) x 90 cm (height) and the ball used is a soccer ball. The sport is centralized on a pitch that is 15 m long and 3.55 m wide (infield). The bowler run up is 5 m from the edge of the pitch. Match officials are called "Arbiters".
No use of hands on the ball infield after the ball has at least touched the ground once, EXCEPT OF COURSE ON A CATCH, as this will result in an extra run to the strikers (Defenders penalized); On either side of each goal post there are circles which are called "retreats" or "home cells". These are the safe zones for strikers before and after each run. They are not to leave this zone except during bowling.
The game is played by both males and females (male to male and female to female scenarios).
Rules
- The aim of the game is for the strikers to get as many runs as possible before the end of their sixty ball match (10 overs of six balls each). While defenders aim to score a goal while strikers are out of their retreats. When this happens, the relevant striker gets eliminated and 2 runs are deducted from their runs on the board (i.e. -2 runs).
- A bowler rolls the ball as fast as possible on the "pitch way" aiming at the opposite goal post and by so doing activates the opposite striker. While bowling, the ball should touch the ground within the 5 m run up mark and not beyond. If it ONLY touches the ground beyond that mark,then that becomes a no-ball.
- If a striker obstructs a ball towards a goal post,the striking team loses two(2) runs.
- It is the discretion of the defending/bowling team to change a bowler after each over.
- Only two substitutions per team are allowed.
HOW TO PLAY
- The bowler rolls the ball on the pitch way as fast as he/she can targeting the opposite goal post. This activates the opposite striker who kicks the ball before reaching the goal post and the fielders aim to catch the ball before it touches the ground (infield). If one of them catches the ball,the kicking striker gets eliminated and another one from the bench joins the surviving striker on the field; No deduction of run points in this elimination scenario. If the ball touches the ground before the fielder,then the fielder is not allowed to use hands infield and can only do this outfield. They then kick the ball towards any goal post.
- If during a run, a defender scores on the goal post while the striker is out of the home cell or retreat, then the defending team drops the number of runs of the striking team by 2 points/runs. If this happens while they have a zero(0) run,then the strikers score will be -2 runs.
- If a fielder used a hand in a prohibited area, then the striking team earns a point to their score.
- At the end of the 60 balls (disregarding the number of goals scored by the defending team,a 30 minutes break is granted after which a new match will start where the previously bowling team will now strike their 60 balls. At the end of this play, the team with most runs wins the match.
The two Arbiters on the field and the third Arbiter will be have the mandate of ensuring the adherence of the rules of the game throughout the play.
See a video of Socket on YouTube.
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Related Pages
- Other New Sports
- Complete list of unusual sports
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