Speedball is a quick, fast paced sport that combines many aspects of other sports. Points are scored by throwing or kicking the ball into the opposing goal. It is played with two teams of five, each with one goalie on a basketball court or soccer field.
The game was invented by Elmer D. Mitchell in the early 1920s at the University of Michigan. Elmer was a physical education professor, who sought to develop a game that was not restrictive to the rules of any one sport. He also created the sport to involve more students, especially those who were not as athletic. The sport was popularized and later reformed by players and coaches at Millburn High School in New Jersey. The sport became so popular in the Millburn area that it became an official gym class elective any student could take. Today, it is played in many American high school physical education classes. The sport is still struggling to turn into an actual sport played by club and high school teams.
The main objective of speedball is the objective of soccer/football. There are two goals, each guarded by a goalie. Each team attempts to throw the ball into the goal. However, unlike soccer, there are multiple ways goals can be scored. Goals can be scored by kicking the ball into the net with one's feet or throwing the ball into the goal. "Kicks" are worth two points while "throws" are only worth one. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins the game. In speedball leagues, whether they are at school or for a local speed ball team, wins are worth three points, ties are worth one point and a loss is worth none.
The field and the ball
Generally played on a basketball court (can be played on a soccer field).The size of the goal should be about 6 ft wide by 2.5 ft tall. However, different size goals can be used; the larger the goals, the faster the game generally goes. Hockey goals are also commonly used.A soccer ball or volleyball may be used.When playing indoors, which is also the most popular form of speedball, indoor soccer shoes or basketball shoes are usually worn.When playing outdoors, players can wear soccer cleats or American football cleats.Speedball can be played on a soccer field but there can only be a max of five on the field at a time, and usually the entire soccer field is not used but rather a small portion of it. The positions are usually as followed
Goal Keeper (GK) - Guards the goal - tries to block the ball from going inside the goalCenter (C) - Moves with the ball - can play offense or defenseRight Winger (RW) - Plays in the upper right corner of the court/field - crosses the ball in to the centerLeft Winger (LW) - Plays in the upper left corner or the court/field - crosses the ball into the centerDefensive Back (DB) Plays defense - tries to gain possession of the ballThe game starts by having a jump ball in the center of the court/fieldThe players are allowed to move anywhere on the court ield of game playThe field players are permitted to touch the ball with any part of their body at any time EXCEPT their arms/hands (see next rule for details)Players may use their arms/hands as long as the last thing the ball touches is not the ground; one may not pick up the ball from the ground or catch it after it bounces off the ground.If a player does touch the ball with their arms illegally, then it is considered a handball penalty and will result in the ball being turned over to the other team's goalieIf the player has the ball in his/her hands, they must make every effort to stop moving as fast as possible (if one keeps moving it is considered a travel and the ball will be turned over to the other team's goalie)Once a player has a ball in their possession, they can pass it off, attempt to score, or drop the ball in order to utilize other parts of the body to move the ballGoalies must stay on their side of the court and can't cross the half line (can't cross half court line)Goalies can touch the ball with any part of their body, meaning that they can pick up the ball off the ground without it being considered an "illegal" moveIt is still illegal for goalies to travel with the ball in their hands; however they can dribble the ballPenalties and Fouls
A penalty is when a foul is committed inside the goal box and the other team gets to take a penalty kick. A foul, committed anywhere except in the box, results in a free kick for the player fouled. If the ball goes outside and is no longer in bounds the last player to touch it must give the ball to the other team. The team receiving the ball can throw it in like a throw-in for basketball. Unlike soccer, there are no yellow cards in Speedball. A player, who commits an unnecessary foul receives a red card. Unlike soccer, a single red card does not mean the player is kicked from the game. The player receiving the card must sit in a penalty box and must stay out for at least five minutes. Three red cards for a single player means a player is kicked from the match.
Handball — if a player touches the ball with his/her hands after it touches the groundTraveling — when a player takes steps after coming to a complete stop while the ball is in a player's handsUnsportsmanlike Conduct — viciously assaulting another player with no intention of going after the ballGoalies Passing The Half Line — when a goalie moves over the half lineVilla Park High School (California) - had a Speedball league in the 1970s one quarter of each year:
Played on a soccer field with a goal and goaliePlayed with a soccer ballCaught pass over the end zone line = 1 pointThrown into the net = 2 pointsKicked into the net = 3 pointsYou could kick the ball all you wantedYou could pick up the ball, you could pass it to othersYou could only run 2 steps without passing the ball or throwing it on the ground (like traveling in basketball.)Springton Lake Middle School (Media, PA) - Physical Education department introduced a variation of Speedball during their Cultural Activities Unit.
Setup:
Played on a basketball court, with a goal in the center at each end and a folding mat laid out in opposite corners of the courtPlayed with an indoor soccer ball, slightly deflated outdoor soccer ball or modified trainer volleyballPlayed by two teams, consisting of 5-8 players per sideGameplay:
Game starts with a jump ball in the center of the courtWhenever the ball touches the ground, it must be played like soccerWhenever the ball bounces off of a body part or a wall and caught by a player, the game must be played like handballThe last thing the ball touches before a player catches it can't be the floorWhen playing, like handball, the player with possession of the ball is allowed to take two stepsSelf Pass - a player with possession of the ball is allowed to make a Self Pass by tossing the ball above their head and catching it. This allows the player to take more than two steps. However, a player is not allowed to make more than two Self Passes. The defense can defend Self Passes by attempting to steal them.Scoring:
1 point for a touchdown - successfully catching the ball with two feet on the other team's mat2 points for a handball goal - successfully throwing the ball into the other team's goal3 points for a soccer goal - successfully kicking the ball into the other team's goal