Bossaball: the volleyball, football and gymnastics cross-over on an inflatable

If you want to take up a new sport, you no longer have to settle for the same-old suspects.

Away from the traditional realms of rugby or cricket a whole host of new, alternative games are thriving. The fun, acrobatic sport of Bossaball looks poised to hit the UK in the near future. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is Bossaball?

Essentially a combination between volleyball, football and gymnastics, Bossaball was reportedly invented in the early 21st century by Belgian national Filip Eyckmans.

Eyckmans had spent time in Brazil, and wanted to fuse the vibes of football, volleyball, dance, and music he’d soaked up on the beaches there.

Bossaball was born, a concept blending “flexibility, agility and coordination with the elegant ball touch of Zidane…”

How is it played?

This is the fun part. The sport is played on an inflatable court, with two trampolines and a net in the middle. Full rules can be found on the Bossaball website.

Games are played between two teams of four or five players, with the aim being to ground the ball on your opponent’s side. Players are not allowed to touch the net and must have at least one body part on their own side at all times. A maximum of 5 touches is allowed per team, and the ball can be played with the hands, forearms or any other part of the body.

The trampolines in the middle of the court allow for the extra height needed to clear the net, and make for some spectacularly acrobatic flurries of play for more advanced players.

How fit do you need to be?

Despite the spectacular flips and aerial plays pulled off by experienced players, Flemming Sörensen, who does marketing and events for Bossaball, says that you don’t need to be a superhuman to take up the sport.

“No unusual high level of fitness [is needed], but being agile and being able to ‘coordinate your body’ on a soft surface certainly helps,” he explains.

“[How quickly you learn] depends on your prior volleyball, football and gymnastics skills, which are the three sports that are being combined in Bossaball. People with good volleyball skills especially will start to enjoy the sport very fast.”

What are the benefits of playing the sport?

It is clearly an active and athletic game. “Your body actually never stops working out due to the soft playground,” says Sörensen, “since it is necessary to find your balance all the time.”

Bossaball’s beach-based roots and symbiotic relationship with music point towards an upbeat lifestyle, but if it’s a pay check you’re looking for, you’d be better off searching elsewhere.

“There are no players that have Bossaball as their main income, so there is no real professionality,” says Sörensen. “Nonetheless, we have set up various World and European Cups between our best teams.”

When will it get it to the UK?

Bossaball sounds like some of the most fun you could have while exercising. Unfortunately, it’s not yet readily available in this country. But the good news, according to Sörensen, is that it will start to be showcased here during 2017. “We’ll most certainly carry out some events in the UK this summer, and these will be the first events in the UK for a long time. Hopefully they will help to spread the word!”

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