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Bossaball in action |
Bossaball
Bossaball is a relatively new sports game that has come to Andalucía. It is played along the beaches of Andalucía. Taking its name from the bossa nova rhythms that often accompany games, it is a spectacular ball game between two teams of three-five people, played on a court made up of trampolines and protective inflatables divided by a net.
The basic idea is to combine elements from different sports like volleyball, football, trampoline and capoeira, the Brazilian dance exercise. Any body part can be used to play the ball. Players are allowed to double-touch the ball using their feet or head. After a maximum of eight contacts on their own field, teams must make ball contact on the ground on the opponents’ side of the net.
The trampolines make it possible for players to jump a dozen feet in the air, making it possible to get great hang time and to spike the ball from dizzying heights.
It's not just the sport that will get you moving. Bossaball is often played to Latin American music and is sometimes accompanied by special samba referees. They referee the game and take it to a higher level using a whistle, a microphone, percussion instruments and DJ decks. Bossaball fits perfectly between other beach sports but it can be played anywhere, even indoors.
Safety of the players is a main concern. That's why all springs and bars on the trampolines are fully covered by large inflatables. The width of the inflatables is at least 3m, to stop players falling off the court.
The bossaball concept was created between 2002 and 2004 by Filip Eyckmans, a Belgian living in Andalucía for more than ten years. Bossaball was initially launched in Belgium, then the Netherlands and, now, Spain. First steps for launching bossaball in Brazil have been taken.
There are no official leagues yet, although competitions have been set up in both Belgium and Spain. Meanwhile, this sports game is gaining more and more international interest.
Bossaball in Spain has already spread inland as far as Ronda and other regional polideportivos, municipal sports centres, and plans are afoot for official leagues and international competitions.
