Speedball is a quick, fast paced sport that is simple to teach and combines many aspects of other sports. The goal of the game is throw, kick, or head the ball (ideally a volleyball) into a goal. It is played with two teams of five, each with one goalkeeper on a basketball court.

History

The game was invented by Elmer D. Mitchell in the late 1970's. 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. Today, it is played in many American high school physical education classes. For example, speedball is an extremely popular game at Poolesville High School

Poolesville High School

Poolesville High School is a public high school located in Poolesville, Maryland. It is home to a Global Ecology Studies Program, a Math Science/Computer Science Magnet Program, and a Humanities Program.-History:...

 in Poolesville, Maryland

Poolesville, Maryland

Poolesville is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland United States with a population of approximately 5000 people. It is surrounded by the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and is considered a distant bedroom community for commuters to Washington, DC.The name of the town comes from the...

. Until 2010, Poolesville High School

Poolesville High School

Poolesville High School is a public high school located in Poolesville, Maryland. It is home to a Global Ecology Studies Program, a Math Science/Computer Science Magnet Program, and a Humanities Program.-History:...

 held speedball tournaments during lunch.

Objective

Score as many points as possible in the time given. The team with the most points wins the game

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.

Scoring

• Players score by hitting the opposing team's goal
• 1 point for throwing or punting, 2 for kicking (must hit ground first
  Drop kick
  A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt, wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first....
  
  ), 3 for head
• "Goalie-strikes" are worth double (when the goalie scores from their side of the court)

Teams

• Generally played with 5 vs. 5 (4 "field" players, and 1 goalie)
• If there are extra people, they can be used as substitutes OR the team sizes can simply be expanded (if one does play with subs, unlimited substitutions are allowed)

Gameplay

• Game starts by having a jump ball in the center of the court
• The field players are allowed to move anywhere on the field of game play
• The 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)
• Field 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 goalie
• If 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 ball
• Goalies must stay on their side of the court (can't cross half court line)
• Goalies can touch the ball with ANY part of their body, meaning that they have the power to pick up the ball off the ground without it being considered an "illegal" move
• It is still illegal for goalies to travel when the ball is in their hands; however they can dribble the ball while moving

Penalties

• All penalties result in turning the ball over to the other team's goalie
• Handball — if a field player touches the ball with his/her hands after it touches the ground
• Traveling — when any player takes steps after coming to a complete stop while the ball is secured in a player's hands
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct — viciously assaulting another player with no intention of going after the ball
• Goalies Passing The Half-Court Line

External links

• http://www.wellington.org/miller/speedball.htm
• http://www.belleville.k12.wi.us/bhs/physed/studyg/speedball.html
• http://www.ecsn.blogspot.com/2004_06_13_ecsn_archive.html
• http://www.funtrivia.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?&Board=gamesRoom&Number=80064
• Sycamore High School Speedball Club Official Rules and Regulations guide