Cageball is a

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

invented by the football coach Jörg Berger in October 2002, seeking a way to play

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

(U.S. English: soccer) despite bad winter conditions. It is similar to traditional indoor football, although with some changes: as the name implies, one plays in a

cage A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayi ...

. Due to the enclosed environment, the game is faster and more dynamic, and putting greater emphasis on football technique. In certain European countries, including

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, match-format cageball pitches are found in connection with exercise

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

s.{{Cite web, url=https://3t.no/3t-tilbyr/cageball/, title=Cageball, publisher=3T-Trening, language=nb, access-date=23 December 2023 The sport resembles

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

's Secret Tournament, which was a more or less staged advertising event that preceded the invention of cageball by around 8 months. Cageball features somewhat larger goals, less stiff fencing and roofing, and the ball is carried into the field instead of being dropped from the roof.

Playing field

Cageball is played on

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

. The playing field is usually 23x15 metres, but can vary somewhat due to hall constraints. The entire field is surrounded by a one-metre-high wall or fence, out of which extends a net for a further four metres upwards. This way, the ball is always in play, obsoleting all out-of-bound rules. Usually, a Cageball team consists of three field players and a goalkeeper, the latter which can also assume a "flying" role. At recreational level, it is not unusual with 4 or 5 field players and no keepers.

Rules

Normal football rules apply when it comes to fouls and deliberate hand usage. Free kicks must be immediately carried out. The offside is not observed, and there are no throw-ins or

goal kick A goal kick is a method of restarting the play in a game of association football. Its procedure is dictated by Law 16 of the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game. Award A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ...

External links

Schalker Sportpark's cageball page, previously Germany's official Cageball site

The official Norwegian Cageball site

References

Ball games Association football variants Indoor sports

Playing field

Rules

See also

External links

References