Loofball is a

team sport A team sport is a type of sport where the fundamental nature of the game or sport requires the participation of multiple individuals working together as a team, and it is inherently impossible or highly impractical to execute the sport as a s ...

played by two teams of five players on a unique rectangular

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

separated by a net. A furry ball is thrown over the net with the intent to ground it on the opponents' court, subject to rules of the game. Loofball combines some features of

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. and is playable by contestants in all age-groups. The sport is particularly popular in Nigerian schools and communities. It is controlled and administered by the

Loofball Sport Development Initiative Loofball is a team sport played by two teams of five players on a unique rectangular Pitch (sports field), court separated by a net. A furry ball is thrown over the net with the intent to ground it on the opponents' court, subject to rules of t ...

(LSDI).

History

Loofball began in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

in 2017. It was created in response to the growing societal ills and violence in the 21st century to engage youth in sport and sports development, thereby promoting peace and reducing crime. Initially, the sport was played between two and four players by throwing of a size 1 handball over a rope. However, the sport saw remarkable changes based on research and experiments in early 2018. A furry round ball replaced the size 1 handball while number of players per team increased to five and net replaced rope. Later that year, the first rules of the game were prepared and compiled by Winner V. Matahula. As a result of these improvements, the sport evolved rapidly and became popular in some northern parts of the country, including the

Federal Capital Territory A capital district, capital region, or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any politic ...

. This led the promoters of the sport to incorporate as a non-profit organization with the objective to develop and administer the sport officially, which further increased the sport's acceptability. Registered as Loofball Sport Development Initiative, the organization has since been partnering with government agencies, private and other non-profit organizations to run school and non-school programs and events. In 2020, the organization received the African Excellence Award by
MEA Markets
a UK-based business magazine, in recognition of her role in contributing to youth development in Nigeria.

Rules and gameplay

Loofball is played on a

measuring 17 m by 8 m with a circular region of 2 m diameter, called "olive", at its center. The olive is also centered in the "fore zone", a 5.2 m by 8 m quadripartite region, which borders the "home zone" on either side. The home zone measures 5.9 m by 8 m. A player holds the ball for no more than 3 seconds, makes no more than two steps with the ball and can hold the ball only once in a turn. Ball contact is made only by hand and

forearm The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in anatomy, techn ...

, and only one player can hold the ball at a time. No more than two passes are also allowed in a turn. Before a play begins, teams arrange themselves in two rows within the home zone, with three players in the front row and two in the back row. The left player in the back row ''serves'' from the serving area by ''jump-shooting'' (throwing the ball with speed by jumping) to the opponents’ home zone. A player in the home zone attacks by ''jump-shooting'' to the opponents’ home zone whereas a player in the fore zone ''lobs'' (throwing the ball gently without jumping) either diagonally to the opponents’ portion of the fore zone or to the opponents’ home zone. Loofball court

A team scores a point when the opponents fail to return the ball or commit a fault. A match consists of two or three sets i.e. winning two sets wins the match. The first and second sets are won by scoring 25 points while 20 points must be scored to win the third set. A two-point lead is required to win a set. Scoring a point gives a team the right to serve. A match starts with a

coin toss A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a ...

between

captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of both teams to determine sides and the team to make the first serve. Teams are required to change sides after the first set, with the first service obligation going the other way. The referee is also required to conduct another coin toss when the match reaches the third set. A team can request a 30 seconds timeout only once in a set and is permitted to make up to four substitutions in a match. A starter who is substituted can be reused as a sub once in a match; a player not in the starting lineup can enter the court once in a match. An interval or break of up to 2 minutes can also be allowed between sets.

Ball

An inflatable furry ball, referred to as a loofball, is used in the sport. The ball's outer surface is made of furry fabric or animal

fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

. A size 2 loofball has a diameter of 19 – 20 cm and weighs 190 – 240 g when inflated. Similarly, a size 1 loofball when inflated has a diameter of 16 –17 cm and weighs 150 – 190 g. A loofball surface fur has a pile length of no more than 2.5 cm.

Net

The net used is similar to that of volleyball, with the length being the only difference. The net, which measures 8.5 m in length and 1 m in width, is fixed above the center line of the court at the height of 2.3 m (men) or 2.28 m (women and U20).

Match officials

Officials may include a

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...

, two or four line judges, a scorer and an assistant scorer. The line judges assist the referee in making calls mostly regarding boundary lines. Alongside enforcing the rules of the game, the referee ensures that discipline is maintained throughout the match. The scorer and assistant scorer also help in officiating by keeping record of the match score.

Misconduct and sanctions

Depending on the degree and order of offense,

misconduct Misconduct is wrongful, improper, or unlawful conduct motivated by premeditated or intentional purpose or by obstinate indifference to the consequences of one's acts. It is an act which is forbidden or a failure to do that which is required. Misc ...

in loofball attracts either a verbal warning, a

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In t ...

red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction. Red card may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers * Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or di ...

. A verbal warning carries no penalty. A yellow card carries a point penalty while a red card carries both a point penalty and disqualification. A player usually gets sanctioned in the following order: first misconduct = verbal warning, second misconduct = yellow card + point to the opposition, third misconduct = red card + point to the opposition + disqualification.

Intellectual property

Loofball is a registered trademark and a patented design. The IP rights associated with the sport are there to legally preserve the name "loofball" and restrict unauthorized commercial production of its equipment. The IP rights holders deem these restrictions vital to the advancement of the sport.

References

External links

{{commons category
Loofball Sport Development Initiative – LSDI

Official Website of Loofball
Ball games Handball variants Volleyball variations Team sports Sports introduced in the 21st century