Motoball - football on motorbikes - what's not to like!

The aim is similar to football, the winning team scores more goals than the opposition. A team consists of a goalkeeper and four riders on their bikes – there are also substitutes allowed. The team's goalkeeper who is on foot is protected by a 6-meter D-shaped area around his goal, this is off-limits to riders.

The ball they play with is much bigger than a traditional football, about twice the size.

The riders accelerate up and down the pitch at speed; expert manoeuvrability skills, lightning-fast reflexes and nerves of steel are the keys to outscoring your opponents. Gear changes are controlled from the handlebar, leaving the feet to carry and control the ball. Contact is, however, an integral part of this sport but the excessive force is managed using a traffic light system of cards by the referee, similar to ice hockey; green 2 minutes in a sin bin, yellow 5 minutes in a sin bin, red sent off. There are other simple rules to maintain the flow of the game and deal with fouls including the use of a penalty.

The bikes are specifically made for this sport. There are a few adjustments depending on the size of the rider and there are protective guards around the chain. Each machine is limited to a 250cc engine capacity – so everyone, in theory, has the same performance motorcycle.

It was not until 1966 that goalkeepers got rid of their bikes.

#motorcycle #football