Tchoukball

Introduction

Tchoukball is an indoor team pseudo-sport developed in the 1970s by Swiss biologist Hermann Brandt, who believed that "The objective of all physical activities is not to make champions, but make a contribution to building a harmonious society". His aim was to develop a team sport which did not involve the horrific injuries which he viewed as plaguing other sports.

The sport is usually played on an indoor court measuring 27 metres by 16 metres. At each end there is a 'frame' (a device similar to a trampoline off which the ball bounces) which measures one square metre and a semicircular D-shaped forbidden zone measuring three metres in radius. Each team can score on both ends on the field, and comprises twelve players, of which seven may be on the court at any one time. In order to score a point, the ball must be thrown by an attacking player, hit the frame and bounce outside the 'D' without being caught by the defending team. Physical contact is prohibited, and defenders may not attempt to intercept the attacking team's passes. Players may take three steps with the ball, hold the ball for a maximum of three seconds, and teams may not pass the ball more than three times before shooting at the frame.

HISTORY OF THE GAME

"Do we need a new sport ?" Dr. Hermann Brandt wondered in the 1960s. The answer was YES. However, he wanted to invent a game that could develop social background and a game that would be fun.

His idea was to create a game without VIOLENCE and without AGGRESSIVENESS. He built a new game with rules that were adapted to this idea. After working hard, he wrote a book called 'Critical Scientific Review of Team Sports', which won him the coveted "Thulin Prize" presented at Lisbon University on August 16th, 1970

Tchoukball is a fast-paced team sport, offering many possibilities, whether it is played at an amateur or competitive level. Tchoukball is fully accessible and highly attractive to children and adults.

This game is based on a fundamental ideal: to realize the educational potential in sports for the greatest number of individuals. Thus, Tchoukball is conceived to be played as a school activity, as a family game, as a leisure activity, and also as a competitive sport.

The Practical expression of his ideas, stemming from his critical study of existing games, is the game we have come to know as TCHOUKBALL. It derives its name from the sound the ball makes as it rebounds from the net.

Dr. Hermann Brandt thought that " A man/women's personality is of worthy nature only if his psychological and social behavior is meritorious; man's place in society is situated at the level of his personality and its social repercussions, and Physical Education needs to integrate nervous and cerebral functions to enable man to evolve towards the most perfect possible individual and social structure."

He died in November, 1972, but not before he saw some of his high hopes realized. Most games can be traced to humble beginnings and periods of slow development before becoming established as a national and international sport.

Tchoukball is no exception. It has taken time and patience to convince people that this unique game is truly a 'Sport for all', but now all the signs indicate that the message is getting across. The last two years have seen sizeable growth, and this year already promises a gathering momentum in membership.

From the beginning the game has appealed to an extraordinarily wide and diverse spectrum of people, clubs, organizations, public services and educational establishments. The major impact was initially in schools. In retrospect this was first at the elementary level. To begin with many of them believed that the on ended game was acceptable, but experience soon made them aware that Tchoukball is really a double-ended game.

As Colleges and Universities introduced the game into teaching courses it became more widely accepted in the university sector. It is from there that the greatest progress has come, for as young people who were taught the game in schools leave, they are setting up their own clubs.

Today, Tchoukball is no longer just another new team game to be regarded with doubt and suspicion. It is being played in most parts of the world with much energy, and enthusiasm, varying levels of skill, but above all with a great deal of enjoyment.

In addition, it is played in many countries across the world including: France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Israel, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Canada, U.S.A., Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

How Tchoukball is played:

To play Tchoukball, two official Tchoukball rebound surfaces and a Tchoukball are needed. The game is played on a handball court (20X40 meters, or about 66 feet by 132 feet) between two teams of nine players or on a basketball court between teams of six or seven players. The rebound surfaces (which can be used by both teams) are placed at each end of the court, and each one is within a semi-circle line, with a three-meter (9.9 foot) radius, which defines the forbidden zone.

The team that has possession of the ball has a three-pass limit before being forced to shoot the ball at the rebound surface on either end of the court. Members of the other team must place themselves according to where they expect the ball to land, so that they can catch it before it touches the floor. Meantime, members of the other team look to position themselves to recover the ball after it rebounds from the rebound surface, before the ball can touch the floor. During the course of the game, the players of each team are not allowed to interfere with players of the other team: they may not intercept passes, interfere with the movements of the person carrying the ball or his teammates, or stop a defender from positioning himself to catch the ball after the rebound.

Basic Rules

Court

  • The court size is that is generally used is 27x16m. However, there are variations to this such as in beach tchoukball where a court size of 21mx12m is used.
  • One rebound frame is placed at each end of the field of play
  • In front of each frame, a D shaped semi-circle measuring 3m in radius must be drawn; it defines the limits of the 'forbidden zone'
  • The lines of the zones are considered part of the zone itself, e.g. the line marking the semicircle forbidden zone is considered part of the forbidden zone, while the line around the entire court is considered a part of the court

Ball

Depending on the category of players (Men/Women/U18/U15), different sizes of balls are used ranging from a circumference of 54cm to 60cm and weighs between 325grams to 475grams.

Scoring

Two teams of 7 players each (men or women) compete to score points with the team with the most points at the end winning the game. When a team gains a point, control of the ball is transferred to the other team.

  • In tchoukball, attacking is not limited to one side and either team can score at either side of the court.
  • A point is scored when the ball rebounds after hitting any of the 2 frames and touches the ground outside the forbidden zone, any part of the defending player's body below the knees or touches the defending player while he is still in the forbidden zone
  • A point is given to the non-attacking team when the attacking team shoots and misses the frame, or the ball rebounds outside the playing area (either out of the court or in the forbidden zone).
  • If a shot is caught by the defending team, the defending team can proceed to attack immediately

Frame

Fouls

The non-offending team takes possession of the ball when a foul is committed and has to start the ball where the foul was made by tapping the ball with two hands on the ground before passing. A foul is made by a player when:

  • The ball should touch the ground during passing
  • They make any form of interception whether intentionally or not, while the other team is passing or physically blocking another player from catching the ball (obstruction foul)
  • They make more than 3 contacts with the ground while holding the ball (traveling foul)
  • They touch the ball with any part of his body below the knees (contact with kneepads is allowed)
  • They hold the ball for more than 3 seconds
  • They make a pass that brings the team count of successive passing over 3 (the entry pass when play restarts after a point scored is not counted, deflection of the ball from one player to another is considered a pass)
  • They touch any area outside the field of play while holding the ball, or takes his last step outside the field of play before catching the ball
  • They shoot at the frame such that the ball hits the metal part of the frame or the bungee cords at the side, causing the ball to not follow the expected trajectory
  • They step inside the forbidden zone while holding the ball (landing foul)
  • There are 4 successive shots at the same frame: Assuming the ball is continuously caught, the ball can only be shot at the same frame to a maximum of 3 times, following which the next shot has to be made at the other frame at the opposite end of the playing field. Any other fouls occurring restarts the count.
  • They make the entry pass inside the playing area
  • They shoot after a restart before the ball has crossed the median line

Substitutions

  • Substitutions should take place in front of the officials table and only after a point is scored
  • Substitutes must wait for the player inside the court to completely leave the playing area before they can enter
  • Unlimited substitutions during a game are allowed

Positions

Each team comprises the following positions:

  • 2 right shooters
  • 2 left shooters
  • 2 inners
  • 1 centre pivot

Each side of the court comprises a left shooter, right shooter and an inner, while the centre pivot usually stays near the middle of the court. The shooters are generally in charge of shooting although in some cases the inner can also take the shot. The inners are in charge of coordinating the first line defense while the centre pivot takes charge of the second line defense. However, other formations include not using a centre pivot, the team would bypass the centre and throw full length court passes directly to the shooters/inners. This gives an extra first line defender or a dedicated second line defender.

Playing the game

  • The player can take 3 steps and is not allowed to bounce the ball on the ground between these steps.
  • The attacking team cannot make more than 3 passes before shooting
  • When a pass is dropped or not completed (i.e. the ball touches the ground), the other team gets possession
  • The defending team cannot hamper the attacking one
  • Touching the ball with one’s feet or legs below the knee is forbidden

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING

Standard clothing for playing Tchoukball is comfortable sportswear which allows for free

movement. Gym shoes are a must since most gyms do not allow anyone on the floor in

regular shoes. When played on the beach, attire ranges from gym clothes to swimsuits.

Many play barefoot in the sand.

Keep Current:

www.tchoukball.org/

www.tchoukball.us/

Tchoukball Court