SPEEDBALL

Elmer Dayton Mitchell developed speedball in the early 1920’s at Michigan State University. Speedball is a combination of soccer, football, and basketball. In an official game of speedball there are 5 forwards, 3 halfbacks, 2 fullbacks, and 1 goalie with a total of 11 players per team. However, for gym class there can be any number of players and no one has a specific position that they must play except for the goalie.

HOW TO START THE GAME

Kickoff

-kicking team lines up on midline & remains behind it until the ball is kicked (center circle)

-opponents must remain behind the midline until ball has been kicked

-another player must touch the ball before kicker can touch it again (you cannot kick the ball into the goal from the kickoff)

SCORING

Field goal – 2 pts. – when the ball is kicked or legally played (headed) between the goal

posts under the crossbar (Soccer)

Drop kick – 3 pts. – when the ball passes over the crossbar, when dropkicked from out-

side the penalty area (Football)

Touchdown –1 pt. – when the ball has been passed or kicked in the air to a teammate

who is behind the goal line (Football)

GAME

  1. Aerial Ball – when the ball has been kicked into the air

-if the ball is caught, a player may pass it to a teammate (5 sec. to hold ball)

-a player catching the ball can take 1 step if STANDING STILL while catching the ball

-a player catching the ball can take 2 steps if RUNNING while catching the ball

  1. Ground Ball – can be kicked or headed and CANNOT be touched with your hands.
  2. Dribbling Ball – a player may use this only once – after catching the ball, he/she can

toss the ball in the air to themselves and take any number of steps while running to catch the ball. However, a touchdown cannot be scored this way.

  1. Illegal Play – blocking and tackling are illegal.
  2. Tie Ball – (jump ball) if two players from (not the same team) get possession of the

ball at the same time, it is to be taken to the center circle and “jumped up” between those two players. Those two players cannot catch the ball until someone else has touched it.

6. Out-of-bounds – opposing team will pass the ball in where it went out of bounds by

using a two hand overhead throw in. (Soccer)

  1. Free Kicks – are awarded when someone commits a foul

- play the ball at the spot where the foul was committed, no one within 5

yards

  1. Fouls – hand ball (ball was on the ground and you used your hands)

-individual fouls

-holding the ball for more than 5 seconds