Sure, baseball and volleyball are fun, but sometimes you craving for something new, something strange. If you’re feeling adventurous, try one of these on for size.
Bossaball
Bossaball is a hybrid of volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, and the Brazilian fight-dancing capoeira and then played on an inflatable court outfitted with integrated trampolines. Sound interesting?
Basically, the rules are similar to volleyball, except contact can be made with any part of the body, each side can touch the ball up to eight times before knocking it back over the net, and serves can be made via kick. Oh, and one player on each side is the designated “attacker”; this player bounces on a trampoline, which enables him to fly up for huge spikes with his hands or feet. Like in volleyball, teams get one point for making the ball drop on the opponent’s side of the court, but this score jumps to three points if the ball lands on the trampoline.
Basque Pelota
A Basque Pelota is famous for being the fastest sport in the world. It is played in several countries: in Europe, there’s Spain and France, and in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Perú and Uruguay. It sometimes goes by the name Jai Alai.
There are several variations of pelota, including using the hand, a bat and a basket. The basic principle is that there are two teams, each with two players. The team to serve bounces the ball, then hits it towards the playing area of the narrow front wall, where it has to rebound between a high and low line on the walls. The sport demands high physical ability and coordination.
Chess Boxing
Not long ago the Dutch event artist Lepe Rubingh came up with the bright idea of combining chess and boxing, which became the hybrid sport of chess boxing. The sport alternates between rounds of boxing and a chess game Winners are decided by checkmate or knockout. A Chess Boxing match between two individuals can last up to eleven rounds, starting with a four minute chess round and followed by two minutes of boxing.
There is even a World Chess Boxing Organization, whose motto is: “Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board”. If you’re looking for a test of both wits and strength, try this one out.
Sepak Takraw
Sepak Takraw is an exciting fast paced sport that combines volleyball, soccer and gymnastics. The sport is most popular in Asia, though it is rapidly gaining traction around the world. Each team has three players on the court at one time, played on a court similar to those used in badminton. The rules are very similar to volleyball, except that use of hands is forbidden, and each player can touch the ball only once before it is hit over the net. The ball can be played using any part of the body except for the arm from the shoulder to the point of the finger. Practically, this means that there are spectacular jumps and flips while attempting kick-spikes over the net.
