Cycle ball is also regarded as the 'Radball' and is similar to the regular association football but played on bicycles. The sport holds its root in Germany but is much popular in many European countries as well as in Japan. The sport can be performed on any court, whether indoor or outdoor.
Today, various clubs across the world participate in international level competitions annually. The UCI Indoor Cycling World Championship is the major international competition held every year. Cycle Ball World Cup is another major event of the sport.
It is a hybrid of bicycling and football. Two teams, each generally consisting of two players go against each other. Both the players try to hit their ball inside the net and score points. The team with maximum scores at the end tends to win the match.
The sport of cycle ball was invented around 1893 by Nicholas Edward Kaufmann. Being a pioneer artistic rider, he drafted the sports by combining both bicycling and association football.
Two rider’s cycle ball
In this variant, two teams consisting of only two players each compete with each other. The size of the match field is generally 11m x14m and is usually comprised of a slanted board.
Five rider’s cycle ball
In this variant, both the teams consisting of seven players goes against each other on a
handball field or court. Each team has one goalkeeper along with 4 field players and 2 players as a substitute.,
Field Cycle ball
It is also regarded as 6 rider’s cycle ball where two teams consisting of 6 players each, compete against each other. The match is usually played on a
football field with at least half circumference smaller than the original ground.
