We all love the excitement of watching top basketball and rugby matches. When you add the extra element of horses you have an awesome spectacle called Horseball. The best Horsaball teams will compete at the Australian Horseball Championships From Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October 2011
Horseball is a fastmoving skilled game played on horseback where a ball is handled and points are scored by shooting it through a high net (approximately 1.5m x 1.5m).This sport is like a combination of polo, rugby, and basketball. It is one of the ten disciplines officially recognised by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Two teams of four players attempt to score into the opponent's goal. The team with the most goals wins the game. Because of the goals, the ball passes, and the quick actions, Horse-Ball can be compared to basketball. The rules of the game ensure a collective and fast safe game.
The game is controlled by two referees one mounted on a horse and the second one seated with a view of the entire pitch. The referees have a radio connection for direct communication. The game is played in a normal riding area of 20x60 meters - ideal dimensions being 25x65 meters. The goals are one meter loops hooked vertically at 4.5 meters off the ground. An important point of the game is that you must make at least three passes between three different team members before it is allowed to score. Therefore all team members must collaborate together for each action.
Origins of Horseball
The sport originated in Argentina in early 1700. It was outlawed in 1790 due to the high rate of injuries causing death among players. In 1941 the Federacion Argentina de Pato was created and in 1953 Horseball was declared a national game in Argentina. The name of the game ”pato” derives from the use of a live duck instead of the six-handled ball. The game as its known today, including the use of a ball instead of an animal, was defined in 1930. It gained success and has spread across Europe and overseas. The International Horseball Federation has sixteen members including seven outside of Europe: Argentia,. Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Israel, Pakistan, And the USA.
Rules of play of Horsball
The basic rules involve a team of 4 players (plus replacements offside if necessary) making a minimum of 3 passes between 3 different players of their team and then scoring a goal through a hoop shaped vertical goal. The opposing team can defend by either preventing them from being able to shoot by pushing opponents out of the playing area using their horse's weight or have the possibility to get alongside the players and pull the ball from their hands. In this situation, the rules are that both riders have to remain seated in the saddle and the first to get pulled out of their saddle loses a penalty. On the other hand, if both stay seated then if the defender manages to keep hold of the ball for more than 10 seconds then their teams earns a penalty.
Simple tactics of the game involve crossing paths of players in a same team as this method insures that the opposing team send all their defense to one side of the game whilst another player comes up from behind and gets a clear way through the cleared space. Players can also choose to return to their side if they feel an attack is failing and can 'cross' each other, but only if they are players of the same team. This method is quite often used because if a defender is trying to get the ball they usually follow the player with the ball and are therefore going to end up coming face to face with the 3rd player. That however, is strictly forbidden, as in the past head on collisions between galloping horses and riders proved fatal.
When the ball is dropped or falls on the ground, anyone can pick it up so long as they are going in the same way as the way the game was going when the ball was dropped. This is to avoid any riders coming head on whilst someone is picking up, as the player picking up would get hit by the oncoming horse and rider. The rules for pick up are simple; the horse has to be galloping (or at a trot when the teams are of a much younger category, usually when the players are less than 13 years of age) when picking up the ball, whilst stopping is forbidden as it damages the horse's back and usually means that the player has less of a swing to pull themselves back up, which can often result in falling due to losing a stirrup.
The Australian Horseball Championships 2011 is a free event for spectators to watch, so bring along your friends and enjoy the spectacle of the Championships. They will be held at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), 503 Goonoo Goonoo Road, Tamworth NSW 2340 Australia on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October 2011.
For more information about the contact Grant Biffin. the Event Organiser at the Australian Horseball Federation, Phone:0438 936 781
Email: australianhorseball@gmail.com Website: www.horseball.com.au
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