It’s actually amazing how much fun anyone who’s young at heart can have with only a ball and a few friends – no XBox required.
People have probably been inventing their own games since we could talk, and continue to do so. If you doubt that, just take a look at how the rules of soccer have changed over the years.
Some efforts in this direction, though, are really something special.
Teqball is similar to foosball in that it involves playing soccer on a table. It’s different in that you use your legs and head instead of your hands, and the ball is generally only somewhere in the general vicinity of the table, not on it.
Experienced soccer players will indeed have an advantage, and in fact this game counts several international players as fans. Winning is all about ball control (you’re allowed three touches before sending it back, but can’t use the same body part twice). Accuracy also matters: where on the curved table the ball impacts will influence its trajectory, and of course you want to generally avoid the net. People with poor balance or limited flexibility, on the other hand, might struggle at first.
Still, this is a game almost anyone can learn to play fairly quickly, regardless of age or gender. Children, in particular, will find it a great tool for developing basic ball skills. It’s also a surprisingly good aerobic workout and, as long as you don’t push things too hard, a very good way to strengthen your knees, ankles, and hips. Most importantly, it’s just a lot of fun to play and perhaps even more fun to watch.
Unsurprisingly, its popularity has skyrocketed, and there are now even international competitions complete with electronic referees. See below for an example of that – it also gives you a good idea about the game.
With Teqball, the table can be used either indoors or outside. If planning on the former, though, you’ll need to have a fairly large clear space with high ceilings, so it’s not really something for the average home.
In fact, even the average garden will have a problem hosting this game. It’s very different to something like trampolines, for which you just need the space of the trampoline itself. With Teqball, you need a lot of space around the table. Rallies can become quite intense, and nothing in the rules requires the players to not move around the sides of the table.
