Bedford Tchoukball Club
What is Tchoukball?

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What is Tchoukball?
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Summary

 Dr. Herman Brandt was the inventor of Tchoukball, he was a Swiss biologist. The name of the game was chosen so that it had no need to be translated throughout the world due to the word 'Tchouk' being onomatopoeic of the sound the ball makes when it rebounds off of the frame.

Tchoukball is a sport which can be played by all ages. It can be played almost anywhere as long as there is enough space for a court. If not then the court size can be scaled down. In the UK tchoukball began by being played in just schools but as colleges and universities became aware of the game teaching courses began. This is what sparked the growth of the game.

Tchoukball is no longer just another team game, it is played right across the UK but not quite perhaps as much in the north. It is played at different skill levels but always with much enthusiasm and enjoyment. As well as being played in the UK it is also played in:

Spin Earth.gif (43457 bytes)Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mexico, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Taiwan and the USA to name but a few!

Taiwan are currently the World Champions after winning the international tournament in Switzerland in August 1996. This tournament is held once every 3 years and is due to be held again this year.

In 1972 the British Tchoukball Association (BTBA) was founded as a founder member of The Federation Internationale d'Tchoukball (FITB), it enjoys a privileged and highly respected position.

How To Play

Tchoukball is played with two 'frames'. These frames, as they are called, measure 90 centimetres square and are situated at both ends of the court. A line runs 3 metres from the centre of the bottom of the frame around in a semi-circle. This area is known as the 'forbidden zone' or more familiarly, the 'D'. The court size varies greatly depending on the ages of the players; a full size international standard court is 40m by 20m in size. One of the main things about Tchoukball that surprises people is that players can attack and defend at both ends.

On each side there are 12 players named for any one game, 9 players and 3 substitutes. Although there are specialised positions in attack and defence, players are allowed to do either. Players fall into three categories; 'shooters' who's main aim is to score points, 'inners' or 'end pivets' whose role is mainly defensive, and a 'centre pivet', who spend most of their time in the centre of the court to distribute play from one end to the other.

Put quite simply, the object of the game is to throw, or 'shoot' the ball at the frame, so that it lands over the line of the D. The oppositions job is to catch the ball, and then 'shoot' it. This sequence continues until a point is scored.

Everything works in 3s. You have 3 seconds with the ball, 3 steps with the ball, and 3 passes with the ball before it has to be thrown at the frame. Tchoukball is a non-contact sport. There is no tackling involved and the only time play switches from one team to the other is when the ball is shot into the frame by the attacking team and caught by the defense.

To shoot the ball at the frame you have to jump from outside the safety zone, and release it before you land.

When the ball is shot by a team into the frame, the opposing team has to defend around the line. Typically (as shown here on the left) they will be on their knees to catch the ball. The two other players behind the defence are known as 'second line defenders'. They are defenders from the other end of the court who are there in case the ball is deflected upwards and behind the 'front line' of defence.

In order to score a point the player that has shot the ball into the frame must ensure that the ball lands outside of the 'D'. If it lands inside, it is a point to the defending team. Play will then restart from behind the frame the point was scored at.