About Teqball
This is a ball sport game played on a curved table. It combines elements of football and table tennis. This is a sport which is running to become an Olympic. Teqball and questions related to how it is played have become very popular in recent times. The famous football player ambassadors for Teqball are David Becham, Neymar, Marcelo and Ronaldinho. The players involved in the game hit the football with any part of their body except the hands and arms. It can be played as a singles game between two players or even as a doubles game between four players. The game is represented at an international level by the International Federation of Teqball (FITEQ).
Teqball has enjoyed rapid growth over the past few years. This is due to increasing athlete participation, an active fan base and developing strategic partnerships. The global progression of teqball was in 2014. Following this the FITEQ was launched in March 2017. It was initiated to serve as a governing body presiding over teqball and para-teqball. Their vision is to allow every person to participate and to reach their full potential. This is regardless of the level they are on, they can inspire the world through sporting success.
FITEQ’s major aim is to unite the global community to advance this game and foster its growth. World-class footballers have been attracted to this game. Teqball has been successful in securing entry to the programmes for the 2021 Asian Beach Games and 2023 European Games. Now it is aiming for Olympic inclusion. This game became the fastest recognized sport in August 2018 when its highest governing body FITEQ was officially recognized by the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA). In June 2019 it was officially recognised by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA). In November 2020, FITEQ was granted full membership of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).
The History of Teqball
The football-based sport, Teqball, was started in 2012 in Hungary by three football enthusiasts. These were former professional player Gabor Borsanyi, Hungarian businessman Gyorgy Gattyan, and computer scientist Viktor Huszar. This idea was the brainchild of Gabor Borsanyi who originally wanted to play football on a table tennis table. Their teqball project was inspired by the memories of playing football while growing up. This coupled with the desire to be active in adulthood when they did not have much free time. However, the horizontal and flat surface of the table did not allow the ball to bounce off to other players. This made it less enjoyable. Hence Borsanyi thought that if the table was bent almost like a curved surface, the ball would bounce back to the foot. After several years of development with Viktor Huszár, the first teqball table was made in 2014. The sport was officially presented in Budapest, Hungary on October 18, 2016 by Brazilian football ex-football player Ronaldinho. He is one of the ambassadors of teqball. The first all-women’s team, BellaTeq, was founded in 2020 by co-founders Nancy Avesyan, Margaret Osmundson, and Carolyn Greco in California.
How to Play Teqball?
Teqball is considered an accessible sport which is open to people of any gender, age or physical abilities. Therefore it is a truly gender-equitable game played on surfaces such as sand, acrylic or indoor. You don’t need a lot of space to play the game. The official competition size of the teqball court is a minimum of 12 meters wide. The ball is spherical and must be of leather or another suitable material with a pressure between 0.3 and 0.5 atmospheres. The ball used for football is also suitable and must be a size five. The strategies on how to play Teqball are very detailed and must be fully understood by the players. The game follows a point-based scoring format and is played over the best of three sets. Each set is played until a player or team reaches 12 points. The final decisive set must be won by at least a 2 point margin. Each point starts with a serve. Just like in many sports with a ball and a net, every player/team has two attempts to complete a successful serve.
The player or team that is serving changes after every 4 points. It is also important to switch sides between each set. The maximum allowed time between each set is one minute and delays longer than that are not permissible. A rule should be kept in mind for the final decisive set. You must change sides during the last set when the leading team reaches 6/12/18 points. Once the game is going ahead you must make sure that the ball returns to the opponent’s side with three touches or less. Using hands and arms is strictly forbidden. In doubles, a team has a maximum of 3 touches. However, each player needs to touch the ball at least once before returning it to the opponent’s side of the table. Some rules about how to play Teqball may even seem a bit unusual but need to be remembered. For instance you can’t touch the ball with the same body part two times consecutively. Also if an edge ball occurs you must repeat the rally. Physical contact is not allowed between players or between the players and the table. This reduces the risk of impact injuries.
The Teq Table
The basis of this sport relies on the distinguishing curve which is added to the flat table. The first Teq table was made in 2014 and was 3 meters in length and 1.7 meters in width. The highest point is at 0.76 m in the middle of the playing surface. Here the net with a height of 14 cm is installed, separating the table into two parts. The curved surface and solid net makes the ball bounce if it is not hit correctly. The arched surface makes the ball bounce to the foot. The players need to be well trained and skilled as they cannot count entirely on their luck. Through the game you can develop both your stamina and concentration. There are three types of Teq TABLES: Teq ONE, Teq SMART and Teq LITE. All of these meet the International Federation of Teqball’s standards for quality and durability. The individual games and training sessions are conducted on a Teq SMART table. This is a foldable version of the Teq ONE and Teq LITE. The Teq ONE table is the original model. It remains the table used for all major FITEQ events, including the World Championships. The Teq ONE table took more than two years of testing and research to eventually develop the table’s final innovative and sophisticated shape.
The net is solid and thus the ball bounces back from it, limiting the level of interruption to games. It is the sturdiest and most suitable for major competitions. The Teq SMART table is a foldable version of the Teq ONE table. It can be used in Challenger Cups but no other officially sanctioned FITEQ events. It is the perfect table for training, as it has the added advantage of being easy to move to any location, indoor or outdoor. This is made possible through the addition of lockable wheels and the table’s foldable structure. This also allows one side of the table to be used as a rebound wall to play and practice against. The Teq LITE table has a lighter structure used most commonly amongst grassroots players. Its fiberglass reinforced polyester tabletop is waterproof and withstands UV rays. This means it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Similarly to the Teq SMART table, Teq LITE also benefits from lockable wheels and a foldable structure, which makes it easy to move and store. Teq X table is the newest addition to the Teqball family and is intended to grow the teq family even bigger. The newly added table follows the same formula as the original Teq ONE table. It offers the iconic shape and a fixed structure but at a more affordable price.
Teqball is an all-inclusive sport
Teqball prides itself on being one of the world’s most inclusive sports and FITEQ is committed to promoting gender equality and Para-teqball, as well as supporting social impact projects around the world. FITEQ is dedicated to ensuring teqball is a gender equitable sport in all areas. Teqball star and mixed doubles world champion Natalia Guitler is the chair of the FITEQ Athlete Committee. Moreover, there are a number of programmes in place to help encourage more women to play the sport. The FITEQ Women’s Committee led a programme, as part of the wider Zero to Hero programme, specifically targeting the engagement of women in the sport. At the end of 2019, FITEQ signed the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration on Women and Sport. They committed to uphold 10 principles that enable women and girls to freely and safely participate, compete and build careers in sport.
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