Tchoukball is an indoor team sport developed in the 1970s by Swiss biologist Dr. Hermann Brandt, who believed that "The objective of human physical activities is not to make champions, but make a contribution to building a harmonious society." His aim was to develop a team sport which did not involve the horrific injuries which he viewed as plaguing other such sports.

The sport is played on an indoor court measuring forty metres by twenty metres. At each end there is a 'frame' (a device similar to a trampoline off which the ball bounces) which measure ninety square metres and a semi-circular 'D' measuring three metres out from the frame in all directions. Teams comprise twelve players, of whom nine may be on the court at any one time. In order to score a point, the ball must be thrown by an attacking player, hit the frame and bounce outside the 'D' without being caught by the defending team. Players may take three steps with the ball, hold the ball for a maximum of three seconds, and teams may not pass the ball more than three times before shooting at the frame.

Tchoukball has come to be an international sport, played in Taiwan, Great Britain, Switzerland, Japan, Canada and Italy. It is governed by the Federation Internationale de Tchoukball (FITB). Taiwan hosted the 2004 World Championships and won both the men's and women's events.

External Links

FITB official site