Speed-ball
Encyclopedia
Speed-Ball is a racquet sport
Racquets (sport)
Rackets or Racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada...
invented in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1961
1961 in sports
1961 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* AFL Championship – Houston Oilers won 10-3 over the San Diego Chargers* NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 37-0 over the New York Giants...
by Mohamed Lotfy for the training of beginner tennis players. Today it is a sport in its own right, enjoying popularity not only in Egypt but in other countries. Several of these countries make up the International Federation of Speed-Ball (FISB).
Description
A hollow ball in latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
revolves around a metallic mast (1,70m high) which is linked by a nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
thread (fishing thread type) of 1,70m length. The thread is knotted to the mast by a loop or a plastic ring freely revolving around a reel. The mast is fixed in a base from 40 kg to 90 kg. The ball is elliptic and is hit with a rigid plastic racquet
Racquet
A racquet or racket is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
with a small handle and a strings around 25cm of diameter. The speed-ball court is about 6x4 m. for the single match and 8x6 m. for the doubles.
Rules
Speed-ball is played alone (super-solo), with two players (single match), or four players (double match).Super-solo
In Super-solo, the aim is to hit the ball a maximum times in one minute. At first with the right hand, then a minute again with the left hand, then with two racquets in fore-hand only, then with two racquets in back-hand only. The number of hits of each movement is added to make the final score of the solo.
The duration of one movement is 30 seconds for the players under 14 years old and one minute for older players. A break of 30 seconds for all classes is granted behind each movement.
The best players can do up to 150 hits in one minute.
Single match
The single match, contrary to the solo, is played with only one racquet. In a single match, there is two players, each one has his own ground. The two grounds are separated by a neutral strip of 60cm wide (diameter of the speed-ball's base). A match is divided into games of 10 points. The players hit the ball once each one and invert the rotation wise. To score points, the ball must run twice successively across the opponent ground without the opponent being able to return it. If there is a fault, the point is missed and there is a new service. The service is alternated, whoever is the point's winner. The first player who wins 10 points wins the game. The first player who wins two games (three games for men's seniors) wins the match.
Double match
The double match takes place like the single, in two teams of two players. In each team, the players serve and hit the ball alternatively. The general rules are the same as the single.
Specific mistakes involve the player's rotation and reception of the ball.
Federation
The International Federation of Speed-Ball (FISB) was founded in 1984 by the membership of Egypt, France, and Japan. Several other countries joined the federation (KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, KSA, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, UAE, ...).