Roll Ball is one of the lesser-known games that emerged in India. It was originally played in 2005 in Pune and now has left its print worldwide and is considered as the "New Born game". The game was invented by Mr. Raju Dabhade when he was the sports teacher at MES Bal Shikshan Mandir.
About the Game
It is basically played between two teams consisting of 12 players, while 6 players remain on the field and the other 6 in reserve. The main objective of the players is to secure the maximum number of goals within a specific period of time. The ball is held in one or both hands and is passed from one player to another and is repeatedly bounced on the ground. But it should not be mistaken with basketball as the ROLLER SHOES brings out the twist. The players wear roller shoes while bouncing the ball on the ground and passing it to other players in order to achieve goals. If there is a tie then 2 extra times of 5 minutes are added within a 2-minute break in-between.
The players are given a yellow card followed by a red card in a case of foul such as:
1. Running or skating without dribbling the ball.
2. Intentionally hitting or blocking the ball with any part of the leg.
3. Even accidentally touching the ball with foot or the leg.
Roll Ball Court
The court size varies from 28 to 40 meters (92 to 131ft) in length whereas 15 to 20 meters (49 to 66ft) in width. There is a line in the center which divided the offensive and defensive areas. The penalty line is around 4.5m to 3.5m away from the goal. There is also a goalkeeper’s line which is also called D arena or the Free Throw line measuring 3.5m to 2.5m away from the goal. The playing court is marked by 5 cm boundary line. Red and White colors are used to mark the lines. The court is made up of mat, concrete, asphalt or wood which results in a hard surface. A safety margin of the 3m line is drawn outside the boundary line.
Equipment
The equipment that are used in the game are Inline roller skates, Quad Skates, Helmet, Knee Guards, Elbow Guard, and a Roll Ball.
The roll-ball is of two types:
1. MINI ROLL BALL- It weighs around 340 gram to 400 gram and is 54cm to 56cm in circumference. Generally used by Sub-junior, Junior, and Senior girls.
2. NORMAL ROLL BALL- It weighs around 425gram to 475 gram and is 58 cm to 60 cm in circumference. It is used by Junior and Senior boys.
Present Day Situation and World Cups
The game which started with just 5 to 6 children has now more than a thousand players worldwide. The International Roll Ball Federation (IRBF) is a body which is associated with International Roll Ball and has around 30 members as per April 2017. The Indian roll ball squad is among the top teams. The other Roll Ball practicing countries include Bangladesh, Belgium, Belorussia, China, Egypt, Denmark, Guyana, Nepal, Romania, Pakistan, Singapore, Tanzania, Uganda, Iran, Nepal and many more. Around four world cups in starting from 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 have already taken place and is held after the gap of every 2 years. The next Roll Ball world cup will be held in November 2019.
1st ROLL BALL WORLD CUP (2011)
It was held at the SHREE SHIV CHHATRAPATI SPORTS COMPLEX in Pune in Maharashtra, India. Denmark emerged as winner whereas Host India was the runner-up.
2nd ROLL BALL WORLD CUP (2013)
It was held at MOI International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya. India emerged as the winner, defeating Iran in final.
3rd ROLL BALL WORLD CUP (2015)
It was held at SHREE SHIV CHHATRAPATI SPORTS COMPLEX in Pune in Maharashtra, India. And it is rightly said that “History repeats itself” and same happened as India won the world cup defeating Iran.
4th ROLL BALL CUP (2017)
It was held in Bangladesh. India defeated Iran by 8-7 in men’s category while women defeated the same opponent by 6-4.
Let's wish all the Roll Ball teams a best of luck for World Cup 2019!
