Motoball

Motoball, child of motorcycling and football, was born in the XNUMXs and started in France in XNUMX. After the Second World War, major matches attracted more spectators than football matches. Motoball retains from football the size of its field and the role of its players, who are only five in number.ar team (plus substitutes).

This sport has since spread throughout Europe. It became very popular in the USSR and then in Russia where it is actively supported par state institutions.

Motoball is a motorcycling discipline disputed in the form of matches between two teams made up of four players on motorbikes and a goalkeeper without a motorbike, each seeking to send a ball into the opposing goal with any part of the body and the motorcycle with the exception of the hands and arms. All matches on French territory must be controlledar two appointed arbitratorsar the FFM.

A little bit of history

The first mention of a motoball match is made in England in September XNUMX. This meeting took place during a charity gala and took place on a football field. These motorcycle football games were immediately a considerable success, then a year later they flourished throughout the island "In XNUMX each match was played with six players par team, all on motorcycles and lasted twice XNUMX min with a stop of XNUMX min between the two parts. From XNUMX, play time was increased to XNUMX mins, i.e. two separate XNUMX min periods par a half-time of XNUMX min”. It should be noted that this British sport did not remain confined to its island and quickly moved to Europe. “He had his hours of glory in France in the XNUMXs with big teams like Dijon, Saint-Étienne, Nice, Sochaux, Aigle, CMB Paris, Nevers, Avignon, Carpentras”.

The ball is XNUMX centimeters in diameter and weighs XNUMX grams.

Until XNUMX, the goalkeepers still played on motorcycles. Their horse should not weigh more than fifty kilos, they used a moped without pedals and they had to remain in the saddle until the start of the kick aimed at their cage. At the start of the match, the goals did a lap of honor to prove the working order of their machine, but they could then shut down the engine for the rest of the game. As during a shot on goal, the players cannot enter the penalty area, some goals did not hesitate, in order to block their cage as much as possible, to dive from one side and push their motorcycle to the other. Motoball motorcycles are lowered and surrounded by a ball push bar at the front of the lower engine which prevents the ball from passing under the machine

How is Motoball played?

Motoball is a sport which requires many qualities for high-level practice: athleticism for shooting power and endurance, dexterity for progress with the ball and passing, balance for the handling of the motorcycle and intelligence for the development of the many existing tactics.

This sport is played on a field comparable to that of football. The rules are almost similar.

Field : length from XNUMX m to XNUMX m, width from XNUMX m to XNUMX m, like football fields.

The equipment and the ball:

- The equipment: helmet, jersey, pants, gloves, boots and leg warmers.

- The Ball: diameter XNUMX cm, weight from XNUMX to XNUMX gr.

The teams : four motorbike players, a goalkeeper and five substitutes.

The cages: height XNUMX m, width XNUMX m. The goalkeeper evolves in a protection zone of XNUMXm called "outside zone" which is reserved for him. He cannot leave it, and the other players are not allowed to enter it.

The motorcycles: displacement must not exceed XNUMXcc, XNUMX horsepower to XNUMX horsepower, and XNUMX decibels maximum. Each motorcycle is equipped with a balloon guide to prevent it from getting stuck in the front wheel or the engine.

The game : XNUMX periods of XNUMX minutes, separated par stoppages of XNUMX mn, change of camp after the second quarter. The teams present themselves to the public before and after the match.

What future for this discipline?

Electric as a solution

Motor sports have been changing for several years. Everyone, little by little, is switching to electric. Motoball is no exception. Motorcyclescross Thermal still mostly used today, are gradually giving way to their cousin.

In this matter, the club of Neuville-de-Poitou was the precursor. Leader discipline for a few years, he equipped himself from XNUMX to accustom the younger generations to these new mounts.

Fighting Noise Emissions

French legislation characterizes as noise pollution all sounds related to a mechanical sports activity which would amount to more than five decibels, during the day, from ambient sound level, and more than three decibels at night.

The other point that can slow down the emergence of these new motorcycles lies in what it fights: noise. This is part of the show, but above all provides a certain security. For the players and the referees on foot, it would become dangerous if they did not hear the motorcycles located in their blind spot approaching.

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