When talking about a contact sport, it’s natural to think of something like boxing or wrestling of some kind. If it is mentioned that, in addition to contact, there is a ball involved, football, basketball or rugby is undoubtedly the original sporting activity that comes to mind. And it is normal, because it is what we are currently and traditionally accustomed to throughout our history. Today, and throughout the world, there are other more strange and striking sports that include these characteristics. This is the case of slamball, a kind of spectacular basketball that also involves contact and is really fascinating.
As for its origin, slamball began in Los Angeles, United States. As has been said, specifically in a warehouse where a playing field was improvised with scrap pieces and the idea was to translate the spirit of video games into a real sport, in which players could jump much further than their legs they allowed them in a natural way, joining some elements of basketball, gymnastics and even hockey. In principle, the regulations were very basic and the field was only used for training.
But little by little new players, people interested in investing in such a novel sport and other ideologues were incorporated. Until it was put into practice in a 4 against 4 that at first was not to everyone’s liking, but in a short time it gained the attention of the media, to the point where today there are various international channels that broadcast the matches of this curious discipline.
How to play?
A slamball match consists of two teams of four players each facing each other on the field of play. One of them has the role of handler, who is in charge of organizing the game; another is the stopper, a kind of goalkeeper whose function is to prevent the ball from entering the basket and is placed right on the trampoline under the hoop, and two cannons or gunners who are the ones who have to put the ball in the basket contrary. That said, it is very dynamic and exhausting, so the total duration of the match is only 20 minutes. It should be noted that this time is divided into two halves of 10 minutes, which in turn are made up of two quarters of 5 minutes each.
There is no doubt that slamball is a frenetic, extreme sport and surely many would like to practice it. In any case, he has not yet been part of the Olympic Games, but in 2012 he had his first International Cup and over the years he will seek to get among the most recognized in the world.
