NORSUPALLO ”ELEPHANT BALL”

"A new energetic game that everyone can play”

 

 

Norsupallo “elephant ball” as a game is similar to football, even though the ball used is an exercise ball, 45–75 cm (about 18–30 inches) in diameter. The size of the ball makes the game interesting as the differences in skills disappear, so both men and women can play the game at the same time. Thus according to the official rules the teams are mixed, there must be at least one woman on the field all the time.

THE RULES

Field Size:
- 40 meters (about 44 yards) in length, 30 meters (about 33 yards) in width.

 

Field markings:
- Touch lines (side lines) and goal lines (end lines) are marked on the field.
- The field is divided into two halves by a halfway line.
- The centre mark of the field is indicated with a ball-sized circle.
- The corners of the field are marked with corner flagposts.
- The corner kick mark is placed in the midway of the goal and the corner flagpost.

 

Goals:
- Football goals are used.

 

Duration of the match:
- The duration of the match in individual matches consists of two periods of 8 minutes.
- The duration of the match in tournaments consists of one period of 8 minutes.
- The playing time is continuous, thus breaks are included in it.
Equipment:
- The official ball is an exercise ball, 65 or 75 cm (about 26 or 30 inches) in diameter.
- Juniors under 15 years of age use exercise balls that are 55 or 65 cm (about 22 or 26 inches) in diameter.
- Children under 12 years of age use exercise balls that are 45 or 55 cm (about 18 or 22 inches) in diameter.
Shoes:
- Players are not allowed to use football shoes with studs.
Players / Teams:
- In a team 12 players at the maximum are allowed.
- The teams consist of both men and women.
- There are 5 players per team on the field at the same time.
- There must be at least one woman on the field all the time.
- The teams can replace a player by a substitute an unlimited number of times at any point during the game, “on the fly”, keeping the one-woman-in-play -rule in mind.
- There are no goalkeepers in the game; all the players are field players.
Playing the game:
- The game starts when the referee drops the ball at the centre mark of the field. The ball is in play after it has bounced off the ground once.
- The referee starts the game from the centre mark of the field at the start of the game and always after a goal has been scored.

Touch line kick:
- When the ball passes over the touch line or the goal line, a kick-in is awarded.
- The corner kick is taken from the corner kick mark, midway of the goal and the corner flagpost.

Fouls:
- It is not allowed to handle the ball (play the ball with hands); a free kick to the opposing team is awarded.
- A foul committed inside the player’s own penalty area results in a penalty kick for the opposing team.
- A penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark towards an empty goal.
- A yellow card is shown and the player is substituted after the first serious offence.
- A red card is shown and the player is sent off after the first very serious offence or after the second serious offence. After the sending-off the team must play shorthanded.
Otherwise the rules of football are applied.