Watch Bossaball in action on YouTube to see a new twist on volleyball. Of course, the equipment is probably very expensive, but the video would be fun to show to your students. This reminds me of a video that the coaches made in our middle school a few years ago. They were playing basketball, and even the shortest coach was able to slam dunk the ball. The person making the video never showed the players' feet. The coaches had placed a small trampoline under the basket enabling them to make every basket and hang from the hoop just like the tallest professionals. It was hysterical, and the students loved it. If you are interested in the history and rules of Bossaball, continue reading!
Contrary to what its name might suggest, bossaball was developed in Spain and Belgium, although it takes inspiration from Brazilian music, beach culture, and sport. The word bossa, which is sometimes translated as gusto, style, flair, or attitude in Portuguese, is commonly associated with Bossa Nova, a samba-influenced type of music first pioneered by Brazilian musicians Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, and João Gilberto in the late 1950s.
The name bossaball, therefore, is fitting since music is a major component of how the game is played. In fact, the person overseeing the game is called the “samba referee,” and not only makes calls, but serves as the Master of Ceremonies and provides musical accompaniment to the action going on with the help of a whistle, microphone, percussion instruments, and a DJ set.
The basic goal in bossaball is to get the ball to touch the ground on your opponent’s side of the net, as in volleyball, and to win points based on where the ball lands. The most coveted target is the round trampoline directly in front of the net, which earns a team three points, and if the ball hits the inflatable panels around the trampoline, one point is scored. No points are scored if the ball lands on the rings around the trampoline, and the game continues after that.
Teams consist of three to five players, with one player stationed on the trampoline in the middle, and the other players flanking him or her. Eight touches are allowed on each side before the ball must go over the net; only one touch with the hands per player, and two if the player uses his head or feet instead. Teammates not on the trampoline work to position the ball so that the middle player can spike it over the net, either by hand or by executing a flip and kicking the ball to the other side.
This kind of looks like a spin off of the bouncy house to me.