Welcome to your new favourite sport.
You’ve likely never heard of, or partaken in, fistball but it’s the relatively-new sport that’s being played all over the world.
And now Australia is hosting an international tournament this weekend.
If you’ve never laid your eyes on a group of players sliding across the court and desperately laying a fist into the ball to keep it alive, then you’re in for one mammoth viewing.
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Honestly, it’s wild.
The sport’s motto: “The greatest sport you’ve never heard of.”
And they’re absolutely correct.
The sport involves five players on each team separated by a two-metre tall net, spread out across two 25-metre by 20-metre halves.
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Similar to volleyball, the aim of the game is to get the ball over the net and into the opposing team’s court using just your fist.
A bounce is allowed between each player, making for some fantastic team link-ups as members pass between themselves.
The return results in some fantastic-looking slides and dives as players miraculously keep the ball in play.
Some of the last-ditch efforts are nuts.
The exact origins of the sport are unknown, although the earliest written mention came all the way in the Roman era in 240.
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Despite its similarities, the first organised game of fistball actually came before volleyball in 1894.
Germany led the way back in the 1880s and 90s, although the sport's rapid growth means it is now played across multiple nations with World Cups held every four years.
From Europe all the way to Australian shores, the first-ever Pacific Fistball Championships are being held in Geelong this weekend.
Kicking off on Saturday (October 22) men and women from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan will battle it out for fistball glory.
It signals an incredible journey for an Australian team that funnily enough started as a group of mates who came up with the idea while enjoying an ice cold beverage at the pub.
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Rolf ‘Godfister’ Petersen and Richard ‘Buckfist’ Williams decided to do some enthusiastic research into the sport, and then in 2013 decided to officially start the Fistball Federation of Australia (FiFA).
In 2014 they became a member of the International Fistball Association (IFA) – and now they’re looking to become heavyweights on the scene.
Women’s and men’s teams have travelled to every corner of earth from Switzerland to Pakistan or Argentina to Brazil, simply to ply their craft.
Yet this weekend, all eyes of the fistball world will be focused solely on Australia.
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So much so that they’re even getting recognition from the big boys in Europe with an international Fistball delegate coming from Switzerland to watch the tournament in person.
Keep your eyes peeled, because fistball is the next big thing.
Featured Image Credit: IFA Fistball Channel/YouTube.Topics: Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Japan