Official Tchoukball Rules

What's Tchoukball ?

A brief history

The Tchoukball is commonly known as “Tchouk” in “Suisse Romande” (French-speaking) in the 60s, from the research and thoughts of Dr. Hermann Brandt. The Doctor used to consult sportsmen, he noticed that the number of injuries was high. He noticed that the wounds were due to bad movements, which were not natural for the physiognomy of the individual or due to the contact between the competitors. His observations led him to design a sport in which contact and individual prestige would not put forward. A sport, that encourages team spirit and contributes to “building a valuable human society”. A sport that would be fun to play, spectacular to watch and accessible to everyone, no matter the age, the physiognomy and banishing the dangers of physical contact.

Tchouball's characteristics

  • The intensity, It’s a sport where players are constantly defending and attacking. Anticipation is mandatory, making it a sport where rest is quite not present, since on average every 20-30 seconds a team scores a point, creating a sport where the pace is sustained.
  • The diversity of the sport, in fact the Tchoukball can be played indoors, outdoors, beach, in water pools and was introduced for people in wheelchairs. In addition, some tournaments accept mixed teams (men and women).
  • The tactics, the Tchoukball is a sport requiring physical faculties, but requiring even more intellectual faculties. Anticipation, observation, constant concentration and teamwork are necessary in order to become a good team, because Tchouk is not an individual sport.
  • The Fair-play, the creator of the Tchoukball,
    Dr. Hermann Brandt wanted to put forward the human side at the center of his sport. Any physical contact between players is reprimanded, allowing any type of player to lay together, without creating a hostile atmosphere.
    With this sport he didn’t want to create an icon, but wanted to create a harmonious sport for society. Pride is not the main objective of this sport. The collective takes precedence over the individual.
  • The beauty of the game, the Tchoukball forbidding physical contact, players will be much more focused on their game than on obstructing the opponent’s game. This will lead players to perfect their movements and thus create a spectacle for the spectators.

The Tchoukball's federation

The FITB (International federation of Tchoukball)was created in 1971 in Switzerland, it counts 52 countries with representatives of the FITB, 38 countries officially belong to the federation. It aims to develop the practice of Tchoukball by advising countries on their development as well as on the implementation of sport and the creation of international tournaments.
To see the table of members, click here : FITB Members

Technical informations

The Tchoukball field

A field of 20×40 meters, which corresponds to a handball field.

Material

  • 2 trampolines (55 degrees of inclination).
  • 1 Tchoukball ball.

Material layout

The trampolines are placed at the ends of the field, with a semicircle of 3 meters creating a forbidden zone.

Sport's presentation

Objectives

  • For the attacking team, shoot on the trampoline with a maximum of 3 passes, and make the opposing team fails to catch the ball after the shot.
  • For the defending team, try to catch the ball before it hits the ground after a shot from the opponent.
  • The roles are reversed, and the game continues if the attacking team has failed to score.

Area

A player with the ball must not touch the forbidden area with his foot. A player who doesn’t have the ball can go in the forbidden area without creating a penalty. This area has a radius of 3 meters.

To score a point

When a team has shot, the other team must catch the ball, before it hits the ground, otherwise a point will be awarded to the attacking team.

To concede a point

  • When we shoot, the trampoline is missed.
  • When we shoot, the ball is bounced off the court.
  • When we shoot, the ball bounces on the trampoline and ends up touching one of the team that shot.
  • When we shoot, the ball is sent to the forbidden zone.

Rules[]

General rules

  • The teams can score on both trampolines.
  • The team that has the ball is limited to 3 passes before being forced to shoot.
  • The team that is defending must not intercept passes or disrupt players while they are moving.
  • A player is limited to 3 steps maximum when he is the ball.
  • After each penalty, you must make a pass before shooting.
  • You can’t shoot 3 times on the same trampoline.
  • When a player makes a pass to change the direction of the game, that pass doesn’t count within the limit of 3 passes.
  • The is no defined zone for each team.
  • The team that concedes a point restart the game.

Time

3×15 minutes with a maximum break of 5 minutes between each period.

Team composition

Two teams of 12 players maximum, 7 on the field and 5 substitutes. If the team has 4 players or less in the field, then it loses by forfeit.

Penalty

  • When a player advances and dribbles simultaneously.
  • It takes more than 3 steps.
  • He plays with his knees or a part which is lower.
  • It exceeds the limit of 3 passes. The first clearance pass doesn’t count.
  • When it leaves the area of the field or touches the forbidden zone when he has the ball.
  • He intercepts a pass badly and drops the ball.
  • He intercepts a pass from the other team.
  • He catches a rebound of his team.
  • It disrupts the movement of the other team.
  • He keeps the ball more than 3 seconds.
  • He intentionally shoots the ball at an opposing player.
  • Penalty's consequence

    The ball is given to the opposing team, and the action continues from the place where the foul has occurred.