Cycle-ball, also known as "radball" (from German), is a sport similar to association football played on bicycles. The two people on each team ride a fixed gear bicycle with no brakes or freewheel. The ball is controlled by the bike and the head, except when defending the goal.

History

The sport was introduced in 1883 by American artistic cyclist, Nicholas Edward Kaufmann. The first match was played on September 14 that year between Kaufmann and fellow artistic cyclist John Featherly. Its first world championships were in 1929. In the early 20th century, the sport spread to Germany; in the modern day, Germany is the location of the sport's largest fanbase. Cycle-ball is also popular in Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. The most successful players were the Pospíšil brothers of Czechoslovakia, world champions 20 times between 1965 and 1988. Closely related is artistic cycling in which the athletes perform a kind of gymnastics on cycles.

Rules

The game is played by two teams of two players in a field of 11 meters length by 9 meters width.

Championships