GATORBALL
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Team Sports—Columbus North High School
The Game of gatorball is a team game combining the skills of soccer, touch football, and basketball. It
was first introduced at Seabreeze High School at Daytona Beach, Florida, in the fall of 1930. The general playing regulations are that the ball can, under certain conditions, be kicked, carried, or batted in
any direction within the playing area. The goals are the modified soccer type and the ball can be
thrown, kicked, or headed through the goal.
PLAYING AREA: The playing area is a rectangle 80 yards long and 40 yards wide, with lines drawn
across the field every 20 yards, dividing it into four equal areas. A circle with a 10 yard radius is located in the center of the field. The goals on each end line are constructed of two uprights, 15 feet
apart, with a crossbar 7 feet high. From each end of the goal, an arc with a 5 yard radius is drawn from
the end line to a point directly in front of the goal posts. The tops of these two arcs are then joined by
a straight line running parallel with the end line.
EQUIPMENT: One soccer ball
PLAYERS: A team is composed of five to nine players.
KICK-OFF: The ball is put in play at the beginning of each half and after each goal by a place-kick
from the middle of the center circle. When one team puts the ball in play at the start of the game, the
other team shall put it in play at the start of the second half. On the kick-off, all players must be in
their own half of the field and non-kicking team players must stay out of the center circle. The kicker
may stand anywhere in the center circle and kick the ball in any direction to put the ball into play—to the opponents or to his teammates: he may not play the ball again until it is touched by another
player. After each goal, the team scored upon has the option of putting the ball in play with a placekick or of allowing their opponents to do so. As soon as initial contact is made with the ball, all players may cross the center line or restraining circle and play anywhere on the field.
FLY-BALL: A fly ball is defined as a ball in the air that has not touched the ground since touching a
player. As soon as the ball becomes a fly-ball, it should be played with the hands. When a fly-ball is
caught, it may be passes, run with, or kicked. When a player catches a fly-ball and does not take more
than one step, he must be defended against as a basketball player. That is, he may not be touched or
over guarded and must not move the pivot foot. He may drop the ball to the ground and play it with
his feet, but may not play it again with his hands until another player has caused it to become a flyball. Ground or air dribbling with the hands is not allowed at any time.
RUNNING: A player in possession of the ball may run with it at any time. If a player is tagged after
taking more than one step with the ball in his possession, a free kick is awarded the opponent’s team
at the point where the tag is made. To avoid being tagged, a runner may drop the ball to the ground
and play it with his feet, or pass it, or punt it.
SCORING: A team scores one point each time the ball legally passes completely over the opponent’s
end line between the uprights and under the crossbar in any of the following ways:
1. Kicked through the goal from any point on the field outside the goal restraining arc.
2. thrown through the goal from any point on the field outside the restraining arc.
3. Penalty kick-the ball is kicked from a point 2 yards outside the goal restraining arc. The goal
keeper must stand 1 yard in front of the goal and must be the player between the kicker and the
goal. This is awarded only as a result of committing a flagrant foul or for unsportsmanlike
conduct.
FOULS: The following constitute fouls:
1. Holding, pushing, tripping, hacking, striking, or violently charging
2. touching a ground ball with the hands
3. Kicking a fly ball
4. Playing a ball again on a kick-off, throw-in, free kick, or penalty kick before it has been touched
by another player
5. making dangerous kick, either by kicking into an opponent, or raising the foot dangerously in
attempting to kick the ball.
6. Kicking a ball while inside the restraining arc
FREE KICKS: fouls are penalized by awarding the opposing team a free kick at the point where the
foul occurred, except for fouls that involve a penalty kick. A free kick is also awarded a team when one
of its players tags an opponent who has taken more than one step with the ball in his possession On a
free-kick, all players of the opposing team must be at least 5 yards from the ball at the time it is kicked.
In order to score from a free-kick, the ball must touch another player before going across the goal line,
i.e., a goal may not be scored directly from a free-kick but must be touched by another player.
OUT-OF-BOUNDS: When a ball crosses a field boundary (other than to score a legal goal) it is put in
play by a throw-in at the point where it crossed the line by an opponent of the player who last touched
the ball before it went out. But if the attacking team has the ball out of bounds over the end line, the ball
may be put in play only by a thro-in from the nearest corner. Any member of a team may throw the ball
in and he may use one or both hands to do so.
HELD-BALL: A held ball occurs when two opposing players (1) cause the ball to go out of bounds, (2)
gain possession of a fly ball, or (3) foul each other simultaneously. When any of these occurs, the ball is
put in play by the team defending the nearer goal; one player takes the ball out-of-bounds at the nearer
side line and throws it in.
GOALKEEPER: One player on each team is designated as goalkeeper. The goalkeeper may play anywhere on the field. However, when he is in the 20 yard zone nearest his goal, he has the privilege of
playing ground balls with his hands. When the goalkeeper assumes possession of the ball within the
goal restraining arc, he is given 5 seconds to move the ball out of the arc by throwing, hitting, kicking,
or carrying the ball. If he should take longer, the ball is awarded the opposing team out-of-bounds at the
nearest side line.
Players of the attacking team must not cross the goal restraining arc under any circumstances.