Grasketball - A New Sport
The new sport of Grasketball was created by Joseph DeSantis from Fort Worth, Texas, USA in 2015. Grasketball is a hybrid sport that uses components of basketball, American football, and rugby.
Grasketball right now is more hypothetical at this point due to difficulty moving basketball hoops on to grass.
Equipment Required: uniforms, shorts, cleats, socks, shin pads, two basketball goals, an adequate field, field markers either white paint or cones, and a rugby ball.
Summary
Grasketball combines aspects of various sports to form a unique sport. Game play is 7 v 7 with rotatable backups. The goal of the game is to score more points than the other team. This can be done most commonly by throwing or kicking a rugby ball into a basketball hoop. The game has 3 periods of 20 min. In the event of a tie the winning point is decided by a faceoff.
Details
The Field
Dimensions The official size of the field will be 180' long and 80' wide.
Lining In the middle of the field will be a line 8' wide expanding the whole field vertically. At the center of this line shall be a horizontal shape of a rugby ball. On each side will be a line 4' wide extending vertically, which shall be 30' behind the centered line. A merging line will be 20' horizontally from the goal. The area inside these last lines the grass shading must be lighter than the rest of the field.
Necessary Equipment
Two basketball hoops are required.
The basketball hoops will be suspended in the air 10 feet above the ground.
The ball shall be a rugby ball consisting of firm weight and bounce measured by the referee.
Away teams must be provided at least 5 rugby balls with appropriate weight and bounce for pregame shoot-arounds.
Each field shall have an operating electronic clock with scoreboards in the middle visible for fans and one on each end of the field visible for the players.
Each field will have seats or benches for both teams. Benches must be uniform between both sides and have accommodations for 30 people.
Each bench should be 50' in length and on the same side. In the middle of the benches shall be a scorer and media bench 50' wide. Team officials can sit here as well.
Number of Players
Each team consists of 16 players, 7 of which may be on the field at once.
If a team cannot field 5 players at once, they lose.
Substitutions can occur mid game, as a player enters the bench area and is fully off the field another player can enter the field.
Uniforms
Uniform designs must be approved by the commissioner.
Dry fit t-shirts are required with different numbers on the back for each player. As well as the players' last names. Along with shorts.
Approved advertising is allowed. Team name must be on the jersey, the logo of the team must be on the jersey, as well as a National Grasketball League logo on the left shoulder.
Players cannot wear helmets or padding. Except ones approved by the league office.
Socks, cleats, and shin guards are required.
Time Length and Pauses
Game length will consist of 60 min. Divided into 3 periods.
In the event of a tie a faceoff will determine the winning team.
The clock runs after the face off to start the period and only stops after the ball goes out of play, a penalty is called, a timeout is called, or there is an injury. In the case of an injury there is a faceoff.
Referees can also decide if the clock stops for other reasons prohibiting the players from playing.
Once play resumes after a stoppage the clock starts as well.
Each team is given one timeout per period, except the last period where they are given two.
Timeouts last three minutes and no players can be on the field.
Timeouts can only be called on offense.
In between each period is a 20 min break.
Officials
List of Game Officials
Game officials shall consist of a Head Official, and four sub officials. One official will work the clock. Officials shall wear official uniforms provided by the National Grasketball League.
Duties of Game Officials
- Officials are responsible for checking and making sure equipment is in place and lining is correct.
- Officials shall make sure there is no jewelry on players as well as other sharp objects.
- Officials must meet with captains beforehand.
- Officials must report any wrongdoings to the league office.
- When a foul occurs, a whistle shall be blown, and play shall be stopped.
- If a whistle is blown accidentally the referee shall signal to continue by moving his hand in a waving manner.
The Head Official has final say if there is a game dispute between referees, players, and or coaches. Further action could be done by the league office.
Penalties
- If a penalty occurs by one player or coach, he is given a mark. Three marks and a player or coach can no longer play or coach that game.
- If a player or coach commits a penalty on purpose the Head Official may rule that player as disqualified and or eject him.
- If a player commits a penalty he is sent to the bench for two minutes without a substitution or until the other team scores. This is a power play for the team who did not commit the penalty.
- Penalties consist of illegal tackle, illegal kick, illegal screen, illegal block, fighting, and or player injuring maneuvers.
- Delaying the game is sometimes a penalty, subjective to the referee, a warning shall be the initial response. A mark will be given to repeat offenders.
- Having more than 7 players on the field will result in a non ejectable penalty and a power play for the other team.
- Foul behavior towards officials shall result in penalty and or ejection.
- Players may not ' camp' or stand in either rectangle when not actively trying to score or defend. An initial warning will be given and afterwards a penalty mark.
When a penalty occurs, the ball is given to a player opposite of the team who committed the foul behind the midfield line with the rest of his team, while the other team is placed in their defensive rectangle. Play and time resumes when the player with the ball crosses midfield. They have five seconds to leave once the referee gives them the ball if they do not do so the ball will be given to the opposite team.
Start of a Period
At the beginning of each period or after an undeclared ball possession is a face off.
Face offs consist of the ball being placed in the middle of the center line in the rugby shape. Then players are put behind the line 30' back on opposite sides.
When the referee blows the whistle players may run for the ball. A point is rewarded for the team who won by fully retrieving possession of the ball in the scorer' s opinion.
Ball Advancement
The ball can only be advanced by carrying, passing, or kicking. Carrying consists of running with the ball in hand(s). A pass is when a player intentionally moves the rugby ball to another player. Forward passing, carrying, and kicking are all legal, as well as sideways or backwards.
A legal block is when a player pushes within the chest area of the front side of the person they are trying to block. A legal screen consists of a player running into another player near the ball carrier. An illegal block or screen occurs when a player aggressively knocks a player to the ground, this is subjective to the referee and if deemed dangerous it will result in a penalty. An illegal kick occurs when there are players within three feet of the kicking player' s radius or there is no ball within three feet of the kicking player' s radius.
If the ball leaves the field of play, the ball will be given to the team who did not touch the ball last for a throw-in where the ball went out. Teams have five seconds to throw the ball in otherwise the other team receives a throw-in from the same location.
On the throw-in, the ball must be thrown with both hands of the offensive player holding the ball into a motion where the ball comes over the head as well as their feet still. Failure to do so will result in the other team having a throw-in.
Scoring
The goal of the game is for a team to score more points at the end of the game than their opponent. Scoring can occur in multiple ways.
- If an offensive player attempts a shot with their feet inside their offensive rectangle from their release of the ball, and the shot goes in, the team is rewarded two points.
- If an offensive player attempts a shot with their feet outside their offensive rectangle and the ball goes in from their release of the ball, the team is rewarded three points. A five point shot is only regarded as an attempt if the shot makes contact with the basketball hoop.
- If a player kicks the ball into their offensive basketball hoop, their team is rewarded five points.
- If a defender tips the ball in no matter where the attempted shot was, the opposing team gets one point.
A defender may not interfere with a ball with negative trajectory, five points will be rewarded to the other team for goaltending or interfering with a ball with negative trajectory on track to go into the basketball hoop.
If a player scores on the wrong side. The opposing team gets a point
After Scoring
After scoring the ball is in the other team' s possession.
The player is given five seconds to either kick the ball downfield, pass to a teammate or run up the field, without the defense touching him.
If the ball is moved past their now defensive rectangle, defense can automatically resume before the five seconds is up. It is a turnover if the referee indicates the offense did not move the ball in five seconds.
Defense- occurs when the team is on the field and does not have possession of the ball.
Tackling
A tackle is a successful attempt to take a player to the ground.
As a player is being tackled, they must immediately get rid of the ball. Failure to do so shall result in a penalty for the offensive player.
Tackling shall be from shoulder to waist only any other form shall be penalized.
Tackling can only occur when players face each other and can not occur from behind or the side; a tackle from behind or to the side of the person shall result in a penalty.
Grabbing of uniform and latching on is illegal and shall result in a penalty.
more-info: https://www.youtube.com/@grasketball
Note
Related Pages
- See our large list of other New Sports
- How to Submit a New Sport
- Complete list of unusual sports
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