What is Soccer Ping Pong? Everything you Need to Know
What is soccer ping pong? Soccer ping pong is a variation of the beautiful game that combines elements from soccer, ping pong, and sepak takraw, or foot-volleyball and it makes for an excellent training drill, although it is also a sport of its own.
There are various ways to play soccer ping pong such as with a soccer ping pong table like this one or with a curved table, like in the video below of Paris Saint Germain. The curved table is part of an official new sport called teqball, which is very similar to soccer ping pong except it has specific rules and guidelines.
You may be able to play soccer ping pong with a regular ping pong table, but that is not advised as it is best to play with either real soccer ping pong tables or teqball tables. In this blog, I will cover everything you need to know about soccer ping pong, a fun and exciting version of soccer.
Soccer Ping Pong Table
$843.99
What is Soccer Ping Pong?
Soccer ping pong is a variation of soccer that combines various elements from different sports such as sepak takraw (kick volleyball), table tennis, and of course soccer. There are different ways to play soccer ping pong and there is also an official sport called teqball that has established rules and is rising in popularity, but in general the goal is to hit the ball back and forth until one team fails to do so.
Many professional soccer clubs have some type of soccer ping pong table around the club facilities, or may even dedicate specific training time for these games such as during the warm up.
Benefits of playing Soccer Ping Pong
Soccer ping pong is not just a fun game because it can also be a great training tool to help players improve fundamental skills, such as:
- Passing
- Heading
- ball control
- footwork
- teamwork
- communication
- creativity
- Mental focus
- If you play barefoot on natural land you can get the benefits of grounding which can help improve the health and function of your fascia and mitochondrial function, as well as recovery, sleep, energy levels, and more.
Equipment Needed to Play Soccer Ping Pong
Teqball Table
$3,499
Soccer ping pong can be played on any type of table that bounces the ball back to you, but certain gear and equipment will allow for better game play and official sports, such as Teqball, will have specific guidelines and equipment requirements.
If you are playing unofficially and have a good table to play with you can use an indoor soccer ball or a regular size 5 soccer ball, depending on the type of bounce you prefer. Unless you plan on playing Teqball officially, you don’t need an official teqball ball and can use any type of ball.
Here is the most important equipment to have to play soccer ping pong.
- Teqball Table
- Or any other type of soccer ping pong table
- Teqball ball
- Or any other type of soccer ball
- Depending on where you are playing you will either need:
- No shoes and play barefoot
- Firm Ground soccer cleats
- Turf shoes
- Indoor soccer shoes
- Barefoot style shoes
Teqball Ball
$29.9
Soccer Ping Pong Rules Explained
Teqball is a sport that follows a points-based scoring format and is played over a best of three sets, with each set played until a player or team reaches a certain amount of points. The amount of points needed to win a set may differ depending on league and level.
Teqball games can be either a singles game (1V1) or a doubles game (2V2) and these are the main rules to know before you start playing.
- You can only touch the ball three times as a team on your side before returning it to the other side
- You cannot use your arms or hands, but can use any other body part such as your feet, head, thighs, or chest.
- You cannot touch the opponents, the equipment, or the ball twice with the same body part
- To prevent rallies with teams using the same moves over and over again, within the same play, you can’t return the ball with the same body part more than twice in succession
- To win a game of Teqball, you can choose your own terms, but if you’re playing by the traditional rules, the game is won by winning the best of three sets.
- To win a set a team much reach 20 points
- To win a point, the ball must land on your opponent’s side of the table without them returning it.
- To serve the ball, you must stand behind the table and kick the ball diagonally so it lands on your opponent’s side of the table.
- You have two attempts to serve successfully before you forfeit the point.
- If the ball hits the side of the table it is called an “edgeball” and the point is replayed.
History of Soccer Ping Pong
Teqball originated in 2014 from an idea by Gabor Borsanyi, a former professional footballer, Gyorgy Gattyan, a businessman, and Viktor Huszar, a computer scientist. The trio’s goal was to create something unique, fun, and challenging that would satisfy their passion for sports after their soccer playing days were over.
At first, this fusion game faced skepticism from traditionalists within both the soccer and table tennis communities. However, over time it gained popularity due to its many benefits that translate to a real full field soccer game.
At first, the table’s design was flat, and this design often resulted in the ball not bouncing to the players so as a result, the team came up with the curved design. The official sport, Teqball, was presented in Budapest in October 2016 with global icon Ronaldinho as one of the sports ambassadors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a high quality soccer ping pong table cost?
Investing money in a high quality soccer ping pong table can cost anywhere from $500 to over $3,000.
What is the best soccer training program?
The best online soccer training program and soccer app is Football Entangled. There is no other program like Football Entangled on the market and this community, much more than just an app, will help you get closer to making your dreams a reality.
How can I learn more about the game?
To learn more about soccer the most important thing is to join a team and play the game as much as possible. If possible, analyze high level games as much as you can and your own games as well by recording them with a soccer camera. Also read soccer books, listen to podcasts and interviews watch soccer documentaries, as well as some movies, tv shows, and anime.
Conclusion
In conclusion, soccer ping pong is not just a fun game that can be played at the training field or in your backyard, but it is also a great training drill that can help improve various important soccer skills such as passing, receiving, and your first touch. It is also a great gift for any serious soccer players or soccer teams.
In this blog, I covered everything you need to know about a popular variation of soccer, soccer ping pong.
