Someball

Someball, also commonly known by its previous name somebodyball, is a team sport and school yard game played with a spherical ball between two teams of seven players in which players on two teams try to throw balls and hit opponents, while avoiding being hit themselves. The game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, catching a ball thrown by an opponent, or inducing an opponent to commit a violation, such as stepping outside the pitch.

Someball is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a spherical rubber, foam, cloth or beach ball of 68–70 cm circumference, known as the someball. Two teams of seven players each compete to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with the thrown ball, thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss prior to kick-off.

Someball is governed internationally by the Somebodyball Association (SA; Dutch: Iemandbalbond), which plans to organise World Cups for both men and women every four years. Someball has drawn comparisons to dodgeball and the Dutch schoolyard game iemand is hem, niemand is hem, although these claims are denied by the SA.

Variants of someball that weren't a team sport (Somebodyball C) or didn't apply points (Somebodyball N.C.) existed and were popular in the Kingdom of Mahuset, although only the current variant of someball (known at the time as Somebodyball E.C.) continues to have a significant player base.

Name

The name someball is a shortened version of its previous name somebodyball which is in its turn a literal translation of the Dutch iemandbal. The etymology of the name "iemandbal" has been lost to the mists of time however.

Laws

Kit

Male sportswear used in someball resembles that used in association football.

A men's kit (also referred to as a strip or uniform) is the standard equipment and attire worn by players and usually consists out of a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear, adequate shin guards, an atheletic supporter and a protective cup. The sport's Laws of the Game specify the minimum kit which a player must use, and also prohibit the use of anything that is dangerous to either the player or another participant. Individual competitions may stipulate further restrictions, such as regulating the size of logos displayed on shirts and stating that, in the event of a match between teams with identical or similar colours, the away team must change to different coloured attire. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches.

Shirts are normally made of a polyester mesh, which does not trap the sweat and body heat in the same way as a shirt made of a natural fibre. Most professional clubs have sponsors' logos on the front of their shirts, which can generate significant levels of income, and some also offer sponsors the chance to place their logos on the back of their shirts. Depending on local rules, there may be restrictions on how large these logos may be or on what logos may be displayed. Competitions such as the Premier Honour League may also require players to wear patches on their sleeves depicting the logo of the competition. The captain of each team is usually required to wear an elasticated armband around the left sleeve to identify them as the captain to the referee and supporters.

Most current players wear specialist someball boots, resembling football boots, which can be made either of leather or a synthetic material. Studs may be either moulded directly to the sole or be detachable, normally by means of a screw thread. Some boots such as the Adidas Predator, feature increasingly intricate, scientifically aided designs and features such as air pockets in the soles and rubber "blades" on the sole rather than studs. The blades have been the subject of controversy as several top managers have blamed them for injuries both to opposition players and to the wearers themselves.

Someballers generally wear identifying numbers on the backs of their shirts, although international teams often also place numbers on the front. Originally a team of players wore numbers from 1 to 7, corresponding roughly to their playing positions, but at the professional level this has generally been superseded by squad numbering, whereby each player in a squad is allocated a fixed number for the duration of a season. Professional clubs also usually display players' surnames or nicknames on their shirts, above (or, infrequently, below) their squad numbers.

Other equipment

All players are permitted to wear gloves. Significant advancements have been made in the design of gloves, which now feature protectors to prevent the fingers bending backwards, segmentation to allow greater flexibility, and palms made of materials designed to protect the hand and to enhance a player's grip. Gloves are available in a variety of different cuts, including "flat palm", "roll finger" and "negative", with variations in the stitching and fit. Goalkeepers sometimes also wear caps to prevent glare from the sun or floodlights affecting their performance. Players with sight problems may wear glasses as long as there is no risk of them falling off or breaking and thereby becoming dangerous. Players may also choose to wear headgear to protect themselves from head injury as long as it presents no risk to the safety of the wearer or any other player.

Religious artefacts

All forms of religious artefacts are banned in someball, with the SA stating that someball as a sport should be open to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs. This ban does not extend outside of clothing.

Misconduct

Players are cautioned by a yellow card, ordered off the pitch without a substitute by a red card, or ordered off the pitch with a substitution by a black card. Blue cards are used in incidents of suspected foul play where the referee is unsure of the identity of the perpetrator, or where the referee is unsure if a red card is warranted. Although not in use in the Premier Honour League, competitions are allowed to use white cards as an indication of commendable conduct.

Transgender individuals

Both male-to-female and female-to-male individuals are banned by official SA guidelines from participating in men's and women's leagues over concerns that transgender individuals, especially trans women, would outperform their cisgender counterparts due to their possibly more masculine body structure and historically higher testosterone levels.

Video games

• Superstar Someball
• Xtreme Beach Someball