Freestyle Football
Freestyle football has no goals, no opponents trying to tackle you and no pitch. It is the art of doing tricks with a ball: juggling it with the feet, balancing it on the head or neck, spinning it and catching it in unusual places. All you need is a ball and a little space.
Four families of tricks
Freestylers often divide their tricks into four groups: lower tricks with the feet and legs, upper tricks with the head, shoulders and chest, sit-down tricks performed while sitting or lying on the ground, and ground moves that keep the ball rolling on the floor.
Battles
Competitions are usually one-on-one battles. Two freestylers take turns showing their best tricks for a few minutes, and a panel of judges decides who goes through to the next round. Red Bull Street Style held its first world final in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2008, and Super Ball in the Czech Republic has become one of the biggest open events.
Start with ten
Every freestyler starts the same way: keeping the ball in the air with the feet. Ten touches in a row is a great first goal. After that come the thighs, the head and the first simple tricks.
Quick facts
- PlayersOne – you and the ball
- SpaceA few square metres
- Trick groupsLower, upper, sit-down, ground moves
- CompetitionOne-on-one battles with judges
- Big eventsRed Bull Street Style, Super Ball