Teqball
Officially Teqball (International Federation of Teqball — FITEQ)
A modern hybrid sport combining football (soccer) with table tennis — played on a curved rectangular table using only soccer touches (feet, chest, head, thighs) with no arms or hands.
What is Teqball?
Teqball is a hybrid sport invented in 2014 by three Hungarians — Gábor Borsányi (former pro footballer), György Gattyán, and Viktor Huszár — as a way to bring football skill practice to any location. It's played on a curved rectangular table (~3m long) with a permanent net; the surface's curvature returns any ball as an arc, keeping it in play. Rules mimic table tennis (games to 12/20, best of 3 sets) but touches are restricted to soccer body parts only (feet, thighs, chest, head — no hands or arms). Singles + doubles play. Ronaldinho, Neymar, Messi + other football superstars are ambassadors + regular players. FITEQ (Fédération Internationale de Teqball, 2017) governs the sport across 130+ member federations. World Championships held annually since 2017; sport recognized by GAISF (2020) + Olympic Council of Asia. IOC observer status granted 2023 — targeting LA 2028 or Brisbane 2032 for Olympic debut.
Quick facts
Category
Ball Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1–4
Duration
~20 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Curved rectangular Teqball table
Country of origin
🇭🇺 Hungary
Estimated origin
Invented 2014; first commercial table 2015; FITEQ founded 2017; World Championships from 2017
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Win sets by returning the ball over the net using only soccer-legal touches within 3 team-touches, forcing opponent errors.
Match structure
Best-of-3 sets. Each set to 12 points (win by 2). Server serves once (soccer-style toss + strike). Team may touch ball up to 3 times (in doubles, alternating players required). Ball must clear net to opponent's side + bounce once before return.
Rules
Basic rules
No hands or arms
Only feet, thighs, chest, head + shoulders legal.
3-touch max (doubles)
Doubles must alternate touches between partners.
2-touch max (singles)
Singles up to 2 same-body-part touches (except toes).
Ball must clear net
Return over net + land on opponent's half of the curved table.
One bounce mandatory
Ball must bounce once on your side before you return.
Set to 12 (win by 2)
Best-of-3 sets; deciding set at 12 with 2-point margin.
No body contact with table or net
Player + ball may touch only via legal touches.
Advanced rules
Serve rules
Server tosses ball + strikes it below shoulder height; ball must touch server's half first.
Same body part consecutive limit
Cannot use same body part 3+ times in a row.
Fair rally
Ball must not roll on table (must clearly bounce).
Doubles alternation
Doubles teammates MUST alternate touches — same player cannot touch twice consecutively.
Court coaching
Coaching allowed between sets only.
Scoring
Rally scoring — each rally awards 1 point regardless of server.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Opponent fails to return | +1 |
| Opponent uses illegal body part | +1 |
| Opponent's return lands off table | +1 |
| Opponent hits net | +1 (if not on serve) |
| Opponent double-touches (singles) / consecutive-touches (doubles) | +1 |
Win condition · Best of 3 sets; each set to 12, win by 2.
Playing area
Called
Curved rectangular Teqball table
Dimensions
3 m long × 1.7 m wide × 0.76 m tall; curved surface (~14 cm arc); permanent net dividing halves
Curved-top rectangular table with fixed net; official FITEQ table (Teq ONE) certified.
Equipment
Teqball table (Teq ONE, Teq X, or Teq LITE)
FITEQ-certified curved table; ~$1200-2500 USD.
Soccer ball (size 5)
Standard FIFA-approved football; slightly softer inflation for indoor.
Sport shoes
Indoor court shoes or turf shoes.
Athletic wear
Any football-appropriate kit.
Positions & roles
Server / Receiver
Alternates rally after rally.
Doubles partner
Alternates touches during rally.
Officiating
1 referee for casual; 3-person crew for FITEQ tournaments.
- Match referee
- Line judges (top FITEQ events)
- Scorer / timekeeper
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Illegal touch (hand/arm)
Opponent gains point.
Ball off table
Opponent gains point.
Touching net/table with body
Opponent gains point.
Coach intervening during set
Warning; second violation = point penalty.
Strategies
Vary body-part touches
Mixing chest, thigh, foot forces opponent's positioning to shift constantly.
Attack the curves
Balls hit toward table's back arc bounce unpredictably; force opponent to chase.
Serve to non-dominant foot
Similar to tennis — attack the weaker side of opponent.
Doubles: fixed roles
One partner covers back-court (lobs), other front (spikes).
Deep lob defensively
Buys time to reset when under pressure.
Trick shots
Rainbow flicks + back-heel returns crowd-pleasing + often un-returnable.
Terminology
- Set
- First to 12 (win by 2).
- Match
- Best-of-3 sets.
- Curve
- Table's 14 cm arc that changes ball trajectory.
- Third touch
- Doubles: the mandatory 3rd touch to return over net.
- Server toss
- Serving player tosses ball vertically before striking.
- Illegal touch
- Any hand/arm contact.
Major competitions
Teqball World Championships
annual · rotating — Reims 2017, Budapest 2019, 2020, 2022; Nuremberg 2023; Warsaw 2024 · since 2017
Continental Championships (Europe/Asia/Africa/Americas)
annual · rotating · since 2018
European Games 2023 (Teqball demonstration)
quadrennial · Kraków, Poland · since 2023
Challenger Cup Series
annual · worldwide circuit · since 2019
Where it is played
Governing bodies
FITEQ (International Federation of Teqball)
Founded 2017 · Budapest, Hungary
Official site ↗GAISF-recognized
Founded 2020 · Lausanne, Switzerland
130+ national federations
Founded 2017 · worldwide
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Ádám Blázsovics (HUN, multiple World Champion)
- Apor Győrfi (HUN, World Champion)
- Natalia Guitler (BRA, women's champion)
- Zsanett Janicsek (HUN, women's World Champion)
- Ronaldinho (BRA, brand ambassador)
Records
World Championships titles record
Ádám Blázsovics (HUN) — 3x singles World Champion (2018, 2019, 2022) (2022)
Fastest World Championship set win
Various — Under 6 minutes for 12-3 (2022)
FITEQ national federations
FITEQ — 130+ national federations (2024)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Have a soccer background
Basic juggling + first touch essential.
- 2
Learn table geometry
The curve returns balls as arcs; practice reading trajectories.
- 3
Start with singles
Doubles has strict alternation — start singles for simpler flow.
advanced
- 1
Enter national federation events
Most countries have FITEQ national body with amateur + open tournaments.
- 2
Master shoulder + rainbow serves
Trick serves win points at higher levels.
- 3
Compete at Challenger Cup / World Championships
FITEQ ranking earns invites to majors.
Frequently asked
Do I need football skills?+
Yes — teqball fundamentally rewards football technique (juggling, first touch, headers). Non-soccer players struggle initially.
What's the point of the curved table?+
The curve keeps ball in play by returning any bounce as an arc — no straight bounces off table edge.
Where can I play?+
600+ public Teqball tables in parks worldwide (Budapest, Rio, Paris, LA); indoor gyms + private clubs also.
Is it in the Olympics?+
Not yet — IOC observer status granted 2023. Targeting LA 2028 or Brisbane 2032 for demonstration sport debut.
How much is a table?+
$1200-2500 USD for FITEQ-certified Teq ONE / Teq X / Teq LITE models.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Teqball— Wikipedia
- FITEQ official— FITEQ
- Teqball tables + brand— Teqball Ltd.