Headis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Headis is a mix of table tennis and the heading of association football. It is played at a regular table tennis table so it combines tactical elements of table tennis and the legwork of tennis. In mid-2016, the 11th Headis World Championship was held with players from 12 countries.[1][2]
Initial spreading
Headis (head + the ending of tennis) was invented in 2006 by the at that time sport student René Wegner. A football pitch in Kaiserslautern, Germany was occupied but the table tennis table was available so they started playing a rubber ball only with their heads.[3][4]
Headis started spreading throughout German students. The Universität des Saarlandes was the first institution with regular Headis training. More and more universities added the sport to their schedule.[5][6]
Besides universities there are also other possibilities to play Headis. The 1. FC Kaiserslautern[7] and the SV Darmstadt 98[8] offer regular training.[9]
Beginning of the tournament series
In 2008, the first Headis World Cup Tournaments were hosted.[10]
In 2010 and 2011 in Kaiserslautern, there was the adh-Trophy Headis (Allgemeiner Deutscher Hochschulsportverband), which is the German University Headis Championship.[11][12]
In 2016, there were eleven World Cup Tournaments with more than 1,000 competitors.[13]
Recent history
Several TV appearances and viral videos online increased the popularity within the last years.[14][15] Currently, 18 German universities offer regular Headis courses.[16]
By 2016, there were international tournaments, World and European Championships[17][18] and an estimated number of players of 100,000.[19] Starting at Universität des Saarlandes the sport spread all over Germany.
The sport is popular in other countries than Germany as well. There are official partners in Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, China, Australia and Japan.[20][21][22]
Every year there are 10 to 12 tournaments[23] that are the base for the Headis World Championship.[24]
Rules and gameplay
Two players play at a regular table tennis table and the ball must only make contact with the head. The table, however, can be touched by any part of your body. Playing a volley is allowed as well. After every ball played, you have to touch the ground before heading the next ball.
Sets are played to eleven (11) points, with the exception that players must win by two (2) points. Games are decided by best-of-three (3) sets.[25]
Equipment
- Table tennis table: Headis is played at a regular table tennis table. The measurements are the same. As the Headis ball is heavier than a table tennis ball, the net is made of metal so it is more stable.
- Headis ball: Headis is played with a special ball. It consists of rubber, weighs about 100 grams (3.5 oz), and has a circumference of 50 centimetres (20 in).[26]