Cycle ball is usually played in pairs, but some outdoor games are played with teams of five or six players. But let’s focus on the standard game, played indoors and in teams of two.

There is nothing easy about this sport, since you need to have a good handle on the bike to manoeuvre it through the standard 14-by-11-metre standard court – that is to say, the same court that is used for artistic cycling events. There are two seven-minute periods with a two-minute max break: the game is short, but thoroughly intense.

The ball that is used in 17-18 centimetres in diameter and weighs a half kilo. The court looks just like an indoor soccer court, with two 2m² goal posts and a two-metre marked off semicircular area that either team has to defend. Both members of each team can move forwards and backwards and defend the goal area, depending on their strategy and the ongoing play.

For the rest, the rules are very much like soccer: the objective is to score goals and to prevent the opposing team from scoring, and there are faults and penalties as well. But feet and hands must stay on the bike’s pedals and handle, except for in the goal area, where hands can be used. If a player’s foot touches the ground, he has to return to the goal line and re-enter the game from there.

As long as these rules are followed, players can use any part of their body or bicycle, and especially the wheels, to hit the ball, which requires great balance, rotation and striking skills. The specialized, fixed gear bicycle is adapted with an upright handle that the cycle-ball player can hold on tight to for greater force when striking, and a horizontal seat that sticks out from the frame’s upper tube, making other manoeuvres easier.

And so, the battle is on. In Germany, a pioneer in this sport, the league takes a hiatus in winter due to the snow, which renders any outdoor cycling exhibition impossible. For those of you who are looking to fill your cravings for both sports, cycle ball is a great option.