A lot of people love gaga ball and play it on a weekly or even daily basis. Many want to start playing competitively and are probably wondering, “Is there professional gaga ball?” They’ll be happy to know that many organizations around the country have started their own leagues and tournaments dedicated to this sport.
In this blog post, we discuss everything to know about professional gaga ball and how anyone can start playing competitively.
Is Gaga Ball a Sport?
Before getting to the more professional side of gaga ball, some people will probably ask whether or not it’s an actual sport. The answer is yes; it’s been considered to be an actual sport in schools, camps, and more. Since the game was invented in Israel during the 1970s, it has spread internationally. While there aren’t any professional leagues dedicated to gaga ball yet, it has the makings to join among the ranks of basketball, volleyball, and other mainstream sports due to these factors:
- There are tournaments nationally and internationally held annually.
- There are rules which are internationally known and agreed-upon.
- There are plenty of small associations and leagues for gaga ball.
There are no professional or regulated tournaments for gaga ball currently, but there are many variations to this sport’s rules.
Do Gaga Ball Tournaments Exist?
Luckily, there are various tournaments for gaga ball held annually throughout the world and within communities. However, there are no official national or international tournaments that offer prizes. This might be due to the fact that people consider gaga ball to be a kid’s sport, and there aren’t many professional leagues dedicated to kids.
How To Become a Gaga Ball Pro
Becoming a pro in gaga ball can take much practice and time. If you want to become a pro quickly, be sure to join your local team or league and train as much as possible. The more time you spend playing and practicing, the better you’ll get at gaga ball.
Thankfully, players don’t need to be great athletes to enjoy gaga ball — by simply moving around and hitting the ball, a player will be able to develop the right skill set to become an expert at gaga ball.
Is there a Professional Gaga Ball League?
While there isn’t an official league for professional gaga ball just yet, there is a National Gaga League Players Association (NGLPA). To take part in the NGLPA, players will need to make teams of five (up to 10) players and elect a member to serve as captain and another to be co-captain.
The team will need to get approved by the NGLPA and have their team name ready. Made up of the league’s NGL commissioner — as well as the captains and co-captains — the NGLPA holds games and tournaments regularly.
Below are the official rules according to the NGLPA:
- A team can’t have over 10 players.
- If a team’s captain and co-captain aren’t present or have fewer than five players available to play, they can’t be eligible to win.
- A game can’t officially start unless both teams are ready.
- If a player is hit on or below the knee, they are out.
- Any player who holds the ball is out.
- If a player intentionally touches the ball twice and fails to let it hit another player or a wall first, they are out.
- If a player has the ball in their possession for over 0.5 seconds, it counts as holding the ball.
- Close calls may be decided by the neutral players only, the commissioner, and the referees.
- Whenever the ball is knocked away from the pit, the player who last touched it will be out.
- The game will continue until only one player remains.
- A player that intentionally throws mulch at another player won’t be eligible to play again for two days.
- If a person is tagged out, they will need to stand outside the pit.
- Drugs, knives, foul language, middle fingers, and trash talk are not allowed in any of the games.
- Games are counted towards the series that is designed to accumulate wins for your team.
- Failing to abide by the rules above will lead to warnings that may have a player disqualified for the rest of the day.
- Most importantly — have fun!
Conclusion
While there aren’t any professional or official gaga ball leagues or tournaments currently available, there is now a player’s association that anyone can join, provided that they adhere to the rules. Regardless of whether there will be a more official organization for gaga ball, the most important thing is to enjoy the sport and the joy it brings to players.