Athletes compete in a sport known as “Freestyle Football,” in which they show off a variety of tricks with a football. All of the major soccer-playing countries, but especially those in South America, are huge fans of the sport.
Table of Contents
On the grounds of the moves that are performed, freestyle football can be divided into five primary styles, which are as follows:
- The lower body style – The only part of the body that can be used to perform tricks in this style is the player’s legs.
- The upper body style – Players are only permitted to use their heads, shoulders, and chests when playing this game style.
- The sitting down style – Every trick must be performed with the player while seated. The upper body, as well as the lower body, can be used.
- The ground moves style – Players can perform freestyle football movements and tricks anywhere on the field.
- The special style – The players perform acrobatic dance moves while they attempt to keep the football from falling to the ground.
What are the Biggest Freestyle Football Tournaments?
The Freestyle Football Tournament aims to combine football skills with other artistic expressions such as dance, acrobatics, and music to amuse spectators and compete with other players. The World Freestyle Football Association, or WFFA, is the organization that acts as the sport’s governing body for an official tournament.
The following is a list of some of the biggest tournaments that you should keep an eye out for:
The Red Bull Street Style
The world’s most competitive Freestyle Football tournament, Red Bull Street Style, is back, intending to take things to the next level. This year, a thousand athletes from more than 50 countries will compete in a new format that will ensure that finalists from up to five continents will enter the World Final for the first time in its history.
Super Ball World Open
Super Ball Freestyle Football says a lot about this tournament’s unbreakable spirit and, most of all, about the people who live in the area. The Super Ball in 2022 will be even bigger and better than the one in 2021.
WFFA US Open
The World Freestyle Football Association is pleased to announce the inaugural WFFA US Open. This new competition will feature separate one-by-one battle tournaments for male and female freestylers, judged by an elite panel of judges.
Youth Championship
This global competition lets freestylers to 16 prove they belong among the sport’s elite. The tournament is held online through the WFFA App and judged by former World Champions from all continents. Separate categories are available for male and female freestylers.
The European Freestyle Football Championship
Every year, the event is held in a different city in Europe. Its main event is a freestyle football battle where men and women compete against each other. Each player has three 30-second rounds to show off their stunts, ball handling, and creativity to the judges.
In addition to the tournaments that were just mentioned, there are many more freestyle football tournaments taking place all over the world, and a large number of people take part in them.
How Many Fans Watch These Events Live or Online?
The hype surrounding freestyle football is enjoyed by a direct audience of 1.47 billion worldwide. It is possible to make an educated guess that the number of people watching the live events and the online tournament streaming is anywhere from 400 million to a higher or lower number.
What are the Prices the Winners of These Events Get?
Each tournament has its different prizes. In the Red Bull Street Style Tournament, for example, the first place prize is $6,000, the second place prize is $3,000, and the third place prize is $1,000. In contrast, the prize pool for the WFFA US Open can reach up to $15,000 for its winners.
There are competitions where the winners receive a monetary award and a plane ticket to a destination of their choosing, such as Prague. Every time there is a new tournament, the prices for participating in it change to reflect the current season.
Conclusion
Freestyle football is a sport that was developed fairly recently; however, it can be traced back to the ancient Southeast Asian games of chinlone, sepak takraw, and jianzi. In the 1800s, entertainers used many of the same ball stunts that freestyle footballers showcase today. Some of these tricks include juggling, spinning, and catching the ball.