Teqball: The New Soccer-Style Sport Socceristas Should Try

February 9, 2021
By Rachel Gonzalez

One of the most beautiful things about soccer is how it can inspire innovation both in our community and even create new ones. Today we’re talking about Teqball. Teqball is a sport on the rise that takes some of the most fun and high paced elements of soccer and puts it in miniature. Teqball began in 2014 and the fan base has been growing ever since. It’s the perfect sport for Socceristas to try out during the off-season, or even as they transition to life after soccer.

We chatted with Carolyn Greco of the LA Teqers and Bella Teq to get the details on Teqball and how our Socceristas can get involved in this thrilling game. Carolyn is currently ranked as the number one female Teqballer in the USA and, along with Margi Osmundson and Nancy Avesyan, a co-founder of Bella Teq. The trio created the female club team to create a place for women to play in a heavily male-dominated sport.

GSN: First things first, what is Teqball?

Carolyn Greco: Teqball is a GAISF recognized official sport. It combines the elements of football and table tennis. Back and forth, the players hit a football with any part of their body except arms and hands. Teqball can be played between two players as a singles game, or between four players as a doubles game. It originated in 2014 in Hungary and has since been the fastest-growing emerging sport in the world.

GSN: How did you get started in the sport?

Carolyn Greco: In December of 2019, I was the first woman to sign a teqball contract in the United States. I was introduced to teqball by a friend of mine that eventually led to a tryout in front of one of the Co-Founders of Teqball, Gattyán György. I was so nervous. I’ll never forget it!

GSN: Where can people check out matches and get involved in the world of Teqball?

CG: Right now, matches are live-streamed through a free app called mycujoo. A day or two leading up to the tournament, we share the links on our Instagram story and bio (@lateqers @bellateq) in order to watch the live stream.

Honestly, we do a lot of our growth through social media. Getting involved to just try it out would be as simple as direct messaging my teams or me on Instagram. Also, I post my teqball practice schedule to my story every Monday on my personal Instagram (@its__carol with two underscores). It is totally free to come out and give it a try. And, it’s a social distancing sport played outdoors which is great during these odd times.

GSN: What does it take to become a great Teqball player?

CG: I’m still figuring that out myself. I am still very new to the sport and I have a lot of room for improvement. Having a strong soccer background is of course going to be an advantage.

I would just say that practice over everything is what will make the biggest difference. The curvature of the table requires a bit of getting used to because the trajectory of the ball is dramatically influenced by it. It’s very challenging to predict and receive the ball with a good touch.

There are a lot of tricky rules that make your mind work, unlike other sports I’ve played. Your ability to focus and also play with confidence is very important. I think that soccer can be a bit more forgiving in terms of having mental lapses although this isn’t always true.

GSN: What’s your favorite thing about Teqball?

CG: I love when I or my doubles partner Margi and I are matched up against high-level men’s players. Seeing the frustration in their faces, quite honestly, is very satisfying. I think that is probably the meanest thing I’ve ever said, but yes, I love beating men who think that women aren’t as skilled or strong them. Teqball has much less to do with brute strength and in the end, the winner will be the player or team with more technique and intelligence. I think this is our greatest advantage of all.

GSN: Why should people take up Teqball over some other sport?

CG: All of the best football players and teams have teqball tables for a reason. The sport improves your touch tremendously. I have noticed that my touch has significantly improved from playing teqball and I am loving the results. But to be frank, teqball is growing so fast, and it is even on its way to the Olympics in 2028. That is plenty of time to master this new sport.

If I were a young soccer player in the US, I would be bursting towards this new opportunity. Entering the tournaments to get ranked and become eligible for the Olympics and World Cup is simple. There are no qualifying matches at this time to get in there. You just have to be willing to throw yourself out there. I think that is the best way to get yourself out of your comfort zone and grow as an individual player and person anyway. I really respect people who are willing to do that because they are always my kind of cats. Competitive folks who are willing to try new things are my people.

GSN: How can Teqball help soccer players hone their skills and vice versa?

CG: Why are we taught to keep/settle the ball on the ground as soccer players? Because it is way easier of course! Playing with the ball solely in the air is so much more challenging. When I play soccer these days (which is rare) I am always so shocked by how my touch has improved and it makes soccer feel so much simpler. There are so many options and so much freedom vs. the very stringent rules of teqball.

If you are a soccer player that focuses on having a good first touch and knows how to strike the ball well with good contact, you are also going to be a strong teqball player of course. The most technical soccer players always make for the best teqball players.

GSN: What are your hopes for the Teqball community in the future?

CG: Being that we established teqball in the US in 2020, amidst a pandemic, amidst fighting for social justice issues, amidst one of the biggest recessions ever seen, and in one of the most groundbreaking presidential election years ever… During all of this, we have developed a teqball family across the US. I think that this timing has made our group closer and more resilient than we could have imagined.

I just hope that we continue to grow the culture and lifestyle to include anyone who wants to dream big or even just play a part in our teqball family. There is room for all people no matter what gender you identify with or what the color of your skin is. I’ve seen girls below the age of 12 beat grown men. And I’ve seen people over the age of 65 who are amazing teqball players. I just love how inclusive this sport is and I hope that people realize their own potential through teqball.

Lastly, I would love to see permanent tables in public spaces. We need to make sure that there is access to the sport outside of our public practices, or for people who can’t afford their own table or don’t have space for one.

Featured Image via Carolyn Greco