The present article aims to present the basic characteristics of the alternative sport “Goubak” in physical education.
What is goubak?
It is a regulated collaboration-opposition sport in which two teams of 5 members each compete with the objective of passing the ball cleanly through the goal to be received on the other side by a teammate, without it touching the ground first or being intercepted by an opponent (2).
It is a mixed and inclusive sport played on a shared field around a single central goal, which consists of three posts arranged in the shape of a 1 m. equilateral triangle (1).
Who created goubak?
Goubak was created by Víctor Manso Lorenzo, a Physical Education teacher in the Community of Madrid, in the year 2016. This sport was created with the intention of creating something different from what was already known, therefore, 3 of the main elements that make up cooperation-opposition sports were analyzed: playing field, goal, and ball (1).
Taking these three elements into account, regarding the playing field, it was decided to focus on a circular field, as most team sports use a rectangular playing field.
Regarding the goal, a new creation was made consisting of three posts arranged in the shape of an equilateral triangle.
Finally, the most characteristic element of this sport could be said to be its ball, which breaks with everything we are used to seeing, and can be described as a flattened sphere at its poles (4).
Necessary materials for goubak
As mentioned earlier, the materials needed to play this sport are as follows (2):
- Ball. It is made of high-density foam and shaped like a sphere flattened at the poles, which favors its verticality, an essential aspect for scoring points by passing it from one side to the other of the goal. Additionally, it is designed with a bright color for the players, the fluorescent green.
- Goal. It consists of 3 posts arranged in the shape of an equilateral triangle acting as vertices, located within the central circle of the court. The height of the posts will be approximately 2 meters.
Goubak playing field
The playing field is not a conventional rectangular space like in other cooperation-opposition sports, but is played around a central and circular area, which cannot be invaded by any team.
Around this goal, 3 equal zones are established, named according to the score, that is, area 1, 2, and 3 points. Therefore, the size of these areas is conditioned by the space available in the facility to play goubak (1).
What are the rules of goubak?
Below, a set of basic rules for the practice of Goubak will be highlighted (1, 2, 4):
- Match duration: 30 minutes divided into two halves of 15 minutes each.
- Game objective: reach and maintain 15 points until the end of the match.
- Scoring. There are two types of scoring:
- Positive points: achieved by passing the ball cleanly through the goal and being received on the other side by a teammate without it falling to the ground or being intercepted by an opponent.
- Negative points: occur when a player kicks the ball (volley) and the receiver catches it in the air. In this case, points are deducted from the opposing team based on the area the ball passed through.
- Player with the ball: can maintain possession for a maximum of 5 seconds, being able to move only within the area where the ball was received.
- Player without the ball: can move freely around the playing field without invading the goal area.
- Possession: to score points, each team has 5 passes, including the one made through the goal. If a point is scored, possession is retained.
- Verticality of the ball: all passes made, whether with one or both hands, must be made in a vertical position, and when executed with the foot, an effort should be made to achieve that verticality.
- Advantage: this occurs when a player from the attacking team is able to receive the ball and touch an opponent with their hand (pivoting is possible). In that case, the player who was touched is eliminated during that play (will automatically re-enter after that play). The player with the ball will restart the play with the ball stationary, vertical on the ground, in the same place, with the possibility of kicking to the goal or passing with the foot to another teammate. This advantage can only be sought during the play, not when the ball crosses the goal.
- “No Gum”: means that it is not allowed to return the ball to the same person from whom the pass was received.
- Change of possession. It starts from initial positions, that is, the attacking team is positioned in the outer circle and the defender in the inner circle. Therefore, the situations in which possession changes are as follows:
- The defending team intercepts the ball after it passes through the goal (not before).
- The ball falls or touches the ground.
- After an infraction by the attacking team.
- Infractions:
- Team with ball possession: if any of the above rules are not respected, an automatic change of possession will occur.
- Team without ball possession: if this team obstructs and prevents passes or movements of the attacking team during the play (before the ball crosses the goal), they will be given a warning, the play is stopped, and the team with the ball retains possession and starts the play again, in the same place, with the ball on the ground, vertically. If the defending team persists and reaches 3 warnings, 2 points will be deducted from their score, and the attacking team will continue with possession and start the game in the same way as mentioned above, respecting each team’s initial positions.
- If there is any type of unsportsmanlike or disrespectful conduct, a change of possession occurs (if the infringing team has possession) and 2 points are deducted from the team that committed the infraction.
For more information about Goubak, the following videoconference by its creator, Víctor Manso, is recommended, in which the most significant characteristics of this sport are analyzed.
Practical proposal of goubak in physical education
The practical possibilities that Goubak offers at a curricular level for Physical Education classes are very varied (1, 2, 3).
- For the work of technical fundamentals, different activities can be proposed:
- individual exercises (self-passes).
- exercises in pairs making passes with one or both hands, as well as kicking. As students acquire a certain level, the difficulty can be increased by making longer passes and working on precision, for example, having the ball pass between two vertical poles or even through a hoop held over two poles.
- passes simultaneously with two balls, trying not to let them fall to the ground.
- passes over a net or delimiting tape, modifying the height of this element.
- passes in a circle or performing rondos with one or two people inside.
- At a tactical level, the proposals can be even greater than in the case of technique, for example:
- increase or reduce the playing space.
- increase or decrease the number of players and even the number of balls in play.
- make modifications to the goals (making them wider or narrower and even modifying the shape of these goals by placing more posts). For example, regarding this last aspect, a goal could be formed with 4 posts arranged in a diamond shape, as seen in the image.
-
- Game of 2×2, 3×3, 4×4. To work on the “advantage” situation, situations of 3×2, 4×3, 5×4, 5×3, etc., can be proposed.
- Also, played forms can be proposed, such as the following:
- Game of 5 or 10 passes.
- Game of the tower (in this case, as a tower, we can form a goal with two vertical poles and a player behind it to receive the pass).
- Game of the star (it can start with one ball, and if we see that they master it, we can play with two balls).
- Play ultimate but using the goubak ball as the mobile (a goubak goal with 3 posts can be placed in the center of the court, and in each play, a pass through that goal must be made to reach the opposing team’s goal zone).
- Play tag rugby or ribbon rugby with the goubak ball (each time a player manages to remove a ribbon from an opponent, it will be like gaining “advantage,” being eliminated in that play).
- Proposal for working on goubak through active methodologies, such as the sports education model. In the following link, a proposal developed by the authors of goubak can be found, as well as the resources needed for its implementation: https://goubaksport.com/goubak-med/ (3).
Conclusion
Throughout this article, the main characteristics of Goubak as a novel and inclusive sport for its implementation in Physical Education classes have been discussed. The particularities of this sport offer teachers a wide range of possibilities, allowing them to propose various activities that promote the integral development of students.
From my point of view, it is a sport that generates motivation in students from the start of its practice, especially due to its very characteristic ball.
In my experience with this sport, I must say that the beginnings can be somewhat complex, especially at a tactical level, so it is necessary for the proposed didactic unit to have a considerable number of sessions (in my opinion, at least 8 sessions), allowing students to integrate it satisfactorily, as well as the importance of its continuity in subsequent courses, using, for example, the sports education model.
Finally, we recommend visiting the official goubak page (1), where a wide variety of educational materials can be found that will be of great help for its implementation.
Bibliography
- Official Goubak website. https://goubaksport.com/ Retrieved on July 6, 2022.
- Manso, V., Fraile-García, J., Pérez, Á., Hortigüela, D., & Hernando, A. (2019). Goubak as an alternative sport for physical education classes. Tándem: Didactics of physical education, 65, 75-77.
- Manso-Lorenzo, V., Evangelio, C., Fraile-García, J., Ibaibarriaga, A., and González-Víllora, S. (2022). Goubak and the Sports Education Model: practical resources focused on students. Spanish Journal of Physical Education and Sports 436 (2), 35-49.
- Manso-Lorenzo, V., Manso-Lorenzo, J., Fraile-García, J., and Peláez-Díaz, J. G. (2017). Alternative games and sports sheet no. 78 Goubak. ADAL Pedagogical Journal Association of Physical Education Teachers, 20(34), 21.
