This is the Eirball.world Archive of European Sports. It is an Ongoing Project and is part of the Eirball.ie – Irish, North American and World Sports Archives

Featured Image Credit: RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – June 6: Korfball League games played at Olympia Park on June 6, 2015 in Rustenburg South Africa. Ladies team: Girl goal trowing ball at net. Contributor Snap2Art Item ID: 290375525 [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rustenburg-south-africa-june-6-korfball-290375525 [Accessed 5 January 2022]

European Sports include both Traditional and non-traditional Sports such as variations on Hockey (Roller Hockey – Portugal & World; Bandy – Russia & Scandinavia; Floorball/Innebandy/Ball Hockey – Scandinavia & Russia), Choule – Normandy, France); Football (Calcio Fiorentino, Italy; Lelo Burti – Georgia), Basketball (Korfball – Netherlands); Baseball (Pesapallo – Finland); Racquet Sports (Tamburello – Italy)

Roller Hockey (Portugal & World)

Roller Hockey is the National sport of Portugal. Played on skates with four wheels – one at each corner (quads) rather than Inline – and with a ball rather than puck. It has an over 100-year history in Ireland, and is sometimes also known as Rink Hockey.

Bandy (Russia)

Bandy is one of Russia’s National Sports, where it is known as Hockey with a Ball as opposed to Hockey with a Puck (Ice Hockey).

It is played on Ice with a ball rather than a puck.

Versions of the sport include Innebandy (also known as Floorball in Europe or Ball Hockey in North America) where runners are used on a hard floor rather than blades or roller skates. (see https://eirball.ie/roller-hockey/ for more details on Floor Hockey and Ball Hockey – Floorball results also available at: https://eirball.ie/floorball/ and Ball Hockey Results also available at: https://eirball.ie/ball-hockey/ )

Floorball

Floorball is a version of Ice Hockey played on a hard floor with a ball rather than a puck, and without skates. It has been included in the Special Olympics World winter Games since the early 21st Century. Below you will find the results & tables of various competitions:

Choule (Normandy, France)

The Traditional Sports and Games of Normandy (North France) were first described in the 12th Century A.D. Choule is a Team Sport involving a curved stick and a leather ball.

Korfball

Korfball is the Dutch variant of Basketball or Netball and has been played in Netherlands and Belgium since the early 20th Century. It has been played in Ireland since around 2009 when the Ireland Korfball International team first entered the IKF European Championships.

While there is no league in Ireland as yet, the International team enters Tournaments in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Netherlands. In keeping with the Dutch ‘Total Football’ Tradition the Attackers and Defenders swap positions after two scores by either team, making an All-Rounders game.

Scandinavian Baseball

Pesapallo

Pesapallo is the Finnish version of Baseball and is their National Sport. It has an unusual form of pitching and players run zig-zags through bases. There is a game played on their National Holiday every year at the Finnish Embassy in Ireland.

Here is a Video of the sport from the New York Times, as shared by the Irish-Finnish Society on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IrishFinnishSociety/posts/1326676680678956 [Accessed 27 June 2019]

Calcio Storico Fiorentino

Calcio Storico Fiorentino has been played in Florence, Tuscany since the Renaissance, around 1460-1470 AD. The first organised match took place on February 17, 1530. It was revived in the 20th Century, first under the 1930s government of Mussolini, and then again after World War II in the Italian Republic. Earlier matches dating back to the 1400s mention games played in breaks between work by workers [Reference: 2-5]

The matches usually take place during the June Festival period, with four teams, Azzurri, Bianchi, Rossi and Verdi (Blues, Whites, Reds and Greens) representing the four quarters of the city of Florence. The match is played between 54 players – two teams of 27 – with teams reversing ends after each score. It is played on sand in the Plaza. There are usually a Semi-Finals and Final. Half Points are scored, and teams play in traditional dress.

[2] Calcio Storico Fiorentino Sito Ufficiale (2020) Risultati Partite [Internet] Available from: http://www.calciostoricofiorentino.it/risultati_partite [Accessed 4 August 2020]

[4] Calcio Storico Fiorentino Sito Ufficiale (2020) CALCIO STORICO FIORENTINO [Internet] Available from: http://calciostoricofiorentino.it/?q=calcio-storico-fiorentino [Accessed 4 August 2020]

[5] Calcio Storico Fiorentino Sito Ufficiale (2020) Studies & Documentation [Internet] Available from: http://www.calciostoricofiorentino.it/?q=studi_e_documentazione [Accessed 4 August 2020]