Reference
Cycle-ball glossary
Thirty terms worth knowing to follow a cycle-ball match – from kick-off to two-a-side cycle-ball. Every explanation follows the UCI regulations, and every term comes with its name in German, Japanese, Czech and French. The sport itself is Radball in German, サイクルサッカー in Japan, kolová in Czechia and cycle-balle in France.
All terms: Cycle-ball · Indoor cycling · Artistic cycling · Two-a-side cycle-ball · Five-a-side cycle-ball · Grass cycle-ball · Court · Boards · Goal · Penalty area · Free hit · 4-metre penalty · Penalty shoot-out · Corner · Kick-off · Playing time · Foot down · Hand play · Header · Challenge · Cycle-ball bike · Fixed gear · Upright handlebar · The ball · World Cup · World Championships · European Championships · Bundesliga · Age categories · Referee
Cycle-ball
Indoor cycling discipline in which two teams of two riders play a ball into the opposing goal using only the bike or the head. Invented in 1883, world championships since 1930; called Radball in German.
Indoor cycling
Umbrella term for cycle-ball and artistic cycling. Both are disciplines of the world governing body UCI and hold their world championships together.
Artistic cycling
The second indoor cycling discipline: routines on the bike in which figures are judged by difficulty and execution – solo, in pairs or in teams of four and six.
Two-a-side cycle-ball
The standard form of cycle-ball and the only one with world championships: two players per team on the 14 × 11 metre indoor court.
Five-a-side cycle-ball
Variant with five players per team on a handball court, two halves of 15 minutes; the penalty is taken from seven metres instead of four.
Grass cycle-ball
Six-a-side cycle-ball played outdoors on grass in summer. It had its own world championships from 1930 to 1935.
Court
14 × 11 metres for international competition; nationally, deviations down to a minimum of 12 × 9 metres are allowed. 0.60 metres of clear space should surround it. Markings: centre circle, penalty areas and 4-metre spots.
Boards
A barrier about 30 centimetres high, angled outwards, around the court. It keeps the ball in play – there is no throw-in and no touchline in cycle-ball.
Goal
Clear opening of 2 × 2 metres, not fixed to the floor. A goal counts once the ball has fully crossed the goal line – even if the shooter falls after the shot.
Penalty area
Semicircle with a two-metre radius in front of each goal. Only here may the defending rider use the hands; infringements by the defending team inside its own area are punished with a 4-metre penalty.
Free hit
Penalty for infringements outside the penalty areas. The ball is placed where the infringement happened, at least one metre from the boards; the offending team must keep at least four metres away.
4-metre penalty
Cycle-ball’s spot kick: a free shot from four metres against the defending rider alone. Awarded for infringements inside the team’s own penalty area and for serious fouls.
Penalty shoot-out
Decides drawn knockout matches and tournament finals: alternating 4-metre penalties until one team is ahead.
Corner
If the defending team plays the ball over its own goal line, the opponents get a corner from the corner of the court.
Kick-off
Start of each half and restart after a goal, from the centre of the court.
Playing time
Elite and U23 play 2 × 7 minutes, juniors U19 2 × 6, youth and schools 2 × 5 minutes; tournaments may shorten to 2 × 5. In between there is a two-minute break with a change of ends.
Foot down
A rider who touches the floor with a foot or props themselves up loses the right to play. They must ride behind their own goal line and re-enter the court with one wheel outside the penalty area before joining in again.
Hand play
Forbidden as a rule. Only the defending rider may use the hands inside the penalty area, with both feet on the pedals and both wheels inside the area. There is no direct goal by hand; a caught ball must touch the floor again within three seconds.
Header
Apart from the bike, the ball may only be played with the head – the only body contact allowed; headed goals count.
Challenge
Only the ball may ever be challenged, never the opponent or their bike. Charging the rider is a foul, punished with a free hit or a 4-metre penalty.
Cycle-ball bike
Purpose-built bike with fixed gear, no brakes or freewheel, an upright handlebar and a saddle set far back. Spoked wheels of 20 to 26 inches, bottom bracket at least 220 millimetres above the floor, toe clips are not allowed.
Fixed gear
The pedals always turn with the rear wheel – which allows riding backwards, balancing on the spot and braking with the legs. The gearing is fixed by the rules: one crank revolution moves the bike 2.00 to 3.20 metres.
Upright handlebar
The narrow, vertical U-shaped handlebar of the cycle-ball bike, at most 380 millimetres wide across the grips. It keeps the rider high and upright with the ball always in view.
The ball
Fabric ball of 17 to 18 centimetres in diameter and 500 to 600 grams. The core is pressed animal hair, usually horsehair – which is why it barely bounces and can be carried on the front wheel.
World Cup
The UCI’s tournament series in two-a-side cycle-ball with several rounds a year; the points from the rounds make up the overall standings.
World Championships
Held every year for men since 1930 and for women since 2023 as part of the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships. All title holders are in the list of cycle-ball world champions.
European Championships
Title events of the European cycling federation UEC, in cycle-ball mainly for the junior categories U19 and U23.
Bundesliga
Germany’s top league in two-a-side cycle-ball, followed by the 2. Bundesliga, the Oberligen and the Landesligen. Germany is the most successful cycle-ball nation with 35 world titles.
Age categories
Elite, U23, juniors (U19), youth (U17), schools (U15) and below them U13 and U11. The age category determines the playing time, among other things.
Referee
Runs the match and punishes infringements; the officials’ table at the side of the court keeps time and score.
Explanations follow the UCI International Regulations for Two-Man Cycle-Ball (in force since 1 January 2018); terminology of the federations BDR, Japan Federation of Indoor Cycling, Český svaz cyklistiky and FFC. More on the sport: cycle-ball explained · all world champions since 1930 · cycle-ball news.