Toccer

Toccer is a team sport combining many elements of games like soccer, lacrosse, hockey and American football into a unique game of its own. The result is an outdoor game played on a grass field that is fast-paced and exciting to watch.

Among the fastest field sports in the world, toccer is a fast-paced, exciting game. Players use their racquets to hit, pass, carry and pick up the ball in the field of play. Both the racquet and the ball mirror those used in the sport of tennis, with goalkeepers generally using larger racquets than field players.

The outdoor version of toccer is played on a smaller, but wider version of a soccer field with two teams of eight players each. The floor version is played on a gym floor, with fewer players, teams sport four players a piece. The team that scores the most points in two out of three sets, wins the match.

Equipment

Each player must have a tennis racquet. A tennis ball must be used. A mouthpiece is
strongly suggested, while other equipment like shin guards are allowed. Helmets, however, are not allowed.

Gameplay

The ball can be dribbled on the racquet or kicked. Generally, players are not allowed to pick up the ball out of the air, but special teams players are allowed to make limited hand contact and may carry at times.

The game is highly specialized and allows players of various ability and skill levels to play at the same time. This makes the sport popular with intramural and other types of casual athletes, who enjoy the competition, but are placed on an "even" playing field, given the sport is still developing and there are no true "professional" players of the game.

Field of Play & Player Roles

A regulation outdoor field is 85 yards long and 65 yards wide. If you are playing with junior players, the rule of thumb is shortening the field’s length by 10 yards (9.14 meters) for fewer players (e.g. 7 players = 75 yards.) and the width by 2/3.

A toccer goal is 4.5 feet tall by 6 feet wide.

Each team has eight players on the field at a time. The players are classified as field players and special teams players.

Field Players

(2 Attackers, 1 Midfielder, 1 Defender)

Players can run with the ball, by dribbling it with their racquet or on the
ground and dribbling downwards. They can also advance the ball by hitting it with
the racquet, kicking it or using parts of their body - other than their hands.

Players are not allowed to catch the ball on pass or otherwise make contact with it
using their hands, but may use any other part of their body. The exceptions are
when the ball is considered “dead” or when a player makes a ball dead by grounding
it with their racquet. The player may not advance any further with the ball, but has 5
seconds to pass the ball to another player on their team.

Protects the goalkeeper and maintains the area between the
possession area and the goal. Must be a multi-dimensional player who is adept at
keeping the ball out of the zone.

Special Teams Players

Rovers are field specialists who can pass the ball and have the same abilities as
sweepers. The only differences are (1) Rovers cannot score goals (2) Rovers may
attempt to stamp the ball as a scoring option. (3) Rovers are not bound only to the
defensive zone, they may go anywhere in the field.

Sweepers are defensive specialists who can pass the ball, carry it or use their hands
or racquet to pass like field players. They are bound to remain in their own team’s
zone. When possessing the ball on a carry, sweepers and rovers may only do so in 5-
second intervals before passing. Sweepers may attempt to score behind the midline,
but rovers are not allowed to score goals at the rover position.

The Enabler is a special teams player that may carry the ball on either side of the field, for up to ten seconds. The enabler does not carry a racquet and only an enabler can challenge another enabler for the ball on the field of player at any given time. A racqueted player may not guard the enabler at any point on the field, unless the player is attempting a throw and the goalkeeper is the player guarding.

Goalkeeper

Goalkeepers are allowed the use their racquet, hands or any other part of
their body to stop the ball when defending their goal. Once the goalie is outside of
the possession area, the goalkeeper is subject to the same rules as field players.

Length of Matches & Scoring

Length of a Match

A toccer match is comprised of three sets. A team must win two sets in order to win
a match. Each set is 15 minutes long, with an intermission between each set. If a set
is tied at the end of regulation time, the teams play five minutes of extra time or ET.
If after ET the teams are still tied, the teams will take alternating penalty shots until
one team has more points than the other.

Timeouts

Teams have two 45-second timeouts per set. Timeouts are not carried over between sets.

Starting and Resuming Play

Each toccer game begins with two teams of eight players each, one of which is the
goalkeeper. Prior to starting, each team must be on their starting side of the field. A
player from the sending team will stand on the touch spot and hit the ball to the
receiving team’s side of the field. Once a player from the receiving team makes
contact with the ball, play begins and the defensive team may cross the midline into
the receiving team’s zone.

If play stops as the result of scoring, the goalkeeper for the team that was scored
upon will bring out the ball from their zone, once the field official indicates play has
resumed.

Substitutions

Teams may make unlimited substitutions, but at no point shall there be more than 8
players in the game for either team. If a team has “too many players on the field,”
the penalty is an automatic change of possession from the spot where the penalty
occurred - not when the whistle was blown.

Turnovers

When the ball is turned over because it goes out of bounds, the clock is not stopped.
Instead, the ball is retrieved (or in most cases, a new ball given to the opposing
player) and the game resumes. If the ball is intentionally thrown out of bounds, it is
called wasting and the team that receives possession is awarded a free shot from the
spot where the ball was hit.

Scoring

Goal (4 points): When a ball is hit, kicked or headed into the goal. If the ball goes
the goal line, it is a goal.
Throw (1 point): When the enabler crosses the midline and attempts to score by throwing the ball into the goal, past the goalkeeper, without crossing the midline. The player does not drop his racquet on a throw.

Infractions

An ordinary is called when a player from the attacking team enters the defending team’s zone but advances ahead of the ball and other defenders. The team commits the infraction loses possession of the ball.

A false is called when a team scores in front of the possession line. The opposing team gets control of the ball at the possession line after the false is made.

A personal foul is called when a player makes illegal contact with an opponent using their body. The fouled player receives a foul shot from the spot of the foul. If the player is shooting when the foul is committed, defenders must give the player a 5 yard distance in which to advance the ball from the spot of the foul. This distance is called a lewey. (leh-wee)

More serious infractions or fouls result in the referee pulling a blue card, resulting in a 2 minute penalty and a “power play” for the opposing team.

Cross-checking – When a player uses his racquet against another player to stop the player from moving or otherwise using the racquet to touch any part of the player’s body. When cross-checking is called, the player automatically receives a blue card.

Hand Contact – When a player makes illegal contact with the ball using his hands. The other team receives possession when hand contact is called.
Misconduct – As adjudged by the referee, misconduct results in a yellow card and five-minutes in the penalty box.

Holding – When a player is running and uses contact to impede the opposing player from moving forward or grabs their racquet.

Pass Interference – When a player has hand-control of the ball after a pickup, the defender interferes with a legal pass with his racquet or hands.

Inappropriate Use – Inappropriate use is called when a player misuses their racquet, hands, feet or other legal appendage during the game. Automatic blue card, but can be upgraded to a yellow card at the discretion of the referee.

Line Violation - When a sweeper crosses the midline with the ball. Possession changes on a line violation.

Carrying – When a non-sweeper carries the ball

Offsides – When a player from the opposing team crosses the midline during a touchoff prior to contact by the receiving team. Offsides is also committed when a player crosses the midline prior to the goalie passing the ball after a goal is scored. Offsides penalties result in an indirect free shot.

Extended Possession – When a sweeper or keeper holds the ball for more than 5 seconds without passing. For other players, the penalty is called after 10 seconds.

Shots

Indirect Free Shot – Awarded after certain fouls. The player may pass the ball to a team member, but may not score directly.

Free Shot – Awarded after yellow cards. The player may shoot directly for the goal.

Corner Shot – Awarded after the ball goes out behind the goal by the non-possessing team in their own zone. Also awarded in other situations.

Penalty Shot – Awarded in certain instances. All players stand on opposite sides of the field, while the player in question stands 15 feet behind the possession line. The player can run as far as the p-line before taking the shot. The goalie can move at any point, but may not leave the possession area (behind the p-line).

Goalie Possession – When the keeper has possession of the ball.

History

The game was first played at Camp Awosting, on Bantam Lake near Morris, Connecticut, the oldest private summer camp in continous operation in the United States. The game was created by a tennis counselor who wanted to play during rain or shine, but using tennis racquets and a tennis ball.

After playing the game informally, the counselor, named Ron Bronson, Jr., wrote the sport's rules and the game spread. Toccer is the first known field sport to be invented by an African-American. The sport later spawned the development of a new sport called Viperball.

It boasts players on four continents throughout the world and is acknowledged as one of the fastest sports in the world. The Toccer Players Association is the governing body for the sport.

Possession Clock

The possession clock is a 25-second clock that begins at the start of a possession. The clock resets when possession changes or on a score attempt.
If a team doesn’t attempt a score before the possession clock runs out, extended possession is called and possession changes.