Kayak Football is a sport that combines elements of kayaking, American Football and ultimate frisbee. This sport can be played in swimming pools or any stretch of flat water. Participants attempt to get a small soft football into the end zone to score a point.
The sport is played in a kayak with a standard double-bladed kayak paddle. A small soft and buoyant football is used. Helmets and flotation vests are required for all players.
There are two teams of up to 10 players, depending on the size of the playing area. Teams line-up against each other like in American football and try to get the ball to their own end-zone to score.
The ball can be thrown to a teammate, or thrown into the water and they paddle up to it. You cannot hold the ball and paddle with it. The paddle may be used to block a pass in the air
To score, a player needs to catch the ball while in the end-zone. A dropped catch does not count. One point is awarded for each score.
No ramming of boats is allowed, or hitting another player with the paddle.
The sport of kayak football is mostly played at a recreational level, and is particularly popular with US defense force veterans.
Similar Sports
- Canoe Polo — players in kayaks attempt to score by throwing or hitting a ball through a goal suspended two meters above the water.
- Ultimate — played with a disc (frisbee), with points scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone.
- American Football — a team sport played on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. Each team attempts to advance an oval ball down the field into the end zone by running or passing it.
- Beach Water Polo — an open water version of water polo played on a smaller field with four players per team.
- Water Polo — a team sport played in swimming pools, the aim is to pass the ball over the water and into the goal net.
- Kayaking — boat races using a small, narrow boat propelled using a double-bladed paddle.
Related Pages
- About Paddling Sports
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports