Codeball

Codeball is an individual sport combining the gameplay of golf and soccer.

Rules

Codeball is played on a fairway consisting of usually 14 bowls, similar to the holes in golf. A six-inch rubber ball is kicked from a marked kickoff area, and once the ball comes to rest, it is kicked again. This process is repeated until the ball is in the bowl. The goal of codeball is to reach the bowl by as few kicks as possible.

Origin

Codeball was invented in 1929 by Dr. William Edward Code of Chicago. Dr. Code developed the game for his friend, Anton Cermak, at that time head of the Cook County Board, who sought an inexpensive outdoor game suited to large playgrounds. Almost forgotten today, the game reached its peak of popularity in the 1930s.

Variations

Dr. Code later invented Codeball-on the-Court, a combination of handball and soccer. It is a two-person sport played with a six-inch ball on a playing court. The ball is kicked against a wall, and the opposing player must return the ball on the second bounce. The original sport is sometimes called Codeball-on-the-Green to distinguish it from the newer game.

Championship

The first Codeball championship was won by Bert Gates, with a score of 69 for 15 bowls, at Forest Park, St. Louis, in 1935.