Photos, Video: Channel Your Athletic Aggression Into Bubble Soccer – Gothamist

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Organized and officiated by Bubble Soccer NYC, the local games take after what’s become a rising trend in Europe. The game is beginning to catch on America (Jimmy Fallon even gave it a whirl on national television last year), and on Sunday afternoon six brave, waggish souls met at a Park Slope gym to don giant bubbles.

I was one of them.

Sunday’s game was limited to three-on-three combat, which proved ideal given the frenetic pace of indoor soccer. I personally took great pride in knocking over would-be shooters headed for my goal, and on the other hand couldn’t help but laugh and shout out when I was the one knocked on my ass. Bubble soccer is profoundly ridiculous, pseudo-violent, and incredibly fun. Consider it anger management for the athletically-inclined. It’s a weird but very effective workout.

Bubble Soccer NYC is run by Camille Hugh and her partner Paddy Roche, who organized matches on the outdoor fields of Chelsea Park before moving inside for the winter months. Indoor play involves “less running, because the ball is contained. But it’s pretty much the same,” Hugh said. “Outdoors there’s a lot more spectators. People pass by and get intrigued—it becomes a bit spectacle.” In only a short while, their business has boomed, with both corporate groups and bachelor/bachelorette parties booking up their twelve inflatable bubbles on numerous occasions.

The rules are exactly the same as standard soccer, but with a few key addendums, the main one being that you are encouraged to ram into your opponents like a billiard ball, slamming them to the ground as you jockey for control of the ball and a clean shot on goal. It’s impossible not to find humor in it all; everyone competing in bubble soccer looks like a big clear peeled tangerine with legs, and games become a comedy of errors as shots go awry and bodies topple.

When she found out that bubble soccer was, in fact, a thing, Jillian Blakey, 24, of Riverdale told herself “I can’t miss that opportunity.” Blakey described Sunday’s match as “a lot more exhausting than I expected; it was awesome.” She and numerous other players agreed they would try it again in a heartbeat—but that wintertime indoor players should add kneepads to their kits.

“It’ll be even better outdoors and with more people,” said participant Kristin Deiure, 27, of Bed Stuy. “I’m looking forward the summer, with a full field and a full goal.” Ridiculous-looking but uniquely fun, even in its cold-weather indoor state, the game is a bouncy blast.

Sign up for upcoming Bubble Soccer NYC matches here, and enter the promo code ‘GOTHAMISTOFF’ for a special limited-time-only $25 discount! That’s a great deal, considering regular-price tickets are $65 each.

Video shot by Scott Heins; edited by Jessica Leibowitz