Keepie uppie facts for kids
Keepie uppie (also called keep-ups or kick-ups) is a cool football skill. It's all about juggling a football in the air. You use your feet, lower legs, knees, chest, shoulders, and even your head! The main rule is simple: don't let the ball touch the ground. It's a bit like an old Japanese game called Kemari, which was played in the emperor's court.
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Amazing Keepie Uppie Records
People around the world love to challenge themselves with keepie uppie. Here are some of the most amazing records!
Longest Time Juggling a Ball
- The record for men belongs to Daniel Macrooni from England. He is a professional freestyler. In June 2010, in Hong Kong, he kept a football in the air for an incredible 26 hours! He only used his feet, legs, shoulders, and head.
- Before Daniel, the record was held by Martinho Eduardo Orige from Brazil. He juggled a football for 19 hours and 30 minutes. He did this in August 2003, using only his head, feet, and legs.
Fastest Marathon While Juggling
- Imagine running a whole marathon while juggling a football! Abraham Muñoz did just that. He completed the marathon (42.195 kilometers or about 26 miles) in the México City Marathon in August 2016. His time was 5 hours, 41 minutes, and 52 seconds. The ball never touched the ground!
Longest Distance Walked While Juggling
- Dan Magness, who also holds a record for the longest time juggling, holds this record too. He walked 30 miles (48 kilometers) without letting the ball touch the ground! He achieved this amazing feat on January 26, 2010, in London. During his journey, he visited the stadiums of five different Premier League teams in London. He started at Fulham F.C.'s Craven Cottage and finished at Tottenham Hotspur F.C.'s White Hart Lane.
Longest Time Juggling on Your Back
- Daniel Bolt from Mytchett FC in England set a unique record. On July 22, 2008, he kept a football in the air for 21 minutes and 14 seconds while lying on his back! He only used his legs.
Most Touches Overall
- Milene Domingues is a Brazilian model and former women's football player. She is famous for making a huge number of touches in one go. She recorded 55,198 touches! This is considered the record for the 'longest keepie uppie' if you measure by the number of times the ball is touched.
- Imogen Papworth-Heidel set a goal to make 7.1 million touches. This was one touch for every essential worker in the UK. She performed 1,123,586 touches herself over 195 days. She did this to raise money for charities. The remaining 5,976,414 touches were "donated" by about 2000 people. They sent in videos, including professional football players from Manchester United!
Most Touches in 60 Seconds
- The record for the most touches of a football in 60 seconds belongs to Isaac Wood from Australia. He made 274 touches! He set this record on October 25, 2017, in Melbourne, Australia.
Cool Keepie Uppie Moments
One of the most famous keepie uppie moments happened in a football match between Scotland and England in 1967. Scottish midfielder Jim Baxter juggled the ball for a while right in front of the English defenders. He was teasing them by keeping the ball. This helped Scotland keep control of the ball and use up the last few minutes of the game. Scotland won the match 3–2 against the world champions! Football historian Bob Crampsey said, "That's a defining moment for almost every football fan in Scotland."
