Woggabaliri facts for kids
Woggabaliri is a traditional Indigenous Australian game. It's a fun kicking game, a bit like soccer, played by a small group of people in a circle. The goal is to keep a ball in the air using only your feet and knees. This game has been taught and encouraged in schools in New South Wales and Queensland.
Contents
The Story of Woggabaliri
How the Game's Name Came About
In 1999, an Australian author named Ken Edwards wrote a book called Choopadoo: Games from the Dreamtime. He mentioned a game played by Wiradjuri children. Ken Edwards and Troy Meston said the word Woggabaliri comes from the Wiradjuri word for "play". However, the official Wiradjuri dictionary says the word for play is wagigi. Interestingly, in 1901, a researcher named Robert Hamilton Mathews listed woggabaliri as the Ngunnawal word for "play".
In 2000, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) used parts of Edwards' book to create their own book called Indigenous Traditional Games. This book listed Woggabaliri as one of 19 traditional games. The ASC added more rules to Woggabaliri to make it easier for kids today to play.
Promoting Woggabaliri in Schools
In 2002, the Australian Sports Commission helped fund a program. This program worked with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Their goal was to promote Woggabaliri in schools as part of an Indigenous Sports program.
Old Drawings and Soccer Connections
In 2007, Dr. Patrick Greene found some old drawings from 1862 by Gustav Mützel. One drawing showed Jarijari in 1857. In the background of this drawing, children were playing with a ball. The caption said they were kicking the ball up in the air and trying to keep it from touching the ground. The ball was made from plant roots.
In 2010, when Football Federation Australia (FFA) was trying to host the Australian 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, they used this drawing. They said it showed that games similar to soccer had been played in Australia for a very long time. They hoped that knowing about Woggabaliri would encourage more Indigenous kids to play soccer.
A Book About Aboriginal Soccer
In 2011, historian John Maynard wrote a book called The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe. He also used Mützel's drawing and said it showed Australia's first football game. He strongly linked Woggabaliri to modern association football (soccer). His book was very popular and won an award. John Maynard hoped that more Indigenous Australians would play soccer. Former soccer player Craig Foster also supported Maynard's ideas.
How Woggabaliri Is Played Today
Basic Rules
The NSW Office of Sport describes Woggabaliri as a kicking game like soccer. It is played by four to six players standing in a circle, about 2 metres apart. You can use a soccer ball, a volleyball, or a soft beach ball.
Players use only their feet and knees to keep the ball in the air. There's no set order for touching the ball, but one player cannot touch it twice in a row. The group that keeps the ball in the air for the longest time wins. If the ball touches the ground, the count starts over.
Team Rules
Sometimes, Woggabaliri is played with two teams of four players. They play on a field about the size of a volleyball court, with soccer goals at each end. A game has two halves, each lasting 10 minutes.
Players can use their feet, knees, thighs, chest, and head to keep the ball up. A team loses possession if the ball touches the ground, is taken by the other team, or if a rule is broken. Tackling is not allowed. Goals can be scored from anywhere on the field.
See also
