We have heard of artists becoming famous after launching themselves on YouTube, but a whole new sport being born off a video? That has to be a first. However that apparently is how 'Bubble Football', a combination of soccer and zorbing (a sport that involves rolling downhill whilst encased in an orb), has gained popularity not just in its birth country of Norway,but also, all across Europe.
The best part is that the sport was 'invented' as a joke by the Henrick Elvestad and Johan Gold hosts of Norwegian comedy sport show 'Golden Goal'. They thought it would be fun to try play soccer whilst wearing a giant inflatable plastic bubble and posted a spoof video of it on YouTube in 2011. To their surprise, it caught the fancy of thousands of people and a new sport was born! It has become so popular that some online stores have started selling and even renting bubble football gear for people that want to play or try the game.
The rules of the game are almost same as those of normal soccer - Both teams strive to score as many goals as they can, except in this case they also try to knock down their opponents along the way. But with their hands trapped on their sides, just being able to balance is a challenge - The absurdity of the game, which has onlookers in stitches, is probably what has led to the its wild popularity. Be sure to check out the video and see if you too catch the 'bubble football' fever.
Resources: odditycentral.com