Bubble soccer is
chaos done right

Bubble soccer is soccer played inside a giant inflatable bubble that covers you from the knees up. You can barrel into other players, bounce off, roll over and get straight back up — and somewhere in among that, score a goal. It is also known as bubble ball or knockerball. Everything is refereed by a host who runs a mix of bubble soccer and other bubble games rather than one long match.

Six players are on the field at a time, three a side, and everyone else rotates in on five-minute games. A single session works for 6 to 18 players. Bigger groups are booked as a school, youth or festival day instead, where up to 60 people cycle through a continuous rotation.

No — you supply the space and we bring everything else. It needs to be flat grass, turf or a gym floor of at least 20 m by 12 m, clear of gravel, concrete, slopes, sprinkler heads and dog waste, with vehicle access within 50 m and a power outlet within 30 m. A backyard, a park, a school field or a booked gym all work. If you would rather we found and booked somewhere, that is a $50 coordination fee plus the facility’s own cost.

We play. Bubble soccer is better on wet grass, and a wet forecast in Victoria is most weekends between October and March. Sessions stop only for lightning or thunder within about 10 km, sustained wind above 40 km/h, extreme heat or an Environment Canada heat warning, wildfire smoke at AQHI 7 or above, or a surface that has become genuinely unsafe. If we are the ones who call it off, you choose a full refund or a credit.

There is no age limit, but there is a height one: players need to be about 147 cm — 4 ft 10 in — or taller, so the shoulder harness holds them safely on impact. Anyone under 19 needs a parent or legal guardian signature on the waiver and a responsible adult on site for the whole session. We match players by size rather than age and split the field where a group has a wide spread, so adults and children never go head-to-head.

Six rules of contact are briefed before anyone plays: front-on hits only, down means out of play, hands stay in the handles, stay on your feet and on the field, stop on the whistle, and the host has the final word. A host referees every game, suits are checked and sanitized between bookings, and there is first aid on site. BUBL carries $5M commercial general liability coverage and every participant signs a waiver.

A 30% deposit — minimum $150 — holds your date, with the balance due on the day, or on invoice for schools and corporate bookings. Summer weekends go first, so a month or more of notice is sensible; anything inside 48 hours carries a $75 rush fee if we can fit it in at all. Inquiries are answered within one working day with a firm price including travel.

Sportswear you do not mind getting grass-stained, and sneakers or turf shoes — no metal or hard-plastic cleats, no sandals, no bare feet, no socks on a gym floor. Pockets get emptied and anything hard or sharp comes off before the harness goes on: watches, rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, hair clips, lanyards and belt buckles. Glasses come off where possible, or need a sports strap. Long hair tied back, shin pads welcome, and water on the sideline — it is hotter inside a bubble than you expect, in any weather.