So what's unique about VX?

Well -
● It can be played as a team, doubles or singles
● Totally gender neutral - yes there are other sports that are gender-neutral but VX is rare in that this is an athletic sport where males and females can compete on an equal basis. More sports are following on this track but it is rare and VX is perhaps the only one where it is also gender neutral in a singles version
● Inclusive - VX is one of the few sports where a wide range of physically or cognitively impaired players can compete in an unadapted version of the game. Clearly there are some areas eg visual impairment, wheelchair users) where some adaptation will be necessary but there are many areas where differently-abled players can compete in an unadapted game. Those people who claim to have no hand-eye co-ordination can all be taught a simple pick up and throw – so VX helps increase participation by attracting less sporty players
● NO stops – the only time a VX or V2 game stops is in case of injury and fortunately this is rare. There are no stops for the game being out of play. There are no stops for free kicks or penalties. This means the players are on the go all the time.
● Multiple balls - this is one of the things that makes VX inclusive and attractive to the less sporty. Imagine a child who is not good at football. (s)he gets the ball and other players shout ‘pass! Shoot!’ (s)he tries and messes it up and the other players shout at him/her again. As there are multiple balls in play the focus is removed and that player can therefore enjoy success in sport. Therefore even though VX attracts sporty people it also attracts the less sporty
● No-blame-game – a teacher from the Midlands in England explains that he loves VX because it is a ‘no-blame-game.’ He says ‘in football if I am a goalkeeper and I let a goal in, everyone shouts at me. If I’m a defender and an attacker gets past and scores, everyone shouts at me. If I’m an attacker and I shoot and miss, everyone shouts at me. Here if I get hit and have my hand up – so do 2 or 3 other people. If I shoot and miss, I just look for another ball.’
● No markings needed – VX is deliberately kept simple with reduced overheads and needs no extra markings on the floor of the playing area.
● Players can play at a fast pace in ten minutes – new players can be playing at a fast pace within ten minutes. We teach them how to pick up and throw, tell them the basic rules, put them into teams and play. At this stage they do not have to dribble, it looks chaotic and they play as individuals but they are playing at a fast pace and have no idea how hard they are working (there is a lot of aerobic and anaerobic activity in VX). Compare this with, for example, tennis where players have to at least become proficient with the forehand before they can do more than a gentle back and forth over the net.
● All ages – our youngest player is aged 4 and our oldest registered, competing player is 74!
● Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship and Respect – as a young sport, VX doesn’t have the ‘baggage’ or more established sports and has enshrined the principles of Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship and Respect

How to play

VX is the simplest sport there is - no goals, no zones, no markings, no targets. Each player carries a VstiX and in the team version there are 5 balls in play. Once the balls are kicked in by the referee players can go anywhere and score points by hitting an opponent with one of the balls (scores one point) or by catching an opponent's throw (scores three points). Singles (V2) is played in a squash court with three balls - intense, personal and gladiatorial!

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To travel with the ball players should 'dribble' by rocking the ball between the two ends of the VstiX, however we don't make beginners dribble.

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The score is counted by the referee who has a clicker in each hand. As this is a sport of honesty the onus is on players to stand still and raise a hand when they have been hit. As well as the referee there are also two umpires who look for infringements.