ORLANDO, Fla. – The soccer great Pele' once called it the "beautiful game."
[WEB EXTRA: Upcoming Orlando Knockerball Group events ]
Clearly, he never saw the "Knocker" version.
You see, Knocker Soccer isn't pretty, but it sure is fun.
Players climb into giant clear bubbles and if they happen to score a goal - great. The real fun is bouncing into one another.
"JT" Thomas runs Knockerball Orlando. His company specializes in renting the gear for parties and corporate events. He also organizes weekly pick-up games.
"We come out, set everything up for you. We manage the games, tear everything down at the end so all you do is show up with some friends and I generally recommend you bring a bottle of water or two," he said.
Watching Knocker Soccer is like watching a Japanese game show. Playing Knocker Soccer is like being in a clothes dryer.
"We really promote it as a way to get out, blow off some steam, get a workout and just have fun," Thomas says.
The plastic inflatable balls weigh 25 pounds and you wear them like a backpack.
Competitive games include four, five-minute quarters with a five-minute halftime so you can catch your breath.
Thomas says recreational and party games usually rotate players every five-minutes.
"It really is just about fun out there," Thomas says. "If you want a way to get your mind off everything else it's pretty easy to do here because you're always looking over your shoulder to see who's coming."
Thomas says the game originated in Norway and was brought here about eight months ago. He says it's catching on quick.
"We're up to just short of 200 affiliates out there now doing this across the nation," he says. "The Southwest has really picked up, California, Arizona, all over Texas."
And while it was originally designed for soccer, other popular games include Last Man Standing, Kill the Chief and Red Rover.
While officiating a recent pickup game Thomas declared, "We get to act like little kids again!"
Party rentals run $300 and you can find pickup game locations on the Knockerball meetup page.