Play Korfball!

What is korfball?

Korfball is a mixed-team sport invented in Holland in 1903. It was introduced to Britain in the 1940s, and there have been korfball clubs in Oxfordshire since 1983. Korfball is played worldwide and the current World Champions are the Dutch.

A korfball team consists of four men and four women. There are no set positions and everyone has to be able to defend and attack. The game is set up so that there is no advantage to being male or female, tall or short, stocky or slim - all that matters is your ability to co-operate with your team mates to get through the opposition’s defence.

Korfball in Oxfordshire

The first korfball played in the county was in 1983, when Oxford University Korfball Club was set up. We had to wait another nine years for the birth of Oxford City Korfball Club in 1992, and a further eight years before Abingdon Korfball Club was founded in 2000. Since then more clubs have arrived and the Oxfordshire league now comprises 10 teams from 5 clubs: Oxford City, Abingdon, Didcot Dragons, Milton Keynes and Oxford University.

The league started in 1999 and in those early days Abingdon and Oxford City dominated. The current league is split into a first and a second division and is much more open meaning any of the teams have a chance of winning.

How to play korfball

The rules of korfball are complicated (just like in any sport), but here are a few basic things to start you off...

The ball is similar to a football or a netball
You score a point by shooting the ball through a basket.
The basket is set on a post 3.5m off the floor
You can only shoot if you shake off your marker, but you can't run with the ball.
If you hit, hold, shove, kick, punch, spit at, or otherwise abuse your opponent (even a little bit) then the referee gets very angry, blows their whistle a lot, and gives you a stern talking to. And then gives a penalty.

If you want to know more, then the easiest thing is to come along to one of our sessions and we’ll explain it all then.

Previous winners of things

Oxfordshire Korfball League Division 1

1999-2000 Oxford City 2
2000–1 Abingdon 1
2001–2 Abingdon 1
2002–3 Abingdon 1
2003-4 Oxford City 1
2004-5 Oxford City 1
2005-6 Milton Keynes 1
2006-7 Milton Keynes Bucks 1

Oxfordshire Korfball League Division 2

2004-5 Abingdon 2
2005-6 Abingdon 2
2006-7 Milton Keynes Bucks 2

OKA Cup

2001–2 Abingdon 1
2002–3 Oxford City 1
2003–4 Oxford City 1
2004-5 Milton Keynes 1
2005-6 Milton Keynes 1
2006-7 Milton Keynes Bucks 1

OKA Tour

2001 Abingdon 1*
2002 Abingdon 1*
2003 Oxford City 1
2004 Woking KC (Surrey)
2005 Abingdon
2006 Exeter
2007 Milton Keynes Bucks 1
(*Oxfordshire Spring League)

OKA award for outstanding contribution to korfball in the county

2000 Dominic McDonald (Oxford University and Oxford City)
2001 Emma Linehan (Oxford City and Abingdon)
2002 Alison Webber (Oxford City)
2003 James Magowan (Abingdon and Automotiv Oxford)
2004 Donna Renshaw (Oxford Brookes University)
2005 Mark Saville (Didcot and Oxford City)
2006 Tony DuBock
2007 Katie Ellis

Inter-company Tournament winners

1998 AC Nielsen
1999 AC Nielsen
2000 Oxford University
2001 AEAT
2002 Cherwell School
2003 Cherwell School