Headis
Headis is a mix of table tennis and the heading of association football. It is played at a regular table tennis table so it combines tactical elements of table tennis and the legwork of tennis. In summer 2016 the 11th Headis World Championship was held with players from twelve countries.
History
The sport Headis was invented in 2006 by the at that time sport student René Wegner. A football pitch in Kaiserslautern, Germany was occupied but the table tennis table was available so they started playing a rubber ball only with their heads.By 2016 there were international tournaments, World and European Championships and an estimated number of players of 80,000. Starting at Universität des Saarlandes the sport spread all over Germany. Several TV appearances and viral videos online increased the popularity within the last years.
Initial spreading
Headis started spreading throughout german students. The Universität des Saarlandes was the first institution with regular Headis training. More and more universities added Headis to their schedule. Besides universities there are also other possibilities to play Headis. The 1. FC Kaiserslautern and the SV Darmstadt 98. offer regular training.Beginning of the tournament series
In 2008 the first Headis World Cup Tournaments were hosted. In 2016 there were eleven World Cup Tournaments with more than 1,000 competitors. Every year there are ten to twelve tournaments that are the base for the Headis World Championship.Rules and gameplay
Two players play at a regular table tennis table and the ball must only make contact with the head. The table, however, can be touched by any part of your body. Playing a volley is allowed as well. After every ball played you have to touch the ground before heading the next ball.Sets are played to eleven points, with the exception that players must win by two points. Games are decided by best of three sets.
Equipment
- Table tennis table: Headis is played at a regular table tennis table. The measurements are the same. As the Headis ball is heavier than a table tennis ball the net is made of metal so it is more stable.
- Headis ball: Headis is played with a special ball. It consists of rubber, weighs about and has a circumference of.
Tournament Series
Setup of the Tournament Series
Every year there are ten to twelve Headis World Cup Tournaments held. The results of these tournaments make the Headis World Ranking.Player names
The players don’t use their regular names at the tournaments. They choose names like "Headi Potter" or "Rolli der Schlächter".World ranking
The Headis World Ranking is compiled by the results of the Headis World Cup Tournaments. The players receive World Ranking points according to their ranking at the tournaments. The bigger the tournament, the more points the players get. The currently last 15 tournaments build the Ranking. As of May 2017, the two top players in the World are Cornelius "Headsinfarkt" Döll and Margarita "Klausi" Marmol Fernandez.Most important tournaments
World Championship
The annual Headis World Championship is the most important tournament all year. It is the only tournament with unlimited players and it affects the World Ranking more than every other tournament. At the World Championship 2016 there were players from 12 nations.| Year | World Champion | World Champion |
| 2006 | Ronnie aus dem Osten | |
| 2007 | Fefe the Gripper | das pulsierend pokernde Party Pony |
| 2008 | Marvelous 96 | Shorey |
| 2009 | Marvelous 96 | Hoshi |
| 2010 | Lord Voldehead | Hoshi |
| 2011 | Marvelous 96 | Hoshi |
| 2012 | Heineken | Hoshi |
| 2013 | Headsinfarkt | Headi Bobics junger Tatapan |
| 2014 | Heineken | Red Hot Chili Headers Missing Pepper |
| 2015 | Headsinfarkt | Red Hot Chili Headers Missing Pepper |
| 2016 | Headsinfarkt | Klausi |
| 2017 | Sebastian Headdel | Klausi |
| 2018 | Headsinfarkt | Jana Kournikova |
European Championship
Since 2015 a European Championship is hosted. The EC is the only tournament where men and women play the same competition. In 2015 four countries competed: Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Belgium. In 2016 the Dominican Republic joined the tournament as well. The EC doesn’t affect the World Ranking.| Year | European Champion |
| 2015 | Sniper Schorsch |
| 2016 | Headsinfarkt |
| 2017 | Headsinfarkt |
Headis Masters
Since 2011 the annual Headis Masters is hosted. The 18 best men and the eight best women of the last calendar year qualify for it. The starting field is completed by two wildcards each.| Year | Masters Winner | Masters Winner |
| 2011 | Heineken | |
| 2012 | Promilla | |
| 2013 | Headbrötchen mit Zwiebeln | Hoshi |
| 2014 | Lauchgesicht | Red Hot Chili Headers missing Pepper |
| 2015 | Sniper Schorsch | Headi Bobics junger Tatapan |
| 2016 | Headsinfarkt | Headi Bobics junger Tatapan |
| 2017 | Headsinfarkt | Klausi |
| 2018 | Pressure Pete | Red Hot Chili Headers missing Pepper |
Spread
Currently 18 German universities offer regular Headis courses. 2010 and 2011 in Kaiserslautern there was the adh-Trophy Headis, which is the German University Headis Championship.Headis is also part of sports club. Among other the 1. FC Kaiserslautern and the SV Darmstadt 98 have regular Headis courses.
The sport is popular in other countries than Germany as well. There are official partners in Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, China, Australia and Japan.