NERF is launching its first-ever official sport.
On Tuesday, NERF announced that it is launching NERFBALL, an organized team sport, partly inspired by the NERF Ball – the brand’s original product released back in 1970.
What is NERFBALL?
Described as a cutting-edge competitive sport, NERFBALL brings the excitement and heart-pounding play of paintball and airsoft, together with the speed and agility of basketball, all combined with buzzer-beating shots and unbelievable highlight moments. Built by athletes for athletes, the sport will introduce an all-new Pro series NERF blaster, a one-of-a-kind ball, and a rule set designed to get your heart-rate pumping.
Who created NERFBALL?
Hasbro, NERF’s parent company, has teamed up with Donald Driver to develop NERFBALL. Driver, one of football’s all-time leading receivers who is also a dance competition champion and best-selling author, Donald has been working closely with Hasbro to design the rules and test the gameplay at his sports facility before formally bringing it to market with the first public NERFBALL tournament launching in summer 2023.
“I am a huge fan of the NERF brand and have loved seeing it continue to expand into the world of sports,” said Driver in a press release announcing the new game. “This past year has been a pleasure working with Hasbro to conceive such an exciting and entirely new sport. Through gameplay testing I’ve seen, I can confidently say that NERFBALL is sure to bring the exhilaration, rush and fun you get playing and watching other competitive sports, but in a way that only NERF can do.”
For Hasbro’s part, Teresa Pearson, the company’s Vice President of Global Franchise Strategy & Brand Management, said: “We are thrilled to introduce NERF’s first-ever organized sport and honored to work with Donald Driver, a true sports icon for the launch to showcase the impact it’s sure to make on NERF fans and athletes everywhere.”
Pearson continued: “The game of NERFBALL will bring emotion, active play and competition to new heights for the brand through several unique elements. The game is inclusive and adaptable, giving fans even more of a reason to get out and play.”
More details about the gameplay, tournament, and equipment will be revealed in the coming months. Stay up to date on announcements and get your hands on the yet-to-be unveiled NERF Pro blaster as soon as it becomes available by signing up at hasbropulse.com/nerfball.