Brian Kimmes

Soccer on a basketball floor. Not the best of circumstances, but that was what the participants of the intramural soccer tournament faced this past weekend.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, the intramural department hosted a soccer tournament. Due to the inclement weather, the tournament was moved inside to the Intramural Building. The tournament was originally scheduled to be played on the soccer practice field.

The single-elimination tournament featured six different teams. Two teams received byes to the second round. Each game consisted of two 15-minute halves. The winner of the tournament was the Sig Ep Steeds, who defeated the SD Dynamos.

The move indoors created a number of problems for the participants. The teams were forced to play in a smaller area, and the wood floor caused multiple complications.

“[There were] a lot of people in a little area,” said senior human development major Josie Sanderson.

Sanderson said they used the same amount of players inside as they would have outside, just in a lot less space.

One problem with the wood floor was the ability to control the ball compared to control on the grass.

“The ball rolls faster … it’s harder to score goals,” said Sanderson.

Jay Fishback, another tournament participant, said “the ball just kind of scoots on the floor.”

Fishback’s teammate Andreas Rodas said, “You can get under the ball better (outside).” Rodas said the wood floor makes it more difficult to have that perfect touch.

Besides moving the ball faster, the wood floor also virtually eliminated a major move in soccer-slide tackling.

“The ground (outside) gives a lot more if you are trying to slide or something,” Fishback said.

There was one benefit of playing indoors: walls.

“I like it (playing indoors) because you don’t have to chase the ball or anything,” said Fishback.

The soccer tournament was the only time students could play soccer through the intramural department, but that does not mean students don’t play on a regular basis. Doug Martin, Rodas’ and Fishback’s teammate, said he plays every Friday and Sunday on the intramural field with other students. Sanderson said she occasionally plays on Fridays and Sundays as well.

Even though students play soccer on their own, the people who participated in Saturday’s tournament were in favor of having intramural soccer offered more often.

“They should get a league going,” Sanderson said.

Fishback said the school should “have more games, more of these (tournaments).”

Rodas also thought intramural soccer should be expanded.

“(They should play) once a weekend, once every other weekend, something like that,” he said.

For more information about SDSU intramural sports, contact the Intramural Office in the HPER Center, room 123 or by phone at 688-4724.