500-Step Football

Mizuno is working to create opportunities and launch programs that enable anyone to enjoy sports and move their bodies.

Mizuno and World Yuru Sports Association jointly developed 500-step football and are selling the program to corporations, shopping centers, and municipalities.

In 500-step football, all players are limited to taking 500 steps, making it a sport that people of all genders, age groups and so on can enjoy together regardless of football skills. Another attractive aspect of this sport is that most people are trying it out for the first time, so each team has to work out its own strategy, which naturally fosters communication.

While playing, players carry a smartphone with a dedicated Mizuno app in an waist pouch that lights up and is displaying the remaining number of steps on the app. The smartphone counts down the number of steps a player has taken and when a player has used up their 500 steps, they have to immediately leave the pitch. If a player moves quickly by, for example, running, their smartphone registers all those movements and their number of steps goes down quickly by the number of steps they’ve taken. Therefore, a team’s strategy is more critical than its players’ endurance and skills.

In addition, the ball used in 500-step football is highly cushioned so it doesn’t hurt when it hits someone. That also makes this a game that a wide range of people of different genders, ages, and so on can play together.

Mizuno is creating opportunities for as many people as possible to enjoy sports with the aim of realizing a dynamic world where people can lead more active lives.