Sepak Takraw

"Sepak" is the Malay word for kick and "takraw" is the Thai word for a woven ballSepak TakrawCoach Adam Strakose

What is Sepak Takraw and what are the rules?What is Sepak Takraw?Sepal Takraw was created by the royal family of Malaysia about 500 years ago. The name itself comes from two languages. Sepak is "kick" in Malay, and Takraw is the "ball" in Thai. When it is born, It looked like Japanese "Kemari", and some became a circle, and a pole was kicked, and the number of times was being competed in.It looks very similar to the Japanese traditional game, "kemari" where the players form a loose circle and the number of times the ball is kicked before it touches the ground is counted. In 1965 the game was unified into the present volleyball style with the addition of a net and the adoption of international rules.RulesThe court and the net height and size are identical to those used in badminton and each team has three players. The rules are very similar to those in volleyball, with the following five important exceptions.

The use of hands is not permitted. Each player may touch the ball only once before it is kicked over the net. There is no rotation in the defense position. It becomes a score (net in) even if the ball touches the net before falling into the companion court.

Court Dimensions and player placement

http://youtu.be/VYe9JWUs49sShort video of a Sepak Takraw tournament!Other Facts!What is the winning point for a set in an official tournament?

21. If the scoreline for a current set is tied at 20-20, the team who scores two more points than the other (e.g. 23-21, 24-22) wins the set. The maximum point is extended to 25, which means, if it is tied at 24-24, the last point will determine the winner of the set. 2 sets are usually played for each regu (team), so if the set score is tied at 1-1, there will be a third set (usually called tie-breaker set). In this set, the winning point is 15.How many bounces is allowed before the player kicks the ball?

0. The ball cannot bounce in the player court before they kick it. This game is unlike tennis. This means that the ball sent by the opponent must be taken cleanly by the player without the ball bouncing first. If the ball has already been in contact with the court, a point is awarded to the opponent.

Sepak takraw is growing in popularity and there are many reasons why:- It's inexpensive - all you need is a ball- Practice alone or play with 2, 3 even ten friends- Played indoors, outdoors, on a beach- No hassle - easy to pack in your travel bag- It's fun- It's challenging. ConclusionSepak Takraw is a fast growing game that is fun and a great way to get exercise.Although at first glance this gamme looks very different from American sports it is related to them in a lot of waysFor more information about getting involved in Sepak Takraw visit these sites:www.takraw-association.org.uk/takrawcanada.com/?q=node/4www.sepaktakrawsask.com/?q=node/14www.asecint.org/Takraw/takIntro.htmSourcesInformation:http://www.geocities.co.jp/Athlete-Acropolis/2678/english/whatsepa.htmlwww.sepaktakraw-berlin.dehttp://youtu.be/VYe9JWUs49sImagesjhs2ise.blogspot.comwww.takrawusa.comwww.takraw-association.org.uk