Sepak
Takraw
A Brief History
Sepak ("kick" in
Malay) and Takraw ("ball" in Thai) was created by the royal family of Malaysia about 500 years ago.
Click here for official rules.
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/tennis style with the addition of a net and the adoption of
international rules.
The Game
It is a team game
involving three players per side and the object is to volley the ball over
the net into the opponents court using any part of the body except the hands
or arms. Each team is allowed three contacts with the ball to get it over
the net.
Unlike the similar
game concept of volleyball, in Takraw, a player may take more than one
contact consecutively. Points are scored by the serving team, and
points are gained if the opposing side fails to return the ball over the
net, or a winning shot is played whereby the ball lands in the opponents
court.
The length of the
game varies - there is no time limit. Matches are won by winning 2 out of 3
sets. To win a set, one team must reach 15 points. Nr extra points are
played - the set is played straight and the first team to reach 15 points
wins the set. The third set, if necessary is played to only 6 points and is
referred to as a "tie-breaker".
The 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 exceptions:
-
The use of hands is not permitted.
-
Each player may
touch the ball more than once before it is kicked over the net to a
maximum of 3 total per side per volley.
-
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.
To Begin Play
The player
who kicks a serve surely puts a leg (shaft foot) in the service circle, and
takes a toss from the player who went into the quoter circle (the semicircle
of a radius 90 cm done around the contact point of the center line and the
sideline), and kicks the ball.
When a game begins by one serve, a ball can be touched by the attack of one
time to three times. You can use a head, a back, legs, and anywhere except for the arm from the shoulder to the
point of the finger.
Note: A serve
hitting the net on the serve is "good".
The Sepak
Takraw Court
 All
Sepak Takraw courts are standard in size and are about equal in size to
badminton
court.
Takraw may be played indoors
or out, although most major tournaments outside of the USA
are played indoors.
The playing
surface must be flat, horizontal and uniform. The width of the lines
bounding
the
court should be 0.04m measured
and drawn inwards from the edge of the court measurements.
Court boarders
should be at least 10.0 feet (3.0m) away from all obstacles.
Center Line: The
Center line of 1 PI inches should be drawn equally dividing the right and
left court.
Quarter Circles: A
corner of each center line, a quarter circle shall be drawn from the side
line to the center line with a
radius of 3.0 feet measured and drawn outwards from the edge
of the 3.0 foot radius.
The Service
Circle: The service circle of 1 foot radius shall be drawn on the left and
right
court, the center of which is 8 feet
from the back line of the court and 10 feet from the side
boundary. The Service Circle
is measured and drawn outward from the edge of the center of
the 1 foot radius.
Height of the Net:
5 feet, 1 inch at the center.
Height of the
Posts: ISTAF regulations call for the posts to be 5'4". You can use the
portable volleyball posts and
secure the net to the desired 5"1" height.
Free Area: An area
of 6 feet outside the court boundaries should be free of obstacles.
TERMINOLOGY
Block: Blocking is
a defensive skill used to counter a spike coming from close to the net.
Block is usually made by jumping in the air and raising a leg and/or back to
divert the ball
back into the opponents court. A block counts as one contact.
Center Line:
Divides the length of the playing court into two equal halves.
Dig: The act of
fielding hard hit ball successfully, usually a spike or block, to regain
control.
i.e. The Dig by Thailand came
at crucial point in the game..
Dink: A soft hit
ball -usually either a "dink serve" or a "dink spike" Fault: A violation of
one of
the rules of the game.
Feeder: Person who
"sets" the ball to the "spiker".
First Ball: Term
used to describe receiving the serve by the opposing team.
Killer: Same as
Spiker. Common in international terminology.
Quarter Circle:
Place on court where the serving team's forwards (left inside and right
inside
players) must remain until the
ball has been kicked by the server or back player.
Regu: Malaysian
word for team. In takraw, a team of 4 players (3 starters plus 1 reserve) is
known as a "Regu" and a squad
of 3 "Regu's is known as a "Team".
Roll Spike: Spike
in which the player jumps with his back to the net, rotates in the air and
kicks the ball over the
opposite shoulder from the kicking foot with a flip like motion. Th most
dramatic and famous move in
the game!
Service Over: When
the serving team fails to return the ball over the net or commits a fault
or foul. The opposing team
becomes the serving team but a point is not awarded to either
team. USA also uses the same
term as volleyball - "Side Out".
Serving Circle:
Circle of 1 foot radius located in both halves of the court. The server is
required to have one foot
touching the ground inside the serving circle during a serve.
Set (1): A period
of play which is concluded when one team reaches 15 points. Matches
consists of the best of three
sets.
Set (2): A high
pass by one player to a team-mate or to self to enable a spike.
Service: The act
of putting the ball into play by the back player.
Service (Hand)
Toss: A hand throw of the ball by one of the forward "inside" players to the
"back" who must kick the ball
into play in one try.
Spike: A
powerfully hit shot directed into the opponents half of the court by the
foot or head.
Sunback Spike:
Spike in which the player jumps with his back to the net and kicks the ball
over the same shoulder as the
kicking foot. In soccer this is known as a "bicycle kick" or
"bike" for short. |
