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AFRICA – Mancala

Number of players: 2

Age: 8 and up

Materials: Mancala board and 48 playing pieces. Mancala boards may be made out of egg cartons using marbles or rocks as playing pieces.

The board is placed between you and your opponent. Each of you takes 24 playing pieces and puts four pieces in each of the six bins on your side of the board. The two larger bins at each end of the board are called kalahas. These are left empty at the start of the game. In Mancala, the location of the pieces on the board determines if you can move them or not, not the color of the piece. Throughout the game, you can move any of the pieces from your side of the board. You may not move the pieces on your opponent's side of the board. The object of the game is to be the player with the most pieces in your kalaha.

If you are the first player to go, scoop up all the pieces from any bin on your side of the board. Now, moving to the right drop one piece into each bin that you come to. If you come to your kalaha (the one on the right), drop a playing piece into this bin. If you have more pieces left after you drop one in the kalaha, continue to put your remaining pieces into the bins on your opponent's side. If you come to your opponent's kalaha -this will happen later in the game-skip over it. If your last piece lands in your kalaha, you get to go again. Otherwise, it's your opponent's turn. If the last piece that you drop goes into an empty bin on your side of the board, you get to capture any of your opponent's playing pieces in the bin directly across from yours. When you capture these pieces you take all of them and put them in your kalaha. When you capture, you put the piece that you captured within your kalaha along with the pieces you captured. After you make a capture, it is your opponent's turn.

The game ends when all six bins on your or your opponent's bins are empty. The player with pieces still in their bins then can put their remaining pieces into their kalaha. The winner is the player with the most playing pieces in their kalaha.

ARGENTINA – Stop There

Number of Players: 3 or more

Age: 6 and up

Materials: a ball

Initially, one player takes the ball. In that moment the rest start running away from the one who has the ball. When the one who has the ball says: "Stop there, John" (he has to name one of the participants). The one named has to look for the ball, and once he has the ball he says, " stop there " and everybody has to stop. The one who has the ball can give three steps to get nearer, to his closest partner, and throw him/her the ball.

Two things could happen:

Source: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Styx/6504/argentinag.html

AUSTRALIA - Stuck in the Mud

Number of players: 5 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: none

In this version of Tag, one person is still "it", but when they touch someone, that person is "frozen" in place. They cannot move and must stand with their feet apart. The only way they can become unfrozen is if a person crawls under their legs. Play continues until all the players are frozen. Then the last person to be frozen is "it" for the next game.

BOTSWANA - Stalking

Number of players: 8 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: two blindfolds

This magical game from Botswana is meant to teach children the skills they need to become successful hunters. It sharpens listening skills and reflexes, as kids pretend to be a hunter or the springbok (an African antelope) he is pursuing. Choose a hunter and a springbok and ask the other kids to form a circle around them. Tell the circle that they can be silent or make noises and set a time limit of five minutes for each round. Blindfold the two children in the center and spin them around. At the signal, the two must move around the circle, the hunter trying to catch the springbok and the springbok trying to avoid capture. If at the end of the round the springbok has not been caught, he remains to face a new hunter. If he is caught, he too is replaced.

BULGARIA – Pesek (Duck, Duck, Goose)

Number of players: 8 or more

Age: 4 and up

Materials: none

In this game, kids sit down in a circle facing each other. One person is "it" or “Pesek” and walks around the circle singing “Pesek walks around us, don’t look at him, who will have a look at him, he will be bang to my Pesek.” Meanwhile Pesek bangs or taps someone on the head. The tapped one must run after Pesek and catch him before Pesek takes his place. If the tapped one does not catch Pesek, he becomes the new Pesek.

CHINA - Tangram

Number of players: 1 or more

Age: any age

Materials: Tangram puzzle

A tangram is a geometric puzzle with 7 pieces (5 triangles, 1 square, and 1 rhomboid) that are arranged to create images of various objects. This ancient game, which originated in China, has been enjoyed by many American children throughout the years. You may print out the tangram grid and sheet of solutions from the source.

EGYPT - Nine Men's Morris

Number of players: 2

Age: 8 and up

Materials: chalk or pencil and paper and two sets of nine playing pieces (coins, stones, checkers, beans, or bottle caps)

This is tic-tac-toe's more interesting cousin and one of the oldest known board games, originating at least 3,400 years ago in Egypt. It is a game of strategy. Draw a game board of three concentric squares, with lines joining the midpoints of the sides. Wherever two lines intersect, mark a space (the board should have twenty-four spaces). To start, players alternate turns placing their nine playing pieces on any empty space. Once all pieces are placed, players take turns moving them. Pieces may be moved only along a line to an adjacent vacant space (no hopping over other pieces or jumping diagonally). The object of Nine Men's Morris is to capture your opponent's pieces or to block him so he cannot make a move.

Here's how it works:

When a player lines up three pieces horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to form a "mill," he gets to capture one of his opponent's pieces. When choosing which piece to take, he may not break any of his opponent's existing mills unless there are no "free," or unconnected, pieces to take. The game ends when one player has only two pieces left, or when no one can make a move. In that case, the player who has captured the most pieces wins.

There are two special rules to know. First, you may break your own mill and remake it on the next move (this gives you the chance to take a captive each time you move your piece back into position). The second rule is optional. When a player gets down to three pieces (which is one piece away from losing), he can "fly" a piece to any space on the board to foil the enemy.

ENGLAND - Please Mr. Crocodile

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: none

This game can be played with 4 or 5 friends. One person is 'Mr. Crocodile' and the other people say "Please Mr. Crocodile can we cross your Golden River". 'Mr. Crocodile' replies with something like "Only if you are wearing something blue". If you are wearing that color you can move on one step. When you reach the other side, you are then the next 'Mr. Crocodile.'

ENGLAND - Queenie, Queenie

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: a ball

A person is picked to be the "queenie," and that person turns her back to everyone else. The "queenie" then throws the ball over her shoulder and one of the other players needs to catch it or pick it up. Everyone, except the "queenie", puts their hands behind their backs so that the "queenie" doesn't know who has the ball. The "queenie" then turns around and everyone shouts:

“Queenie, Queenie who's got the ball?
Are they short, or are they tall?
Are they hairy, or are they bald?
You don't know because you don't have the ball!”

The "queenie" has to guess who has the ball through a process of elimination. If the person with the ball is the last one to be picked, that person becomes the new "queenie."

ENGLAND - Red Letter

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 6 and up

Materials: none

A person is picked to be the leader. He stands with his back to the rest of the players who stand 10 meters back from him. The leader calls a letter of the alphabet (for example “a”). If a player’s name contains that letter the player can move a step forward. The number of steps forward depends on the number of that letter in his name. The leader continues calling out letters until someone reaches the leader.

GHANA - Ampé

Number of players: 2 players or 2 teams of equal numbers

Age: 7 and up

Materials: none

The players or teams are identified as “Ohyiwa” and “opare”."Ohyiwa" scores a point when a player’s left leg meets the right leg or right leg meets the left leg of "opare". "Opare" also scores a point when the left leg meets the left or the right leg meets the right leg of "ohyiwa". The first to get ten points wins the game or contest. Two contestants at a time, one from each team start clapping their hands while singing and jumping. As they land each manipulates the legs and places one leg forward. As explained above, 'ohyiwa' wins by the left leg meeting the right leg or right leg meeting the left leg of "opare". "Opare" scores by the left leg meeting the left leg or right leg meeting the right leg of "ohyiwa".There is no referee but every team counts its scores as the game progresses. The first to get ten points wins. A set of games is played and the higher scorer determines the winner.

GREECE - Grand-mother sleeping

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: none

It's a game we play around a tree. There is a child who is the grandmother of the other children who participate. Then their grandmother startsnarrating a story to them when she dozes off. Next, the children start searching for a place to hide. After awhile grandmother wakes up and tries to find them. The firstchild that she finds then has to be the grandmother in the next round.

GREECE - Apples (Ta Mila)

Number of players: 6

Age: 6 and up

Materials: a ball

Two children face one another and between them are many children spread all around the two facing children. The aim of the game is for the two children to hit with the ball the other children spread around them. However, if a child manages to catch the ball instead of being hit, then the other child is out of game and replaced by the one who caught the ball.

GREECE - Abarisa

Number of players: 2 teams of at least 2

Age: 6-11

Materials: none

The game was played in the old days but it's also played today. It is an outdoor game. You play in two teams. Every team chooses a column, or a tree for "home". The game starts. The aim of the game is to manage to touch the other team's home and say "ABARISA". Thismeans you have conquered the other team's home and your team wins. To go out of your home, you should say "ABARISA". A child from team "A" says "ABARISA" and exits. Another childfrom team "B" exits too. The second child tries to catch the first one so he/she doesn't conquer his "home". In the same way and at the same time, a second child from team A exits trying to catch the child from team B and a second child from B exits trying to catch the second child ofteam A and so on. If a child catches someone, he/she goes to jail. If his team says "xele" he is free again and the game continues. If the one team says "ABARISA" in the other teams "home", they win and the game finishes.

INDIA – Searching the Leader

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 6 and up

Materials: none

All the children sit in circle. One child is selected and is asked to get a little away. In the meantime the remaining children select a leader. The group has to repeat the actions done by the leader without giving hint of who is the leader to the child who has gone away and has now returned. If the child is not able to find the leader with the actions done by the group changing, then he will be given a punishment like, asked to sing a song, etc.

INDIA – Stone and Mud

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: none

The children select a "Den", a child from the group and spread out and some are to be on the stone floor and the rest on the ground. The children will ask the "Den" whether "stone" or "mud". If the den says stone then he has to catch those standing on the stone floor. The first one caught will be the next den.

INDIA – Find the Object

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: any objects that are handy like a doll, book, pen, etc.

The children sit around a table and the teacher shows them some objects like doll, book, pen, etc. Then one child is asked to go out and an object is removed from the collection. The child has to come back and find the missing object. The group helps the child by clapping loudly when it comes near the object and when far, they clap slowly. This helps the kid to find the object.

INDIA - Ka Ka Para Para (Kerala)

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 3 and up

Materials: none

Children sit in circle and the leader says some birds name and utters ka ka para para. Immediately the kids start flapping their hands like wings. The leader may say some other object name with ka ka para para when the children are not supposed to do anything. If anyone does something like flapping the hands then he is out of the game and the game continues.

ITALY - Lupo Della Ore or What Time is it Mr. Wolf?

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: none

One player is the wolf and he/she will stand with his/her back turned to the others about 5 meters from the others. The others call out, "What’s the time Mr. Wolf" and the wolf turns to face the others and shouts out a time. Eg: 10 o'clock. The others would then take 10 steps toward the wolf. The group will take the same amount of steps toward the wolf as the amount of hours in the wolf’s time. eg, 2 o'clock = 2 steps, 6 o'clock = 6 steps etc. etc. The wolf will then turn his back to the group again for them to yell, "what time is it?" (He looks at the group only when he shouts the time at the group". When the group gets close to the wolf the next time the group yells "what’s the time Mr. Wolf" the wolf will say 'DINNER TIME" and run after the group who are running back to the start line, and hopefully catch one of the group who will then be the wolf. It sounds messy, but when played it is an enjoyable game.

JAPAN – Hanetuki

Number of players: 2

Age: 6 and up

Materials: hagoita and hane

"Hanetuki" is a form of Japanese badminton played on New Year's Day by girls. With "hagoita" we hit "hane" and send "hane" to our partner. The partner has to hit it back. Hane is made of feathers hagoita is made of wood and on one side a beautiful doll is attached. We hit hane with the side where there is no doll.

JAPAN – Karuta

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: A set of picture cards and a set of read cards.

Karuta is a kind of card game. There are two kinds of cards, picture cards and read cards. We scatter picture cards on a desk. One of the players reads a read card on which a Japanese proverb is written. Then people look for the picture card that illustrates the meaning of the proverb. There are 48 cards. The person who gets more cards than the others will win the game.

JAPAN – Menko

Number of players: 2 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: sets of cards for each player

This game is traditionally played by boys in Japan. Boys have a lot of cards made of thick paper with the pictures of popular stars or characters of popular stories. First each person offers one card each and arranges them on the ground. Then one player hits the ground strongly with another card. If the power of the wind when the card hit ground can turn over any card on the ground he gets the card. If not, he has to offer another card. Thus some get a lot of cards while others lose.

KOREA – Four Field Kono

Number of players: 2

Age: 8 and up

Materials: Kono board and pieces

The aim of Four Field Kono is to attack and remove your opponents marbles off before they take yours off. The unusual feature of the game is the method of capture. You jump over one of your own men to land on an opponent. Once landed upon a marble is removed from the board.

KYRGYZSTAN - Gardener

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 8 and up

Materials: none

One of the Kyrgyz children folk games is GARDENER. This game plays in level place. The players sit in circle. The leader (GARDENER) gives a name to each player, for example; rose, apple etc. Here the leader is the GARDENER. At the beginning the GARDENER says; "When I was walking in my garden I saw a rose". Rose quickly says "Oh!" like frightened. Then the leader asks quickly; "What happened to you Rose?". Rose answers; "I fell in love with Lemon,” or “I saw a yellow Lemon.” Then Lemon quickly says "Oh!?". Rose must then respond, “what happened to you Lemon?” Then Lemon says, “I ran into an apple.” The game continues this way. If the player can’t answer quickly or if she/he says the name of a player who has already left the game has to leave the game. The game goes in this way. At the end of the game there will be only one winner. This person becomes the GARDENER if the game is played again.

MEXICO – Loteria (like Bingo)

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 4 and up

Materials: 6 lotto cards with nine squares each, every square will have a picture of a Mexican bird for example, Flamingo, Hawk or Eagle.

Each player has a lotto card. Another child is the caller. He has a pack of 20 separate cards: one of each bird. This person calls the names of the birds one by one to see if the other players have this bird on their lotto cards. When the player has that bird on his/her lotto card, he/she puts a Mexican bean on that square. You could use a small coin or grain of rice or anything else. When you complete every square you win and shout lotto.

PHILLIPPINES - Tinikling

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 7 and up

Materials: 2 bamboo poles

Tinikling is the national dance of the Philippines. It is very similar to jump rope, but instead of a spinning rope, two bamboo poles are used. The poles are held by two people, one pole in each hand. They hit the poles on the floor, then raise them, then hit the poles together. The person(s) in the middle hop over and outside the poles before they come together. When mastered, it is considered a form of dance. WARNING: Ensure that very flexible poles are used. Use hollow bamboo, not rattan, which is similar looking, but solid. This game can hurt ankles if done too aggressively or with the wrong equipment!

RUSSIA – Ring

Number of players: 3 or more

Age: 6 and up

Materials: a ring, a button or something small that can be held in the hand

All players sit in a row and the chief stays in front of them with a ring in his hands. The players sit with opened hands. Chief comes to each player and pretends that he puts a ring into his hands (the chief can put a ring into the players' hand or not). When the chief passes the entire row he says: "Ring, ring go out to the porch!" The player with the ring should run out from the players' row. The other players without a ring must keep him. If he runs out, he becomes a chief. The first chief sits into the players' row.

RUSSIA - Films

Number of players: 4 or more

Age: 8 and up

Materials: none

One child is a leader. The other children are standing behind the line. The leader is naming the alphabet but to himself. When the children say, "Stop!" he pronounces a letter out loud and all the children try to give the name of a movie. It can be a name of a country or a song or a river etc. Those who gave a name may cross the space to the other line; those who don't know what to say will try to run and the leader tries to catch one of them. The child who is caught becomes a leader.

RUSSIA - The Snake Game

Number of players: 5 or more

Age: 5 and up

Materials: none

It is a very funny and nice game to play outdoors. The children stand one after another and hold each other by their hands. They stand in a line. The leader is the first in the line. He/she starts running. The others are trying to follow him/her but still they should hold their hands. The leader’s aim is to run so that the others can not keep their hands together. Those who break the line are out of the game. So they break the snake. You can play it many times.

India-Kabaddi

Though kabaddi is primarily an Indian game, not much is known about the origin of this game. There is, however, concrete evidence, that the game is 4,000 year old. It is a team sport, which requires both skill and power, and combines the characteristics of wrestling and rugby. It was originally meant to develop self defence, in addition to responses to attack, and reflexes of counter attack by individuals, and by groups or teams. It is a rather simple and inexpensive game, and neither requires a massive playing area, nor any expensive equipment. This explains the popularity of the game in rural India. Kabaddi is played all over Asia with minor variations.

Kabaddi is known by various names viz. Chedugudu or Hu-Tu-Tu in southern parts of India, Hadudu (Men) and Chu - Kit-Kit (women) in eastern India, and Kabaddi in northern India.

The sport is also popular in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan and Pakistan.

The Game

In Kabaddi, two teams compete with each other for higher scores, by touching or capturing the players of the opponent team. Each team consists of 12 players, of which seven are on court at a time, and five in reserve. The two teams fight for higher scores, alternating defence and offense. The court is as large as that for a dodge ball game. The game consists of two 20 minute halves, with a break of five minutes for change of sides.

The kabaddi playing area is 12.50m x 10m, divided by a line into two halves. The side winning the toss sends a 'raider', who enters the opponents' court chanting, 'kabaddi-kabaddi'. The raider's aim is to touch any or all players on the opposing side, and return to his court in one breath. The person, whom the raider touches, will then be out. The aim of the opposing team, will be to hold the raider, and stop him from returning to his own court, until he takes another breath. If the raider cannot return to his court in the same breath while chanting 'kabaddi', he will be declared out. Each team alternates in sending a player into the opponents' court. If a player goes out of the boundary line during the course of the play, or if any part of his body touches the ground outside the boundary, he will be out, except during a struggle.

Lona

The team scores a lona (a bonus of two points), if the entire opposition is declared out. The game then continues by putting all the players on both sides. Matches are staged on the basis of age-groups, and weight. Seven officials supervise a match - one referee, two umpires, two linesmen, a timekeeper and a scorer.

Types of Kabaddi

In India, Kabaddi is recognized in three forms:

The 'Surjeevani' form of Kabaddi is played under the Kabaddi Federation of India, and is governed by its rules and regulations. In the 'Surjeevani' form of Kabaddi, one player is revived against one player of the opposite team who is out. i.e. one out, one in. The duration of the game, the number of players, the dimensions of the court, etc. have been fixed by the Kabaddi Federation of India.

In the 'Gaminee' type of Kabaddi, there is no revival. When all the players of team are out, the game ends. So there is no time limit in this category.

In the 'Amar' form of Kabaddi, whenever any player is touched (out), he does not go out of the court, but stays inside, and one point is awarded to the team that touched him. In this way, one point for each touch of the opposite team, i.e. to the team who touches the anti player. This game is also played on a time basis, i .e the time is fixed.

In the northern part of the country, i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, this game is played in a circle. This is known as 'Circle Kabaddi' or Amar Kabaddi. If it is played without a court, as in some places, it's called 'Goongi Kabaddi'. The Goongi Kabaddi is nothing but wrestling between two players.

The first world Kabaddi championship in the history of the game, was organised in Hamilton when approximately 14,000 people packed Copps Coliseum, to watch stars from India, Pakistan, Canada, England, and the United States compete.

The Kabaddi Federation of India (KFI) was founded in 1950, and it compiled a standard set of rules. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) was founded in 1973. The AKFI has given new shape to the rules, and it has also the rights of modification in the rules. The Asian Kabaddi Federation was founded under the chairmanship of Mr. Sharad Pawar (Maharashtra).

Some of the Arjuna Award winners are Sh. Sadanand Mahadeo Shetty, Sh. Sadanand Mahadeo Shetty, Sh. Shakuntla Panghar Kholavakar, Sh. Shantaram Jaatu, Kumari Monika Nath, Kumari Maya Kashi Nath, Rama Sarkar etc. Kabaddi was one of the demonstration games at Asiad '82.

Source: http://www.alldesi.net/fun/sports/kabaddi.htm

Ancient Egypt-Bocce

The beginnings of the game of bocce are lost in the darkness of time. Traces of the game can be found among the early Egyptians, and graphic representations of figures tossing a ball or polished stone have been recorded as early as 5200 B.C. While modern day bocce bears little resemblance to these early findings, one thing is certain: that through its evolution the objective has been constant - try to come as close to a fixed target as possible. From this early objective, the basic rules of bocce were born.

Bocce must have been part of the therapeutic advice given by the early Greek physicians Ipocrates and Galileo who indeed believed that the invigorating exercise provided by this game could have beneficial results. It is said that the early Romans were among the first to play the game, at times using coconuts brought back from Africa. Later on, hard olive wood was used to carve out bocce balls. Quickly gaining status, there are indications that bocce was enjoyed by such luminaries as the emperor Augustus.

Throughout the centuries, the game enjoyed rapid growth as one of Europe's most popular pastimes, so much so that at one point in history several governments began to regulate its usage. Why? Because it was found that the popularity of the game interfered at times with the security of the state. In other words, the public at large was more interested in playing bocce than in defending their sovereignty! Rulers were moved to action. While Kings Carlos IV and V prohibited the playing of bocce (citing national security), several medical docents from the University of Montpellier, France, did their part by discrediting the claim that playing bocce had great therapeutic effect in curing rheumatism.

The popularity of the game reached such a level in Italy that on December 11, 1576, the Republic of Venice publicly condemned it, and thereafter those who disobeyed were punished with fines and imprisonment. Even the Catholic Church officially prohibited any clergyman from playing the game by declaring bocce a gambling device. Yet bocce survived and flourished.

Contrary to the rest of Europe, Great Britain has consistently embraced the game of bocce with great enthusiasm since its introduction. Among the early fans were Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake. An amusing anecdote has Drake refusing to interrupt his game to address a threatening military advance: "First we finish the game, then we'll deal with the Armada," it is believed he shouted to those who tried to hurry him on.

However, in spite of its popularity and lacking a central organization, the sport of bocce was excluded from the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens in April, 1896. Shortly afterward bocce leagues were formed throughout Europe. First to organize the sport was France, followed by Italy (specifically northern Italy), which organized local clubs and leagues. The first organized Italian League was formed by fifteen Piedmont Region teams on November 15, 1947 in the town of Rivoli (Torino). Since 1947, the Bocce World Championships has been held every year with France and Italy as the most prominent competitors.

These two countries paved the way for an international interest in bocce as a formal sport. Even as this book is being written, worldwide preparations are underway internationally to include bocce in Olympic competitions. Yet it was not until the turn of the century that the game of bocce was organized competitively in the United States. A strong influencing factor was the European immigration to the American continent. Early immigrants, trying to retain their original lifestyle, played the game as a way of duplicating the social environment they left behind.

Soon U.S. leagues were created, paving the way for the game to be accepted as a major sport... and not just by men. The oldest women's bocce league in this country is from Chisholm, Minnesota. Called the Chisholm Women's Bocce League, it started in 1944 with 25 women who were introduced to bocce by Guido Pergal at a summer picnic. Today the top three most-participated sports in the world are 1) soccer 2) bocce and 3) golf.

Netherlands-Korfball

Korfball is the exciting mixed team sport that is increasing in popularity throughout the world. The sport was the brainchild of Dutch school teacher Nico Broekhusen who founded Korfball back in 1875. Broekhusen searched far and wide without success for a team sport that both the boys and girls in his school could play together on equal terms, choosing instead to develop a sport of his own that would encourage both teamwork and co-operation.

The word 'Korf' is simply Dutch for 'basket' and quite sensibly was not translated to English to avoid confusion with the American basketball. Promoted by the International Korfball Federation, the sport has spread it's roots throughout the globe and is increasing in popularity in many countries worldwide. Described by London's Evening Standard as 'the sport for the new millennium,' Korfball is an exciting and accessible sport for both young and old presenting unique sponsorship opportunities to businesses looking for a new approach.

How is it played

There are 8 players in a Korfball team, 4 men and 4 women. The 40m x 20m court is split into 2 halves and to start the game the team is split into 2 groups of 4 (2 male and 2 female) in each end of the court. One of the 2 groups of 4 sets out in the teams attack zone whilst the other in the defence zone, matched against the attack and defence of the opposing team. The groups switch ends and roles after 2 goals are scored require players to have both attacking and defending skills.

The key rules

No running with the ball

A key rule which ensures that there has to be co-operation between players, so you cannot have a 'superstar' running around doing all the work while the others watch on. Players have to create scoring chances through passing, running and team co-operation.

No physical contact

Just like basketball !!!

No shooting whilst 'defended'

This is very much the key to the whole game. In sports like basketball and netball (of which Korfball is often wrongly described as a 'cross between') you can just dump a tall player under the basket or net and just keep delivering the ball up to them.

Not so in Korfball.

Basically an attacker is considered to be 'defended' when an opponent of the same sex (more on that later) fulfills the following 3 criteria;

So even if you are 7 feet tall you can only shoot in Korfball if you are 'free' of your defender, which means you have to run around and co-operate with your team to create scoring chances like the rest of us.

You cannot hinder a member of the opposite sex
This means that the women are competing against the women and the men against the men, all within a fast and flowing team environment. Both have to co-operate with each other in order to succeed.

How do you score

In Korfball a 'goal' is scored when the ball passes through the opponents rattan basket which is mounted on a 3.5m pole, itself mounted within the court as opposed to at the end of it. Good shooting skills are essential and top players will be shooting from as far away as 10 metres in a game. In Korfball you don't score points, a goal is a goal. On average a team would expect to score between 10 - 15 goals in a game but more is possible.

Other rules

Of course there are other rules, no punching the ball, free passes and penalty shots for fouls and more. The game had been modernised to allow substitutions and time outs, but is still very much guided by the principles of co-operation set out by it's founder.

Japan and Southeast Asia-SepakTakraw

Sepak Takraw was created by the royal family of Malaysia about 500 years ago. The name itself comes from two languages. Sepakis "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.

Here are some of the session plans that were implemented in our program.

Objective(s)

Materials

Introduction Activity (10-20 minutes)

Is there a similar game played in the United States?

Key Activity (30-45 minutes)

Closing Activity (10-20 minutes)

Objective(s)

Materials

Introduction Activity (10-20 minutes)

Key Activity (30-45 minutes)

Closing Activity (10-20 minutes)

Explain upcoming sessions (Learning about the chosen sport.)