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Background:

Rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only event in which gymnasts perform on a floor with a rope, hoop, ball, clubs or ribbon accompanied by music, in individual or group events. In the 1800s rhythmic gymnastics operated under the guise of group gymnastics, and included a trace of elementary choreography. It grew slowly until the first experimental competitions appeared in eastern Europe in the 1930s, when its newfound complexity began to draw a wider audience. Rhythmic gymnastics evolved from a host of related disciplines. It incorporates elements from classical ballet, such as pliés and arabesques, as well as the German system of emphasizing apparatus work for muscle development and the Swedish method of using free exercise to develop rhythm. The FIG recognized rhythmic gymnastics as an official discipline in 1963, and a year later organized an international tournament in Budapest. In 1964 the tournament was officially declared the first Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, and Ludmila Savinkova of the Soviet Union became the first world champion. The number of athletes grew as interest spread to other parts of the world. Gymnasts from the United States first appeared at the championships in 1973, and rhythmic gymnastics slowly emerged from the shadow of the long-established artistic discipline to enter the Olympic program in 1984. Since its integration into the Games in 1984 in Los Angeles, rhythmic gymnastics has always been a part of the Olympic program. In its inaugural year, it was Canada’s Lori Fung who won the gold medal. Until 1992 in Barcelona, only one individual event was on the program. A second, team event was added to the program in 1996 in Atlanta. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, the Russian Federation won two gold medals: the group and individual multiple competitions.

Court Dimension:

The standard performance is 13m x 13m. The border is 100cm minimum and where there is a delimitation strip between the performance area and the border, the strip is 5cm wide and included as part of the performance area. An Olympic floor exercise mat is required to be 12 meters by 12 meters, which equals 39.37 feet by 39.37 feet. The standard distance from one corner to the opposite corner is 1,697 cm or 55.68 feet.

Equipment:

Rope

Look for swings, circles, rotations, wraps, unwraps, figure-eight-type circling movements, throws and catches of the rope. Gymnasts also leap and jump through the open or folded rope, held by both hands.

Specs:

Material: hemp or synthetic material, knotted at each end

Length: proportionate to the size of the gymnast

Hoop

Common movements with the hoop include swings, rolls, tosses and catches, spins, passes through and over the hoop, rotations of the hoop on the floor and rotations of the hoop around the hand and other parts of the body. Most impressive here are the high throws and complex techniques for catching the hoop in a different fashion each time.

Specs:

Material: wood or plastic

Diameter: Interior is 80-90 cm (31.2-35.1 in)

Weight: 300 grams (10.5 oz) min.

Ball

Waves, circles, throws and catches, movement with the ball balanced on the hand, bouncing and rolling the ball on the floor and along parts of the body are all key movements.

Specs:

Material: rubber or synthetic material

Diameter: 18-20 cm (7-7.8 in)

Weight: 400 grams (14 oz.) min.

Clubs

Swings, large circles, small circles, mills, throws and catches and rhythmical tapping are common tricks.

Specs:

Material: wood or synthetic material

Length: 40-50 cm (15.6-19.5 in.)

Diameter: 3 cm (1.2 in) max. for head of club

Weight: 150 grams each (5.25 oz)

Ribbon

Ribbon routines are comprised of snakes, spirals, swings, circles, throws and catches and figure-eight movements. The ribbon must remain constantly in motion.

Specs:

Material: stick – wood or synthetic material; Ribbon – satin or similar non-starched material

Diameter/width: stick – 1 cm (0.39 in); ribbon – 4-6 cm (1.56-2.34 in)

Length: stick – 50-60 cm (19.5-23.4 in); ribbon – 6 m (6.54 yds.)

Weight: ribbon, 35 grams (1.225 oz) min.

Group

In the group event, five athletes work together as one cohesive unit. Group is judged on the ability of the athletes to demonstrate mastery of body and apparatus skills in a synchronized, harmonious manner. A group exercise must include difficulties from the same body movement categories that apply to individual competition and characteristic movements for the apparatus. In addition, the group athletes must execute elements involving both large and small exchanges of equipment. The more interaction between the gymnasts, the better the exercise. Each group must compete with two different routines. The apparatus used in group competition is selected by the FIG. One of the routines is performed with five of the same pieces of apparatus, the other routine is choreographed with mixed equipment. Group athletes are trained to work as a team. The close interaction of five athletes within a 13 X 13 meter (approx. 42.5 ft. square) area and the many apparatus exchanges that occur during a routine require each athlete to be extremely sensitive to the movements and actions of her teammates. Many routines have been saved by the quick thinking and action of a team member. Spectators are enthralled and amazed by the beauty, excitement and risk of a group routine.

  Basic Skills:

Fundamental requirements include leaps over the rope and skipping. Other elements include swings, throws, circles, rotations and figures of eight. The rope must be held lightly so that all movements and characteristics of this apparatus may be performed. These may be performed with the rope open, or folded, in one or two hands, or in several directions. Women compete on four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, while men compete on six events: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. Basic skills required for the gymnast are flexibility, core strength, balance, upper and lower-body strength, power, mental focus, discipline, and dedication.

 Technical and Tactical Skills:

 Fundamental elements of throwing, bouncing and rolling, where a gymnast is required to utilize the full floor and both their hands, showing a continuous flowing movement. These skills involve the following; Floor, Rolling Skills, Cartwheel, Round off and Handstand; Parallel bars, Swings through upper arm hang, Swings through support, Back roll, Shoulder stand.

Rules of the game:

Penalties and Deductions

1.     For each additional or missing second on the time of the exercise // 0.05

2.     For music not conforming to regulations // 0.50

3.     For each additional music with words // 1.00

4.     For each crossing of the boundary of the floor area by the apparatus or one or two feet or by any part of the body touching the ground outside the specified area or any apparatus leaving the floor area and returning by itself // 0.30

5.     For any use of non-conforming apparatus (Individual and Group exercises) 0.50

6.     For using any apparatus not previously placed // 0.50

7.     For excessive delays in routine preparation which delay the competition // 0.50

8.     For unauthorized retrieval of the apparatus // 0.50

9.     For an unauthorized use of replacement apparatus (original apparatus still in the floor area) // 0.50

10. Dress of the Individual and Group gymnast not confirming to the regulations (one time per exercise) // 0.30

11. For emblem or publicity not conforming to official norms // 0.30

12. Bandages or support pieces not confirming to the regulations // 0.30

13. For early or late presentation by the gymnast(s) // 0.50

14. For gymnast(s) warming up in the competition hall // 0.50

15. For Group gymnasts communicating verbally with each other during the exercise // 0.50

16. Entry of the group to the floor area is not confirming to the rules // 0.50

17. For coach communication with the gymnast(s), musician, or judges during the exercise // 0.50

18. Wrong apparatus chosen according to start order; penalty deducted one time from the final score of the exercise performed in the wrong order // 0.50

19. For Group gymnast leaving the Group during the exercise // 0.30

20. For “use of a new gymnast” if a gymnast leaves a group for valid reason // 0.50

21. Only female athletes compete in Levels 1–4. Levels A, B, C, and Group are mixed gender.

22. Athletes must compete on the same level in all chosen individual events. (Either A, B, C, 1, 2, 3 or 4.)

23. Athletes may specialize by competing in one or more events at their chosen level.

24. Gymnasts who do all four events at a level are considered All-Around. (i.e., Specialist: Level I Hoop and Ball; All-Around: Level I Rope, Hoop, Ball, and Ribbon)

25.  A gymnast may perform in one or two group routines in addition to individual routines, or perform just in group routines (no individual).

26.  The video of the compulsory routines is the official version. If a difference exists between the video and the written text, the video must be followed. For group routines, the video is the only version of the choreography

27. Compulsory routines may be reversed in their entirety (mirror image).

28.  Olympic order for rhythmic gymnastics is rope, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon.

29. All rules and regulations apply equally to athletes and partners.

30. Unified competition is allowed in both Pairs and Group events.

31. In Unified Pairs events, the athlete and unified partner can either perform together as a duet or separately. One panel of judges will evaluate the athlete’s routine and one panel will evaluate the unified partner’s routine. The scores are added together for a unified team score.

32. In the Group events, there must be an equal number of athletes and partners in each group.

33. Visually Impaired Athletes – Coaches must notify the meet director and judges of the athlete’s visual impairment before the competition and prior to each routine. In order to aid the athletes, the following types of assistance are permissible for all levels of competition without deduction: Audible cues, such as clapping, may be used in all routines.

34. Music may be played at any close point outside of the mat, or the coach may carry the music source around the perimeter of the mat.

35. Hearing Impaired Athletes – Coaches must notify the meet director and judges of the athlete’s hearing impairment before the competition and prior to each routine.

How to officiate Rhythmic Gymnastics:

Judge Panels: responsible in maintaining a record of all competitions, courses and workshops in which s/he participates. The total number of panel judges will be 16, consisting of two panels which follow FIG for D1 and D2, for D3 and D4, and for E1 and E2.

Judge Administrator: primary responsibilities of the Judge Administrator are to act as the GCG representative at EC and CC, to ensure that all Judge Rules and Technical Rules are followed, and to ensure that all score ranges are within FIG requirements. The JA acts as the coordinator judge and ensures the penalty deductions are applied as per FIG.

D1 and D2 judges: D1 and D2 judges evaluate the entire exercise independently and then jointly determine the partial D–score content (One Single common score). The D1 and D2- judges enter the partial D- score into the computer.

D3 and D4 judges: records the content of the exercise in symbol notation:

·       For Individual: evaluates the number and technical value of Dynamic elements with Rotation (R) and the number and technical value of the Apparatus Difficulty (AD)

·       For Group: evaluates the number and technical value of Dynamic elements with Rotation (R) and the number and technical value Collaborations (C)

E-Panel Judges: E- Panel judges must evaluate the faults and apply the corresponding deductions correctly.

a) The first (E) subgroup - 2 judges (E1, E2) evaluatesthe Artistic component independently and then jointly determines the Artistic penalties (one single common score). Discussion in subgroup is allowed if needed; in case of disagreement between E1 and E2, the counsel of the Technical Delegate/Supervisor must be solicited.

b) The second (E) subgroup - 4 judges (E3, E4, E5, E6) evaluates the Technical faults by deduction, determining the total deduction independently and without consulting the other judges (Average of the 2 middle scores)

c) Artistic and Technical deductions are entered separately for the final Execution score. The E-score deductions will be the sum of the two partial E- score deductions.

d) The Final E- Score: Sum of the Artistic and Technical deductions are subtracted from 10.00 points.          

Time Judge: Responsible for elapsing time and as well as enforcing penalties. Control time violations and record the exact amount of time over the time limit or less if there is no computer input

Line Judge: Determine crossing of the boundary of the floor area by the apparatus or one or two feet or by any part of the body or any apparatus leaving the floor area.

Secretaries: The Secretaries need to have knowledge of the Code of Points and a computer; they are usually appointed by the Organizing Committee. Under the supervision of the President of Superior Jury they are responsible for the accuracy of all entries into the computers, adherence to the correct order of the teams and gymnasts, operating the green and red lights, correct flashing of the Final Score.

Citations: 

https://www.gymnastics.sport/publicdir/rules/files/en_RG%20CoP%202017-2020%20with%20Errata%20Dec.%2017.pdf

http://gymcan.org/uploads/files_files/GCG_Judges%20Rules%20Regulations%20January%202017.pdf

https://media.specialolympics.org/resources/sports-essentials/sport-rules/Sports-Essentials-Rhythmic-Gymnastics-Rules-2016-2023.pdf

https://www.romsport.com/tips-and-tricks

https://usagym.org/pages/gymnastics101/rhythmic/events.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythmic_gymnastics

https://www.olympic.org/rhythmic-gymnastics-equipment-and-history

https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/gymnastics#:~:text=The%20standard%20performance%20area%20for,part%20of%20the%20performance%20area.

Video Credits: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaxT2vguGXQ

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

         Figure skating, sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform freestyle movements of jumps, spins, lifts, and footwork in a graceful manner. Its name derives from the patterns (or figures) skaters make on the ice, an element that was a major part of the sport until recently. There are various kinds of figure skating, including freestyle, pairs, ice dance, and synchronized team skating. The style of competition, as well as the moves and techniques of the skaters, varies for each category of skating. Figure skating has become one of the most popular sports of the Winter Olympics.

         Ice dancing was introduced as an Olympic event in 1976, and Soviet teams dominated the sport. Teams from that country won an Olympic gold medal in 1976 (Lyudmila Pakhomova and Aleksandr Gorshkov), 1980 (Natalia Linichuk and Gennady Karponosov), 1988 (Natalia Bestemianova and Andrey Bukin), 1992 (Marina Klimova and Sergey Ponomarenko), and 1994 and 1998 (Oksana Grichuk and Yevgeny Platov). However, Great Britain’s Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean took the gold in 1984, and Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat of France placed first in 2002, winning France’s first gold medal in figure skating since 1932.

          Theories vary on the reason for the dominance of the former Soviet Union. One school of thought says the political and cultural forces in the country emphasized group accomplishments over individual achievement. The cultural emphasis on dance and ballet may also have been a factor, as well as the inclination of pairs and dance teams to stay together, since athletes were rewarded handsomely under the Soviet regime. Furthermore, the top singles coaches resided not in Russia but in western Europe and the United States. With the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, however, many Russian coaches and their skaters moved to the United States to take advantage of its superior training facilities. European and American pairs and dance teams benefited from Russian coaching, and the gap between Russia and the rest of the world began to close. At the same time, the Russians began to produce better singles skaters, partially because of access to American facilities and coaching and partially because they used different training techniques, which set them apart. Russians began to dominate men’s figure skating in 1992 when Viktor Petrenko won the Olympic gold medal. In 1994 Aleksey Urmanov won the Olympic gold medal, while Ilya Kulik won it in 1998 and Aleksey Yagudin in 2002.

      Olympic-sized rinks have dimensions of 30 m × 60 m (98.4 ft × 197 ft), NHL-sized rinks are 26 m × 61 m (85 ft × 200 ft), while European rinks are sometimes 30 m × 64 m (98 ft × 210 ft). The ISU prefers Olympic-sized rinks for figure skating competitions, particularly for major events.

  EQUIPMENTS:

#1 - Ice skates with good fit

Of course, the first thing you need are ice skates. No surprise here. But make sure they are suitable for your level and fit your feet well.

·        Length: when standing, is the foot flat in the skate. Are the toes free to wiggle a little?

·        Width: when standing, is the curvature of the sole matching the arch of your foot.  Do your feet feel supported?  (different brands have different fit)

·        Heel: is the heel of your foot well seated in the heel area?

·        Ankle: does the skate fit well the ankle?

#2 - Appropriate socks

Many people are scared their feet will be cold when ice-skating, so they want to use thick socks. However, the thinner the socks the better. At high level, some skater even skate barefoot because socks cause friction. With thin socks, you can feel your sole better and control pressure to control your movement. If you choose to wear socks (like I did), you have to choose some that will minimize rubbing (avoid seams). So choose socks that are thin and high above the boot but avoid entirely polyester socks. Or you can wear tights.

#3 - Ice skating bag

I know in movies and pictures, cool girls seem to be wearing their skates on their shoulder using laces attached together. This is a really bad idea. Please, do not to this. You will damage your laces, your skates and your clothes as everything bangs together. You should carry your skates in a bag, if possible, with aeration.

#4 - Skate guards

It is absolutely critical to have a pair of skate guards. As soon as you get off the ice, you should protect your blades with the guards. The smallest impact on your blade means that you can't skate anymore, and you would have to buy new ones. The blades are only supposed to be on the ice. However, wear the guards only to walk around. Don't leave them on the skates once removed from your feet! There are 2 main types of guards: the centipede /latch (often preferred by beginners as it is easier to set up) or the Universal / Spring (for more stability and protection when walking with your skates).

#5 - Absorbent cloth or Towel

You should always have something to dry your blades and mounting surfaces after a practice. It is mandatory. If you don't want rust to appear on your blades, you have to spend some time drying them thoroughly before packing them. I even recommend drying once, then waiting while you change and drying them again as condensation will have formed if you enter a warmer room.

The cloth should be gentle and absorbent - Good options are microfiber towel, chamois cloth, terry cloth.

#6 - Skate soakers

When packed in a bag, your skates should not be left unprotected (as the blades will get damaged) and should not be protected by the guards as they will keep moisture and rust will appear. In the bag, your blade should be covered with skate soakers that will keep absorbing humidity. They are also a non-negotiable figure skating equipment.

#7 - Appropriate clothing

What is good clothing for ice skating?

·        layers - (top, jackets, gloves...) that you can add or remove as your practice progresses - make sure you wear a jacket after practice. You will have been sweating and the rink is cold, so make sure you keep warm.

·        flexible - jeans are not a good option. You need to have a good amplitude of movement.

·        water reaction - the other reason jeans are not a good idea is that once wet, they hold the water and freeze. It is not enjoyable. Wear clothes that dry fast

·        form fitted - if you are not a leisure skater but being coached, your coach will need to see your lines and how your knees are bending. Therefore, you should not be wearing large clothes. Do not choose snow pants!!!!

#9 - Water bottle

It is essential to keep hydrated during ice skating practice, for your health and your performance. You should always bring a bottle of water to the rink.

#10 - Tissues

Ice rinks are cold. But you are moving, and wind is blowing on your face. Therefore, most skaters have runny noses. Pack facial tissues in your skate bag. 

Here are basic skills to learn in figure skating:

Basic 1

Sit on ice and stand up

March forward across the ice

Forward two-foot glide

Dip

Forward swizzles (6-8 in a row)

Backward wiggles (6-8 in a row)

Snowplow stop

Rocking horse (2–3)

Two-foot hop in place (optional)

Basic 2

Forward one foot glides (R and L)

Backward two-foot glide

Backward swizzles (6–8 in a row)

Two-foot turn from forward to backward in place

Moving snowplow stop

Forward alternating half swizzle pumps, in a straight line (slalom-like pattern)

Basic 3

Forward stroking, showing correct use of blade

Forward half swizzle pumps on a circle (6–8 consecutive clockwise and counterclockwise)

Moving forward to backward two-foot turn (clockwise and counterclockwise)

Backward one-foot glides (R and L)

Forward slalom

Two-foot spin (up to two revolutions)

Basic 4

Forward outside edge on a circle (R and L)

Forward inside edge on a circle (R and L)

Forward crossovers, clockwise and counterclockwise

Forward outside three-turn, R and L from a stand-still position

Backward half swizzle pumps on a circle, clockwise and counterclockwise

Backward stroking

Backward snowplow stop (R and L)

Basic 5

Backward outside edge on a circle (R and L)

Backward inside edge on a circle (R and L)

Backward crossovers, clockwise and counterclockwise

Beginning one-foot spin (up to three revs, optional entry and free-foot position)

Hockey stop

Side toe hop (both directions)

Basic 6

Forward inside three-turn (R and L from a standstill position)

Moving backward to forward two-foot turn on a circle, clockwise and counterclockwise

T-stop (R or L)

Bunny hop

Forward spiral on a straight line (R or L)

Forward lunge (R or L)

Technical and Tactical Skills:

Technical skating refers to biomechanical principles applied to maximize all skating skills required in ice hockey. It is the fundamentals of skating. Players need to skate in a proper hockey stance with good knee bend, balance and edge control. Technical skating consists of forward and backward: balance, edge control, starting, stopping, striding, tight turns, crossovers, pivots and progressions to agility and mobility skating. The fundamentals of all aspects of forwards, backwards and all direction skating requires specific technical practice to achieve mastery.

The teaching of technical skating over the last 40 years can be categorized to power skating. Power skating programs vary often from a figure skating base, to a hockey specific curriculum to just a conditioning component or combinations of all three. It is often deliberate practice.

When taught properly, the on ice instructor demos the skating skill, explaining the key teaching points, the players then try the skill and corrections are made to their skating technique. This deliberate teaching offers players better technique through proper repetition of skating drills. The drills involve thinking as well as skating. The instructor is reinforcing good skating techniques and attempting to get rid of bad skating habits. The objective is to make each player a better all round skater, smoother, and more efficient skater.

Technical skating is the foundation of playing the game. Players require a strong technical base of skating, otherwise they do not have the tools to play the game, keep up to the play and be involved in the play.

Tactical skating is the ability to skate in all game situations offensively and defensively, with and without a puck. The time spent on deliberate practice and professional skating instruction will provide the core to play in various game situations. Offensively this may mean drive skating, breakaway skating or evasive skating. Keeping the puck means protecting and handling the puck. Defensively it will help players to check and angle properly using stick checks and body checks as the game requires.

Players with a technical skating foundation have the ability to be in control in game situations. They will create and control time and space on the ice. With a better technical base, tactical skating will improve. Players will be more comfortable on the ice. They will be able to play more instinctively without thinking. With improved skating ability the game becomes more automatic. Players from the ages of 5 to 10 need to learn how to skate properly without and with the puck. Players who have learned to skate properly will be able to develop the ability to think the game as they begin to play competitively.

Hockey Sense can be best developed between the ages of 11 and 15 years of age. As technical skating is mastered; tactical skating skills with and without the puck will transfer to success in 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 or 2 and 3 on 2 or 3 situations. The foundation to 5 on 5 team play; systems are the individual skills of skating and puck control. 

 Rules of the Game:

·        Athletes must wear approved figure skates.

·        Men must wear pants or trousers.

·        Women must wear tights, trousers, and or unitards.

·        Athletes must vary their performances from routine to routine.

·        Certain types of music are not allowed.

·        Athletes can be disqualified for not following time regulations.

 How to officiate the sport:

Judging system

·       The main judge is responsible for the organizational component of the competition: calls the ice skaters gives signals to the radio node and monitors the timing.

·       Technical specialist with assistant fix elements falls.

·       Technical authority supervises the work of the technical team.

·       9 judges estimate the quality of performance.

Technical Specialists and Technical Controllers

Technical Specialists and Technical Controllers are former athletes, coaches, Skate Canada judges or referees recruited for the correct identification of elements and levels of difficulty of these elements when attempted by skaters and teams in competition.

Judges

Judges officiate at all levels of competitions, and are responsible for assessing the quality with which a skater performs in competition and also assess competitive tests.

Referees

Referees oversee the ice conditions, ensures that all rules applicable to an assessment or competition are followed and acts as chairman of the judges’ panel and arbiter in policy or procedure disputes. At smaller events, the referee will typically act as both referee and one of the judges.

 The Referee is also responsible for writing reports on the judges assessing their performance at a specific event. The reports are reviewed as part of the process of officials promotions.

Data Specialists

Data Specialists are the individuals responsible for calculating the marks awarded by the judges and tabulating the final result. If open marking is used at an event the data specialists are normally found at ice level. At other events, they will be in the result calculation center.

Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEtYYtwX1sM

Citations: 

https://sport-wiki.org/sports/figure-skating/

https://skateabnwtnun.ca/officials/types-of-officials/

https://www.tuckerhockey.com/technical-skating-vs-tactical-skating/

https://www.britannica.com/sports/figure-skating

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_skating

https://www.ymcanoco.org/ice/learn-to-skate/basic-skills-(ages-7-17)

https://iceskatingpassion.com/figure-skating-equipment/

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

         The origins of synchronized swimming came about from life-saving and swimming techniques. It expanded as a sport when ornamental swimming and theatrical water ballets were popularized at the end of the 19th century. The first synchronized swimming competitions took place in Berlin in 1891 and London in 1892. 

          Contests were originally solely for men but it was soon recognized that artistic swimming was better fitted to women who were overall more buoyant, in particular in the legs. The major influence on pushing synchronized swimming to be recognized as a sport came from Canada. In 1934, the Quebec provincial championship for figure and stroke competition was held in Montreal and leading Canadian diver Margaret Sellers won the first official national championship in performing figures and strokes.

         Synchronized swimming also gained popularity as a sport in American colleges. For example, Katherine Curtis set up a water ballet club at the University of Chicago in 1923 where she took a group of 60 swimmers, labelled “The Modern Mermaids”, to participate at the 1934 World Fair in Chicago. This is when the term “synchronized swimming” was first addressed to a wide audience and the phrase caught on.

            Synchronized swimming became increasingly technical and athletic throughout the 20th century as music began to support acts. Synchronized swimming was introduced into the Olympics as a demonstration sport from 1952 and 1968. Its first official global scale competition was undertaken in the Pan-American Games in Mexico in 1955 where there were, solo, duel and team events in which the US triumphed in all. Synchronized swimming has been featuring in the FINA World Championships from the very first one in Belgrade in 1973 and it finally made its debut as an Olympic sport in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

           The pool must be at least 20m wide x 30m long, and at least 2.5m deep. One area, 12x12m or larger, must be at least 3m deep and the slope between the change in depths has to be completed over a distance of 8m or less.

Playing Environment

          Synchronized swimming is played in a specially designed pool. The water in the pool must be clean and the temperature of the water must be around 25 degree Celsius. The size of the pool must be a minimum of 20m by 30m, and within that a 12m by 12m area must be at least 3 m deep.

 Let us now discuss the equipment used in synchronized swimming.

 Nose clip

         In synchronized swimming, the athletes have to perform a lot of underwater movements. There are chances of water entering into the nose of the players. In order to avoid that, the athletes use a small clip of hard plastic or wire. It also has a thin rubber coating.

 Goggles

          Goggles provide safety to the eyes. Due to underwater movement, water may enter in the eyes. It is important to note that the goggles are not allowed for routine competitions.

           Athletes can use goggles only for trainings. This is only used for figure test. Like goggles, athletes also cannot use the bathing caps during routine competitions. During figure test, only a white or black bathing cap is worn by athletes.

 Underwater Speakers

          The most important equipment for synchronized swimming is the underwater speakers. Swimmers cannot perform under water if the music is not audible. Music plays an important role in synchronized swimming because it is a rhythmic sport.

 We know that impedance of water is 3600 times more than that of air. There is also a 62 dB (decibel) offset between the sound that travels in air and that in water. To overcome this problem, the underwater speakers used in synchronized swimming depend on Piezoelectric Technology.

 Swimsuit

Swimsuit

           One of the most important aspects of the swimsuit is that it must be comfortable for the athletes and it must be non-transparent. During the figure test, a black swimsuit is recommended for the athletes and during routine competition, a routine suit for each athlete that suits the music is recommended.

          It may also happen that athletes perform in two events like duet and team event. In such a situation, the athletes will be provided with two different swimsuits.

         The basic skills you will need in synchronized swimming is sculling and treading water with a kick called the "eggbeater". There are also many positions that you can learn to combine into a routine. Additionally, there is an element known as “lifts” in synchronized swimming, where swimmers create a structure of sorts with their bodies and lift themselves from the water in the same form they created underwater.

 Sculls

Sculls are hand movements used to propel the body and are essential to synchronized swimming. Some commonly used sculls are support, standard, torpedo, split-arm, barrel and paddle scull. The support scull is most often used and is made up of two repeated movements. You need to hold your upper arms against your body and your forearms at 90-degree angles. Then, you move your forearms back and forth to create enough water pressure to hold your legs above the water.

 Eggbeater

This move is much like how a manual eggbeater works, with one leg rotating in a clockwise manner and rotating the other leg in an anti-clockwise manner. Synchronized swimmers use this kick because it leaves their hands free to perform strokes. Due to the opposite motion of the kick, it is a stable and efficient way for swimmers to attain the necessary height to perform moves above the water.

 Positions

 There are hundreds of positions that can be used to create infinite combinations. The six most common positions are illustrated below.

 Crane Position - Hold your body in a vertical position with one leg held vertically above the water surface, while the other leg is held parallel under the surface in a 90-degree angle or "L" shape.

 Ballet Leg Double Position - From lying flat on the water surface, draw your knees towards your chest with shins parallel to the water surface. Straighten your legs above the water surface to assume a Surface Ballet Leg Double position.

 Side Fishtail Position - This is a position similar to the crane. One leg remains vertical, while the other is extended to the side parallel to the water, creating a side "Y" position.

 Knight Position -The body is held vertically with your head in line with the hips and pointed to the bottom of the pool. One leg is lowered to create a vertical line perpendicular to the surface.

 Flamingo Position - Similar to the ballet leg position where the bottom leg is pulled into the chest so that the shin of the bottom leg is touching the knee of the vertical leg.

 Split Position - With the body vertical, one leg is stretched forward along the surface and the other leg is extended back along the surface.

 Lifts

 Lifts are formations that are formed underwater and as swimmers propel themselves towards the surface, they stay in formation and add more elements like acrobatics. There are three parts to a lift in synchronized swimming: The Flyer, the Base and the Pushers.

 The Flyer - Flyers are agile and flexible and are usually the smallest member of the team. It is preferable that they have a gymnastics background as they need to perform complicated moves while on the top of the formation.

 The Base - Base swimmers tends to be small in size, but should have good leg strength and a solid core as they make up the structure of the formation.

 The Pushers - Pushers are the bigger and stronger swimmers because they need the strength to propel the formation to the water surface.

 Types of Lifts

 The Platform Lift - The base lays out in a back layout position underwater, where they lie on their back to form a platform of interlinked bodies. The Flyer sets in a squatting position and stands once the lift reaches the surface. The remaining teammates use the eggbeater kicks to hold the platform and the flyer out of the water.

 The Stack Lift - Considered to be an updated version of the Platform, the Stack Lift begins with the base squatting while underwater, supported by the pushers. The flyer then stands on the shoulders of the base. The pushers and base gradually stretch out their limbs, elevating the flyer. A rotating descent is usually added to this lift.

While there are a range of rules and penalties for specific routines, the basic rules of artistic swimming are displayed below.

RULES:

No Touching The Bottom

One of the things which makes the lifts all the more impressive is that artistic swimmers are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool at any point during their routines.

No Bling

Presentation is a unique and important part of artistic swimming but there are certain restrictions on what swimmers can wear. For example, artistic swimmers are not permitted jewelry, theatrical make-up, or inappropriate costumes.

No Goggles

Another restriction during artistic swimming routines is goggles. However, swimmers in figures competitions are permitted to wear them.

Team Means Team

Teams normally contain eight swimmers, but the minimum number for a team is four. Teams lose marks for every swimmer they have under the full complement because it is easier to synchronize the fewer people there are in a routine.

Stick To The Schedule

Routines can be anything from two and a half minutes to five minutes long, depending on whether they are performed alone or as part of a team. However, swimmers are penalized if they take 15 seconds fewer or longer than the specified time.

Officials

Officials play a critical role in the sport of artistic swimming. Not only do they facilitate the scoring during competitions, they support athlete selection activities in high performance programs and lend support to clubs in their athlete development programs and routine preparation.

 Artistic Swimming judges - are essential for running artistic swimming competitions as they provide scores based on the performance of each routine. They are also responsible for marking grade level assessments. To reduce the level of subjectivity in scoring, all Artistic Swimming judges must be expertly-trained. They require a full understanding of FINA and Swim England’s rules and regulations for artistic swimming competitions. To maintain their qualification or progress, all judges must officiate at a certain number of grade assessments and competitions.

 3 levels of Artistic Swimming judge in England

Level 1

Candidates must be 16 years old to take the level 1 judge course. They will be qualified to judge at level 1 and 2 competitions.

 Course content will include:

 ·       Use of marking scales

·       Develop understanding of basic movements and positions

·       Able to identify Figures in current age groups (12U and 13/14/15)

·       Ethics

·       Develop knowledge and understanding of Free Routines

·       Knowledge of Grade 1 and 2 criteria and assessment criteria

Level 2

Candidates must have been a level 1 judge for at least a year. They will be qualified to judge at regional competitions at the National Age Group Championships.

 ·       In-depth knowledge of Junior Figures (15-18 years)

·       Develop knowledge of rules and penalties

·       Develop knowledge of NVT, difficulty values and application to figures. Application of deductions to figures

·       Exposure to variety of level of figures and scores

·       Knowledge and awareness of Grade 3/4/5 criteria

·       Further analysis of Free Routines – range of level of routines, recognition of difficulty

Level 3

Candidates must have been a level 2 judge for at least a year. They will be qualified to judge at the National Championships.

·       Further knowledge about rules, penalties and organization

·       In-depth knowledge about judging Figures and component parts

·       Further develop knowledge and aptitude regarding judging Free Routines

·       Awareness of Grade 6 criteria (once established)

·       In-depth knowledge of technical elements across solos, duets and team

Citations: 

https://www.swimming.org/artistic-swimming/artistic-swimming-judge-training/#:~:text=Artistic%20Swimming%20judges%20are%20essential,judges%20must%20be%20expertly%2Dtrained.

https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2021/02/03/4d9cd6d0-5146-44ae-bf94-4ac757eaf34b/fina_as_manual_-_updated_august_2018_0.pdf

https://www.bcartisticswimming.ca/programs/officials.htm

https://www.swimming.org/artistic-swimming/artistic-swimming-moves/

https://www.swimming.org/artistic-swimming/introduction-to-artistic-swimming/

https://tokyo2020.org/en/sports/artistic-swimming/

https://www.myactivesg.com/Sports/Aquatics/How-To-Play/Synchronised-Swimming/Basic-skills-and-positions-in-Synchronised-Swimming#:~:text=The%20basic%20skills%20you%20will,to%20combine%20into%20a%20routine.

https://www.swimoutlet.com/guides/synchronized-swimming-pool-dimensions#:~:text=The%20pool%20must%20be%20at%20least%2020m%20wide%20x%2030m,distance%20of%208m%20or%20less.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/synchronized_swimming/synchronized_swimming_equipment.htm

https://www.swimming.org/artistic-swimming/artistic-swimming-moves/

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

        Tennis originally was known as lawn tennis, and formally still is in Britain, because it was played on grass courts by Victorian gentlemen and ladies. It is now played on a variety of surfaces. The origins of the game can be traced to a 12th–13th-century French handball game called jeu de paume (“game of the palm”), from which was derived a complex indoor racket-and-ball game: real tennis. This ancient game is still played to a limited degree and is usually called real tennis in Britain, court tennis in the United States, and royal tennis in Australia.

        The court is 23.77m long and for singles matches, 8.23m wide. For doubles matches the court is 10.97m wide. The court is divided into two equal areas by a net suspended by a cord or metal cable attached to two net posts. The net is 1.07m high and is fully extended to that it fills the space between the two nets posts. The net is 0.914m high at the centre, where is held down tightly by a white strap. A white band covers the cord or metal cable and the top of the net. For doubles matches the centre of the net posts are 0.914m outside the doubles court on each side. For singles matches the centres of the net posts are 0.914m outside the singles court on each side.

        Racket, tennis ball, shoes, and a dress code are mandatory equipment for the sport. Apart from player needs, the tennis court needs a net to separate playing area of each player. Know about these equipment in detail below.

·        Racket

Rackets can be made of many alloys or wood. There are no restrictions on the size or materials used in making a racket. It has an oval head and a gradually widening throat that connects the narrow handle with the head of the racket.

 The head of the racket is tightly woven with strings which are made of various materials like nylon, gut or synthetic gut. The handles are covered with leather or nylon for a better grip.

 ·        Ball

As per ITF rules, Tennis balls are yellow colored spherical balls, with a diameter between 2.5 and 2.625 inches. They weigh between 2 and 21/16 oz. Pressurized rubber is used to make semi spherical half shells. They are then joined with compressed air between them.

 The spherical balls are covered with bright yellow colored felt. Kids aged ten and under play with different colored balls. They move slower, bounce lower. They are also softer and larger and are easy for kids to hit them.

 ·        Net

A rectangular net is used to separate the two sides of a Tennis court. The net should cover the space between the two net posts. The net is woven in such a way that it does not allow the Tennis ball to pass through. It is usually tied in about 3 feet above the ground at the centre.

 ·        Wrist bands

Wrist bands are worn around wrists to prevent sweat from wetting the players’ palm or the racket. A wet grip might not be strong.

 ·        Head band

Headbands are used to absorb sweat. They also tie player’s hair away from their face. Any tight cap made of absorbent material can also be used instead of a head band.

 ·        Tennis shoes

Just running shoes don’t provide enough lateral support to players. Tennis shoes are designed to give players better stability and prevent them from sliding while moving sideways. Shoes shouldn’t damage the court when players move briskly across the court.

 ·        Dress

Men wear T-Shirts or shirts made of materials like polyester that does not absorb sweat and keeps the player cool. They wear shorts that do not cover their knees. Though women are advised to wear just any comfortable dress, of late many Tennis champions try to make a style statement with their carefully designed clothes. Many players prefer wearing a tank top or a T-shirt on a short skirt.

      All games of tennis consist of six basic strokes: the serve, forehand groundstroke, backhand groundstroke, forehand volley, backhand volley, and the overhead smash. The 6 basic “strokes” are the fundamental movements a player performs to hit a tennis ball. A “shot” on the other hand is what happens as a result of a stroke. For example:

 Forehand groundstroke = stroke

Inside out topspin forehand winner = shot

         The difference is subtle but important. Especially if you’re a beginner looking to learn and understand the game. But all you really need to know is that every single shot like a lob or drop shot, regardless of the spin used, comes from one of the six fundamental strokes.

 What is a serve?

       A serve in tennis is the stroke used to start every point in a match. It is the only stroke in tennis that a player has complete control over and is therefore one of the most important shots in the game. A good serve allows the player serving to assert some control over how the point unfolds. This is because the server gets the first strike and based on the power, spin and shot placement can limit what the returning player can do. The first point of any game or tiebreak the serving player (server) must stand behind the baseline to the right side of the centre mark when facing the net (deuce/first court). For the second point of a game or tiebreak the server stands to the left of the centre mark (ad/second court). Subsequently, for each point of the same game the serving positioning is the opposite of the previous point. For both deuce and ad court start positions the server has two chances to hit the ball over the net and into the diagonally opposite service box. If a player misses their first serve they have another opportunity with a second serve. If a player misses their second serve it’s a fault and they lose the point. If a serve touches the net but still lands in the correct service box it is considered a let and the server gets another try. If the serve touches the net and does not land in the service box it’s out and the server loses the point or proceeds with their second serve.

 What is a forehand groundstroke?

       A tennis forehand is one of the two types of groundstrokes. It refers to a shot performed from the baseline with the racket held in your dominant hand. For a right-handed player the forehand swing starts on the right side of your body, continues forward and across your body as you contact the ball (at this point the palm of your hand is turned away from your body), and finishes on the left side of your body.

What is a backhand groundstroke?

     A backhand in tennis is the other of the two types of groundstroke. It can be a one-handed and/or two-handed stroke. Like the forehand, the basic swing pattern starts on one side of your body, moves forward and across, and ends on the other side of your body. But unlike the forehand, the backhand is hit with the back of your dominant hand facing the direction of the stroke.

What is a forehand volley?

     The forehand volley is one of the two types of volleys. It is generally played closer to the net than other strokes. Like the forehand groundstroke, a forehand volley is hit with the racket in your dominant hand palm facing away from your body. Again, similar to forehand groundstrokes, forehand volleys are hit with your dominant hand to the right side of your body if you’re right-handed, and to the left side of your body if you’re left-handed.

What is a backhand volley?

       The backhand volley is the other type of volley. Just like the forehand volley it’s usually hit quite close to the net. And similar to a single-handed backhand (aka one-handed backhand) groundstroke the backhand volley is hit using your dominant arm with the back of the hand facing away from your body as you grip the racket and make contact.

What is an overhead smash?

       In tennis an overhead smash is a stroke where the player contacts the ball with the racquet above his or her head using a serve-like motion. This shot is commonly referred to as simply a smash or overhead and the two terms are interchangeable. The term smash or overhead usually refers to the “forehand smash” or “forehand overhead” as this is the most common form of the shot. The backhand smash is only used when a player is unable maneuver into a position to hit the more powerful forehand smash. An overhead smash is normally hit when a player is close to the net or around the middle of the court (around the service line) before the ball bounces. However, a player can elect to perform a smash “on the bounce”. This is usually done because the opponent has thrown up a very high defensive lob. Letting the ball bounce once in this situation makes timing your smash correctly much easier.

       There are several important factors that contribute to match performance of a tennis player, including: Physical, Psychological, Technical and Tactical (management of skills or decision-making), respectively. Although these different factors all together contribute to a tennis player’s match performance and will determine a player’s average level of play, for the purpose of this article, I will only focus on two factors: Technical and Tactical.

Technique

        From the practical perspective, a tennis player’s technique/skills will determine what that tennis player is consistently capable of doing with the tennis ball through different types of strokes (forehand, serve, backhand, slice, etc.), in a variety of practice situations and then during a variety of match situations. Some key words and terms here are “consistently” and “variety of practice and match situations.” This is because something could be classified as “highly-skilled” or “proficient,” only if it can be successfully repeated multiple times under different conditions (situations). For example, a tennis player’s forehand cross-court could be considered technically highly proficient (skilled) if that tennis player is able to make 90 percent or more of their forehands while hitting in various situations in different ways.

    In situations such as feeding drills and live ball rallies, hitting your cross-court forehand on the run and hitting the cross-court forehand slice shot, during practice points, are effective techniques. Hitting your cross-court forehand on the rise and hitting a cross-court forehand with more or less pace, height and spin will bring variation to your game. Once the tennis player has the technical ability (skill) of the specific element (stroke) in tennis, one can hope that that kind of skill would be successfully transferred to official tournament match situations.

  This logic could be applied to mastering all different types of elements/strokes in tennis, such as slice, serve, return, volley, overhead, drop shot, etc.

   Naturally, it is wise to work on a variety of technical skills in tennis because the more skilled the tennis player is, the more tactical (decision-making) options in a match they will have and will be able to successfully execute. 

Tactics

    To be able to compete well in a match, a tennis player needs (besides specific tennis skills as described in the paragraphs above) to consider some of the tactical aspects of the game, such as understanding patterns of play (the geometry of play), higher versus lower percentage choices of plays/shots, and an opponent’s strengths and/or weaknesses, to mention a few important ones.

   Also, to compete well in a match, a tennis player needs to understand, feel and be realistic about their own level of specific tennis skills. This awareness can contribute significantly to the quality of their own match performance. For example, a tennis player who is more realistic about their own level of specific tennis skills is more likely to manage those skills better, or in other words, make better decisions (shot and pattern selection) during points. 

   With that in mind, the player will be able to perform on a higher level in the match relative to their level of specific tennis skills than a player who is less realistic about their own level of specific tennis skills. In my opinion, these are some technical and tactical aspects of tennis that are worth considering for training and in point play. In the end, technique/skills determine the amount and variety of tactics and choices a tennis player can use successfully in a game.

 GAMEPLAY

    Each player or team has a maximum of one bounce after the ball has been hit by their opponent to return the ball over the net and within the boundaries of the court. In wheelchair tennis, players get a maximum of two bounces. When a player then fails to return the ball into the correct court, the opponent wins a point.  The aim of tennis is to win enough points to win a game, enough games to win a set, and enough sets to win a match.

STARTING THE MATCH

    Before warming up with your opponent, either player or team will spin their racquet and the winner of the spin will have some options to choose from. They can choose one of these 3 options:

 To serve or receive

The side of the court

Or defer their choice to their opponent --but the opponent cannot defer back

Once the winner of the toss chooses one of the options above, the opponent has the remaining choice.

 SCORING A GAME : 

POINT SYSTEM

Tennis has a different point system than most sports. Before we go into detail, here is your guide to scoring a game:

 0 points= Love

1 point = 15

2 points= 30

3 points= 40

Tied score= All

40-40 = Deuce

Server wins deuce point = Ad-In

Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out

  WHO WINS?

In order to win the game, a player must win at least four points. If you are up 40-30, 40-15 or 40-love, and win one more point, you win the game. If the score is tied in a game or set, you use the term “all” when announcing the score. For example, if you and your opponent have both won two points in the game, the score would be 30-all.

 WHAT IS A DEUCE?

The only time this is different is when both you and your opponent have won 4 points each and the score is 40-40. This is called deuce. When the score reaches deuce, one player or team will need to win at least two points in a row to win the game. When the server wins the deuce point, it is called Ad-In, but when they lose the deuce point, it is called Ad-Out. If the team with the advantage (Ad-In or Ad-Out) wins another point, they win the game, or it goes back to deuce.

 SWITCHING ENDS

Players or teams switch ends of the court on odd games. This means that after the first game is complete, they switch sides, as well as every two games after that.

 TYPES OF SETS

Now let’s look at how many games you need to win a set. There are two main ways of scoring a set.

 ADVANTAGE SET

In an advantage set, a player or team needs to win six games, by two, to win the set. This means that there is no tiebreak game played at 6-6. The set continues until one player/team wins by two games.

 TIEBREAK SET

In a tiebreak set, a player or team needs to win six games wins a set. If the score gets to 5-5 (5-all), one player must win the next two games to win the set. If the score reaches 6-6 (6-all) in the set, a tiebreak game is played.

 SCORING A TIEBREAK GAME

In a tiebreak game, the next person who was due to serve will start the tiebreak game, and serve one point to the deuce side of the court. The following two points will then be served by the opponent starting on the ad side. In doubles, the player on the opposing team due to serve will serve these points.

  Players or teams switch ends of the court every six points (e.g. when the score is 4-2), and to score this tiebreak game, you use, “zero” “one”, “two”, “three”, etc. The first player or team to win seven points, by two, wins the tiebreak. This means the score can end up being very high (e.g. 15-13) or as low as 7-0 through 7-5.

  Whoever wins the tiebreak game, wins the set by a score of 7-6.

 In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations. At the highest levels of the sport, a team of up to eleven officials may be on court at any given time. These officials are broken up into categories based on their responsibility during the match.

 SERVING AFTER A TIEBREAK SET

Since the set is an odd-numbered score (7-6), whichever end of the court the players or teams ended up on when the tiebreak game finished, they will need to switch sides to start the next set. Whoever started serving the tiebreak game will be receiving serve in the first game of the next set.

 SCORING A MATCH

The most common format used to play a tennis match is best-of-three tiebreak sets. This means that if you don’t win the first two sets, the third set will decide the match!

Tennis officials play a crucial role at all levels of our sport. There are many different types of official, including:

 LINE UMPIRES

Line Umpires get to call the shots – literally – at all levels of tournaments, from grassroots all the way through to the Australian Open.

 It might appear simple, but the best Line Umpires need to be able to concentrate for long periods of time, be team players, and (of course) require excellent eyesight. As well as calling the lines, they act as an extra pair of eyes and ears for the Chair Umpire.

 Becoming a Line Umpire is the quickest pathway to getting on court at tennis tournaments around the world.

 CHAIR UMPIRES

Aside from the players, the Chair Umpire is the most important person on court during a match.

 The Chair Umpire has enormous responsibility during a match, and are responsible for everything from calling the score to enforcing the rules and managing the players. A successful Chair Umpire needs great communication skills, the ability to stay calm under pressure, and 20:20 vision.

 The best Chair Umpires work full-time in the role, travelling the world with the tennis tour.

 COMMUNITY OFFICIAL

Being a Community Official is a great way to get involved in tennis at the grassroots level. They are responsible for monitoring a number of courts at a tournament or competition. They assist and educate players, parents and coaches; and assist in the smooth running of an event.

 Community Officials start as Court Monitors which help to identify on court queries but can quickly graduate to Court Supervisors to help enforce the Rules of Tennis and Code of Behavior, as well as resolving on court queries.

 REFEREES

The Referee is the expert in all things rules and regulations. Referees supervise all aspects of a tournament, from taking charge of the draws and schedules, to enforcing the rules and making sure everything runs smoothly and in the spirit of fairness.

 Being a Referee requires exceptional knowledge of the rules of tennis, the ability to multi-task in a pressured environment, and to listen and communicate well with everyone involved with the tournament.

Citations: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_(tennis)

https://newyorktennismagazine.com/technique-and-tactics-tennis

https://www.usta.com/en/home/improve/tips-and-instruction/national/tennis-scoring-rules.html#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20win%20the,all%E2%80%9D%20when%20announcing%20the%20score.

https://www.itftennis.com/en/growing-the-game/officiating/

https://www.tennis.com.au/learn/ballkids-officials-coaches-and-volunteers/officiating/types-of-tennis-official

https://www.patcash.co.uk/2018/03/the-6-basic-strokes-in-tennis-explained/#:~:text=All%20games%20of%20tennis%20consist,to%20hit%20a%20tennis%20ball.

https://www.britannica.com/sports/tennis

https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/tennis#:~:text=The%20court,court%20is%2010.97m%20wide.

https://www.perfect-tennis.com/tennis-court-dimensions/

Video credits: 

Monica Puig (PUR) vs Angelique Kerber (GER) - Women's Tennis Singles Final | Rio 2016 Replay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-iONJOk4NM

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

The game was invented in England in the early days of the 20th century and was originally called Ping-Pong, a trade name. The name table tennis was adopted in 1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong Association formed in 1902 was revived. The original association had broken up about 1905, though apparently the game continued to be played in parts of England outside London and by the 1920s was being played in many countries. Led by representatives of Germany, Hungary, and England, the Fédération Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis Federation) was founded in 1926, the founding members being England, Sweden, Hungary, India, Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the mid-1990s more than 165 national associations were members. The table is rectangular, 9 feet by 5 feet (2.7 metres by 1.5 metres), its upper surface a level plane 30 inches (76 cm) above the floor. The net is 6 feet (1.8 metres) long, and its upper edge along the whole length is 6 inches (15.25 cm) above the playing surface. The ball, which is spherical and hollow, was once made of white celluloid. Since 1969 a plastic similar to celluloid has been used. The ball, which may be colored white, yellow, or orange, weighs about 0.09 ounce (2.7 grams) and has a diameter of about 1.6 inches (4 cm). The blade of a racket, or bat, is usually made of wood, is flat and rigid, and may be covered with a thin layer of ordinary stippled, or pimpled, rubber, which may be laid over a thin layer of sponge rubber and may have the pimples reversed. Whatever combination is used, each of the two sides of a paddle must be different in color. The racket may be any size, weight, or shape.

           There are basic equipment to use in playing table tennis;

·       Ball

The ball that used in the game weighs 2.7 grams. It is a small celluloid ball that is white or orange in color, depending on the preference of the player. They come in different qualities with those possessing 3 stars being the best kind It is recommended for beginners. Also, they come in a variety of sizes ranging from 38 mm to 54 mm in diameter. However, the 40 mm diameter ball is used mainly in international leagues and competitions. It is the one specified by the International Table Tennis Federation-ITTF.

·       Rubber, Racket, or Paddle

The table tennis racket or paddle is another important piece of equipment. It is used to hit the ball back and forth on the table. The shape is similar to the one used for tennis except it is smaller and made of different materials. The racket is made of wood and rubber. It is divided into two parts, the handle, and blade. The quality of both parts of the racket can affect the force applied by the player. The player must choose the best kind of racket to get good results. Aside from that, the player must take note of the rubber used on the blade. This can affect the type and amount of spin used in hitting the ball. Rackets are available in pre-made as well as customized conditions. Beginners are recommended to acquire the pre-made ones, to avoid the confusion of making customized ones. However, they must be sure to buy from reputable sports shops or online table tennis stores.

·       Table Tennis Table

Included in the list of important table tennis equipment is the table. The ITTF specifies that the official table tennis tables used in the tournament must be 9 ft long, 5 ft wide, and must be placed 30 inches above the ground.They come in either green, blue, or black color and are made from hardboard. The surface must be smooth to provide the lowest friction possible.

·       Net and Post

The net is bought together with the table or rackets, or it can be bought by itself. Whatever the case, it should be six feet long and six inches wide. It should have an upper white tape that is not more than 15mm wide. Also, it should include an assembly that can be attached to the middle of the table tennis table. The four types of equipment are the most basic that any aspiring player should buy. Other table tennis equipment include shoes, clothing, and accessories. However, these are optional.

                 Table tennis is a complex, layered game, and mastery requires a balance of mental strategies and physical skill. But even the most complex game is built on the foundation of four basic skills that even a beginner can learn and practice to improve their game. Practicing the basic skills of table tennis improves your performance and your enjoyment and allows you to develop more advanced skills later on. Here are the basic skills of table tennis.

Before hitting your first shot it’s worth getting your body in the right position. A correct and stance in relation to the table depends to some degree on your grip, and whether you’re are attacking, defending, or serving the ball. However, even as your arm position and placement relative to the table changes, you should always have the correct stance and body posture. The right stance gives you the balance, stability, and range of movement you need to play the game. 

Feet

Your feet should be wide, about 1.5 or more shoulder widths apart so that you can quickly move side-to-side. Keep your non-dominant foot slightly ahead of the other (for right-handed people, this means keeping your left foot slightly closer to the table, for left-handed people it’s the opposite). 

Ankles and knees

Keep your knees and ankles slightly bent and flexible, with your weight forward on your toes. This keeps your body ready to move forward or backward as needed.

Back and shoulders

Keep your upper body slightly bent at the waist. With the bent ankles, knees, and waist and your shoulders forward, your whole body is in a slightly crouched position, ready to spring into action.

Your arms should be in front of your body, with your elbow and paddle in front of you. 

Holding the paddle

The exact position of your hands and arms in your stance depends on your grip or how you hold the bat. There are two basic grips in table tennis: the shakehand grip, and the penhold grip. The different types of grip have specific variations for your hand position on the paddle depending on your preference and style of play.

Each grip has advantages and disadvantages, but it’s also important to choose the grip that is comfortable and natural for you.

The four basic table tennis strokes

The four basic strokes of table tennis are necessary to master forehand and backhand attack and defense. 

The forehand drive is the most basic and fundamental ping pong stroke. It returns aggressive/attacking strokes and lands your ball close to the opponent’s baseline or sideline. With the forehand drive, you rotate your body to the back to add power to the ball, so rotate the upper body away and transfer your weight onto your back foot, moving your arm straight back. 

As soon as the ball hits your side of the table, rotate your body toward it, shifting your weight forward. Hit the ball at the peak of the bounce, adding speed at impact to impart spin. After you have struck the ball, continue the motion to rest with your paddle pointing upward. For a great demonstration of the forehand drive, check out this video:

The backhand drive is the mirror of the forehand drive, intended to return attacking shots and land the ball at the opponent’s baseline. To deliver a backhand drive, stand with your torso in the path of the ball (rather than reaching with your arm), and keep your stance angled toward the table with your free arm pointed toward the ball. 

Your waist should bend forward and lift upward as you move your paddle arm forward and upward, hitting the ball at the top of its bounce and completing the forward and upward motion. Check out this video for a demonstration of the backhand drive:

The backhand push returns short balls, and prevents your opponent from making an attacking return. As with the backhand drive, your body should be positioned in line with the ball, rather than reaching to the side with your arm.

Sweep your arm forward from your chest, letting the paddle swiftly brush underneath the ball at its peak. Aiming downward toward the table or forward to the net imparts various amounts of spin, so this is a controlled stroke. Here’s a great demonstration video:

The forehand push is also designed for returning short balls and preventing attacking shots. Like the forehand drive, you stand with the dominant foot slightly back, and rotate the upper body to accentuate the motion of the paddle. However, unlike the forehand drive, you do a smaller backswing, rotating your wrist forward through the range of motion, and keep your paddle open to brush beneath the ball. For a demonstration of the forehand push, check out this video:

A table tennis serve is the final basic skill, and it’s a crucial skill since the serve is the only time you have complete control of the ball and the game. There are a number of different types of serves each with different pros and cons but the basics remain the same.

1.    Balance the ball on the palm of your free hand with the hand open.

2.    Throw the ball vertically upward so that it rises at least 6 inches above your hand.

3.    As the ball drops, hit it with your chosen stroke, ensuring that it bounces on your side of the table, goes over the net, and bounces on your opponent’s side of the table.

 Conclusion

These basic skills are always worth practicing and drilling, no matter how experienced a player is because all advanced skills are added to these fundamentals. It’s definitely worth dedicating some alone practice time to each type of shot. Mastery of the correct technique not only improves your game but can help prevent strain and make the game more enjoyable. Learning the basics is the first step on your way to becoming a champion. 

 Tactics generally rely on three main skills: The ability to keep the ball in play. The ability to play the ball to certain areas of the table, and. The ability to apply pressure on your opponent by using different types and amounts of spin, and different speeds, in order to create openings and hit winning shots.

Official Rules of Table Tennis

These official table tennis rules should help you keep things straight.

 1.  GAMES ARE PLAYED TO 11 POINTS

A Game is played to 11 points. A Game must be won by two points. A Match is generally the best three of five Games.

 2.  ALTERNATE SERVES EVERY TWO POINTS

Each side of the table alternates serving two points at a time. EXCEPTION: After tied 10-10 (“deuce”), service alternates at every point. Can you lose on a serve in ping pong? Yes! There is no separate rule for serving on Game Point.

 3.  TOSS THE BALL STRAIGHT UP WHEN SERVING

How do you serve the ball in ping pong? Hold the ball in your open palm, behind your end of the table. Toss at least 6” straight up, and strike it on the way down. It must hit your side of the table and then the other side. NOTE: Once the ball leaves the server’s hand it is in play, and so counts as the receiver’s point if the ball is missed or mishit.

 4.  THE SERVE CAN LAND ANYWHERE IN SINGLES

There is no restriction on where the ball lands on your side or your opponent’s side of the table. It can bounce two or more times on your opponent’s side (if so, that’s your point), bounce over the side, or even hit the edge.

 5.  DOUBLES SERVES MUST GO RIGHT COURT TO RIGHT COURT

The serve must bounce in the server’s right court, and receiver’s right court (NOTE: landing on center line is fair). Doubles partners switch places after their team serves twice.

 6.  A SERVE THAT TOUCHES THE NET ON THE WAY OVER IS A “LET”

Can the ball hit the net in ping pong? Yes, during a RALLY, if it touches the top of the net and then otherwise lands as a legitimate hit. BUT not when serving. If a served ball hits the net on the way over and otherwise legally bounces in play, it’s a “let” serve and is done over. There is no limit on how many times this can happen.

 7.  ALTERNATE HITTING IN A DOUBLES RALLY

Doubles partners must alternate hitting balls in a rally, no matter where the ball lands on the table.

 8.  VOLLEYS ARE NOT ALLOWED

Can you hit the ball before it bounces in ping pong? No. In regular tennis you may “volley” the ball (hitting the ball before it bounces on your side of the net). But in table tennis, this results in a point for your opponent. NOTE: When your opponent hits a ball that sails over your end of the table without touching it and then hits you or your paddle, that is still your point.  

 9.  IF YOUR HIT BOUNCES BACK OVER THE NET BY ITSELF IT IS YOUR POINT

If you hit the ball in a rally or on a serve and it bounces back over the net after hitting your opponent’s side of the table (due to extreme spin), without your opponent touching it, that is your point.

 10.  TOUCHING THE BALL WITH YOUR PADDLE HAND IS ALLOWED

What happens if the ball hits your finger or hand during a ping pong rally?  If the ball touches your PADDLE hand and otherwise results in a legal hit, there is no rule violation and play shall continue as normal. Your paddle hand includes all fingers and hand area below the wrist. But what if the ball touches a player’s body anywhere else during a ping pong rally? You may not touch the table with your non-paddle hand for any reason. It will result in a point for your opponent, but if your opponent’s hit sails over your side of the table without touching it, and hits any part of you or your paddle, that is still your point.

 11.  YOU MAY NOT TOUCH THE TABLE WITH YOUR NON-PADDLE HAND

You may touch the ball or the table with your paddle hand (after reaching in to return a short serve, for example), or other parts of your body. NOTE: If the table moves at all from your touching it during a rally, that is your opponent’s point.

 12.  AN “EDGE” BALL BOUNCING OFF THE HORIZONTAL TABLE TOP SURFACE IS GOOD

An otherwise legal serve or hit may contact the top edge of the horizontal table top surface and be counted as valid, even if it bounces sidewise. The vertical sides of the table are NOT part of the legal playing surface.

 13.  HONOR SYSTEM APPLIES TO DISAGREEMENTS

If no referee is present during a match and the players disagree on a certain call, the “honor system” applies and the players should find a way to agree, or play the point over. Ping pong carries a tradition of fierce but fair play. Help us keep it that way!

How to officiate the game? Simple!

For every table tennis competition, a referee is appointed with a deputy who can act on their behalf. The referee is required to be present at the venue throughout a tournament and is required to uphold the rules.

 During a table tennis match, an umpire is appointed to decide on the result of each point or rally. The umpire is required to use their judgement when applying the laws and regulations of the ITTF. Where the umpire is officiating alone, their decision is final and they should be seated about 2–3 meters from the side of the table and in line with the net.

Citations: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9m7xsg/revision/3

 https://www.pongfit.org/official-rules-of-table-tennis

https://basilioeduc.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/officiating-table-tennis/

https://pingpongruler.com/basic-table-tennis-skills/

https://www.tabletennisspot.com/basic-types-of-table-tennis-equipment/

https://www.britannica.com/sports/table-tennis

video is from:  (Men's Singles Table Tennis Final - Full Match | Rio 2016 Replays https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5H-Eq_Kcxw )

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Badminton, court or lawn game played with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock. Historically, the shuttlecock (also known as a “bird” or “birdie”) was a small cork hemisphere with 16 goose feathers attached and weighing about 0.17 ounce (5 grams). These types of shuttles may still be used in modern play, but shuttles made from synthetic materials are also allowed by the Badminton World Federation. The game is named for Badminton, the country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played about 1873. The roots of the sport can be traced to ancient Greece, China, and India, and it is closely related to the old children’s game battledore and shuttlecock. Badminton is derived directly from poona, which was played by British army officers stationed in India in the 1860s. The first unofficial all-England badminton championships for men were held in 1899, and the first badminton tournament for women was arranged the next year.

              The badminton court is 13.4m long and 6.1m wide. For singles the court is marked 5.18m wide. The lines marking out the court are easily distinguishable and coloured white or yellow. The lines are 40mm wide. A court may be marked out for singles only. The back boundary lines also become the long service lines and the posts or the strips of material representing them are placed on the side lines. The diagonal full length of the full court is 14.366m. The posts are 1.55m high from the surface of the court and remain vertical when the net is strained. The posts are placed on the double side lines irrespective of whether singles or doubles is played. The posts or supports must not extend into the court beyond the side lines. Where it is not practicable to have posts on the side lines, some method can be used to indicate the position of the side lines where they pass under the net, example by the use of thin posts or strips of material 40mm wide, fixed to the side lines and rising vertically to the net cord. The net is 760mm in depth and a minimum of 6.1m wide. The top of the net from the surface of the court is 1.524m at the center of the court and 1.55m over the side lines for doubles. There must be no gaps between the ends of the net and the posts. If necessary, the full depth of the net at the ends is tied to the posts.

              In this blog, I will cover the four basic equipment and gear required for a game of badminton.

1.      Badminton Racket

Badminton rackets can be made from several types of materials. Depending on the material selection, this can result in different combinations of racket weight, balance points and string tensions. With so many different combinations, it will take time to decide which is most suited for your playing style.  Instead of making purchases online, pop by a badminton shop. Ask for assistance and select a racket that you feel comfortable with. Swing the racket around to get a good feel of its overall weight and grip. Some popular badminton brands are Yonex, ProKennex, Wilson, ProTech and Li-Ning.

2.      Shuttlecock

There are two types of shuttlecocks - plastic and feathered shuttlecocks.

Plastic shuttlecocks are far more durable compared to the feathered types which are commonly used. However, plastic shuttlecocks are only recommended for beginners who are just starting out. This is because feathered shuttlecocks are expensive and fray easily especially if the wrong technique is used. Hence, plastic shuttlecocks are good for beginners to use for training. Plastic shuttlecocks are usually used by young children who play badminton for recreation. Plastic shuttlecocks tend to travel shorter distances as they are heavier. Hence, they are good for building strength as you make the transition to feathered shuttlecocks. Most people will progress to using feathered shuttlecocks as they are used at all competitive tournaments.

3.      Badminton Shoes

Badminton shoes are designed to give you better traction and grip to stop in time to return a shot. They should also be lightweight have good cushioning to absorb impact when you jump or land. Regular players will find heel cups useful to prolonging the lifespan of your shoes. Do not wear jogging shoes as they usually lack grip and traction. You might end up crashing through the badminton net if you are unable to stop in time to receive a drop shot.  

4.      Badminton Attire

For casual to non-competitive players, a comfortable pair of shorts and cotton or dri-fit t-shirt is sufficient. Some players may want to equip themselves with hand grips, wrist bands and ankle guards. Each of these items serve a purpose and might also add a dash of color to the entire get-up. When it comes to badminton equipment, select what is appropriate before turning your attention to aesthetics.

 To be good at any sport you need to master the basics. Mastering the basic techniques and skills allows you to play consistently and improve. Badminton is a very beginner-friendly sport but difficult to master. Anybody can learn and master the basic skills for Badminton.

·        Knowing how to warm up properly

·        The basic forehand and backhand grip

·        The basic six corners footwork

·        The split step or the ready stance

·        The basic shots

·        Perception and anticipation

·        Hand-eye coordination

·        Rhythm and timing

·        Tactical and strategic thinking

Knowing how to warm up properly

Warming up is a combination of skill and a bit of know-how. Players of any level should know how to warm up properly before stepping on court for a match. We wrote an in-depth article on warming up properly for Badminton. It’s so important to do a full warm-up before playing to help avoid injuries. It’s also important because you’re ready to go right from the start of the match. You won’t need to get four-five rallies into the game before you feel like you’ve finally got in gear.

 Warm-ups don’t have to take that long either. You can perform a solid warm-up in less than five minutes. Here are some simple routines that really get the blood pumping:

 ·        High speed skipping for five minutes (try to go fast without losing consistency and tripping over the rope)

·        A simple set of jumping jacks, squats, burpees, lunges and knee tucks each for one minute

·        Jog around the hall at a quick pace for five minutes

You get the idea, anything that gets you moving without overstretching. It should get your heart pumping and as my coach used to say; “you should have little beads of sweat from the forehead”.

The basic forehand and backhand grip

Learning the forehand and backhand grip is a fundamental skill. It’s so important to get this right as it’s the building blocks to learning every shot in Badminton. The basic forehand and backhand grip is easy to learn, you can practice getting the hold right sat at home. Practice swapping from forehand to backhand whilst sat on the couch at home.

 The forehand grip is much like shaking somebody’s hand. Both in the way you hold the racquet and in how tight you hold it. You want to hold the racquet loosely, gripping the racquet too tight can lead to injuries like tennis elbow. It also makes it very difficult to hit the shot smoothly as you’re tensing up your muscles.

 The backhand grip is for some people easier to get right. You simply take the forehand grip and roll the thumb over so it sits flat on the grip rather than along the edge. The use of the thumb makes it easier to stabilize the grip compared to the forehand.

The basic six corners footwork

Footwork is crucial in Badminton. It’s been known that some coaches in China only teach beginners footwork from the beginning. They don’t teach any racquet skills until the player has mastered the basic footwork. They do this because it’s impossible to play good shots if you cannot reach the shuttle. In Badminton, once the shuttlecock touches the floor the rally is over so you need to be able to cover the court in order to play well.

 I wouldn’t go as far as they do in principals but I still believe footwork is one of the most important aspects of playing Badminton. Footwork can get very technical and complex but right now we’re just going to cover the basic footwork patterns in short. We have more full and detailed guides coming soon around footwork drills and breakdowns.

 If you can master these six pieces of footwork for Badminton then you’re off to a good start. The six pieces of footwork are:

 Travelling to the forehand side of the net

·        Travelling to the backhand side of the net

·        Covering the forehand mid-court

·        Covering the backhand mid-court

·        Moving to the forehand rear-court

·        Moving to the backhand rear-court

For info please watch this video : https://www.youtube.com/embed/IidZFd6vCJk?autoplay=1

 The split step/the ready stance

The split step is a technique used to get ready for the next shot. It’s used not only in Badminton but in sports like Tennis as well. It’s the basis of building good footwork and speed around the court. We have a great article detailing everything about the split step, make sure to read it in full.

 Let’s summarize why the split step is so important. A good split step is for a Badminton player what a good start out of the blocks is for a runner. If you don’t have a good split step you’ll be playing catch up to your opponent.

 So how do you do the split step? It’s simple but can be tricky to master. When you return to your base position on court you want to make a slight jump in the air and land with your feet apart. You want to time the landing of your feet just after your opponent hits the shuttle. That way you can land the split step and immediately push off to the next shot.

 The basic shots

There are so many varieties of shots in Badminton. Variants of shots include slicing the shuttle, tumbling the shuttle or hitting it at different angles with different swings. But they all have one original basic shot. For beginners here is a list of basic shots you should master first.

 ·        The serve (forehand or backhand)

·        The lift (sometimes called a lob)

·        The net shot

·        The block

·        The drop shot

·        The smash

·        The clear

That’s eight shots in total. It’s quite a lot when you’re just starting out and they can all be played backhand and forehand. These seven shots cover the majority of situations you’ll face in a match. Master these and you’ll have a good base in which to build on and start learning more advanced shots and variations.

 Hand-eye coordination

It only comes with practice but having good hand-eye coordination is essential for Badminton. You can’t play Badminton if you can’t connect the racquet and shuttle. The best way to improve hand-eye coordination for Badminton is to play lots of Badminton. Who would have thought?!

 Seriously though, playing and training will improve your hand-eye coordination significantly but there are exercises you can do at home alone or with another person to improve your hand-eye coordination. Here are some examples.

 Playing catch

Playing catch is a simple but effective way to improve hand-eye coordination. All you need is a ball, you could do this with a shuttlecock too. Practice throwing and catching with someone else or bounce the shuttle or ball of a wall at different angles and catch it again.

 Catching an object focuses your eyes on a single object travelling. It requires concentration and spatial awareness. It’s so simple but so effective.

 Juggling

So not a skill for those with little patience, juggling is a difficult skill to master but for good reason. Juggling requires incredible hand-eye coordination, even just by learning to juggle you’re improving your hand-eye coordination without having mastered the skill. It’s something you can do anywhere with a couple or more balls or shuttles.

 When you master juggling two items then you can move onto three then four etc. Adding more objects or changing the objects improves your hand-eye coordination even more. You have to track each item in the air and feel how you threw the last one. It’s also a great party trick to have in the bag.

 Exercising your eyes

Believe it or not but there are specific exercises that you can do to exercise your eyes! They basically help strengthen the muscles in and around your eyes. They mainly help with focusing your vision which in turn will help with your hand-eye coordination. Some examples of eye exercises are.

 ·        Focus change

·        Near and far focus

·        Figure eight

Rhythm and timing

If you watch the top players in the world like Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei and Kento Momota etc, they seem to cover the court so easily. They make every shot look effortless and smooth. They have little to no break in their footwork and look to glide around the court. They have honed their rhythm and timing for playing Badminton over years of training and match play. Lee Chong Wei has impeccable timing with his footwork and if you watch the video below you can see how rhythmic his movement is. When you play Badminton, especially singles, getting a natural rhythm while you play is key to developing good footwork and creating consistency in your play. When we dance we use the music as our rhythm and that helps us relax and get into the flow. When playing Badminton you need to be able to find a rhythm of play that suits you. This can only come from playing a lot of purposeful practice and playing matches. Timing is similar but relates more to hand-eye coordination. Your timing will naturally improve the more Badminton you play. It’s important to have good timing so you can hit shots cleanly, a split-step at the right moment and so you can position yourself to hit the shuttle at the optimal time.

 Perception and anticipation

These two skills become much more important the better you get at Badminton. It’s the difference between just getting your opponents shot back and intercepting or countering your opponents next shot. Perception means: “The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.” For Badminton, this has lots of meanings. Being able to see where your opponent is in relation to the rest of the court, being able to hear if they’re panting and getting tired, the examples go on and on. It’s about how you perceive the current situation playing out during a match. Being more aware. Anticipation is a little different. Anticipation means: “The action of anticipating something; expectation or prediction.” For Badminton, anticipation means reading your opponents’ next move before they play it, to change your stance in preparation for the next shot and to advance your position before the play has been made. Anticipation is a very important skill in Badminton because if you can read your opponents’ next shot then you can gain the upper hand in the rally, the game, and the match. It’s not easy to learn this skill as everyone plays differently, no two players play the same. One player might play a certain shot when they’re in trouble and someone else might play an entirely different shot. You see top players Hendra Setiawan and Lin Dan do this very well. Before their opponent has played their shot they’re already anticipating their next move. Watch this video below and watch how Lin Dan changes the positioning of his feet in order to move faster to the next shot. As you can see he doesn’t always get it right but is able to recover and stay in the rally.

 Tactical and strategic thinking

There are many ways to win a game of Badminton. Players and coaches use different tactics and strategies to win a match. Tactics are the shots we make, the set plays we try to repeat and the choices we make when backed into a corner. Tactics are the small steps and choices within each rally. Strategies are the overall plan for playing a match, they’re the long term plan. Strategy in Badminton is creating a plan on how you’ll win. An example strategy for a singles player might be to get their opponent to play a high lift so they can get back and smash. An example strategy for a doubles player might be to get to the front as fast as possible to intercept the shuttle early or kill it. These are basic examples. The elite players will have multiple strategies for when the opponent starts countering their strategy. I feel it’s always best to keep things simple when it comes to tactics and strategies. If you’re beating your opponent then there is no need to change anything. If you’re losing then you need to change something. Why is it important to learn about tactics and strategies? Taking a quote from Sun Tzu and the Art of War, a book we recommend for every Badminton payer to read. “The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.” If you plan on how you’re going to win the match or plan how you’re going to cope with your opponents’ big smash then you’re already a step ahead. You need to learn how to harness your best shots to gain the initiative and win points. It’s partly visualization if you can visualize how you can win then you’re more likely to win.

 Technical Skills in Badminton

·        The Ready Stance - it is a position in badminton wherein the right stance is readied by the player in order to minimize the amount of movements that would be needed in order to hit the shuttlecock

·        Forehand and Backhand Grip - these are the two basic grips that new players must familiarize themselves with. By doing either of these, it would be much easier for players to control their shots

·        Footwork - it is a necessary skill in order to play badminton. A proper footwalk would help in mastering the sports

·        Strokes - initially, there are four strokes that the player can use.  

·        Underarm Backhand Serve - it is a type of serve that beginners can use

Tactical skills in badminton

·        Applying pressure on hitting the shuttlecock

·        Position yourself in the central base

·        It would be easier to hit the shuttlecock on the corners of the court

·        Deceive your opponents during singles match

 Scoring System

A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21     points.

Every time there is a serve – there is a point     scored.

The side winning a rally adds a point to its     score.

At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead     first, wins that game.

At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point,     wins that game.

The side winning a game serves first in the     next game.

Interval and Change of Ends

When the leading score reaches 11 points,     players have a 60 second interval.

A 2 minute interval between each game is     allowed.

In the third game, players change ends when     the leading score reaches 11 points.

Singles

At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when     the server’s score is even, the server serves from the right     service court. When the server’s score is odd, the server serves from the     left service court.

If the server wins a rally, the server scores     a point and then serves again from the alternate service court.

If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver     scores a point and becomes the new server. They serve from the appropriate     service court – left if their score is odd, and right if it is even.         Doubles

A side has only one ‘set’.

The service passes consecutively to the     players as shown in the diagram.

At the beginning of the game and when the     score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When it is     odd, the server serves from the left court.

If the serving side wins a rally, the serving     side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate service     court.

If the receiving side wins a rally, the     receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving     side.

The players do not change their respective     service courts until they win a point when their side is serving.

Officials roles are among the most important positions when planning badminton events as they are specialized roles filled by qualified volunteers.

 Badminton events of all size – be it a local circuit tournament, county competition or even one of our major events – on a national and international level, require a team of officials. The officials are the judges responsible to ensure a fair badminton game is being played. They consists of:

 ·        Umpire: The ‘main judge’ for the particular badminton game. He/she has the power to overrule any decisions made by the service judge or line judges. The umpire is the person ensuring that the badminton game is run smoothly and prevent any players from delaying the game play. Whenever a player requests to change the shuttle, the umpire will need to approve that the change could be made. The umpire also looks out for faults committed around the net area such as whether a player touched the net when returning the shuttle. Besides, the umpire is responsible to make a ‘fault’ call when the shuttle touches the player or the players’ attires except for the badminton racket. In badminton, it will be a fault/foul to a player if the shuttle touches any part of that player’s body or attire.

 ·        Service Judge: The service judge is responsible in making a ‘service fault’ call and to provide shuttles to the players.

 ·        Line Judges: Line judges sit beside the badminton court (right in front of every in/out lines) to determine whether the shuttle is inside or outside the boundaries of the court.

 ·        Referees – The referee is the most senior official in a badminton tournament and they in overall charge of all matters which affect play and the players on and off court.

   The referee shall have key responsibility for:

·        Producing schedule and order of play.

·        Amendments to the draw and schedule.

·        The smooth running of play on the day.

·        Liaison with Umpire and Line Judge managers.

·        The correct implementation of regulations and the Laws of Badminton.

·        Completion of a tournament report.

 Citations :

https://basilioeduc.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/officiating-badminton/

https://www.masterbadminton.com/who-are-the-officials-of-badminton.html

https://www.badminton.mb.ca/page/18182/Officiating

https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/play/give-your-sport-a-helping-hand/officiating-in-badminton/tournamentmatch-referees/

https://sportsphilippines.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/officiating-in-badminton/

https://www.masterbadminton.com/badminton-techniques.html

https://www.badmintonbc.com/page/2888/The-Laws-of-Badminton

https://www.badmintonsbest.com/blog/skills-you-need-to-play-badminton/#the-basic-shots

https://www.myactivesg.com/Sports/Badminton/How-To-Play/Badminton-Equipment/Getting-Started-for-a-Game-of-Badminton

https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/badminton#:~:text=The%20badminton%20court%20is%2013.4,The%20lines%20are%2040mm%20wide.

https://www.britannica.com/sports/badminton

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

Basketball, game played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s goal, an elevated horizontal hoop and net called a basket. Basketball was invented by James Naismith on or about December 1, 1891, at the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Training School, Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was an instructor in physical education. Basketball is the only major sport strictly of U.S. origin (although Naismith was born in Canada).

Basketball grew steadily but slowly in popularity and importance in the United States and internationally in the first three decades after World War II (1939–45) as a result of television exposure. However, with the advent of cable television, the game’s popularity exploded at all levels, especially during the 1980s. A basketball court is 91.86ft long and 49.21ft wide. The total playing area for a court is 4520.43 ft² and 7290.5ft² if run-offs and sidelines are required. The main materials used in playing basketball (training or match) are the crucible and the ball. Other basketball equipment and materials are determined as crucible, hoop, ball transport cart, under-pot cushion, hoop net, tactical board, scoreboard. The team's head coach determines when players go in and come out of the game. Reserve players enter the game through a process called substitution. Substitutions can only occur when play stops, such as during a timeout or when the referee calls a violation.

 Each player on a team is categorized by position. There are five positions on a traditional basketball team:

·        Point guard - This player is typically the best dribbler and passer on the team. The point guard is sometimes called the floor general, which indicates the key role that the point guard plays.

·        Shooting guard - The shooting guard, also called the two guard, is typically a team's best outside shooter on the team. This player flanks the point guard and moves around the court to try to create some space to take a shot that is uncontested by the opposition.

·        Power forward - The power forward is usually near the basket and moves from one side of the basket to the other to try to get free from the opposition player that is guarding him. Power forwards also are skilled rebounders.

·        Small forward - The small forward is typically a better outside shooter than a power forward and is usually smaller than a power forward.

·        Center - Traditionally, the center is the tallest player on the team. The center's role is to establish a position near the basket to allow him/herself an easy jump shot. On defense, the center attempts to block shots and grab rebounds.

Basketball equipment are needed and these are the following;

·        The Ball - The most important thing for training is the ball. There are certain guidelines which one needs to follow when buying a basketball. For practicing, one can play with a rubber ball. For professional competitions, one needs to use an inflated ball made of leather. Official size of a basketball is 29.5 to 30 inches in circumference for men’s game and 28.5 inches in circumference for women’s game. It should weigh 18 to 22 ounces. When bounced off 6 feet from the floor, a well inflated ball should bounce 49 to 54 inches in height.

 ·        Shoes - One needs specialized shoes when playing basketball. It should be able to give better support to the ankle as compared to running shoes. The basketball shoes should be high-tipped shoes and provide extra comfort during a game. These shoes are specially designed to maintain high traction on the basketball court.

 ·        Uniforms - When one starts coaching a basketball team, the most important requirement for a team is to have a uniform. This helps one differentiate teams from one another. A uniform consists of a jersey (shirt), shorts, numbers on the front and back of the shirts for identification.

 ·        Shot Clock - The offense is allowed a maximum of 24 seconds to have a ball in hand before shooting. These 24 seconds are counted on the shot clock. If the offense fails to shoot a ball that hits the rim, they will lose the possession of the ball to the other team.

 ·        Whistle - The coach or referee uses a whistle to indicate the start or end of a game. S/he can even use the whistle to stop the play in the middle of a game. Whistle also helps to indicate fouls, timeout, or out of bound balls to the players. In order to get the attention of the players, many times coaches use the whistle to gather the players. It does not matter if one does not have every object mentioned in the list above. All that is needed is a hoop, basketball and proper shoes to practice the game. Hope the above information is helpful to those who are trying to hone their raw talent for a professional career.

 Scoring

The ultimate objective of basketball, like most team sports, is to outscore your opponent. In basketball, players score points by throwing the ball through the basket, an act known as shooting. Different points are awarded to players based on where they are when they shoot the ball. Here is a breakdown of scoring:

 ·        3 points - Awarded to players who successfully shoot the ball through the hoop from behind the three-point line.

·        2 points - Awarded to players who successfully shoot the ball through the hoop from anywhere inside the three-point line. This can be done by shooting a jump shot, laying the ball into the rim, or slamming the ball through the hoop.

·        1 point - When players are fouled, they get free attempts to shoot the ball, which are called foul shots. A player is given one point for every successful foul shot.

When a player is shooting a foul shot, the remaining nine players on the court must stand in designated locations. They can stand in the blocks along the sides of the free-throw lane or back behind the free-throw shooter. The team whose player is not shooting free throws must be allowed to stand closest to the rim during the shot.

Basketball is a fast-paced game that requires the knowledge and instinct to perform quickly and properly. The sport of basketball requires five basic skills. While some players might be more experienced with some skills than others, it is best to have at least some ability in all five areas.

 Dribbling

Dribbling is an important skill for all basketball players. This skill will allow you to move up and down the court, maneuver past defenders and execute plays. Proper dribbling requires ball-handling skills and knowledge of how to spread your fingers for ball control. It is also best if you know how to dribble equally well with both hands.

 Shooting

In order to score points in basketball, you need to shoot the ball into the hoop. This requires the ability to properly hold and throw the ball into the air toward the basket while avoiding defenders. A proper shot requires precise aiming, arm extension and lift from the legs. There are different types of shots you need to learn, including jump shots, layups and free throws.

 Running

Running is a big part of basketball. In a full-court game, you will find yourself running back and forth as the game quickly transitions between offense and defense. When you have the ball, running will help you to avoid defenders and get to the basket quicker. On defense, you often will find yourself needing to run after the opponent, especially during fast breaks.

 Passing

Passing is another skill that when mastered can help you become a complete basketball player. Basketball is a team sport that involves finding a teammate who is open for a shot. The ability to pass the ball to this player can make the difference between scoring and not scoring. Really great passers are an important part of a basketball team and usually the ones who set up scoring plays.

 Jumping

Jumping is another skill that can define how good a basketball player is. Jumping is involved in offense during the jump ball in the beginning, while taking shots and sometimes while trying to catch a pass. On defensive you will need the ability to jump when trying to block a shot or a pass. Being able to out jump your opponent for a rebound also is important.

 Technical skills (such as dribbling, shooting, and rebounding) are examined in depth, as are the tactical skills (such as the give-and-go, backdoor cut, and trapping).

A give-and-go, or one-two, is a fundamental maneuver in many team sports which involves two players passing the ball or puck back and forth. The player who has the ball or puck passes to a teammate and then repositions in order to receive a return pass and possibly create a scoring opportunity.

The backdoor cut - is used when the defender is over-playing in the passing lane denying the pass. Depending on your offence, this will leave a big hole to cut into between. If you are being denied the pass you will be able to backdoor cut.

A trap in basketball is a defensive strategy used to force a turnover by surrounding the ball-handler at a specific location on the court making it difficult for him to escape, a true trap.

The rules of basketball can vary slightly depending on the level of play (for example professional rules differ from college rules) or where the game is played (international rules are different from USA professional rules). These rule differences, however, are usually just variations on the basic game of basketball and the majority of the rules discussed below can be applied to most any game of basketball played. The winner of a basketball game is the team with the most points. You get points by throwing the basketball through the opponent's hoop or basket. In regular play a basket made from within the three - point line is worth 2 points and a basket shot from outside the three - point line is worth three points. When shooting a free throw, each free throw is worth 1 point. Rules for the offense. The basketball team on offense is the team with the basketball. When a player has the basketball there are certain rules they must follow:

1.      The player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand while moving both feet. If, at any time, both hands touch the ball or the player stops dribbling, the player must only move one foot. The foot that is stationary is called the pivot foot.

2.      The basketball player can only take one turn at dribbling. In other words, once a player has stopped dribbling they cannot start another dribble. A player who starts dribbling again is called for a double-dribbling violation and loses the basketball to the other team. A player can only start another dribble after another player from either team touches or gains control of the basketball. This is usually after a shot or pass.

3.      The ball must stay in bounds. If the offensive team loses the ball out of bounds the other team gets control of the basketball.

4.      The players hand must be on top of the ball while dribbling. If they touch the bottom of the basketball while dribbling and continue to dribble this is called carrying the ball and the player will lose the ball to the other team.

5.      Once the offensive team crosses half court, they may not go back into the backcourt. This is called a backcourt violation. If the defensive team knocks the ball into the backcourt, then the offensive team can recover the ball legally.

Defensive Rules The team on defense is the team without the basketball.

1.      The main rule for the defensive player is not to foul. A foul is described as gaining an unfair advantage through physical contact. There is some interpretation that has to be made by the referee, but, in general, the defensive player may not touch the offensive player in a way that causes the offensive player to lose the ball or miss a shot.

Rules for everyone

1.      Although the foul rule is described above as a defensive rule, it applies exactly the same to all players on the court including offensive players.

2.      Basketball players cannot kick the ball or hit it with their fist.

3.      No player can touch the basketball while it is traveling downward towards the basket or if it is on the rim. This is called goaltending. (touching the ball on the rim is legal in some games).

 Every player on the court is subject to the same rules regardless of the position they play. The positions in basketball are just for team basketball strategy and there are no positions in the rules.

 Basketball is a fast indoor game played with two teams of five players each. The importance of good basketball officiating involves with rules in playing a basketball game. Without competent officials, the game will not be a success. Different errors can be committed in a basketball game if not officiated appropriately. Players should accept the decisions of the officials if there are errors committed. This shows respect to the authority of the game.

 The best officiating brings out the best playing ability of each player, while poor officiating can easily ruin a game. But good officials are not made instantly. They are the result of many years of study and practice gained through actual officiating.

 A game of basketball is presided over by a referee and an umpire, along with a timekeeper, a scorer, and a thirty-second operator. The officials should wear uniforms distinct from those of either team. They should report on the playing court at least 10 minutes before game time.

 The following are the officials of the game and their functions.

The Referee

 A referee is the official in charge during and after the game. He is the official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and sometimes to arbitrate on matters. He has the full responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The referee has the final say on disciplinary matters. He also controls the game and takes up positions on opposite sides of the court.

 The duties of the Referee include the following:

 a. Inspects and approves all equipment, including court, baskets, ball, backboards

 b. Inspects timer’s and scorer’s signals

 c. Designates the official timepiece and its operator

 d. Designates the official scorebook and the official scorer

 e. Responsible for notifying each captain three minutes before each half is to begin

 f. Decides whether or not a goal shall count if officials disagree

 g. May forfeit the game when conditions warrant

 h. Decides upon matter on which the timers and scorers disagree

 i.  Has the power to make decisions on any points specifically covered by the rules

 j.  Determines of ground rules are necessary

 The Timekeeper

 The timekeeper also called Timer is charged with certain duties, according to the rules of basketball. The timekeeper should be familiar with all of the rules and obligations in the game. Mastering these rules and regulations can help avoid confusion during the game for both the officials and the timekeeper. He keeps a record of playing time and stoppages in play, and times the time-outs, and indicates when each half or overtime ends.

 The Timekeeper also keeps and show the time of a basketball game to ensure that all quarters are played evenly and to indicate the end of the game or quarter. If there is a timing mistake in the game, the official timekeeper must also inform the official of any specific knowledge relating to the mistake. The timekeeper has the responsibility of notifying the officials that time has run out and helping them determine if a goal should count.

 The Timekeeper duties include the following:

 a. Consults officials as to signals used to indicate a time-out and resumption of time

 b. Keeps eyes on the officials throughout the game

 c. Checks on the duration of time-outs, substitution, etc.

 When to start clock:

 1. When ball is legally tapped on all jumps balls

 2. When ball is touched in bounds, if resumption of play is by a throw-in after clock has been stopped

 3. When ball is legally touched after a missed free throw and ball is to remain alive

 When to stop clock:

 1. When time expires at the end of the period

 2. When an official signals a foul

 3. When an official signals a jump ball

 4. When a violation occurs

 5. When an official orders a time-out

 The Scorer

 The scorer also called scorekeepers keeps a record of points scored, all fouls called against each player, timeouts charged to each team, notes the starting line-ups, and keeps a record of all substitutions.

 Scorekeepers should also refrain from any other distracting activity, such as texting, chatting, or talking during play. It is also advised that the responsibilities for bookkeeping and timekeeping not be delegated to just somebody else for the protection and confidentiality of the scores. Scoring for individual players is least important.

 The Scorer duties include the following:

 a. Obtains names and numbers of all players who may participate in the game at least ten (10) minutes before the start of the game. At least three (3) minutes before scheduled starting time, have each team designate its first five players. He also reports any failure to comply referees.

  b. Records field goals made, free throws made and missed, running summary of points scored, personal and technic

CITATIONS: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtm0khT1qec

https://basketball91.com/coaching/guidelines-on-how-to-officiate-basketball-game/index.html#:~:text=A%20game%20of%20basketball%20is,10%20minutes%20before%20game%20time.

https://www.ducksters.com/sports/basketballrules.php

https://www.rookieroad.com/basketball/coaching/trap/#:~:text=A%20trap%20in%20basketball%20is,to%20escape%2C%20a%20true%20trap.

https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/basketball5.htm

https://www.britannica.com/sports/basketball

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/coaching-basketball-technical-tactical-skills-1

https://www.sportsrec.com/8072917/the-five-basic-skills-of-basketball

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

       Volleyball, game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned. To prevent this a player on the opposing team bats the ball up and toward a teammate before it touches the court surface—that teammate may then volley it back across the net or bat it to a third teammate who volleys it across the net.

         A team is allowed only three touches of the ball before it must be returned over the net. Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, physical director of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was designed as an indoor sport for businessmen who found the new game of basketball too vigorous. Morgan called the sport “mintonette,” until a professor from Springfield College in Massachusetts noted the volleying nature of play and proposed the name of “volleyball.”

          The original rules were written by Morgan and printed in the first edition of the Official Handbook of the Athletic League of the Young Men’s Christian Associations of North America (1897). The game soon proved to have wide appeal for both sexes in schools, playgrounds, the armed forces, and other organizations in the United States, and it was subsequently introduced to other countries.

          The game is played on a volleyball court 18 meters (59 feet) long and 9 meters (29.5 feet) wide, divided into two 9 m × 9 m halves by a one-meter (40-inch) wide net placed so that the top of the net is 2.43 meters (7 feet 11 5/8 inches) above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches) for women's competition (these heights are varied for veterans and junior competitions). The basic equipment you will require for indoor volleyball are court shoes, but knee pads and ankle braces are regularly used by many players as well.

·        Runners/Court Shoes:

Any indoor athletic shoe is adequate for the beginner volleyball player, however, the use of runners versus court shoes can lead to more ankle sprains due to the higher heel height (made for shock absorption) in the runner.  If you plan to keep playing volleyball or are playing at a higher level, good court shoes are a wise investment.  The sole of a court shoe is made less for running shock absorption and more for gripping the floor and allowing for the repetitive and quick movements that the sport requires.  When trying on the shoe be sure to wear the socks you will use to play in and put on any ankle braces you regularly wear to ensure they fit the shoe.   Choose a shoe that fits extremely well:  if they are too big you will quickly end up with blisters, and if they are too tight, you will experience pain and bruising in your toes and toenails.  Replace your shoes regularly to maximize the support they give you; any visible smoothing of the sole or wearing through of the mesh means it is time for a new pair.

·        Socks:

Due to the repetitive motions required on the volleyball court, blisters are common, but you can avoid blisters by both choosing the correct shoes (see above) as well as the correct socks. Blisters are caused by repetitive friction, heat, and moisture, so minimizing these factors will decrease your chance of developing them. Choose a sock that is form fitting (not tube socks) and one that is made with a breathable and moisture-wicking material. Ensure the sock fits very well as any slipping will cause excess friction. Some volleyball players choose to wear two pairs of socks so any friction that does occur happens between the two layers of socks rather than against the skin.

·        Knee Pads:

Knee pads are commonly worn by indoor volleyball players to protect the knee from the impact of the floor when diving for a ball or going down onto one knee when passing a ball. In selecting knee pads it is important to choose a material that breathes and is lightweight. When you try the pads on they should feel snug but not overly tight and fit well to the contour of your legs. Be sure to try squatting while wearing the pads to ensure the material is comfortable, the pad doesn't slip, and it is not too bulky behind your knee. The thickness of the knee protector pad can vary immensely so choose a pad that feels adequate for you when you kneel (feels like it would soften the impact of the hard ground when you play.) Lastly, ensure the positioning of the padding covers the knee cap, but remember you can move the pad from side to side to ensure the right positioning for your individual knee anatomy. It is wise to test the position of your knee pad each time before playing to avoid any unnecessary bruises or floor burns.

·        Ankle Braces:

Ankle sprains occur often in volleyball due to the frequent action near the net with many players in a small space at one time. Often a player will land on another player's foot after playing a tight ball near the net or when landing after jumping up for a block. Due to the high incidence of volleyball ankle sprains, many players prophylactically wear ankle braces. If you have already sustained an ankle sprain in the past, you may need to consider using braces as part of your regular volleyball equipment.  The brace needs to help protect the ankle from rolling both inwards (most common injury) and outwards. There are many, many different types of braces available in a range of prices and effectiveness so selection is crucial. The brace should be somewhat stiff in order to provide protection, but should comfortably fit inside your shoe. Most braces that truly provide protection from further ankle sprains will extend up your leg past the ankle joint.

·        Hydration Gear:

Keeping hydrated will help you stay alert while playing volleyball, both indoors and on the beach. It may also help to prevent muscle cramps and will help your post game recovery. Taking your own drink bottles to training or a game helps you to keep track of your fluid intake.  We recommend that you drink about 300-400 mL before you play, and 250mL (1 cup) of water or sports drink every 20 minutes of physical playing/training time or time in the sun and for one hour after your game. These are just general guidelines as fluid requirements will vary depending on the environmental conditions and your body size.  Obviously, when playing beach volleyball, the hotter it is, the more fluid you will lose so the more you will have to replace. To check that you are adequately hydrating, you can weigh yourself before and after your games or training.  If your weight remains the same then you are likely to be well hydrated. Also, remember that by the time you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated, so drink frequently and don't let thirst alone determine your fluid intake.

·        The Ball

The type of ball required in volleyball depends on the type and level of volleyball you play. Beach volleyballs and indoor volleyballs vary in size, weight and composition. Beach volleyball is played with two players on a smaller sand court with a larger, lighter ball, while indoor volleyball is played with six players on a larger court, with a heavier, faster ball made of leather.

·        Net & Poles

The net divides the volleyball court into two halves. The height of the net varies based on the age of the players and the surface being played on. An indoor net is 7 feet 11 5/8 inches in height for men and 7 feet 4 1/8 inches for women. Beach volleyball nets are hung at the same height. In addition to the nets, and the poles from which they are hung, protective padding is required to surround these structures to ensure player safety in case of collision.

          There are six basic volleyball skills and these are the following - passing, setting, spiking, blocking, digging, and serving. Passing is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point. The importance of serving is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring points. Blocking is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being poor at executing other skills in volleyball.

           Digging is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball. The setter position is considered to be the most important position in volleyball. The setter basically runs the team offense. There are also a lot of technical and tactical volleyball skills and it require the basic ones to be on the next level of it. So basically, the technical skills and tactical skills comprise of the basic ones but in regard to a higher level of doing it. It involves the spiking. A spike is another type of an attack hit in volleyball. After the ball is dug and set, it’s time for an attacker to carry out the attack hit. And of course, an attacker should aim to land the ball on the opposite side of the court to win a score for his/her team. So, if an attacker does great job then he/she will be able either to win a point for his/her team or create a lot of difficulties for the opposite team. Second is, Diving, rolling and sliding. 

          The job of a defensive volleyball player is not to let the ball hit the ground. If this happens for some reasons the volleyball team will lose a point. So, in order to prevent such a situation from happening, a volleyball player must be able to dive, roll and slide. When the attack hit is carried out, the ball usually goes fast. That’s the reason why defensive players may find it difficult to resist attacks of the opposite team. That’s exactly when such volleyball tactics as diving, rolling and sliding come into play. If a defensive volleyball player is capable of diving, rolling and sliding then he/she will be able to get low and prepare for resisting an attack successfully. The reality is if a defensive player gets low, then he/she is likely to defend more area. Without a doubt, such a defensive tactic makes it easier for volleyball players to resist an attack of the opposite team. All of this means that defensive volleyball players must work on diving, rolling and sliding technique regularly.

           Here are basic volleyball rules and regulations for starters to know about. The six volleyball court positions are: setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, opposite hitter, libero and serving specialist. To score points, a team must send the ball over the net, grounding it into the opponent’s court.

·        Only 6 players on the floor at any given time: 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row.

·        There is a maximum of 3 hits per side.

·        Points are made on every serve for the winning team of rally (rally-point scoring).

·        Players may not hit the ball twice in succession (a block is not considered a hit).

·        Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

·        A ball hitting a boundary line is in.

·        A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, or the ceiling above a non-playable area.

·        It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.

·        It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.

·        A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.

·        After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.

·        Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play.

·        3-set matches are two sets to 25 points and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first team to win two sets.

·        5-set matches are four sets to 25 points and a fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2 points unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The first team to win three sets is the winner.

Here are also basic volleyball violations for starters to know about; Committing these volleyball rule violations result in a point for the opponent.

·        Stepping on or across the service line when serving while making contact with the ball.

·        Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

·        Ball-handling errors and contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)

·        Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.

·        Blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net if your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND has a player there to make a play on the ball.

·        Attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net when the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

·        Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body, with the exception of a hand or foot. It is only considered a violation if the entire hand or entire foot crosses the court centerline.

·        Serving out of rotation or out of order.

·        Back row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact, the back row player is near the net and has part of their body above the top of the net. This is an illegal block.

·        Back row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.

          Volleyball officials have a number of different responsibilities, and they must keep a watchful eye on every point for the duration of the match. Two people form an officiating team for each match, with one acting as the head referee who stands on the referee stand, while the other is "down" referee assisting with monitoring substitutions and plays at the net. In order to officiate the game, one must have two referees and two line judges. The line judges stand on opposite corners throughout the entire match and assist the first referee with in and out calls and look for touches of the ball by blockers at the net. For a referee to officiate the game better one must practice the following;

1.      Spotlight is on the teams, not the officiating. Allow the game to progress as smoothly as possible. Your primary job is to have the match go as smoothly as possible with little interference from officials.

2.      Strive for consistency. Never "even up" when you have made a mistake. If you make a mistake, let it go and continue to do the best you can. Don't let complaints bother you or break your concentration. Some of the best matches will bring you the most complaints.

3.      Be friendly and courteous, but also firm. Don't let players, coaches, and the crowd influence your decisions. Listen to any reasonable inquiry, but don't allow constant questioning about your calls.

4.      Review rules and situations which tend to cause controversy. Read the rulebook, ask a clinician, or anyone that you feel can give you the needed answer. Rules that commonly cause problems are time-out for injury, simultaneous contact by opponents, illegal improper requests for subs, libero player situations, and back court attacker/blocker rules.

5.      The officiating crew should be officiating volleyball as a team. Work together with your other officials. Cooperate as closely as possible. Give each other active support.

6.      Be serious but have fun. You owe it to respect the game. Every match is important to the teams playing. Get in the right frame of mind and focus on the match you are about to officiate.

7.      Know the rules. Read the book and use it as a reference. The referee is the final judge on everything, even scorekeeping issues.

8.      Referees should NOT be a part of the match. Your job as a referee is to watch and judge, do not coach. Be consistent.

9.      Use preventive officiating whenever possible. Examples are jewelry, water on the court, etc.

10.   Have consistent judgment. What is a catch/throw or double hit? It all depends on the level of play of the teams. Allow play on both sides of the net and call what is different.

Citations:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4kGC_d-i8

https://www.sportsrec.com/officials-duties-volleyball-6624015.html

https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules-and-terminology/

https://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules.html

https://www.britannica.com/sports/volleyball

https://prorecathlete.com/7-basic-volleyball-skills/

https://sites.google.com/a/frco.k12.va.us/fcvball/skills

http://bramptonvolleyball.ca/tactics-techniques-volleyball/

https://www.sportsrec.com/list-equipment-used-play-volleyball-6636370.html

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/volleyball/volleyball_equipment.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volleyball

http://www.wysc.org/Page.asp?n=32591

https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules-and-terminology/

https://www.sportsrec.com/officials-duties-volleyball-6624015.html

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

          Intel Extreme Masters XIV - Katowice 2020 was held at Spodek, Katowice, Poland last 28 Feb 2020 – 1 Mar 2020. The specific tournament that I am reviewing is the game between Team Natus Vincere and Team Liquid. Before reviewing the match, I will provide a brief overview of CS:GO on the following paragraph.

          Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment. It is the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series and was released for Windows, macOS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in August 2012, while the Linux version was released in 2014. CS:GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic Counter-Strike maps like Dust, Inferno, Nuke, Train, and more. In addition, CS:GO introduces new game modes like Arms Race, Flying Scoutsman and Wingman, and features online matchmaking and Competitive Skill Groups.

          Let’s head on the tournament. Team Na’Vi and Team Liquid played Competitive as their game mode. This is the classic game mode that put Counter-Strike on the map. Two teams of five compete in a best-of-30 match using standard competitive Counter-Strike rules. Players must purchase armor, weapons, defuse or rescue kits, and manage their in-game economy to maximize their chance of success. After fifteen rounds (halftime), each team switches sides. Each round is one minute and fifty-five seconds long, however, if the T-side (Terrorist side) manages to plant the bomb then the round timer resets to forty seconds. 

          On average, a single Competitive game will last around forty minutes, though they can extend to just over an hour if the match is very close. Should both teams reach fifteen rounds each, the game will end in a tie. Unlike Casual mode, it is not possible to switch sides during a match. If any player leaves the game during the match, they are punished by being banned from Competitive play for a set period of time. Should the same player continue to quit in the middle of games within a week, they could be banned for up to a month at a time. Teams are able to vote to surrender during a match, ending the game prematurely.

          The map they were at was Mirage. The map is themed like a Middle Eastern town, but because of its close resemblance to Moroccan style architecture, it is likely set somewhere in Morocco. There are two sides – CT and T (Counter Terrorist and Terrorist). Both sides have base to start with and they can go along the map. The terrorist side’s mission is to plant the C4 explosive or the bomb. There are 2 bomb sites in which they can plant it and they have to find their way to the site with the Counter Terrorist holding both sides. Along the way, there will be face off and elimination. The Counter Terrorist side’s mission is to hold the sites and keep the terrorist from planting the bomb. And if the bomb has been planted their mission is to detonate it with the defuse kit which is only detonatable for 40 seconds.

         Let’s head on to the equipment. Equipment or Gear is a special class of in-game items, generally referring to all in-game items that are not weapons. Each side has its own set of equipment. For the CT – Kevlar Vest, Kevlar + Helmet, Zeus x27, Defuse Kits, and Grenades. For the T – Kevlar Vest, Kevlar + Helmet, Zeus x27, and Grenades.

          For the weapons, each side has the same category but they differ in the items of each category of weapons. For the CT – rifle, smg, pistol, heavy. For the T – rifle, smg, pistol, heavy.

          For CS:GO’s basic skills, here are steps pertaining to the hierarchy of its     basic skills.

·        Aim & Mouse Control

·        Movement & Keyboard Control

·        Communication

·        Gamesense & Advanced Mechanics

·        Teamplay

          For CS:GO’s tactical skills, here are steps pertaining to it

 ·        Consciously maintaining crosshair placement

·        Refining sensitivity to encourage muscle memory

·        Adjusting for distance and movement when spraying

·        Controlling a typical 5 bullet burst

·        Tapping is consistent, but not proficient

·        Flicks are near constant

·        Can hold tight angles

·        Off-screen position detection (from sound cues and callouts)

·        Accurately controlling 90% of the spray pattern for ~5 weapons

·        Can consistently hit reasonable spray transfers

·        Increasing flick range

·        Tapping is proficient

·        Bursting is reliable, accurate, fast, and reflexive

·        Can hold extremely tight angles

            Looking back to what I stated in my blog few paragraphs before this the primary rules of the game include - Each match comprises of 30 rounds in total, with rounds lasting a maximum of one minute and 55 seconds. The first team to win 16 rounds wins in the match. CS:GO also incorporates an in-game currency system, which rewards players for winning rounds, killing enemies and successfully using certain weapons.

          There are many ways to officiate the game, it includes Overwatch and Valve Review. Usual violations made involve wall hacking, griefing, aim hacking, abusive communications or profile, and other hacking. Corresponding punishment to each violation will always be observed such as getting banned, and receiving cooldowns. Here is how the ban system works per infraction :- 1st infraction: 30 min, 2nd infraction: 2 hours, 3rd infraction: 24 hours, 4th infraction: 7 days. If you’re caught hacking and was confirmed you’ll definitely get a permanent ban which means you can never access your account ever again.

          The winner was Na’Vi. They won because of their tactics involving proper crosshair placement and just holding the sites and also by checking or peeking corners and looking out for enemies. Team Liquid lost because they were rushing their way to the sites without checking corners and the lack of teamwork they had. For the first few rounds they were leading yet for the following they were behind Na’Vi. This game requires patience, and good reading of the possibility where an enemy would be positioned.

         To watch the tournament, do visit this link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNGFmUOVoTE

Citations : 

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1203-WJCV-7019

https://blog.counter-strike.net/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/730/CounterStrike_Global_Offensive/

https://www.hltv.org/events

https://www.esports.com/en/csgo

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

          What is death penalty by the way? Should it be implemented in the Philippines? Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is a state-sanctioned practice of killing someone as a punishment for a crime. The sentence ordering that someone is punished with the death penalty is called a death sentence, and the act of carrying out such a sentence is known as an execution. Looking back, the Philippines put people to death, particularly in cases of so-called heinous crimes. But President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, under pressure from the Catholic Church, abolished the death penalty in 2006. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances because it is inherently cruel and irreversible. 

          The Philippines’ current President Rodrigo Duterte has renewed his push for the reintroduction of capital punishment, calling in his State of the Nation address in late July for the death penalty to be re-established as a punishment for drug trafficking. He has longed pushed for the reintroduction of the death penalty. He made it one of his campaign promises, and vowed during his first presidential press conference in 2016 to have Congress restore the punishment for a range of crimes. Since coming to power on a wave of popular support for his strongman tactics, President Duterte has waged a drug war on an unparalleled scale, including by issuing ‘shoot to kill’ orders to law enforcement, according to International Bar Association.

           “Death Penalty” should not be implemented in the Philippines because if we are to base it in its judicial system, we can really find errors and malfunctions. The way it handles crime cases is very slow and the process takes too long to solve. Most cases last for years before being processed. There are also too many errors in the system, these errors being having an inadequate lawyer represent the defendant, incomplete or lack of evidence, and unreliable witnesses. If capital punishment were in effect in the country, majority of the cases would result in wrongfully convicting innocent people. Authority, money, influence, and fraud could sway the judicial system in the Philippines. 

         Due to the rich and powerful men influencing the decision of the case, it does not even matter if the accused is truly guilty of the crime or innocent because the end result will be based on their choice. We can’t assure careful deliberation for there are really cases that they just pass on for less hassle. Why would there be an imposition of this death penalty in the country where the justice system is currently imperfect and partial. While it is true that the criminal cases take too long to be solved, it is not because the criminal cases are carefully being processed instead it is because there too many criminal cases that they just keep piling up without being resolved. This shows the inability for the criminal justice system to process criminal cases efficiently and effectively.

           To sum it all up, imposing it would not do any good. It’s likely described as putting a problem on top of the other. We tend to plead for our officials to save us from criminals by this death penalty as their punishment but the glory of saving a country could not be given to the one who has contributed to its ruin. Let us first weigh what is beneficial for all. If we know that our judicial system is faulty, we should start fixing it before having to impose death penalty.

citations : https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/

                https://www.ibanet.org/

                https://www.hrw.org/

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

          The first speech which is about Nelson Mandela’s speech when he was awarded an honorary degree during a special ceremony at Harvard in September 1998 is considered as a persuasive speech. His speech calls for the people to pay attention to something which makes it persuading. His speech is all about the universal obligation towards the building of a world. He emphasized that people should remove disparity among themselves, and there shall be greater equality among nations and among citizens of nations. Nelson Mandela was reading and speaking from a manuscript to have a greater control of the wording of the speech.

          The second speech which is about Emma Watson’s speech regarding gender equality is an example of an informative speech. What makes it informative is that she tries to explain and make the audience understand about what gender equality is all about and how it was synonymous with feminism and how feminism was also misunderstood as men-hating. She achieved the purpose of informing the listener by giving them a more in-depth understanding of the topic through an organized way. She made sure to introduce the topic and explain it to fit the level of knowledge of the audience. It is a memorized speech. You can see the preparedness through her composure as well as the absence of fillers.

          The third speech which is about Darren Tay Wen Jie’s Outsmart; Outlast speech is talking about fighting your inner bully. It is actually a type of persuasive speech but done in a very entertaining way to catch the audience’s attention. What makes it persuasive is that he emphasizes that we all have our inner bullies, but the only way to fight these bullies off is to neither run nor hide from it. We should stand firm, face it, and acknowledge its presence. The moment that we do these, we are no longer identifying with it, yet we are stepping out and observing it. He was able to catch the attention of the audience because of his unique way of making the speech entertaining.  For me, it looks like it is an extemporaneous speech since most public speaking speeches don’t have a lot of time for preparation. I can also say it is extemporaneous because of his unique technique and style in speaking along with his composure and eye-contact.

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

SAMA DILAUT (TAWI-TAWI)

 Kilala rin bilang: Bajau Laut; Bajau; Badjaw; Sama; Mga Sea Gypsies.

          Ang Sama Dilaut, ang dating pangalan ng Badjao, sila ay kabilang sa mga pinaka-hindi nakakubli, hindi naintindihan at minamaliit sa mga grupong etniko-linggwistiko ng mga Pilipino. Ang mga Badjao ay nakatira sa tubig ng Dagat Sulu, sa pagitan ng Tawi-Tawi at Sabah. Ngunit sa mga nakaraang dekada, ang mga digmaan, pandarambong, diskriminasyon, pangingisda at mga isyu sa kapaligiran ay humantong sa kanila na talikuran ang kanilang nomadic at nakatira- sa- bangka na buhay. Ang kanilang pangunahing pamumuhay ay ang pangingisda at pangangaso sa ilalim ng tubig. 

          Naniniwala rin sila sa mga supernatural na mga nilalang kagaya ng mga espiritu ng kanilang mga ninuno na nagtataglay ng lakas at kapangyarihan. Naniniwala rin sila sa animismo. Mayroon silang mga ritwal na sinusunod kagaya ng “piercing at genital mutilation” o mas kilala bilang pagputol ng ari. Bihira ang mga salungatan sa kanila sapagkat mas pinapahalagahan nila ang pagkakaisa.

          Ang kanilang pangunahing relihiyon rin ay Islam. Mayroon din silang namumukod tanging kultura kagaya ng kanilang “Igal Dance” isang tradisyunal na sayaw na nagmula sa mga isla ng Timog Silangang Asya. Ang kanilang wika ay Sinama, ang Sinama ay mayroong 7 na dayalekto (Northern Sinama, Central Sinama, Southern Sinama, Sinama Pangutaran from the island of Pangutaran off of Jolo island, Mapun, Bajau West Coast of Sabah and Bajau Indonesia). 

          Ang Central Sinama ay ang dayalekto ng mga Sama Dilaut na ginagamit nila sa pang araw-araw na pakikipagtalastasan. Ang Sinama ay nakasulat sa alpabetong Latin. Ang mga katinig ng mga wikang Sinama ay kinakatawan ng mga titik b, d, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, ng, p, r, s, t, w, y at '. Ang (ꞌ) ay kumakatawan sa ika-anim na tunog ng patinig at palaging matatagpuan bago ang dalawang katinig. 

          Ang kanilang wika maging ang kultura ay kumplikado ngunit ito ay kaibig-ibig. Bagama’t iba’t-iba ang ating kultura at wika, lahat ng mga ito ay mahalaga at maganda dahil ang mga ito ay ang nagbubuklod sa atin tungo sa ating kasarinlan at kakayahan at dapat lang natin pahalagahan.

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

       My favorite TV news anchor is Brian Williams, an American journalist at MSNBC. I asked my family about their opinions on how Williams does his reports. I can guarantee that he is a professional, by his efficiency in news reporting. He was able to communicate to the audience effectively without any concern arising. He possesses traits and qualities of how a news anchor should be.

       The qualities Williams possess are: news sense, clarity, accuracy, objectivity, sense of timing, mastery of multitasking, interviewing finesse, ethical compass, ability to handle pressure, communication skills, investigative skills, accents and dialects, natural and conversational sounding, knowledge base, and lastly passion. You can see all these qualities in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaxe4uk3L7M

       All these qualities assured Williams’s effectiveness in communicating with the public. The message or information he is passing on to the public is comprehensible and uncomplicated.

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

The film: The King’s Speech started at the official closing of the British Exhibition at Wembley Stadium. King George V’s second son, the Duke of York, Prince Albert, was the one assigned to address the crowd a speech. As his speech went on, he happened to stammer between two words of the whole speech. Years later, he went to a speech therapist who advised him ridiculous treatments like putting marbles on his mouth and using doctor-approved cigarettes. All the treatments were of no use to cure his speech impediment. However, his wife Elizabeth, didn’t give up and searched for the most controversial therapist name Lionel Logue whom she found on the ads downtown. Prince Albert and Lionel had their sessions together, yet Lionel noticed that all the progress they made together just vanished as soon as Bertie gets into a stressful situation, that’s why Lionel insisted on digging in to Bertie’s personal life because he was convinced that the stutter was connected to his childhood trauma. One day, Bertie became king all of sudden caused by his father’s death and brother’s irresponsibility which means he has to give lots of speeches to rally his country. Lionel stayed with him all-time.  

 The film is inspiring on how the main character had gone through the ups and downs of his speech impediment. You can clearly see that the film is focused on the personal problem of the main character which is about his inability to speak out both publicly and even to his children without stammering. At first, I was just thinking maybe it was because he has no confidence in him that results to being terrified when it comes to public speaking but it is actually inherited from his childhood trauma. What interfered in the movie is the main character’s stammering, it was because of this impediment that hinders him to speak out and explain his side.

I like how it was resolved through a speech therapist and it also shows the other side of the severe stammer’s reason that is not just about having a low self-esteem and insecurity but because of trauma. I also am astonished by the fact that Bertie sees and recognizes his personal issue and no matter how hard he tried to avoid getting treated, he himself has no way but to resort to treatment. It just reminds me that the moment you find something odd about yourself, you always find a way to take it out as a matter of concern for yourself. I can also say that Bertie had his spotlight on his every speech where people are just focused on whatever word that comes out from his mouth. I also saw confused faces from the crowd every time Bertie stammers onto his words which made the situation awkward for him.

Aside from that, his stammers also served as the barrier to communication where people couldn’t fully decipher his speeches’ content just like what happened on the first part of the film and on his speech at the factory. With the help of Lionel, Bertie was able to get through it. It also reminds me that you will be treated if you want get treated. The movement always starts with ourselves. Overall, the film for me is sublime! The highlights of film are the friendship between Lionel and Bertie, and persistence of what you wanted to reach. First, it gave me a realization that people are all equal despite of the differences they have in ranks and statuses as long as they have loyalty in each other, no one is above anyone else just like Prince Albert and Lionel Logue. Second, you must believe in your capabilities and take any impediment you have as a challenge. Third, persistence is the key to achieve your goals and desires. Fourth, it is always alright to seek for help because no man is an island, we are all interdependent on each other. Fifth, is to become a product of our own experiences. We have gone through a lot in our lives and we should use the experiences for us to create better judgments and decisions. And lastly, we should use our voices and choose our words wisely, because our voices and words are our power.

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

          WOW! Jimmy Nelson’s Art of Communication is awestruck! The talk even etched something on my soul. It isn’t just about communication but it also highlights awareness of the world’s cultural diversity through Jimmy’s photography in order to show the beauty of indigenous cultures which are so rare nowadays. He published a book and it is called “Before They Pass Away”, this book is not about persons dying or passing away but something is definitely dying and it is our culture. Well as you observe, people are becoming more and more similar than ever. That’s why Jimmy’s goal is to make visual records of the authenticity and individuality before it disappears at all. 

          At the first part of the video, I was just expecting some language barriers and stuff, that’s why he hired an interpreter in his journey but it often does not work well. What captures my heart from the talk is how communication is defined. It is not just any communication but it is genuine communication, but how can we say that it is genuine? It is genuine if it has honesty and emotions in it. It is through this communication that we can create conversations where deeper bonds are formed. 

          This way of communication doesn’t require you to be a person who uses a lot of technical terms or even a person that is so genius, all you need is to be truly honest. This type of communication involves a lot of hugging, dancing, and physical expressions. I have learned that you don’t really have to be wordy to convey what you wanted to say, it can also be done through gestures and any non-verbal form just like what Jimmy did as he tried communicating with the tribes. Genuine conversations can never be boring as it’s a heart to heart communication. “Until you form humility, you can find empathy and in empathy you can find contact and in that contact you can discover who you really are and who the people are around you” Jimmy Nelson quoted. It is factual that anyone who has intact empathy and sympathy is capable of genuine communication.

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

This is what you call as Dela Peña’s model of communication. It was named after Jodilyn Dela Peña of Ormoc. This model was invented in the year 2020. It is the newest and most accurate one ever! Combining all of the other models of communication you can now have Dela Peña’s new one, with regards to added features and elements.

 We all know that a certain talk or conversation comes from the source specifically the person conveying his/her ideas. This message is later encoded or transmitted by the help of the medium. This medium can either be verbal and non-verbal and the signal there is the overlap of both the speaker and the listener’s fields of experience, but what if this message was interrupted by noise and the decoded message was not as clear as what the source or speaker is trying to imply? As a result, miscommunication happens. The listener or the destination of which the message is expected to be received was hindered by some factors. These factors are not just limited to noises at home or at the workplace, some includes phone call drop or phone with no service. However, the receiver is now to formulate his/her interpretations on the distorted message which paves way for feedback. This feedback is the reaction or the perception of the speaker in regards to what the receiver has said. The next step is monitoring done by the speaker, he/she can clear up any stirred messages. This is also a cycle and as you have observed, I enclosed the whole process through a Venn diagram. The purpose of enclosing it is to emphasize that the center point there is the medium and the signal by which the field of experiences of these communicators are shared as they overlap each other. They have this so-called commonality that enables them to message and create a response to every statement that is disclosed.

[thebrideofthewizardhowl]

          I do believe that communication is vital specially in this time of the pandemic. It is the reason for us to garner a lot of information such as protocols and warnings given by our local and national health care providers, it also facilitates in spreading reminders in our community as well as a medium in building a stronger relationship with our family members. The highlight of my slogan is how a single person interprets the exchange of messages from either a positive and a negative view in his/her life. This model of communication that I’m using is from Eugene White where communication can actually be observed from any point in his cylindrical figure. 

          We all know that some people are really pessimistic saying that there’s no way we could get through this pandemic while some also says we can get through it as we go hand in hand. These views are not limited, some includes financial crisis, emotional isolation and stigma. Communication is indeed intricate because its effectiveness merely depends on the aspect of an individual’s distinctive character or personality. 

          My slogan says that “YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK!”, it basically means that everything is just a matter of perspective. What you see and how you interpret it says a lot about yourself. We always base our actions depending on what situation we find ourselves in. If you let events and happenings sink in to you negatively it will really affect on how you think and act in the physical. By this statement, we can say that emotions affect our way of communication.