NOTES ON ATHLETICS AND BALL GAMES

🏐 History and Development of Volleyball 1. Origin and Invention (1895) Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, a physical education director at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA. Morgan originally called the game “Mintonette.” He designed it as a less physically demanding alternative to basketball, which had been invented just four years earlier by James Naismith (a friend of Morgan’s). The idea was to create a game suitable for older members of the YMCA that encouraged teamwork, skill, and moderate exercise. 2. Early Development and Name Change (1896–1915) The first official demonstration of the game took place in 1896 at Springfield College. During that demonstration, someone noticed how the players volleyed the ball back and forth over the net, and suggested the name “Volleyball.” In the early rules: The net was 6 feet 6 inches high (1.98 meters). Each team had any number of players. The game consisted of nine innings, and each team was allowed three serves per ...

  Athletics Triple Jump The triple jump is a track and field event where athletes perform a hop, a step, and a jump in one continuous sequence to land in a sand-filled pit. It demands a unique blend of speed, power, coordination, and rhythm. Equipment and Facilities The equipment and facilities for the triple jump are largely the same as those for the long jump: 1) Runway: A straight track, at least 40 meters long and 1.22 meters (\pm 0.01m) wide, leading to the takeoff board. The surface is typically the same as the running track. White lines mark the boundaries. 2) Take-off Board: A white rectangular board measuring 1.22 meters (\pm 0.01m) long, 0.20 meters (\pm 0.002m) wide, and not more than 0.10 meters deep. It is flush with the runway surface. A foul line is at the edge closest to the landing pit. For the triple jump, there are also foul lines and indicator boards for the hop and step phases, though these are not physical boards like the takeoff board. Officials visually ass...

  LONG JUMP The long jump is a track and field event where athletes combine speed, strength, and agility to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point into a sand-filled pit. It is one of the horizontal jumps, emphasizing distance over height. Equipment and Facilities 1) Runway: A straight track, at least 40 meters long and 1.22 meters wide, leading to the takeoff board. The surface is typically the same as the running track. White lines mark the boundaries. 2) Take-off Board: A white rectangular board measuring 1.22 meters long, 0.20 meters wide, and not more than 0.10 meters deep. It is flush with the runway surface. A foul line is at the edge closest to the landing pit. Some facilities have a plasticine indicator board just beyond the foul line to help officials detect if a jumper has overstepped. 3) Landing Area/Pit: A sand-filled pit at least 2.75 meters wide and 6 meters long, with the near edge typically 1 meter from the takeoff board. The sand should be level and moist to...

ATHLETICS JUMPS: High Jump The high jump is a track and field event where athletes jump over a horizontal bar placed at Increasing heights. The objective is to clear the bar without knocking it down. It requires a combination of speed, power, agility, and precise technique. Equipment and Facilities 1. Uprights/Standards: Two rigid vertical posts that support the crossbar. They must be stable and allow for easy adjustment of the crossbar height. 2. Crossbar: A lightweight horizontal bar, typically made of fiberglass or aluminum, resting on supports at each upright. It is designed to fall easily if touched by the jumper. The standard length is 4 meters. 3. Landing Area/Pit: A cushioned area, usually made of foam rubber, where the athletes land after clearing the bar. The minimum size is 5 meters long x 3 meters wide. Safety is paramount, and the landing area must adequately absorb the impact of the jump. Outdoor facilities often have a base or platform to protect the mat from dirt and wa...

  THE GAME OF HANDBALL Nature of the game Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins. Modern handball is played on a court of 40 by 20 metres (131 by 66 ft), with a goal in the middle of each end. The goals are surrounded by a 6-metre (20 ft) zone where only the defending goalkeeper is allowed; goals must be scored by throwing the ball from outside the zone or while “diving” into it. The sport is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants exist in the forms of field handball, Czech handball and beach handball. The game is fast and high-scoring and it requires high fitness level. Objective of the Game The objective of handball is to score more goal than your opponent. A handball game lasts for a regulation of 60 minutes. This is spli...