ABC’S OF PE

Sepak Takraw

SEPAK TAKRAW

Background and History Sepak Takraw was created by the royal family of Malaysia about 500 years ago. The name itself comes from two languages. Sepak is "kick" in Malay, and Takraw is the "ball" in Thai. In 1965 the game was unified into the present volleyball style with the addition of a net and the adoption of international rules.

Game The court and the net height and size are identical to those used in badminton and each team has three players. The rules are very similar to those in volleyball, with the following four important exceptions. • The use of hands is not permitted. • Each player may touch the ball only once before it is kicked over the net. • There is no rotation in the defense position. • It becomes a score (net in) even if the ball touches the net before falling into the other court.

Serve The player who kicks a serve puts a leg (shaft foot) in the service circle, and takes a toss from the player who went into the quarter circle (the semicircle of a radius 90 cm done around the contact point of the center line and the sideline), and kicks the ball. When a game begins by one serve, a ball can be touched by the attack of one time up to three times. You can use a head, a back, legs, and anywhere except for the arm from the shoulder to the point of the finger.

Sepak Takraw Court

1.

Sepak Takraw Basic Skills

Inside Kick This move sets up the spikes as this kick provides maximum ball control. Use this kick to field a ball dropping in front of you. Start in a good athletic position. With your support leg slightly flexed at the knee, lift up your other leg and swing the foot and lower part of the leg in and up sideways like a pendulum in front of you, turning the ankle so that you hit the ball with the flat surface of the inside of your foot.

Outside Kick This move is used when the ball drops outside your shoulders and slightly behind you. It is similar to the Inside Kick in that your leg swings like a pendulum, but out and upward (rather than in and upward). Shift your weight to support foot as you lift kicking leg up away from body. Turn your ankle so that toes are pointing out (not down), which enables you to kick the ball up with the flat, outside surface of your foot. Avoid swinging or kicking your leg forward (only lift it upward).

Front Foot Kick This move is used primarily to dig up a ball that is dropping short from where you are standing, as in a short serve, for example. To propel the ball upwards most consistently, with your weight on back leg, and a straight outstretched kicking leg, the front of your kicking foot must be flicked upward with a very loose ankle (not stiff) in a quick, smooth motion as the ball is contacted just above the floor.

Knee Bump This move is used primarily to deflect upwards a low angle pass or a fast serve to the mid-body. Lift your knee up very quickly into the ball, foot following beneath (not kicking out). The ball is contacted at about waist level with the thigh, just behind the knee, for maximum upward thrust and height. Contacting the ball in mid-thigh area will serve the same purpose, but the ball will not be thrust up as high—this is good for popping the ball up to yourself to pass with the next hit. NOTE: Both the Front Foot Kick and the Knee Bump are used when making a save or controlling tricky serves, but they don’t provide consistent control.

Header This move is used frequently in games to deflect upwards a high angle pass or fast serve to the upper body. With legs flexed at the knees, put the top of your forehead in front of the ball, lifting up your chin and spring up from the legs as the ball strikes the forehead so as to deflect it up high in your own court. Don’t close your eyes, in fact look up to where you want the ball to go as it hits your head, and it will usually go there.

Sepak Takraw Drills

Don’t forget to practice with both feet.

1. Solo Taps. Using the Inside Kick, drop the ball in front of you and tap it back up so you can catch it. Set a goal of 5 in a row, then 10, etc. Variation: Kick to a partner, Partner tosses to you and kick back to partner.

2. Keep It Alive! Using the Inside Kick, tap the ball with the same foot and see if you can tap it, then let it bounce, and tap it. Set a goal of 5 in a row, then 10, etc. Variations: Consecutive taps without dropping it or using hands, Alternating feet kicks.

3. Off the Wall! Using the Inside Kick, drop the ball to your foot, then kick it towards the wall. Stand about 3 to 4 feet away. The idea is to hit the ball up towards the wall rather than at it in a line drive.

4. Circle game. Group of 4 form a circle and attempt to keep the ball alive. Players are not allowed to contact the ball twice consecutively.

5. Mini Rally. Cooperative activity where partners strike the ball to each other letting the ball bounce at least once but with NO NET. Focus on on kick for each rally. See how many consecutive hits each pair can attain. Variation: each partner uses the same type of kick, eg. Partner A Inside Kick, Partner B Front Foot Kick.

6. Bench Rally. Same as above, except use a bench as the net. Have the ball land just over the bench. Still a cooperative activity. Variation: If benches aren’t available, use lines, skipping ropes, hula hoops, etc.

7. Short Rally. (Use bench or nets). In single file lines of 3 or 4, face each other using the net/bench and half court. Try to keep the ball inside the badminton short serve line. Start as a cooperative rally. After striking the ball, go to the end of your line. Variation: have players move to the opposite line, play for points, spell HORSE.

8. Deep Rally. (Use bench or nets). In single file lines of 3 or 4, face each other using the net/bench and half court. Try to keep the ball past the badminton short serve line. Start as a cooperative rally. After striking the ball, go to the end of your line. Variation: have players move to the opposite line, play for points.

9. Ball Machine. Use this concept to teach any of the kicks. In groups of 4 to 6 on a half court, designate 1 student as the “ball machine”. This student feeds balls by tossing or striking, depending on their skill level. Designate another student as the “target”. Rest of the students form a single file line. Their task is to strike the ball towards the “target”. Rotation goes from kicking line, to target to ball machine to kicking line.

10. Royals of the Courts. Half Court or Full Court. Team 1 begins on the far side of the court as Royals. Team 2 starts on the near side of the court as the Heirs to the throne. Team 3 serves, starting off the court as the People in waiting. Team 4 are the Peasants and await their turn to serve. PLAY: People in waiting serve to the Royals. Winner of the rally determines location and movement. If Royals win, they stay where they are, gain 1 point. The Heirs to the throne go to the end of the line and become the Peasants. The People in waiting become the new Heirs to the throne and the Peasants move up and become the People in waiting. If Royals lose, they go to the end of the line and now become the Peasants. Everyone else still moves up in the same order.

Web Links:

Sepak Takraw Association of Canada http://www.takrawcanada.com/