TESA-Brochure

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ISBN: 978-606-93838-8-9 2020

Table of Contents Introduction to Traditional Sports ...... 4 Introduction ...... 4 Context: Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle ...... 5 Description of our project...... 7 Objectives ...... 9 Traditional Sports ...... 10 Jeu de Paume (France) ...... 10 Vybíjená (Czech Republic) ...... 14 Oina (Romania) ...... 19 Țurca (Romania) ...... 24 Archery (Estonia) ...... 29 Final remarks ...... 34 Infobox ...... 35

Introduction to Traditional Sports

Introduction

"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health". This formula for a healthy life was proposed over 2000 years ago by Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician and so-called father of medicine. Two millennia later, healthy living is just as important as ever, and more joined-up thinking that when it comes to policy-making, there could be one possible solution, according to three European Commissioners who have launched a joint call for action.1

In the European Union, 2018 was declared to be the European Year of Cultural Heritage. In its honor, 5 partners from 4 countries applied a transboundary Erasmus+ Small Collaborative Partnership project in the field of Sport, called Traditional European Sport Activities. Traditional European sports are part of our cultural heritage and excellent means of promoting health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA).

Research shows that too many people across Europe are not physically active enough. This has a serious impact on general health, the frequency of preventable diseases, and the number of premature deaths.

Source: https://www.wikipedia.com/oina

The Erasmus+ programme made possible for us to initiate a project that can represent a benefit for the European society. It is our strongest belief that by promoting European traditional sports we contribute both to the promotion of historical and not so popular health-enhancing physical activities, as well as to keep alive traditional sport activities that are about to be forgotten in different parts of

1 https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/promoting-healthy-lifestyles-through-health-sport-education-and-food-policies_en, consulted on 1 December 2019

4 Europe. This brochure will take you on a journey to five traditional sport activities from France to Czech Republic, then to Romania and at the end to Estonia.

Context: Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle

Physical activity, including regular exercise and sporting activity, is the best way of staying physically and mentally fit, helps to tackle weight and obesity issues, and plays an important part in preventing or reducing the impact of many other health-related conditions.

Apart from the individual health benefits, there is evidence of the positive direct and indirect economic effects of participation in sport and physical activity.2

Physical activity is first and foremost an opportunity to have fun. Use these special moments to relax, forget about work, think about something else and change your mood. Physical activity is good for both your body and your mind, as well as adding years to your life and life to your years!

An active lifestyle has many benefits. Studies show that regular physical activity not only improves the quality of your daily life, but also increases your lifespan by reducing the risk of chronic illness. Furthermore, it has been shown that physical activity is the main factor in maintaining a fit body.

Source: https://twitter.com/kidsport_ns/status/988402122138894337

2 https://ec.europa.eu/sport/policy/societal-role/health-participation_en, consulted on 1 December 2019

5 Being physically active means that you: . Have more vitality . Are in better shape . Have better mental health . Can manage stress better . Have more self-esteem.

Physical activity helps to: . Prevent and better control some risk factors for heart disease: high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension . Improve muscle and bone health (osteoporosis prevention) . Improve sleep . Control weight.

Recommendation: Physical activity guidelines advise that we need at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity to achieve health benefits. The guidelines also recommend adding activities that target bones and muscles at least twice a week to help make your bones stronger (...)3. All these benefits can easily be achieved by involving in any of the five traditional sports we are about to explore in the next chapter.

3 https://www.dairygoodness.ca/good-health/healthy-active-living/the-benefits-of-being-active, consulted on 1 December 2019

6 Description of our project

The idea of this project sprung from the common desire of all the five organisations to promote traditional sport activities in their communities by raising the interest of the youth for playing them.

Our intention is to make these sport activities known and accessible for young people and adults. All the five partners have previous experience in working with young people and promoting sport activities. The partners aim to collaborate in order to commonly achieve the goals of the project.

Games or sport activities less known by the large public are present in each partner country. We want to promote, for instance, in France Jeu de paume - a predecessor of today’s tennis, which, according to studies, has lost its popularity during the period between the two World Wars. In Romania, Oina is a game that still has a big popularity at national level. At the same time, it is a game poorly promoted among young people who might show interest for playing and, in this way, preserving the tradition. Țurca became a game played in the north-west region of Romania, in Maramureș, where it has its origins but it is less known at national level. Archery is a traditional sport in Estonia, popular among adults, but less performed by the youth due to the low number of experienced trainers in this sport and extensive need of equipment and open space. Vybíjená is an original Czech game and its popularity decreased because of the fast expansion of other sports.

Source: Photo by Authors

7 The problem that our project is tacking is the low level of interest of young people aged 15-22 from the five communities for practicing traditional sport activities. The cause of the problem is the poor knowledge of the rules and the equipment needed to perform these activities. Together with our partners, we decided to involve the 15-22 age group as being the most effective age where young people are willing to discover new ways of spending their time and at the same time to perform and specialize in a specific area, in our case, in sport. In addition, young people of this age have the capability to understand how important it is to perform in a game or do a sport activity and recognize its benefits.

The concept of this project originates from the common need of the five partners to promote traditional sport activities in their communities in order to preserve them as a part of the European cultural heritage. We aim to provide correct information for the youth regarding the required equipment and rules to play these sport activities. We created a partnership in which the knowledge and experience of each partner will be put to work for the common goal of the project.

An added value to this project is represented by the intercultural impact of all our activities at the level of member staff from each organization involved during the lifetime of the project. Exchanging the concepts of each game or sport activity among all the youth workers, coaches and volunteers engaged in this project will contribute to shaping the form of a Europe united in diversity with important sportive cultural values.

Traditional sports are more than physical activities; they offer socialization in the direction of cooperation and community. This aspect of the traditional sport activities is perhaps its most valuable characteristic. We play because it is fun, and it encourages our feeling of togetherness.

Source: Photo by Authors

8 Objectives

The goal of our project is to increase the interest of at least 500 young people aged 15-22 from the five communities where our organizations are active in, to practice traditional games and sports activities by providing them with correct and precise information on the rules and equipment required in order to perform each game and sport activity, and therefore contributing to the continuity of traditional sportive activities and preservation of cultural heritage from each country involved.

Specific objectives: O1. Increasing the interest of young people aged 15-22 from the five communities to practice traditional sport activities, by creating an action plan containing the target groups, the methodology and the instruments required to achieve this objective, until the end of the project.

O2. Raising the level of competences of the young people aged 15- 22 from the five communities regarding the history, the rules and the equipment needed to play the traditional sport of their country, by creating an informative brochure containing all this information and by providing hands on experience playing the traditional sports and games until the end of the project.

O3. Increasing the capability of the five organisations to promote traditional sport activities in their community after the project ends by setting up future collaborations between each organization and at least two local institutions (schools, sport clubs, townhall, private companies) from each community that are willing to support their work, until the end of the project.

Relation between project objectives and European policies in the field of sport:

Traditional sport activities are a mirror of the social, linguistic and cultural richness of the different territories forming part of Europe, and as such they acquire the dimension of cultural heritage. This is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which states that traditional sport activities are part of intangible heritage and a symbol of the cultural diversity of our societies. They are also an efficient way of conveying values of solidarity, diversity, inclusiveness, equal opportunities and cultural awareness.

Our project objectives are closely linked to the European policies in the field of sport presented in the European Council- Declaration on sport-Annex 54 promoting the inclusion and active involvement of the youth in practicing sport activities and contributing to the conservation of the European sportive cultural values such as games originated on the territory of Europe.

4 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/104692.pdf, consulted on 1st August 2019

9 Traditional Sports

Jeu de Paume (France)

About Jeu de Paume

Like tennis, “Jeu de paume”, or also called game of palm or short palm, is a spectacular sport, which requires great physical qualities and strategy: speed, fineness, precision and use of the ground and the different possible rebounds on the walls and roofs of the courts. The main feature of this sport lies in its rules, defined back in 1592, which leave much room for strategy and tactical spirit. At each game, many options of playing are offered in order to defeat the opponent.

Source: Photo by Authors

History of Jeu de Paume

Jeu de paume (game of the palm) originated out of France as early as the 17th century. This game has also been known as real tennis and is known as the earliest version of tennis that was played indoors. The ball was different than the traditional yellow tennis ball that is used today.

Unlike the latex-based technology underlying the modern lawn-tennis ball, the game still uses a cork-based ball very close in design to the original balls used in the game. The 2 1⁄2-inch (64 mm) diameter balls are handmade and consist of a core made of cork with fabric tape tightly wound around it and covered with a hand-sewn layer of heavy, woven, woolen cloth, traditionally “Melton” cloth.5

5 http://squashjeudepaume.com/le-jeu-de-paume, consulted on 1st August 2019

10 Rules of playing

As in tennis, the Jeu de Paume is played in singles or doubles and consists of sending the ball over the net with a racket. Only a rebound on the ground is allowed, however there is no limit for rebounds on the walls or roofs that are part of the game.

The service is always made from the "inside": The ball put into service must touch at least once the roof of the gallery on the side "devers" and fall into the service square. A player wins an exchange and scores fifteen when the ball touches the "grid" (la grille), falls into the "last open" (called “the bell”) or ends in the "inside". If the ball falls to its second rebound after the "D" line on the side, the serving player scores a point.

If a player makes a mistake or returns the ball in the central net, he gives a point to his opponent. The counting of the points is made by fifteen then by 10 (15, 30, 40, advantage, game, sleeve). This way of counting points has existed since the Middle Ages and has been adopted by tennis.

The system of hunts used in many games in the Middle Ages persisted to the short palm where it determines in particular the change of side of the players. If the ball makes two rebounds on the ground without the player having been able to touch it, the location of the second rebound is identified by the lines called “hunts” (chasses). This unresolved point is put back into play and the pitch is then reduced between the back wall and the hunt (la chasses).

Plan of the court

Source: https://www.alternatives-paloises.com/article.php3%3Fid_article=3248.html

11 Necessary equipment and costs

The palm racket is slightly curved with a very tight string and a tami of an adapted shape for the recovery of the balls in the angles of the walls. Although based on ancient rules, the material has also evolved with new technologies: the wood of rackets has given way to carbon, felt slippers to high-tech shoes adapted to hard surfaces. Only the balls are still done by the professional of each club. Hand sewn from simple materials such as felt, cotton strips (7 meters for a ball); there are small pieces of cork in the center.

Since “Jeu de Paume” is played indoors, on a special court, the rental price of such playground varies depending on number of persons, time spent or membership. The balls and rackets used in this game are hand made by professionals, therefore their cost goes up to 30 euros for a ball and 300 euros for 1 racket6.

Source: Photo by Authors

6 http: //squashjeudepaume.com/tarifs-et-infos-pratiques, consulted on 1 August 2019

12 Benefits of practicing

Source: Illustration by Authors

At this game, tactics are as important if not more than physical strength, which explains the longevity of the players.

Legs are mostly used – running left and right on the court, hitting the ball and following the trajectory of the ball when it hits the wall will put a beneficial pressure on the legs, improving their strength and in the same time contributing to your reflexes.

One arm and the chest are particularly used – the one that holds the racket.

Chart evaluation of Jeu de Paume

Source: Chart by Authors

13 Vybíjená (Czech Republic)

Summary

Vybíjená is a team ball game with dynamic progression and a strong involvement of all players in the game based on basic movement skills - throwing and catching the ball. The game develops especially dexterity, speed, concentration, spatial orientation and a sense of teamwork.

Vybíjená is played with a volleyball ball, with which players try to hit the designated area of the opponents and remove opponent players from the game by hitting them with the ball. Two teams play against each other, each of which occupies half the playing field. Each team has a captain, who stands in the background behind the opponent's half. The player who is hit falls out and goes to the background behind the opponent's half. The player can also save himself if he catches the ball. The team which discharges all opponents, including the captain, wins.

Source: Photo by Authors

Playground, equipment and costs

The game uses a volleyball court without a net with a larger space behind the sidelines (mainly behind the end lines). It is recommended to play the sport in smaller gyms. The only equipment item needed is one volleyball ball. Except the playground rent the only cost is having one volleyball ball, therefore the sport is very low cost and that is also why it is very popular in Czech primary schools and high schools as part of physical education classes.

Source: https://www.assk.cz/down/2016/1003/pravidla-vybijena-2015-2016-0716.pdf

Source: Photo by Authors

15 Rules of playing

Two teams play against each other, which are further divided into field players and the captain, who moves behind the end line of the opposite side of the court. The game begins with choosing the starting team, after which the ball team must first make the pass-through opponent's field three times (uninterrupted passes between the field and the captain) and only then can the players in the field be discharged. The ball is so-called charged every time after caught pass through opponent's field. The discharged players go through the center cross to the side of their own captain and help him catch the passes from the field and discharge his opponent on his half. After discharging the opponent player successfully, the opponent team receives the ball for the next start. Steps are not allowed - except of the captain (in the final stage of the match), no one has the right to move with the ball under control. If the sidelines borders are stepped over (line break), the team loses the ball. If a player has avoided being hit with a charged ball with this offense, he is automatically discharged. If no player is left in the field, the captain comes in and has three lives (after the third discharge the game ends.

The main movement during the game while throwing the ball looks like this:

Source: https://islandscene.com/

Source: Photo by Authors

16 Safety measures

Vybíjená does not need any special safety measures, but it is important that at least a few players are able to give first aid and can help with problems such as twisted ankles or fingers which can happen during playing this sport.

Benefits of practicing

Vybíjená is a very good opportunity for inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, especially economic and social disadvantages, as it is played with almost no equipment needed (just the ball) and can be played on many surfaces, outdoor and indoor. It is played from early age of children in primary schools, including everybody in classes of physical education. Beside this, as any other sport it has some physical benefits.

Source: Illustration by Authors

17 Chart evaluation of Vybíjená

Source: Chart by Authors

Source: Photo by Authors

18 Oina (Romania)

About Oina

Oina is a traditional Romanian sports game certified documentary since 1364, when it was played for the first time. The game was widespread throughout the country, with a large number of names and variants. Also, similar in many ways to baseball and lapta.

Source: Photo by Authors

History of Oina The name "oină" was originally "hoina", and is derived from the Cuman word oyn "game" (a cognate of Turkish). The oldest mentions come from the 14th century. The oldest direct mention comes from a diet manual of 1782 by medic Istvan Matyus, who talks about the health benefits of oina. Oina was first mentioned during the rule of Vlaicu Vodă in 1364, when it spread all across Wallachia. Source: http://www.johnjeansonne.com/?p=1338 In 1899, Spiru Haret, the minister of education decided that oină was to be played in schools in physical education classes. He organized the first annual oină competitions. The Romanian Oină Federation ("Federaţia Română de Oină") was founded in 1932, and was reactivated at the beginning of the 1950s, after a brief period when it was dissolved. Today, there are two oină federations: one in Bucharest, Romania and another one in Chișinău, Moldova.

19 Rules of playing

The teams have very different roles depending on whether they are at bat or at catch. At bat players are given the task to open a play and run the lanes until they cross the escape line. At catch players have the task to hit the players running the lanes with the ball. There can be a maximum of 2 players running each lane at the same time. A player can be hit in both lanes once.

Source: Photo by Authors

1. The game of the team “at bat” The players can hit the ball with the bat just once, from the protection zone. The player gets the ball from his team mate or the one who will be next at bat, this one will serve him the ball as he prefers, according with the technique used by him. Taking into account the distance where the ball falls, the team at bat can have 1 or 2 points for each strike. At this point of the game, it is the only way the team can achieve points. After striking the ball with the bat, the players “at bat” would have to enter the field, from the start line, individually or in groups of 2, according with the technique used by the team. They would go through both lanes (the fourth lane and the back lane), trying to defend themselves, so the players from the team “at catching” couldn’t hit them with the ball in order to get more points. On a lane (it doesn’t matter if it’s the fourth or the back lane) there can be maximum 2 players. During their running through the lanes, the players “at bat” can defend themselves only with their hands, so if the ball stroke their palms the hit is not valid. The first half ends when all 11 players of the team “at bat” had hit the ball with the bat and passed through the lanes, getting out at the escape line.

Source: Photo by Authors

20 2. The game of the team “at catching” The players of the team “at catching” occupy the 9 circles from the field and the 2 zones. The player who acts in the strike zone is called front ranker and the one who acts in the back zone is called defender. The other 9 players left, who stand in the circles, are called as follows: the ones from the 6 exterior circles are called left- and right- fielders and the ones who act from the 3 interior circles are called midfielders. The second midfielder is the game coordinator. The players “at catching”, after recovering the ball from the hit of an opponent keeps it between them rapidly in order to put the opponents in a difficult situation, looking for an opportunity to hit them. The team “at catching” obtains 2 points for each hit, if the player who stroke had at least one foot in his playing area (circle or zone), all this time. A player can be hit on any part of his body, except his palms, with which he can defend himself from the strikes (but not the other part of the hands, where the strike is considered to be valid).

In conclusion: • The players “at bat” strike the ball with the bat to send it as far as possible, trying to get more points, and then defending themselves from their opponents’ strikes when passing through the lanes. • The players “at catching” get the ball fast in order to hit their opponents to get the points. • The points from each half add to the total. • The team who gets more points is the winner.

Source: Photo by Authors

21 Necessary Equipment and Costs

The wooden baton

The baton is used by the players of the batting team when hitting the ball during the game and by the two team captains, when choosing the field. The cane must be made of a hardwood (beech, ash, etc.). It has the shape of a cone trunk, 90-100 cm long, with a diameter of 5 cm at one end and 3.5 cm at the other end. For children the cane will have a length of 75-80 cm, with diameters of 4 cm at one end and 2.5 cm at the other end.

The ball

The ball is spherical, with a diameter of approx. 8 cm, circumference of approx. 25 cm and the weight of approx. 140 gr. It is made of leather and is filled with horse, bovine or pig hair, in no case with sawdust, carp, stones, sand or silvery hair. For games between children use balls with a diameter of approx. 7 cm, circumference of approx. 22 cm, and the weight of approx. 100 gr. The ball must be made of 8 pieces of leather, cut in the form of curved equilateral triangles and sewn together in the same color.

A rectangle pitch, 70m long by 32m wide.

COSTS: the players need to pay a certain amount for the pitch, and buying the wooden baton. and the ball which have a fair price.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oin%C4%83#Rules

22 Benefits of practicing

In this game, the player must have important skills like strength, speed of reaction, distributive attention, reflection, speed of movement etc. Hands are mostly used - throwing the ball with the wooden baton and holding it as well. At the same time, the abdominal muscles play an important role when the player is hitting the ball with the stick, using a rotation abdominal movement.

Source: Illustration by Authors

Chart evaluation of Oina

Source: Chart by Authors

23 Țurca (Romania)

Description of the game

Do you prefer sport more than dancing? In that case you are also welcome for a game called Țurca. Țurca is a traditional Romanian game, played by two teams of five people. The aim is to toss a small stick in the air and to hit it with a big stick as far away as possible. It looks to be a bit similar to baseball. All kidding aside: this really is a must to have it done once!

Source: Photo by Authors History of Țurca Țurca! A game that the children of the 60-70s of the last century still remember quite well. For young people nowadays, this game called Țurca is rather a true story, it is a memory related to the stories of our parents or grandparents. A game that may seemingly be known, however, in reality remains unknown for today. An interesting fact is that a few years ago, țurca was played (and some people are still playing today) on the whole Romanian space. We cannot talk about a game that appeared and developed only in a specific region. Therefore, țurca has deep roots over time. It is not logical that in 70-80 years it would expand so rapidly from the Maramureș area to the Nistru river or vice versa, given that there was no mass media. So, we can talk about the țurca as a traditional game, specific to the Romanian space, which is today between the space between Prut and Nistru, and it is no longer practiced!

Source: Photo by Authors

Rules of playing A. the two teams sit one at a time in the pit and the other in the field; B. the team that will give each player a series of shots from the pit direction to the team sitting on the field; C. the team located in the field has the task of catching or throwing the pitcher according to certain rules; D. The first shot belongs to the players near the pit and consists of placing the torch perpendicular to the pit. The first player with both hands takes the club/thick stick in such a way that the other plunger end is placed in the groove, under țurca. Then țurca is thrown through a jerk, into the ground. Players from the other team must stand at a distance of about 6 steps, and at this point they must catch the țurca. If he catches it without first touching the ground, the player from the pit is eliminated and must pass the next player in the team from the shot. If one of the team members in the field manages to reach țurca, then that member wins the opportunity to take a "step" from where the ground țurca is reached. The one who threw the pitcher is to place the pitch perpendicular over the middle of the pit, and the player who touched the pitcher will take the pitcher in his hand and take a step from where the pitcher fell in the direction of the pit. He will then throw the bolt towards the pit in such a way as to drop the player's shot from the opposing team, which is positioned in the pit. If he touches the pit, the player from the pit is eliminated, and if not, the one from the pit will move to the second shot. E. The second shot is to put țurca with one end in the pit, so that the player can hit the tug on the other end so that the țurca jumps up and out of the air to hit țurca as far as the ground. Here, if the field team grabs țurca before it reaches the surface of the ground, it removes those from the pit and hits it. Where the turkey falls, it is estimated how many bumps, head to head, are up to the pit, and the one from the pit asks the team from the field for approval. If I agree, the number of points established is offered, if not, it is measured, counted. When the ones from the hit with the estimated

25 one are wrong, they are given double minus, and if the ones on the field are wrong in approval, they are double to those who asked, from the hit.

Source: Photo by Authors

F. If in the second shot the țurca touches one of the players on the field at this second shot, without him catching it before it touches the ground, a number of points is deducted established at the beginning for team on the field. G. Play continues up to a certain score. Usually it is 120. In any case it could be modified according to the wishes of the participants.

Source: Photo by Authors

Necessary Equipment and Costs 1. a space about 40-50 m long and 20-25 wide; 2. two teams (one or more players in each team, but not more than 3-4 in a team); 3. a pit of not too large dimensions (about 5 cm in depth and about 20 cm in length); 4. a trunk about 60-80 cm long; 5. Țurca, which is a bit smaller than approx. 15-20 cm long, sharpened at the ends and should be carved in such a way as to be made up of 4 four well-defined sides. COSTS: Țurca is a game which does not include costs. It is an outdoor activity and if you play it you just need to manage to find the necessary equipment.

Safety measures Țurca does not need any special safety measures. Anyhow, in case of an accident, we advise have a person that will prevent the risks and perhaps find solutions for it, or just to be able to give some help in case of emergencies.

Source: Photo by Authors

27 Benefits of practicing When you play țurca, the most important thing in this game is focus and how concentrate the team can be during the traditional game.

Hands are mostly used- throwing the țurca in the air with a club/thick and strong stick or catching the țurca in the air.

The person who throws the țurca in the air uses its power and energy- either both hands used or just one of them.

Source: Illustration by Authors Chart evaluation of Țurca

Source: Chart by Authors

28 Archery (Estonia)

Description of Archery Archery is the art, sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows. The word comes from the Latin arcus. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who participates in archery is typically called an archer or a bowman, and a person who is fond of or an expert at archery is sometimes called a toxophilite.

Source: Photo by Authors

History of Archery

Today it's known as a popular sport, but hundreds and thousands of years ago, archery was a means of survival and a weapon of power.

Archery has been a crucial part of warfare as well as hunting throughout the history, deciding some of the most important historical battles and used by the legends such as Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun and William Tell. Even though historians are still debating about the exact origin of archery, they all agree that this fascinating art dates back to the Stone Age, some 20,000 years BC. Since then, archery has evolved and spread to almost every continent on the planet, only omitting Australia on its journey through the ages.

In ancient history, archery was adopted by the ancient Egyptians who were the first to make a composite bow around 2800BC, which is created from a number of different materials. They were quickly followed by other powerful forces such as Persians, Greeks and Romans who all used it as the main weapon in their conquests.

Even though archery was not invented in Estonia, once the weapon instruments evolved along the time, Estonia was one of the first countries to transform what once was a lethal instrument for

29 hunting and indispensable weapon into a hobby, into a sport. It became the main subject of numerous sportive contests and so an important part of Estonian Culture.

Rules of playing

Archers must adhere to all official rules in terms of the equipment they use in the performance of their sport, with the main emphasis being on them using no equipment or accessories that would give an unfair advantage over an opponent.

The maximum time permitted to shoot an end of three arrows is two minutes, and four minutes for an end of six arrows.

Athletes may not raise the bow arm until the signal to start is given and penalties can be given – in the form of points forfeits – if the bow is drawn after the official practice has been closed.

An arrow cannot be re-shot under any circumstances. The arrow may be considered not to have been shot if it falls from the bow or misfires, or if the target blows or falls over. Extra time would be given in such circumstances.

An arrow that rebounds or hangs from the target will still score based on the mark it makes on the target face. Arrows that stick – Robin Hood-style – in the nock of another shall score the same as the arrow in which they are embedded. Athletes can be disqualified, have points deducted or be banned from competition for various breaches of rules, based on the severity of the offence.

If the equipment is damaged, appeals can be made to the judge for such equipment to be replaced or fixed, and any time allowances will be at the judge’s discretion.

Source: Photo by Authors

Players, Equipment and Costs

While clearly only one archer holds a bow at once, both individual and team competitions are undertaken. Archers must, of course, have a bow, which is described by the World Archery Federation (WA) as “an instrument consisting of a handle (grip), riser (no shoot-through type) and two flexible limbs each ending in a tip with a string nock.”

The bowstring may have any number of strands as long as it fits the bow, and an adjustable arrow rest and a bow sight may also be used. There is little restriction over the types of arrows used, other than those that may cause undue damage to targets, though the maximum diameter of the arrow shaft should not exceed 9.3mm and the diameter of the tips should not exceed 9.4mm. The athletes’ arrows should all be marked with his or her name or initials on the shaft and all arrows used by a competitor in a particular round (or “end”) should be identical.

Finger protection (including tape or gloves) may be used, as are chest protectors, arm guards and other such accessories that offer no explicit advantage other than of a protective or comfort- enhancing nature.

The target itself varies in size – those used in Olympic archery events measure 122cm in diameter – but all contain 10 concentric rings which represent the different scoring sectors. The outermost two rings (called one ring and two ring) are white, three and four are black, five and six are blue, seven and eight are red and nine and ten – the innermost rings – are gold. Ten ring also has an inner ring (known as “inner 10” or “X ring”) which is sometimes used to decide ties.

Costs: down below, you can see all the necessary equipment you need to buy for practicing the sport. The costs of the equipment are accessible to everyone.

31 Safety measures

A bowman has to know few safety rules before practicing the sport:

Only point the bow and arrow in a safe direction. Only nock an arrow when it’s safe to shoot. Be sure of your target and what is in front of it, immediately behind it, and beyond it. Never shoot over a ridge. Only shoot when you have a safe range or shooting area, and a safe backstop or background. Avoid dry-firing a bow (releasing the bowstring without a nocked arrow). It may cause serious damage to the bow and can injure the archer. Do not shoot an arrow straight up in the air. Wear an armguard and finger protection while shooting bows and arrows.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/sports/archery

32 Benefits of practicing

At this game, the most important skills the plays must have are strength, exercise, control, coordination, patience, self-confidence. Hands are mostly used - holding the bow and pointing the arrow to the target.

Source: Illustration by Authors

Chart evaluation of Archery

Source: Chart by Authors

33 Final remarks

The Erasmus+ programme made possible for us to initiate a project that can be a benefit for the European society. It is our strongest belief that by promoting European traditional sports we contribute both to the promotion of historical and not so popular health-enhancing physical activities, as well as to keep alive traditional sport activities that are about to be forgotten in different parts of Europe. This brochure took you on a journey to five traditional sport activities from France to Czech Republic, then to Romania and at the end to Estonia.

In our brochure, France was represented by Jeu de paume - a predecessor of today’s tennis, which, according to studies has lost its popularity during the period between the two world wars. In Romania, Oina is a game that still has a big popularity at national level but is a game poorly promoted among young people who might show interest for playing and, in this way, preserving the tradition. Țurca became a game played in the north-west region of Romania, in Maramureș, where it has its origins and is less known at national level. Archery is a traditional sport in Estonia, popular among adults, but less performed by the youth due to the low number of experienced trainers in this sport and extensive need of equipment and open space. Vybíjená is an original Czech game and its popularity decreased because of the fast expansion of other sports.

In conclusion, the 5 sports mentioned above are great ideas for spending free time with friends and family, and also contributing to maintaining the traditional sports. To get you started, find out more about these sports in the promotional video that we have created:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBynpn4sZro

34 Infobox Links that can be useful

● “Jeu de paume”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeu_de_paume ● “La Paume”, http://squashjeudepaume.com/le-jeu-de-paume ● “Tarifs 2020”, http://squashjeudepaume.com/tarifs-et-infos-pratiques ● “Le Président de La Fédération Française de Jeu de Paume répond aux questions d’A@P”, https://www.alternatives-paloises.com/article.php3%3Fid_article=3248.html ● History of Oina, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oin%C4%83 ● Rules of playing Oina, necessary equipment and costs, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oin%C4%83#Rules ● ”Țurca”, https://tanchistiiinvizibili.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/turca-joc-national-uitat-in- timp/ ● Equipment and Costs for Țurca; https://tanchistiiinvizibili.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/turca- joc-national-uitat-in-timp/ ● ”Archery”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery#History ● History of archery; https://www.uncommoncarry.com/blogs/news/a-brief-history-of-archery ● Rule of playing and equipment, https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/archery.html ● ”Archery”- safety measures rules, shorturl.at/rDJQ9 ● Základní pravidla vybíjené, https://www.assk.cz/down/2016/1003/pravidla-vybijena-2015- 2016-0716.pdf ● Benefits of sport, https://twitter.com/kidsport_ns/status/988402122138894337 ● Archery, https://www.britannica.com/sports/archery

Webography

• Estonian Archery Association, https://worldarchery.org/member/est/estonian-archery- association • Société Sportive du Jeu de Paume & de Racquets, http://www.squashjeudepaume.com/ • Federatia Romana de Oina, http://froina.ro/ • S. Clubul Roman de Țurca, https://tzurca.wordpress.com/

35 Created in collaboration with:

Asociaţia Sportivă Clubul Român de Țurcă

Société Sportive du Jeu de Paume & de Racquets Youth for Youth

MTU Coraliam

Special thanks for the creation of this brochure goes to the collaborators of “Traditional European Sport Activities” project: Nicolae Dobre, Mihail Manole, Rod McNaughtan.

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ISBN: 978-606-93838-8-9 2020