Tchoukball·a Sport for allToday, we hear or read more and more often about violence at school, Tchoukball is an excellent opportunity to teach non-violence and respect to students and young people. It is also a fast pace, fun, and exciting team game
Basic
Principles and Advantages of Tchoukball This game
is based on a fundamental ideal; to realise the educational potential in sport
for the greatest number of individuals. Thus Tchoukball is conceived to be
played as a school activity, as a family game , as a leisure time, and also as a
competitive sport. Its major
advantages include: 1)
That
it is primarily a non-aggressive game, designed to allow enjoyable matches as
much between individuals as between nations. 2)
That
the rules oblige players to respect their opponents, who can not be prevented
from playing by man-to-man covering and tackling which so often nowadays
involves or results in, real aggression. (In any case it is felt that this form
of play demands relatively little intelligence and is often used to compensate
for. or cover up, technical inferiority.) By comparison, while allowing an
opponent freedom of play, allowing him to move , pass or throw at the frame
without hindrance, the Tchoukball
player must seek to anticipate the actions and reaction of his opponents as well
as regulating his own movements and thought become more complex and the
educational potential of the game is increased. 3)
That
Tchoukball avoids the tense competitiveness which afflicts many of our national
team games at present. The game allows each player to express himself within his
own physical and intellectual capabilities, and players of different
capabilities can play together without a weaker (or even handicapped) player
being played out of, or left out of, the game. 4)
That
dimension of the playing area can be varied to obtain different physiological
effects, and also to ensure the effective organisation of teaching. In cases
where space is limited, the game makes a high density use of the space
available. 5)
That,
as the ball should not touch the ground, the game can be played on virtually any
reasonably smooth surface; from the gymnasium or sports hall floor to the beach,
and including grass, tarmac or beaten earth surfaces. 6)
Finally, that as the rules are simple and can
be understood and assimilates rapidly without difficulty - they are accessible to
everyone. To play
Tchoukball, you need to have -
a court or a field of
Basketball (60 feet x 120 feet) or smaller The
Playing Area The
recommended playing area is a 60 feet x 120 feet rectangle (or smaller); it
consists of a field of play and two forbidden zones. The long sides are known as
the sidelines and the short lines as the base lines. The playing area is divided
into two zones by a median line joining the midpoints of the sidelines. Simple
tactics One of the
advantages of introducing a new game is that tactics have not reached a highly
developed form, Tchoukball awaits the development of advanced tactics, ãset
playsä, etc. by the players and teachers of the future. However, beginners must
start with a few essential tactical points in mind. 1)
To
score a point, the
ball must rebound from the frame to fall into unoccupied ground within the
limits of the field of play. This means that a team in attack (unless the player
receiving the ball is well positioned) must interpass to send the ball to that
team member who is best placed to make such a shot. This involves a rapid
assessment of the positions of team members and opponents., and also of the
variations of rebound trajectory which can result from shots made using
different techniques. Similarly, assessment of these possibilities and
appropriate covering will be the role of the defending
team. 2)
The
rule says: A player commits a fault if he obstruct the movement of an opponent
about to receive the ball, shoot, pass, position himself... Obstruction is a
contravention of the essential spirit of the game. To move and obstruct a player
about to take a pass, a rebound, or about to shoot, is deliberate fault. A
player commits another fault if he makes more than three contacts with his feet
on the ground while holding the ball. He commits also a fault if he makes a pass
that takes the team count of successive passes over three before throwing the
ball on the frame. 3)
In
breaking down the covering of rebounds, it is useful tactically to remember that
balls returning with quite a range of trajectory differences height-wise (for
example, balls which can be caught below knee height or caught jumping to full
stretch height) can be covered with relatively little displacement of the
catcher, but that shots which cause the defending players to move rapidly
sideways are most likely to unbalance territorial coverage by the oppositions
and open up unoccupied areas in the field of play. Passing to and shooting from
wide angles, away from the central positions immediately in front of the frame,
will result in a more active game and many more opportunities to out manoeuvre
the opposition. Historical Backround Dr. Hemann
Brandt, was an eminent Swiss Biologist. It was through his work in practical
application of scientific knowledge in the sphere of physical activities that
the idea of the fame of Tchoukball had its foundation. After writing the book
ãFrom physical education to Sport Through Biologyä Dr Hermann Brandt presented
his now famous paper ãA Scientific Criticism of Team Gamesä. This won him the
award of ãthe Thulin Prizeä presented at the University of Lisbon on August
16th, 1970. The
practical expression of his idea, stemming from his critical study of existing
games, is the game we have come to know as TCHOUKBALL. It derives its name from
the sound the ball makes as it rebounds from the net. Dr Brandt felt this would
be universally acceptable, He died
in November 1972, but not before he saw some of his high hope
realised. Most games
can be traced to humble beginnings and periods of slow development before
becoming established as a national and international sport. Tchoukball is no
exception. It has
taken time and patience to convince people that this unique game is truly a ã
Sport for allä, but now all the signs indicate that the message is getting
across. The last decade have seen remarkable growth, and this year already
promises a gathering momentum in membership. From the
beginning the game has appealed to an extraordinarily wide and diverse spectrum
of people, clubs, organisations, public services and educational establishment.
The major impact was initially in Schools, to begin with many of them believed
that the one ended game was acceptable, but experience soon made them aware that
Tchoukball is really a double ended game. As colleges
and Universities introduced the game into teaching courses it became more widely
accepted. It is from there that the greatest progress has come for, as young
people who were taught the game in school leave, they are setting up their own
club. Today,
Tchoukball is no longer just another new team game to be regarded with doubt and
suspicion. It is being played in most parts of the world, with much energy and
enthusiasm, varying levels of skill but, above all with a great deal of
enjoyment. It has been introduced and is played in many countries across the
world including: France, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Canada, India, Pakistan,
Great Britain, China, Japan. USA and Canada are also discovering this game with
great enthusiasm. For more
information My name is
Pierre-Alain Girardin, I am from Switzerland and I am very interested in
introducing this new and exciting sport to the United States, in particular to
Montgomery County. I am trying to introduce this sport to the community and
build up support for a community wide program. My goals are to present
Tchoukball and make this new exciting game more widely known. I would like also
to help PE teachers and people in charge of Recreation Department to teach
Tchoukball at their school or County. I can make demonstrations (live
demonstrations) and presentations at any places in the USA. I would like to say
thank you in advance to everyone who will support me in prompting Tchoukball in
this country. More information are available at: www.tchoukball.net.
Email: pierre@tchoukball.net. Reference: Return to Previous Page |