Starting off slow

For the curation that follows, I am hoping to enlighten you, the reader, about all those weird and interesting sports out there. The thing is, you have to take into consideration that somewhere, people have heard of these sports. I personally have not heard of most of them and I can imagine that most people have not heard of them either. However, that does not mean that they are not real sports and do not require the same amount of strength, reflexes, and agility. But some of them don't. Enjoy!

Water Polo


Water polo is not a fairly uncommon sport, I mean it is in the olympics, but I wanted to start with one that has the greatest chance of being known. Water polo is played in water, obviously, and many first-time onlookers are typically very confused because the main part of the game is the whistle blowing. It happens all the time because of many different things. Here's the gist of the game:

• Get the ball in the goal-duh
• There are four quarters, at the beginning of each there is a swim-off for possession
• There is a 30-second shot clock, not shooting results in a turnover
• You can only use one hand, goalies can use two
• You are unable to enter within two-meters of the goal without the ball
• You are allowed to press the person with the ball if they are holding it
• if you are aggressively going for the ball and the offensive player drops it, it's a foul
• If you get fouled outside of the five-meter, you can sutomatically take a shot
• if you wait to shoot the goal will not count
• You have to put the ball into play within five seconds otherwise it's a turnover
• putting the ball into play consists of a pass, swimming with the ball, or popping it (throwing it up into the air)

Those are the main points, there are many other rules but there's too many and listing them all would cause much more unneccessary confusion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlI-7ir36Vo only watch 10:00 to 10:17

Baseball and Lumberjack Competition

Baseball

http://mindforsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Mike-Sweeney-Baseball-Photos-080.jpg

A baseball/softball game is played by two teams who alternate between offense and defense. There are nine players on each side. The goal is to score more runs than the opponent, which is achieved by one circuit of four bases that are placed on the diamond. Each team has nine players in its batting order, and they must stick to that order throughout the game (players may substitute in for other players). A play begins with a batter waiting to hit a pitch from the pitcher. If the batter hits the ball into the field of play, the batter runs to first base and can run to as many bases as he or she deems fit without getting "out."
http://baseball.about.com/od/thebasics/a/basebasicrules.htm


Lumberjack Competition-Standing Block Chop

Time begins when the axe hits the wood and customarily ends when the block is severed or when it hits the ground. Block is to be fastened in an upright stanchion or dummy supplied by the contest organizers. It is the responsibility of the contestant to make sure that their block is properly secured to the top of the dummy. Running of a chip to the top of the block (slabbing), without proper precautions, will be grounds for disqualification. The first hit on each side should be in an upward direction.
http://www.starinfo.com/ljguide/events/rules.shtml




http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1215830

These lumberjacks are continuously making the same chopping motion as baseball players up to bat. But baseball players only have to try three times until they hit the ball. Lumberjack competitiors have to hit a trunk of a tree until they have split it in half. That's hard. They need to wind up again numerous times. We should commend them for their strength and determination.

Boxing and Chess Boxing

Boxing

 The Mandatory Eight (8) Count after knockdowns will be standard procedure in all WBF championship contests.  When a boxer is knocked down, the referee shall audibly announce the count as he motions with his right arm downward indicating the end of each sound of the count. A boxer shall receive a twenty (20) second count if the boxer is knocked out of the ring and onto the floor. You cannot hit below the belt, hold, trip, kick, headbutt, wrestle, bite, spit on, or push your opponent. A floored boxer has up to ten seconds to get back up on his feet before losing the bout by knockout. You cannot hit with your head, shoulder, forearm, or elbow.
http://www.worldboxingfederation.net/wbfrulesandregulations.htm
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Rules_of_Boxing



Chess Boxing

In a chessboxing fight two opponents play alternating rounds of chess and boxing. The contest starts with a round of chess, followed by a boxing round, followed by another round of chess and so on.
A contest consists of 11 rounds, 6 rounds of chess, 5 rounds of boxing. A round of chess takes 4 minutes. Each competitor has 12 minutes on the chess timer. A round of boxing takes 3 minutes. Between the rounds there is a 1 minute pause, during which competitors change their gear. If the chess game ends in a stalement, the opponent with the higher score in boxing wins. If there is an equal score, the opponent with the black pieces wins.
http://wcbo.org/content/e14/






http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1215422

Chess boxing, can we all agree, is harder than regular boxing. They have the regular rules of boxing applied to them plus the fact that they also have to play a game in chess. I don't know about you but after having my face punched I would not be in the mood to play a game of chess. We should commend them for their strength, aggressiveness, and intelligence.

Hockey and Underwater Hockey

Hockey

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Ice_Hockey_sharks_ducks.jpg
A stick held by each player and used to retrieve, control, carry, pass and shoot the puck. The area where the goal net is located is the "defending zone" for the team defending that net. The middle of the rink, between two blue lines, is the "neutral zone." The area where the opposing net is located is the "attacking zone" or "offensive zone." Each hockey team has 6 players on the rink at a time: the goaltender, two defensemen, and three forwards (left, right, and center).
http://proicehockey.about.com/od/learnthegame/a/ice-hockey-rule.htm

Underwater Hockey


http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1215556

 It is played on the bottom of a swimming pool by two teams of six. Players wear fins, mask, snorkel, and a protective glove and headgear. The rules are "non-contact" and players generally cover "zones" around the puck. Play is solely on the bottom of the pool so your effectiveness is also governed by how much time you spend on the bottom ... the air is, of course, on the top. In the game, exertion usually shortens bottom time to less than 30 seconds. 
http://www.underwater-society.org/uwhockey.html

This is also just another sport with something added to it. Or should I say taken away? Air. Like I said, no air is difficult to handle. They are doing much of the same physical activity on top of holding their breath. They have to frequently resurface in order to stay at the bottom. Impressive. We should commend them for their lung capacity and skill.

 

 

 

Swimming and Bog Snorkelling

Swimming

The connection with swimming doesn't neccesarily lie in the rules. With Bog Snorkelling, it's more about the actual act of swimming that the rules. In swimming, you must propel yourself forward using your arms and legs. You typically breath to the side in freestyle and the goal is simply to get to the other side of the pool in back the least amount of time as possible.

 

http://loughboroughsport.com/swimming-pool/files/2012/08/swimming-10.03.05.loughborough.uk124.jpg

Bog Snorkelling

The gross get-together was held at Peatlands Park, near Dungannon, on International Bog Day. It was part of a set of events aimed at showing the beauty of bogs A turf cutter looks amused as one of the competitors makes his way to the race People taking part wear snorkels and flippers, but they're not allowed to use normal swimming strokes Other activities at the show included turf-cutting demonstrations and a puppet show   Next

Bog snorkelling is a sporting event that consists of competitors completing two consecutive lengths of a 60-yard (55 m) water filled trench cut through a peat bog, in the shortest time possible.

Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers, and complete the course without using conventional swimming strokes, relying on flipper power alone.

http://www.irishbogsnorkelling.com/rules.htm

 

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1215528


Not only are these swimmers not able to do a normal swim stroke, they also have to swim through some nasty, thick water. Have you ever tried to doggy-paddle? And not just a kid doggy-paddle, and actual doggy-paddle that wil take you somewhere? It is much more difficult than doing any regular stroke. We should commend them for their adaptability and courage.

NASCAR, Street Luge and Bed Racing

NASCAR

http://www.hdwallpaperspk.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Bowyer-NASCAR-shootout-Daytona.jpg

There's not many rules in a nascar race. Start your engines, hit the gas when the checkered flag flies, go in for pit stops for gas and tires when needed, and yeah, not too many rules.

Street Luge

Street luge is an extreme sport involving riding a street luge board down a paved road or course. Street lugers ride modified skateboards in the supine position.  Race courses are usually held on mountain roads but have been held on city streets as well. Courses can range in length from half mile to three miles and vary in layout.
http://findsportsnow.com/learn/street-luge

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1214054


Street luge is much like NASCAR racing in my opinion. It requires quite a bit of steering and the knowledge of turning at high speed. But to me, street luge is harder. They are not in the comfort of a seat with doors around them. They are lying down on a modified skateboard and flying over hills. There are points where being able to stay in quite a challenge. We should commend them for their balance, agility, and reflexes.



Bed Racing

A race team consists of 5 people. One member of the team must ride on the bed at all times.

Steering: Provisions must b e made to steer the bed. May include a mechanism to steer the front two wheels, or a combination of rotating caster wheels on the front and fixed casters on the rear. Motors or other special attachments which in the view of Race Officials give an unfair advantage or create safety hazards are not allowed. Beds may not be pulled by ropes or chains.

http://www.sweetsleep.org/getinvolved/OfficialRulesforSweetSleep.pdf

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p00M2KKOniA
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1214028

 

 

Bed racing, although not as fast-paced, can still be compared to NASCAR. The racers are not in a sturdy machine but instead on a rickety bed that they have to push manually. The racers also do not get the privilege of simply pushing a peddle and accelerating. They need to run faster to be able to move any faster. We should commend them for their effort and determination.

Track and Man vs. Horse

Track-200 meter dash

http://www.polarleague.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/200Ryan.jpg

Like the marathon, the main goal is to run as fast as possible to get to the finish line. The race is halfway around a standard sized track. During the race, there are many other runners that a person races against. Since there are others racing against them, the runners have more drive to go even faster.

Man vs. Horse

The Man versus Horse Marathon is an annual race over 22 miles (35 km), where runners compete against riders on horseback. The race is a shorter distance than an official marathon road race. You probably think a foot race between a human and a horse would be pretty one-sided. However, that doesn’t stop the good people of Wales from pitting man against animal in a 22-mile marathon race. To even the playing field, much of the terrain involves trotting through thickly wooded areas -– a fact that helps man stay in the running for victory.
http://guyism.com/sports/10-strange-but-real-sports-you-havent-heard-of.html


http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1215977

People normally worry about the players running next to them. But man vs. horse takes that to the next level. Running against a horse is a much different experience. First of all, if you haven't noticed they have four legs. That's a huge advantage. However, they do get the terrain advantage because horses sometimes struggle through certain parts. We should commend tem for their courage and speed.

Shot Put and Caber Tossing

Shot Put

The shot is the metal ball which is to be thrown. There is a circle from which the shot must be put. The aim is to throw the shot as far as possible, but it should not be outside the side-boundaries of the sector. The distance thrown is measured from the inner circumference of the circle to the first 'disturbance' in the soil caused by the landing of the shot. The person with the longest throw wins. The player must first position the shot just behind his neck, between the neck and the shoulder. The player is not supposed to throw the ball in the conventional way, but has to put it. This means that the player is supposed to push the ball into the air, and not throw it like a baseball.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/shot-put-rules.html

 

Caber Tossing

 

An athlete will cup both hands under the bottom of the caber and while running forward with great strength and balance, throw the caber into the air so that the caber will flip 180 degrees, implant its top end into the ground, and roll over. The object of the game is for the caber to land in a straight line away from the athlete and is judged by its proximity to the athlete in the manner of a clock's hand with 12 o'clock being the best score. The athletes who participate in this event have strength and balance that takes years of practice to master.

http://www.scotland.com/blog/caber-toss-scotland

 

 

Compared to caber tossing, shot put is a cake-walk. They do not need to try and throw a telephone pole sized tree trunk. They have to be extremely strong to be able to lift it, plus they also need to be abe to run with it, flip it, and land it in the correct position. We should commend them for their strength.

Skiing and Cheese Rolling

Skiing

The way you stand on skis has a massive impact on the likelihood of you falling over when you start sliding. If your feet are shoulder width apart you have a better base of support than if your feet are next to each other. The most stable position when skiing is to have your feet shoulder width apart, with your toes pointing inwards and heels apart, so your skis make a triangle/V-shape (like the shape of a slice of pizza!). The snow plough position (described above) is perfect for both controlling speed and stopping on gentle slopes.
http://www.e4s.co.uk/docs/top-skiing-tips.htm



Cheese Rolling

While in reality the cheese can never actually be caught – with a brief headstart it soon reaches breakneck speeds – the race winner is the first person to cross the line at the bottom of the hill. The slope on Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester, the setting for the world-famous event, is in fact so steep that very few contenders manage to even stay on their feet, instead tumbling head-over-heels down the hill in a desperate effort to catch the coveted dairy prize.The highest injury toll in recent years occurred in 1997 when 33 competitors were treated for everything from splinters to broken bones.
http://www.soglos.com/sport-outdoor/27837/Gloucestershire-Cheese-Rolling

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1216228


For both of these, the participants are traveling down a slope at high speed. In both, there is a definite risk for falling and rolling down the hill. Skiing requires a lot of leg strength to be able to turn and cheese rolling requires a lot of balance to be able to stay upright. We should commend them for their balance and determination.

Polo, Elephant Polo, and Buzkashi

Polo. We're now going from water polo to regular polo. Regular polo, for those who don't know are played on horses. You have a large mallet and the object is to move the ball down the field and hit it into the goal.

This is how most, well me really, I'm not sure about everyone else, thinks of polo. On horses and hitting a ball along the field using a mallet until you score a goal.

Elephant Polo

 

Elephant polo is just a tad bit different. Just a tad. Just as it sounds, it is played on elephants. Elephants. No big deal.

 

The rules are similar to those of horse polo; however, there are some key differences, which should be noted. All elephants carry a player and a mahout, ladies are allowed to use both hands and mallets of around two meters in length are used.

 

Additionally there are some elephant specific rules:

•	Any team with 3 elephants in one half of the pitch is judged to have committed a foul.
•	No more than 2 elephants may be in the D at one time – one from the attacking team and one from the defending team.
•	There are no restrictions as to the height, weight or sex of the elephants.

http://anantaraelephantpolo.com/e_rules.php

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1208371 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbKtqM0hq_I

From looking at the video it is evident that elephant polo may be just as rigorous equestrian polo. Even though there are two people, it is equally difficult for each person. One has to use their leg muscles to direct an elephant. An elephant. With only their legs. Wow. While that's going on, the other person has to use their leg muscles to stay on the elephant and lean over to try and hit the ball at the same time. Since the elephants are obviously higher up than horses it requires more strength, mostly from the wrists, to move the mallet. We should commend them for their strength and balance.

Buzkashi

This is the way polo is played in Afghanistan.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/buzkashi

http://www.afghan-web.com/sports/buzkashi.html

Buzkashi, which literally translated means "goat grabbing" is the national sport of Afghanistan. There are two main types of Buzkashi, Tudabarai and Qarajai. In Buzkashi, a headless carcass is placed in the center of a circle and surrounded by the players of two opposing teams. The object of the game, is to get control of the carcass and bring it to the scoring area.  

In Tudabarai, in order to score, the rider must obtain possession of the carcass and then carry it away from the starting circle in any direction. The rider must stay free and clear of the other riders.

In Qarajai, the task is much more complex. The player must carry the calf around a marker, and then return the carcass to the team's designated scoring circle.






Just like in polo, Buzkashi requires the same amount of strength required, and possibly more. They still have to use their abdomen and leg strength in order to stay on the horse. Although in Buzkashi the players do not use mallets and so they do not rely on their muscles for that purpose. However, they may need even more strength in order to carry an entire headless goat carcass around a field while fending off other players. Not only are they carrying this carcass, they are fighting for it. Trying to pull it away from the other player while keeping themselves on top of the horse. We should commend them for their strength and balance.

Pole Vault and Ladder Running

Pole Vault


http://nuzzlingmuzzles.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-pole-vault-summit.html

Basic pole vaulting rules:

Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole (which today is usually made either of fiberglass or carbon fiber) as an aid to leap over a bar. During the approach the pole vaulter sprints down the runway in such a way as to achieve maximum speed and correct position to initiate takeoff at the end of the approach. The swing and row simply consists of the vaulter swinging his trail leg forward and rowing the pole, bringing his top arm down to the hips, while trying to keep the trail leg straight to store more potential energy into the pole, the rowing motion also keeps the pole bent for a longer period of time for the vaulter to get into optimum position.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_vault

Running with a large pole towards a stationary object with the intention of somehow flinging your body over another pole held high above the ground is not in my repertoire. But somehow these amazing athletes are able to accomplish this feat. It takes a lot of muscle, being able to run fast enough to get even a little bit off the ground, definitely their abs and probably their arms.


Ladder Running

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkyl5tkrG9s

From what I can gather, the racers line up and wait for the gunshot. Then they run full-speed towards a wall, launch the ladder up to the first ledge, and climb as fast as they can. They then proceed to sit on the ledge, throw the ladder up to the next ledge and repeat the process.

They basically use the same strength because although in ladder running they throw up a ladder instead of their bodies, they still have to do it three times. Plus they also have to climb up it as quick as they can. The two sports seem to even out. We should commend them for their speed and strength.

Bull Riding, Pacu Jawi, and Mutton Busting

Bull riding

The bullrope is a thickly braided rope with a cowbell attached. The cowbell acts as a weight, allowing the rope to safely fall off the bull when the ride is over. The rosin is a sticky substance that increases the grip on their ropes. Bull riders wrap their bullrope around the bull and use the remainder to wrap around their hand tightly, trying to secure themselves to the bull. Bull riders ride with one hand and cannot touch themselves or the bull with the free hand. Doing so results in a no score. Bull riding requires balance, flexibility, coordination, and courage.  Facing down a two-thousand pound bull takes as much mental preparation as it does physical ability.

http://rodeo.about.com/cs/bullriding/a/bullbasics.htm



http://www.c-trodeo.com/midwinter.htm

Pacu Jawi

Cattle racing, or Pacu Jawi, is a traditional post harvest festival in West Sumatra. An intense event, riders hang tight to wooden yokes splattered with slippery mud and hope that the cattle runs straight down the track. Competition rules permit a "turbo bost", where riders bite hard on the tails of the galloping animals to gain speed. The main purpose of the race is for farmers to demonstrate the strength of their bulls to possible purchasers.



The only thing stranger than the name is the picture. This man is tightly gripping a cattle's tail between his teeth in order to have an extra spurt forward. This sport is not only as difficult as bull riding but I believe it i much harder. Bull riders only have one bull and although it's thrashing around every which way, the participants in Pacu Jawi have two cattle and are holding on to two mud-soaked handles. They are also balancing on a small piece of a wooden board which is basically irrelevant because it is so small. 

This is amazing because not only are they holding on for dear life, they are also trying to not fall onto the muddy ground. With the strength required to hold on, the balance required to stay on the board, and the willingness to get a 'turbo boost,' it is amazing people are able to actually do all of this. We should commend them for their strength, balance, and willingness.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/travel/daredevil-indonesian-mud-cow-racing-shows-low-tech-races-can-still-be-fun/story-e6frg3tu-1226496089272

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2012/entries/192052/view/


Mutton Busting

Mutton busting is the new activity in junior rodeo, where parents pay money for their two- to six-year-olds to climb on top of a sheep and try to hang on as long as they can as it tries to get them off! Imagine bronco riding with no ropes, spurs, saddles and all riders have to be under 60 pounds!



Solely from looking at the rules and the picture, this seems like childs-play compared to bull riding. But it isn't. I understand that there is no bull and only a sheep, but now instead of having a 30-year-old man, it's a small child.  They are only six-years-old and for them, it's very difficult. Since their muscles haven't fully developed, this is the equivalent of bull riding. These children are holding on with the tenacity of a fully developed bull rider. Plus, the kids also do not have the luxury of having something to hold. There is no rope or spurs or foot holder. It is simply a sheep and a kid. We should commend them for their strength and determination to hold on.

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-mutton-busting-new-activity-junior-rodeo

Skydiving, Extreme Ironing, and Birdman Competition

Skydiving

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Gcl0s1NgvazH5IZj_nMOlA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://mit.zenfs.com/102/2012/06/skydiving-greatgrandmother.jpg

First of all, there are a lot of safety procedures involved in skydiving, so jumpers just have to carry them out to have a successful jump. It consists basically of jumping out of a plane flying around 14 thousand feet above sea level and at four thousand feet from ground opening a parachute in order to stop the freefall. Parachuting has complex skilld that can take thousands of jumps to master, but the basics are often fully understood and useful during the first few jumps.
http://eslbee.com/zone/benjamin_centurion/inquiry.htm

Extreme Ironing



Extreme Ironing (also called EI) is an extreme sport and a performance art in which people take ironing boards to remote locations and iron items of clothing. According to the official website, extreme ironing is "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt." Some locations where such performances have taken place include a mountainside of a difficult climb; a forest; in a canoe; while skiing or snowboarding; on top of large bronze statues; in the middle of a street; underwater; in the middle of the M1 Motorway; during a keirin race; whilst parachuting; and under the ice cover of a lake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_ironing


http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1216039

Although skydiving is only one of the forms, it may also be one of the most challenging. Normal skydiving is a challenge but now you also have to get the wrinkles out of a shirt? Wow. Difficult. We should commend them for their bravery and skill.

Birdman Competition



A competitor takes part in the annual International Worthing Birdman contest in England. The competition for human-powered flying machines is held each summer to see who can travel the longest distance before crash landing into the sea. Competitors make final preparations to their gliders before taking part in the annual International Worthing Birdman contest.
http://www.usnews.com/photos/international-birdman-competition

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1216093


These men, and women, are also trying to fly just like those who skydive. Although they start from a distance much closer to the ground. Some of them try to scientifically figure out how to go the furthest, and some of them just go for it. We should commend them for their intelligence.

Volleyball, Bossaball, and Sepak Takraw

Volleyball.

Most of us know what it is; it's a sport in the olympics and there is even beach volleyball. Although beach volleyball is slightly different. In a regular game of volleyball, there are six players on each side. Once the ball touches the ground a point is awarded to the other side unless it is out-of-bounds.On a serve, the server has to be behind the back line and once it goes over the game begins!! You can only hit the ball a total of 3 times on each possession and a player is not allowed to hit it more than once in a row. Three games are played, once you get twenty-five points you move onto the next game. It's best out of three. The net is not allowed to be touched and you can dig the ball. 

This all requires a lot of energy and focus. People at the net are constantly jumping and you need excellent focus and reflexes in order to know where the ball is going and where you need to be at that time.

Beach volleyball may require even more energy because there are less people and the play in sand. Have you ever tried to run in sand? It's hard. Plus they're also jumping with no solid ground. Every time they push down with their feet a little more sand moves out of the way.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Women%27s_Volleyball_-_BRA_vs._CUB.jpg

I have now found a sport that may be even harder than beach volleyball. Bossaball.

Bossaball is a ball game between 2 teams, combining elements of volleyball, football, gymnastics and capoeira. It is played on an inflatable court featuring a trampoline on each side of the net. A Bossaball game is played between two teams of each 4 or 5 players. The aim is for each team to ground the ball on the opponent's field. The ball can be played with two techniques:

- Volleyball touch: playing the ball once with hands or lower arms.

- Soccer touch: double touch allowed (counts as 1 touch).Scoring with volley touch:

1 point: when the ball hits the opponents playing area.

3 points: when the ball is played directly in the opponent’s trampoline area.

 Scoring with soccer touch:

3 points: when the ball hits the opponents playing area.

5 points: when the ball is played directly in the opponent’s trampoline area.

After looking at the video it seems that the skill needed to play this game is not in my reach. Not even close. Put you have admit that this form of volleyball seems to need much more energy than a normal game. In bossaball the player is constantly jumping. Constantly. At least in regualr volleyball you may be able to wait for the ball to come near you but in this game in order to obtain enough height to spike it WITH YOUR FEET you need a couple jumps. Not only do these players need the same physical strength, they also have to have amazing coordination. Maybe even more than normal volleyball players need.

They are jumping and at the same time they could be hitting a ball while in the air upside down because they could be doing a flip and wow. That's a lot of coordination going on. We should commend them for their skill and coordination.

http://www.bossaballsports.com/en/home/how-to-play

Sepak Takraw

The name itself comes from two languages. Sepak is "kick" in Malay, and Takraw is the "ball" in Thai. 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 five 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 companion court.
• Most people don't know very much about the game!

The team which scored two sets out of three sets first get the victory in the game. Each sets consist of 15 points. Only 6 points of the the third set are systems.


Personally, I believe that this is definitely equal to or more difficult than regular volleyball. If you look at these pictures, not only do they need to be extremely flexible but they also have to be very well coordinated like the players in bossaball. 

Since they are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands at all they are forced to either do flips or move their feet quickly enough to receive the ball. Oh my gosh. These players have to be aware of where their feet are in order to make contact with the ball. They also need to be flexible and not afraid to put their body in harms way. If you look at the top photograph, one of the players looks like he will be landing on his back. In the bottom photograph, actually I don't even think I need to explain why he is flexible. I can't even come close to doing the splits and he is able to hit a ball while putting his legs in splits. We should commend them for their amazing agility and coordination.








http://blogueriasdelguadaiza.blogspot.com/2013/02/sepak-takraw.html

http://sepaktakrawfans.blogspot.com/
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Athlete-Acropolis/2678/english/whatsepa.html

Wrestling and Kabbadi

Wrestling

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Wrestling_falconfrenzy158.jpg

There are five ways to score points in a wrestling match:

1) Takedown - (2 points) You score two points for taking your opponent down to the mat and controlling him/her.
2) Escape - (1 point) You score one point for getting away or getting to a neutral position when your opponent has you down on the mat.

3) Reversal - (2 points) You score two points when your opponent has you down on the mat and you come from underneath and gain control of your opponent.

4) Near Fall (Back Points) - (2 or 3 points) You get near fall points when you almost but not quite get your opponent pinned. If a near fall lasts for two seconds, you get 2 points. If a near fall lasts for 5 seconds, you get 3 points.

5) Penalty Points - (1 or 2 points) Your opponent is awarded points if you commit the following infractions.

http://www.wvmat.com/overview.htm

Wrestling is extremely hard. You are trying to shove your opponent onto the ground as they are trying to do the same. And people can be extremely resistent.

Kabaddi

The raider’s aim is to touch any or all players on the opposite side, and return to his court under a single breath (whilst constantly repeating kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi). If the raider touches one opposite team player, then that player is declared out. Meanwhile the aim of the defenders is to hold the raider and stop him from returning to his home base, until he takes another breath. They must form a chain by linking hands and if this chain is broken, a member is sent off. If the raider cannot return to his court until he takes another breath while repeating “kabaddi”, he will be declared out. And in this manner, each team alternates in sending a player into the opponent’s court.
http://www.thefirstpint.co.uk/2010/03/08/hold-your-breath/

 http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1214161


Kabaddi is so much like wrestling. The only thing that makes it more difficult is the fact that you have to hold your breath as you cross the line. Wrestling is hard enough. Any sport is hard enough. But once a person has to hold their breath, the sport becomes so much more difficult. It is very impressive that people are able to do this task. We should commend them for their lung endurance and strength.


 

A Category All Its Own

Cup Stacking
 

An individual group of cups either up stacked or down stacked such as a 3 stack, 6 stack or 10 stack; or a specific stacking sequence, or pattern, involving a combination of individual stacks (e.g. 3-3-3 stack, 3-6-3 stack, and Cycle stack).

Upstacking: term used for stacking the cups “up” into pyramids. The “up stacking phase" begins once the Stacker starts the Timer or starts up stacking the first stack in the sequence. Down stacking: term used for "un-stacking" or putting cups "down" into "nested" columns. The "down stacking phase" begins once the Stacker starts down stacking the first stack in the sequence.
http://www.thewssa.com/docs/rules_rules.pdf

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1216294

Zorb Ball



When zorbing you will find yourself inside a gigantic, bouncy, transparent pvc ball, surrounded by a thick cushion of air and another larger ball. The two balls are held together by hundreds of nylon threads, and then you are pushed down a hill, across a stretch of water or over the snow. Zorbing can also be done with water inside the zorb, turning the experience into a wet and slippery one, allowing you to slide around the inside of the zorb. Zorbing can be done as an individual or with two or three people within one zorb, and can reach speeds of up to 30 mph.
http://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/81/zorbing?moduleID=24






Henley on Todd Regatta


http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1216308

The Todd "River", which ostensibly flows through Alice Springs, only actually runs about three days a year. Other than that, it's a dry river bed. So, the fun-loving folks in Alice Springs have scheduled an annual regatta to make light of the dry climate of the area. The boat race occurs in late September, and the "boats" are made of basically anything. Old trucks, rolling beds, lawn mowers, whatever.... The only rule regarding the boats is that they have to "remotely look like a boat".
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/13773a/

Marathon and Joggling

Marathon

Like swimming, there aren't any big rules except for start on time and go. When running a marathon, more thought goes into the preparation than the actual event. Once running, that's all you have to do, run. It has to do a lot with endurance but there isn't many different ways in which to run. Marathons are typically 26.2 miles and lasts an average of a little over 4 1/2 hours.

                                                                            










Joggling

The goal is to run the marathon in the fastest possible time, whilst juggling three objects. The balls (or clubs) should be juggled every step of the marathon. All patterns used must be continuously alternating right-left-right-left. No left-left or right-right will be allowed at any time. No `multiplexing’ will be allowed. If at any time any of the objects are dropped or touch the ground, the person attempting the record must stop and carry on from that point.
http://justyouraveragejoggler.com/2006/07/the-rules-of-joggling-according-to-guinness-2/

http://justyouraveragejoggler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/chrisessick-joggling.jpg

 



 

Joggling is again one of those sports where something is added. Not only do they run the same distance as a normal marathon, but now they have to worry about juggling three balls. Doing these two tasks separately is hard enough, but together it is an enormous feat. We should commend them for their adaptibility, endurance, and skill.

Soccer and Quidditch

Soccer

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Football_iu_1996.jpg

The object of soccer is for a player to get the ball into the other team’s goal by using any part of the body except the player's hands and arms. A kick off is taken to start a game, to restart play after a goal has been scored or to start the second half or a new quarter. An offensive player must have two opponents including the goalkeeper between himself and the goal line at the moment the ball is passed to him.

http://www.lenapesoccer.org/docs/soccer_rules.pdf

Quidditch
A set of goal hoops consists of three, upright and self-standing goal hoops that as a group are equidistant from both sidelines. All seven starters must line up on the goal line in any order they choose with their brooms on the ground. The Commissioner or head referee will shout, “THE SNITCH IS LOOSE!” At this point the Snitch Runner may run wherever she likes off the field while respecting the Snitch perimeter established at the beginning of the match. The match will last an indefinite amount of time until the Snitch has been caught by a Seeker. Thirty points are awarded to the team whose seeker caught the Snitch, and the match is immediately ended. The team accumulating the greater number of points during the match is the winner.
http://internationalquidditch.org/files/IQA_Rulebook_Version_4.0.pdf

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1214124

Quidditch is a lot like soccer. The players still have teammates they can pass to, they still try to get the ball into a goal, and they still run a lot. Although in quidditch they may need to run even more because now they have to catch the golden snitch. In this case the golden snitch is typically a cross-country runner. And they can be fast. We should commend them for their speed.