Tchoukball (history, rules, equipment, court, championship and curiosities, and training session plan) Nontraditional Games Pavel Vacenovský Alicia Rivera and Cláudia Martins 2022 History Tchoukball was idealized by Swiss physician Hermann Brandt in the early 1960s. The concern that motivated him to create this sport was the high number of injuries acquired by athletes during sports practice. Brandt realized that besides the intense physical contact, these injuries were also related to movements to which the human physiology does not adapt properly. Thus, when questioning the educational potential of modern sports amidst these concerns, Brandt idealized a sports practice that would harmoniously combine the physical, psychological, and social aspects of the players. This is how tchoukball was created in Geneva, with the purpose of contributing to the construction of a harmonious society. The sport received its name because of the noise made when the ball strikes the net of the surrender frame (the target of the game). Although it is a unique sport, its rules and dispute format were inspired by aspects of sports such as handball, volleyball, and basketball. How is it played? Tchoukball is played in a 40x20 m playing space, with an official remit board at each end. The game takes place over three periods of 15 minutes each and is played between two teams of seven players. In addition, for the sport to be played it is important that the players have knowledge of some fundamental rules. Rules • The central objective of the sport is to throw the ball at the screen of the surrender board, causing it to rebound (or bounce) against the ground, within the playing space and outside the forbidden zone (space frontally surrounding the surrender board). • Both teams can score on either side of the playing field, and the point is counted whenever the ball hits the net of the surrender board and touches the court floor within the boundaries of the permitted playing space. • The team in possession has a limit of three passes, after which it is obligatory to throw the ball to the target. Otherwise, possession passes to the opposing team. • The defense team, on the other hand, has as its main function to prevent the ball thrown against the shooting board from touching the floor of the playing space. To do so, it must organize itself strategically, observing the moves of the team in possession. • A point is counted for the opposing team whenever a) the player throws the ball toward the surrender frame and does not hit it, b) the ball is thrown at the frame and falls into the forbidden zone or c) it falls outside the limits of the playing field, and d) when the ball thrown by the player crashes against him immediately after hitting the net of the surrender frame. • During the contest, players may not embarrass themselves or intercept ball play in either attacking or defending situations. A player commits a foul when: • Moves while dribbling with the ball on the ground or in the air. • Makes more than three passes with the possession of the ball. • Plays with the lower limbs, that is, below the level of the waist. • Makes the fourth pass in favor of his team. • Contacts the ground outside the boundaries of the field of play or the forbidden zone (area) of possession of the ball. • Drops the ball during a pass or reception. • Voluntarily (or not) intercepts a pass from the other team. • Picks up the ball after a teammate's completion. • Obstructs the opponent's movement or the free trajectory of the ball when it is in the possession of the opponent. The fouls should be charged at the place where they happened or where the ball fell, and a pass should be made before the finalization or other passes permitted by the rule of the game. When the ball touches the edge of the remission box and its natural trajectory is changed, the point is not counted, being a foul, and the game resumes at the place where the ball fell. Thus, the ball passes into the possession of the team that was defending at the time of the disputed action. In a two-possession game, with two remission frames, no more than three consecutive passes over the same frame are allowed. The replacement of the ball is not counted as a pass, and is made behind the back line, next to the frame where the point was scored, being made by the team that suffered the point. Equipment • Ball: for tchoukball games, the ball used is the same as in handball. Therefore, it may vary in size according to the gender and age of the players, to better fit the grip, due to the size of the hands. • Knee pads: this equipment prevents players from injuring their knees in falling situations, especially after the jumps made to throw the ball to the clearance frame. • Remission Board: the official remission board follows the measurements established by the International Tchoukball Federation (FITB), which are 1x1 m. In addition, this equipment must be made of steel (structure), strong elastics (net), and must have an angle of 55° in relation to the ground. Tchoukball court The tchoukball court is the same size as the basketball court, with a semicircular area of 3 m radius at the ends, where the boards are. Championships and curiosities Until 2019, 11 editions of the World Tchoukball Tournament have taken place. China is the reigning men's world champion with eight championships and is also the defending champion in the women's tournament. China has accumulated championships as an undefeated team in various tournaments and series of the sport, both at the local and world level. Training session plan Warm-up (5 minutes) Positioned on the sides of the field, the following mobility exercises with displacements and preparation exercises will be performed: • Jogging • High knees • Butt kicks • Lateral displacement to the right • Lateral displacement to the left • Shoulder rotations (forward) • Shoulder rotations (backward) • Back mobilization • Lunge with torsion of the torso to both sides • Running with forward feints • Running with backward feints • Displacement with pause every three steps • Three steps and pitching motion • Wrist mobility Preparatory part (15 minutes) 1. Pitching and catching in pairs, increasing the space between them progressively. 2. Throws to the rebound box and receptions: the players line up; the first player throws the ball into the rebound box and the second player catches it. The second player will repeat the same action performed by the first player, which will be received by the third player, and so on. 3. Like the previous exercise, the players are placed in two rows. In pairs, they must make three passes and one of them must throw the ball into the rebound box, while the other member of the pair tries to catch the ball before it hits the ground. 4. Mini match (6x6) in half field with a single rebounding box. Match (25 minutes) Regular Tchoukball match, including all the rules. Cool down (5 minutes) Upper body stretches: neck, shoulders, triceps, wrists and back; lower body stretches: quads, hamstrings, calves. Sources Cola da Web (n.d.). Tchoukball. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.coladaweb.com/educacao-fisica/tchoukball Educação Física (2010). Tchoukball. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from http://www.educacaofisica.seed.pr.gov.br/modules/conteudo/conteudo.php?conteud o=94 efdeportes (2015). Tchoukball: uma alternativa nas aulas de Educação Física. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://efdeportes.com/efd205/tchoukball-nas-aulas-de- educacao-fisica.htm Lincolnpe (2020). We are practicing tchoukball drills today. Tchoukball is a game from Switzerland that involves throwing and catching. Check out these awesome 4th graders! Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2448257222143123 Maestrovirtuale (n.d.). Tchoukball: História, características e regras. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://maestrovirtuale.com/tchoukball-historia-caracteristicas-e- regras/ Ministry of Sports (n.d.). Tchoukball. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://ministryofsports.com.sg/tchoukball/ Monografias (n.d.). Tchoukball (História e Regras). Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.monografias.com/pt/docs/Tchoukball-História-e-Regras-F3GQ9VR575 Phys. Ed. Review (2021). Phys.Ed.Review (Tchoukball Lead-Up Game Ideas). Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpuIWDatNDU Professor Mauricio (2021). TREINO DE TCHOUKBALL / Aquecimento + Arremessos. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CUZiAQ-9uQ TBC Limeta Lomnice nad Popelkou (2014). Tchoukball Training - Attack after catching the ball. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvS2tP9dKXo TchoukballTv SG (2020). (Tchoukball) Basic to Intermediate Training Method by Coach Fang. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3OD3FeEBHs Todo Estudo (n.d.). Tchoukball. Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.todoestudo.com.br/educacao-fisica/tchoukball Trabalhos Feitos (n.d.). Tchoukball (História e Regras). Retrieved 22 October 2022, from https://www.trabalhosfeitos.com/ensaios/Tchoukball-História-e- Regras/55712424.html