SEPAK TAKRAW

PRESENTATION
SEPAK TAKRAW - Is a sports native to Southeast Asia. Sepak
takraw differs from the similar sport of footvolley in its use a rattan ball
and only allowing players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to
touch the ball.
 ❖ HISTORY OF SEPAK TAKRAW

Sepak Takraw was originated in Malaysia around 500 years ago. In

the 15th century, it was mostly played by the royal court. Around
16th century, the game was spread across Indonesia, where people
called it Sepak Raga. By 1940, the net version of the game was
spread across Southeast Asia and formal rules and regulations
were formed for the game. The first official Sepak Takraw
competition was held at a swim club on May 16th, 1945 in Penang
where teams mostly from various villages of Penang participated
in it. During that period, the game used to be called Sepak Raga
Jaring. Slowly the game spread across Southeast Asia and around
1950s, it was played in almost every school.
Sepak takraw in the Philippines is known as ‘SIPA.”

It was the country's national sport until it was replaced by ARNIS in 2009.

The sport is also called "sepak takraw", resembling the related native sport known
as sipà, while the international version is known by the borrowed terms sipà
tákraw or sepak takraw. In Thailand, it is known simply as takraw while in Laos, it
is kataw.[1] In Myanmar, it is known as chin lone, and is considered more of an art
as there is often no opposing team, and the point is to keep the ball aloft gracefully
and interestingly.
 Most Filipinos would not get past childhood without playing Sipa.
This homegrown game is popular among children in both neighbourhood
and school playgrounds in the Philippines because of its simple rules and
accessibility. But it is also exciting and challenging as it requires agility and
speed as well as good ball control skills.
Filipinos started playing Sipa in the 15th century before the Philippines
was colonised by Spain. Sipa was even considered the Philippines’
national sport before Arnis replaced it in 2009 during the administration of
former President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo.
Sipa which means “kick” in Filipino also refers to the ball used in the game
which has many variations and is usually made by the players themselves.
The two most popular types of sipa ball are the lead washer and rattan ball.
The lead washer sipa consists of a coin-like object with strips of cloth or
plastic straws attached to it.
The Malaysian Sepak Raga Federation was founded in 1960 at Penang and in 1965 it
was included in South-East Asia Peninsular Games. It was then formally named as
Sepak Takraw and in 1965 the Asian Sepak takraw Federation (AS TAF) was founded as
the governing committee of the sports. In 1992, the International Sepak takraw
Federation (ISTAF) was formed as the world governing body of the game.
 ❖ PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

Even though Sepak Takraw is quite popular in Southeast Asian

countries, its popularity is also spreading in other parts of the
world including European as well as American countries. In Los
Angeles, there is already a Sepak Takraw community which is
familiarizing the game around the country. In Canada also, the
game has experienced widespread popularity. Some of the
countries where Sepak Takraw is quite popular or emerging as one
of the popular games are Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea,
Japan, India, Philippines, Brunei, USA, Pakistan.
 ❖ SEPAK TAKRAW - PLAYING ENVIRONMENT

The Sepak takraw court is very much similar to that of volleyball court with
a flat, horizontal and uniform surface. The dimension of the court is same
as doubles badminton i.e. around 20' X 44’ with different boundary lines
drawn over it. Court borderlines should be 10 feet away from all obstacles.
The net height at the centre is around 5 feet 1 inch.
 ❖ Different parts and lines of the Sepak takraw court are as follows:

● Center Line – The central line is of 0.02 metre drawn in the middle of
the court, dividing it into two equal halves.
● Quarter Circles – At each side of the central line corners, quarter
circles with a radius of 3 feet are drawn.
● The Service Circle – Each half has a service circle from where the
server serves the ball. Each of them has a radius of around 1 foot and the
centre of each circle is 8 feet from the back lines and 10 feet from the
side lines.
 ❖ SEPAK TAKRAW - EQUIPMENT

The equipment used in Sepak Takraw are mostly comprised of the

net and the hand woven rattan ball. Besides these two, other
equipment such as playing jersey, shoes and protective guards are
also used. A brief description about all these equipment is as
follows.

● BALL
● NET
● SHOES
● PROTECTIVE GEAR
BALL- Considered as the most essential equipment of the game, the ball is spherical in
shape and usually made of synthetic fibre. In some cases, a hand woven layer is also used.
Initially, the ball was made up of rattan strips which were gradually replaced by synthetic
strips. Usually the ball has a maximum weight of 170-180 gram for men and 150-160 gram for
women. Usually the ball has a diameter of 5 inch. Balls made of without synthetic rubber must
have 12 holes and 20 intersections with a maximum circumference of 42- 44 cm for men and
43- 45 cm for women. The ball can be single coloured or multi coloured but colours impairing
player’s performance are not allowed. In order to soften the impact of the ball on the player’s
body, the ball can be made of synthetic rubber or any other soft durable material that is
approved by the governing committee.
NET -The net used in the game is usually made of ordinary cord or nylon with 6-8 cm
mess and is usually heavier and stronger than badminton nets in order to provide better
impact when the ball hits it. The net shall be 0.7 metres with a maximum length of 6.1
metres. The height of the net should be 1.42 metres from the centre of the court for
women and 1.52 metres for men.
SHOES - The shoes used in this game are light in weight and have flat sides with
soles. It has a good grip on both indoor and outdoor surfaces and has a sole inside
for supporting the high impact of constant jumping and landing. These are especially
made for players to help them kick perfectly.
PROTECTIVE GEAR - In this game, usually ankle supportive bands are used
by players for providing protection as high jumping is involved throughout the
game.
Even knee tensors are also used by players in order to prevent joints and tendon
injury. Some players use ankle gears for ankle support. Players also use forehead
bandanas in order to stop the sweat running into eyes.
 ❖ SEPAK TAKRAW - HO TO PLAY?

The rules and regulations of Sepak takraw are very much similar to that of volleyball. The
rules vary based on event levels and organizations. The game is played between two
teams which are known as Regu. There are two types of sepak takraw events.

REGU – Three players on each side.

DOUBLES REGU – Each team has two players.

In Regu, each team has three players including two substitute players. On the court, the
team comprises of a Striker, a Server, and a Feeder. Each player possesses different set
of skills and tactics.
SERVER - The main job of the server or Tekong is to serve the ball. Prior to the match,
each team must register with minimum 9 players or maximum 12 players. The server
usually hits the ball with high speed across the net with great speed making it difficult
for the opponent players to defend.
STRIKER - The striker or killer is responsible for executing the volleys in to
opponent side with high speed. When the striker does not possess the ball,
he usually tries to block high kicks from the opponent side.
FEEDER - The third type of player is the Feeder, who has the maximum
control over the ball during the match. He is the most agile and responsive
player in the team. The main job of the feeder is to set the ball in a
suitable way for the striker to kick hard past the net. He can also hit the
ball across the net. The server usually stands in the back whereas the
striker and feeder take the front left side and front right side.
How to Play?
The very basic rules of the game are as follows:

● The game starts with a serve. The team that has to serve first is decided by
tossing a coin. The winner of the toss can either choose to serve or choose to
defend. The side that serves first starts the set.
● During the serve, the server must have one of his legs inside the service circle,
whereas the other players must stay in their respective quarter circles.
● Either the feeder or the striker first tosses the ball to the server who then kicks
the ball across the net to the opponent side with no foot in the service circle.
● Tossing the ball to the server must be done only after the referee announces the
score. If the throw takes place before the score call, then the ball is again
rethrown and a warning is given to the team.
● A serve is called valid if it passes over the net to the opponent side inside the
boundary before the boundary line of the opponent team. Whether it touches the
net or not doesn’t matter. Once the serve is done, the players are free to move in to
any part of their respective court.
● In order to respond the serve, the defending team tries to again pass the
ball across the net to the opponent side within three touches of the ball.
● Usually the feeder and the server move around the court to defend the serve
of the opposition and set the ball for the striker to strike in two touches.
● The side that wins the first set has the option of choosing the service.
● The game continues till one of the team makes a fault. Once a fault is done
by a team, the opponent team gets a point.
● When the ball is not in play, each team is entitled to a tactical timeout of one
minute during the game. There are no automatic timeouts.
● During the timeout, maximum five players are allowed on the base line in
case of Regu matches.
● In case a player gets injured and needs immediate treatment, the referee can
suspend the game temporarily for 5 minutes. If after the 5 minutes, the
player is still unable to play, he can be substituted with another player.
SCORING - An official Regu or Doubles Regu match usually comprises of three sets of
game with each set having 21 points. In case of a team event, three back to back
matches are played using different players for each Regu.

The winner is determined by best of three sets. Once a set is over, the teams change
their side and the team which lost the previous set serves first.
 If both teams are at 20-20 at the end of the game, the game is extended up to 25 points
and the first team to be ahead by 2 points wins the set. When a team wins two sets,
the match is won. If any of the team doesn’t win two back to back matches, the third
match which is also called the tie-breaker match, only has the target of 15 points.

Before a tie-breaker match takes place, again a coin is tossed by the referee and the winner
of the toss chooses to either serve or defend. After 7 points during the tiebreaker match, the
teams change sides. In case of a tie- breaker match, if both teams are at 14-14, then the
match is extended up to 17 points and the first team to be ahead by 2 points wins the
match.
Substitution :
During the matches, teams can make a substitution from the two substitute players. The
same player cannot be repeated for any team competition involving more than one team.
Out of the registered players, different players are chosen for different Regus. A player
can be substituted at any time on request made by the team when the ball is not on play.
A team can consider a maximum of two substitute players but during a match, only one
substitution is allowed. A player who has been sent off by the referee can be substituted,
if and only if no substitution has been done till that moment. A team with less than three
players is not allowed to play in the game and is considered as the looser side.
 ❖ SEPAK TAKRAW - SHOTS & TECHNIQUES

Except agility and quickness, players also have to perform different kind of shots based on
the situation as well as player characteristics. A player as a striker can play offensive shots
where as a feeder on the defending side tries to defend the shot first in order to set it for
the striker. Some of the shots performed by players are as follows:

● INSIDE KICK
● OUTSIDE KICK
● KNEE KICK
● HEADER
● HORSE KICK SERVE
● SUNBACK SPIKE
● ROLL SPIKE
INSIDE KICK - An inside kick is the most basic form of kick performed by
Sepak takraw players. It is mostly used to control the ball. To perform this shot,
players usually have to stand with their feet apart and then while bending their
supporting leg a little, they need to hit the ball in upward direction using the inside
of the other leg.
OUTSIDE KICK - This shot mostly used as a part of defense in order to propel the ball
move upward. To perform this shot, the player needs to bend his supportive leg a little
while he needs to make the contact with the ball using the outside of his playing leg. The
knee of the playing leg turns inward and makes a right angle with the leg while
performing the shot.
KNEE KICK - The knee kick is mostly a defensive shot and performed mostly
while defending a serve from the opponent side. Here the player actually uses the
thigh just above the knee. During the shot, the players try to raise his knee as high
as possible.
HEADER - Unlike a football header, the header shot in this game is played using the
forehead to hit the ball and make it fly. This shot is mostly performed when the ball
height is too much for performing a shot using their legs. This shot is played both as a
serving as well as striking shot.
HORSE KICK SERVE - A difficult shot to perform, the horse kick serve requires
players to have a high degree of flexibility in order to perform the shot. It is usually a high
kick used to hit the ball as high as the player wants. Here the player needs to perform a high
kick and for that he needs to use his foot to hit the ball in backward direction over his
shoulder or head.
SUNBACK SPIKE - This shot is very much similar to that of horse kick serve. The only
difference is that the shot is performed in a jump. Here the player needs to jump on one
leg while using the other leg to hit the ball while still in air. Here the player needs to hit the
ball in backward direction over his shoulders or head before finishing the kick and
touching the ground.
ROLL SPIKE - One of the toughest and most stylish shot, here the player first
need to jump using one leg and while being airborne, he needs to flip in the direction
in which he wants the ball to go. He usually needs to kick the ball backward over the
opposite shoulders and the kick has to happen before the player touches the
ground.
 ❖ SEPAK TAKRAW - FAULTS

During a set in a match, the game continues till any of the teams make a fault. It is considered as fault if –

● A player fails to pass the ball to the opponent team within three touches.
● The ball hits the ground before being kicked off to the other side.
● The ball lands out of bounds.
● The inside player plays the ball after the score call before passing it to the server.
● The inside players lift their foot, cross the quarter circle, or touch the net during tossing of the ball
before the serve.
● The server jumps of the ground during a serve.
● The server fails to kick the ball once it is tossed by the inside players.
● The ball does not goes to the opponent side after serve.
● The players use any other part of the body besides the legal ones.
● The ball hits the hand or arm of a player.
● The players shout during the game.
● The player touches the ball at the opponent team side.
● Any body part crosses under or over the net.
● The player holds the ball under the arm or between the legs. T
● he ball hits the roof or walls of the court.
 ❖ SEPAK TAKRAW - PENALTIES
In order to make a match free from any controversy, players are enforced with different
penalties in order to behave in appropriately and with proper sportsman attitude
during the game.

In some of the cases, players are normally cautioned whereas in some severe
offenses,
the players are sent off. Details are explained below.

Cases when a player is given a caution and shown the yellow card are:

● If the player is showing unsporting behaviours which are against the norms of the
sports ethics.
● If the player is persistently breaking the laws of the game.
● If the player is delaying the re-start of the game.
● If the player enters or re-enters or deliberately leaves the court without
taking referee’s permission.
Some cases where a player is sent off and shown the red card are:

● If the player is guilty of serious foul play.

● If the player is guilty of violent conducts by deliberately trying to injure

his opponent players.

● If the player either spits or uses any offensive languages against any
of
the opponent players.

● If the player gets two yellow cards in the same game.

When the player gets the first yellow card, normal caution is given to him.
In case of getting a second yellow card in the same match, the player is
suspended from the next match. Similarly if a player gets a third yellow
card in the same match, he gets suspended for two next matches with a
fine of
$100.
In case of a fourth yellow card in the same match, the player is suspended
immediate for the next as well as subsequent matches of that tournament. In case
a player gets a red card, he is awarded a send-off from the game as well as
immediate suspension from playing any tournament until a disciplinary
committee is convened and a decision is taken.

Disciplinary actions are taken against any misconduct or disturbances committed

by any team officials in or outside of the court. Similar to players, a team official
causing disturbances during the game gets suspended immediately till a
disciplinary committee is convened and decisions taken.
OF
ALMIE I. PENTOY
CREATED BY: