II. A NEW GAME: TCHOUKBALL · 2018. 8. 14. · II. A NEW GAME: TCHOUKBALL 1. The origin of Tchoukball General explanatory notes T he problem of sports has been a concern of mine for

II. A NEW GAME: TCHOUKBALL1. The origin of Tchoukball

General explanatory notes

The problem of sports has been a concern of mine for a very long time; having played soccer in my youth, having largely contributed to launch basketball and volleyball where I live, when confronting the psychophysiology of team sports with the educational needs of Modern Society, I realized that, relative to the needs shown by the various studies more or less related to Physical Activities, serious gaps remained in the range of possible uses of sports. The Sciences studying the structures of society, when seriously explored, are inevitably showing the existing links between the evolution of said Society on the one hand, and Physical Education in general, and Sports in particular, on the other.

After many experiments, I remained disheartened for finding that modern Physical Activities had not yet found a framework corresponding to that of general findings in scientific research. Which Sciences? This is what I will demonstrate later that will lead to Tchoukball.

In 1938, when I had the opportunity to see first hand the different aspects of Basque pelota, I envied those players who had such an interesting game. But despite my best effort and my thorough analysis of that game, I had to recognize that this

sport could not be easily introduced in other countries.

I have never forgotten however the basic idea of Basque pelota. So, the day I saw the frame invented by Cheftel, the similarities between that frame and the Basque pelota wall became so obvious that I began to explore how to adapt this frame.

Main elements of the game

Wall-Frame

Let’s keep in mind that Basque pelota involves mainly a standing wall at the back of a court and against which the ball rebounds. Each time a player throws the ball against the wall, a player of the opposing team must catch it and throw it again until one of the players misses his/her turn or misses his/her throw.

This general idea of a field closed at one extremity by a plan to make a ball bounce off and thus change side could be applied to a game using a Cheftel frame instead of a wall.

The wall is replaced by a metal frame with one meter sides on which a nylon mesh is stretched under tension like that of a trampoline (powerful elastic suspension specifically tuned for this game). Against this elastic surface, the ball rebounds very violently, and therefore, thrown back very far. Because of this very efficient rebound, the game can cover a very large field. We

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II. A NEW GAME: TCHOUKBALL

will demonstrate later that this device in fact operates as a power amplifier which influences the ‘’mechanics of the game”.

The name “Tchoukball” was inspired by the noise that the ball makes when striking the net: “tchouk...” This bouncing noise is the “decisive moment” in the Game. The name is somehow an onomatopoeia marking this crucial moment in the game.

The frame

We spent 8 months designing the frame. We ended up with a device that has the following advantages:

1. Foldable and easily transportable.2. Light weight. Therefore, to steady

it on the ground, one simply puts a weight on the horizontal bars.

3. The tension of the net must be strong enough to ensure a mechanical response for an efficient rebound. The frame is trademarked.

Thus, at the back of the field, this frame replaces the Basque pelota wall. The elements transposed from Basque pelota are:

1. This rebound frame.2. A field facing the frame, where the

players of the two teams are mixed together.

3. The ball changes side after each rebound.

4. There is no interception of the ball: it must be caught without any intervention by the opposing team.

As for the ball, the best ended up to be the one used in handball, inflated very hard.

Innovations of Tchoukball

After learning very closely the basic and effective principles of Basque pelota, we had to modify some of its principles to increase the interest of the game.

Immobility

The ground is not used; there is no bounce against the ground, the ball is caught in flight immediately after it has bounced off the frame. But as soon as a player catches the ball, that player must stay put; he/she cannot move with the ball in his/her hands;(1) so this requires to move the ball around and not the people. Finally, in principle, the ball is not hit; it is caught and then thrown again.

The pass

Let’s say that it was obvious from the start that to force the player who caught the ball to shoot it back immediately at the frame was unnecessary or even harmful for a series of reasons that practicing this sport will quickly help understand. The main one is that it takes a lot of skill to strike on a one square meter frame from the back of a field over a long distance. It seemed therefore necessary to allow some passes so as to bring the shooter closer to the frame.

This issue of passes has been assessed very thoroughly. We began with one pass, then it was changed to two passes and now, we allow three passes. This topic will be discussed further later, but it was necessary from the outset to understand

1. Rules have been modified since the publication of this original document (French version), therefore see the addendum of the rules to learn about the history of changes.

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the importance of the pass that gives tactics a necessary critical status in this game.

Obviously, it was also necessary to limit the time during which a player is allowed to hold the ball; limiting this time to five seconds seemed sufficient so as not to slow down the game. In practice, a player is rarely holding the ball for a long time, the pace of the game and the speed of interactions are such that he/she must control him/herself very well to hold onto the ball instead of throwing it immediately.

Forbidden zone

It was also necessary to define a certain forbidden zone near the frame because too many players in front of the rebound net ended up in a complete obstruction. This issue of the forbidden zone in front of the frame has been extensively evaluated and has been the object of a specific rule (see below).

Keeping Scores

To better understand how this game works and get a good general grasp of it before going into details, we still need to provide some explanation regarding score keeping.

The aim of the game is to make it impossible for the opponent to catch the ball; in other words, the purpose is to shoot a ball that is so difficult to catch that it will not be received. Any ball that falls on the ground after bouncing off the frame counts for the team that should have caught it. The ball should not touch the ground, and it is important to place oneself, when not in possession of the ball, in a position to receive the ball upon an opponent’s shot.

For the team that has the ball, the goal is to shoot against the frame in a way that makes the ball rebound to a spot in the field where no opponent can catch it; but, of course, the ball must hit the ground within the field limits.

For the team in defense, the game is primarily to check the moves of the shooter so to put oneself in a position where catching the ball is possible. While constantly monitoring the moves of the ball within the attacking side, the defending side must seek to occupy the field in such a way that it will be ready and well positioned when the ball is shot.

Thus, points will be lost in case of missed reception, or when a ball, after rebound, falls outside the limits of the field or within the forbidden zone.

2. Overview of the rules of the game(1)

Principle: — The game involves throwing the ball against the device (a net stretched elastically on a trademarked frame, type “TCHOUKBALL”); then, the ball rebounds symmetrically (“mirrored trajectory”).

1. As with Basque pelota, the ball changes sides each time it rebounds off the net: after each shot, the ball is in the hands of the other team.

2. No walk is allowed while holding the ball (“ball-stop”) One can rotate on a

1. Be aware that modifications of the rules of the game have been made since the publication of this original (French) text, and the official rules of the game are available on the Internet

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foot by moving the other, but as soon as the supporting foot rises, it is a “walk “.

3. No one can block anyone in any way: any obstruction is forbidden (“free trajectories”), no inappropriate or aggressive gestures (no aggressiveness, but a fighting spirit). Reception (pass) and shots must be carried out free of any blockage (no interception).

4. Field: the playing field is located three (3) meters in front of the device’s base; thus there is a delimitated area immediately at the foot of the device and transversely across the field, declared “off play”; and the ball or players must not touch this area known as the “forbidden zone“. The field itself is developed in front of the device, over a length of 15 to 25 meters and a width of 7 to 15 meters. The two teams are moving together on this field. The size of the field determines the importance of the physical effort required (small field = minimal effort).

5. To be valid, the ball must not touch the ground inside the delimited field. It should not be caught outside of these limits. To interpret exceptions, see rules of arbitration.

6. To create a team dynamic, up to three passes between teammates are allowed (not required), but no player can keep the ball for more than five seconds.

7. After each lost point, the ball is thrown back into to the game by a player of the

losing team (in principle a back line player). The ball is given to this back line player by the referee if there is one, or by a player of the opposing team. So, any contesting is prevented.

8. There is a fault: when the ball is sent beyond the limits; when the player does not catch the ball (it touches the ground); when the ball touches the metallic part of the frame; when an obstruction is made voluntarily; when a player makes more than one step; when the team uses more than three passes; when a player takes by mistake a pass from the opposing team; when the ball, in rebounding, hits the shooter himself; when a player from the team that just shot catches the ball.

9. Keeping score: the ball is “in play” as long as it passes from one player to another and changes side by normal rebound off the net (normal = without touching the metallic part), and without touching the ground. The player who lets or makes the ball get off the normal path (missing a pass or a catch, or sending the ball outside the delimited field, missing the frame) makes his team lose a point. Each fault gets a point. The team that loses is one which has the most points (= faults).

10. The game: a set in the game is called a “period”. The winning team

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is the one which has two periods to his credit. A period can be calculated in two ways: a) By number of points lost: the period goes up to a predefined total of points (typically 20, 30 or 35 points: a period of 20 points lasts an average of 9 to 10 minutes). (b) The game will last for a predefined duration: in general a period is 10 minutes (15 for well-trained players).

Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. Outdoors, when the ball is thrown outside of the field, it can take a few seconds to retrieve it: hence the advantage of point-based period duration.

All of these rules should be set by consensus before the start of the game.

Comments on the rules

Principles: a metal frame holding a net suspended inside and connected to the frame by springs replaces the Basque pelota wall. The mechanical hubs providing for optimal rebound have been studied experimentally through several prototypes. The incline relative to the ground should be about 55 degrees. Reducing the angle toward the horizontal results in higher bounce (with a tendency to react with “lobs” see pl.3).

1. The two teams are thus mixed on the field. They play alternatively; the ball is received after rebound by the team opposing the one that made the shot.

The aim of the game is to make the ball rebound toward an area of the field where there is no opponents so the ball is not caught. The good shot is one that is

“aimed “. One “aims” beyond the net to a symmetrical rebound (“mirrored”). One “marks” an opponent by standing away from him at the time of a catch and next to him at the time of a shot.

Ways to shoot a ball at the frame: a) From a given position: by throwing the ball while giving it some effects so it becomes uncatchable. It is the “ball technique”. b) By passing the ball to a teammate better positioned to shoot: it is the basis of the “tactics”. Searching for a good shooting position is a collective challenge to the team, and it must be resolved using a maximum of three passes. The no. 1 problem of the game is to shoot using the frame in a way that makes the ball reach an “empty” area of the field: a point is scored when the ball touches the ground without being caught. All the other points are lost because of technical faults (bad receptions or bad shots).

2. Do not walk. — What is walking? This applies only when holding the ball. As long as only one foot is moved (an example is pivoting on the same foot), there is no mobilization of the subject: through his fixed foot, the player remains on the same spot; however, as soon as that foot is raised, there is a movement of the body, which is called “walking”, even in case of shuffling the feet while remaining on the same spot. (See details in chapter V)

3. No obstruction. — Watchword: «Free way» sums up this basic overriding rule: no obstruction, either to catching or to shooting. Therefore, there will be a fault or a mistake (fault when it is voluntary) when a player is within ball’s trajectory and interferes with the catcher. A point (lost)

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sanctions the fault when there was a clear intent. (See details in Chap. V)

Free way is also as essential in shooting as in receiving. The opponents that find themselves in a position of interference with the team to which the ball is intended must move. This is not only to ensure a clean game (avoiding personal contacts), but also to ensure that the game is mainly constructive. Any obstruction attempt brings in a negative aspect that we want to exclude: no obstruction to the game; everyone can and must always give his/her best and act according to his/her own ability; there must be no direct personal fight; all interactions between the team occur through the elastic surface. There is no action against anyone. Superiority is always active, positive: the good execution of a combination of tactics and technique is the only element conditioning supremacy.

Faking used in throwing and shooting are good tactics, but makes the opponent at risk of being unable to keep the way free: in such a case, the one who fakes is sanctioned.

If the shooter, being near the goal, gets hit by the ball bouncing back, it is a critical fault and the point is lost.

For all those reasons, for it to be a good game requires everybody to remain constantly alert: to know at all times were the ball is, so to be as ready to catch it as to dodge in order to let the ball go its way.

The « no obstruction » rule is one of the basic principles of the socio-philosophy of Tchoukball. It is also a condition for its educational power.

4. The field. — The limits of the field are in fact variable. They are established on a case-by-case basis depending on the actual needs. It is the prerogative of the responsible technical leader to decide it with due consideration for existing challenges.

The neutral zone (the so-called “forbidden zone”) can be reduced to two and a half meters or even to two meters. (for beginners or youngsters, for example).

But it must be scrupulously respected. If a player trespasses it, even by the tip of a toe, the point is lost.

For the shots, it is the position of the foot with regards to the demarcation line that counts. A “jumping” shot is valid, regardless of the position of the body above the forbidden zone, on condition that the ball has left the hands before the player gets back on the ground in the neutral zone and that no foot has touched the line.

If a pass is made in front of the frame and the teammate catches it inside the forbidden zone, the ball is deemed to be out. If there is doubt, the point is to be redone.

When the momentum upon receiving has the player carried away into the forbidden zone, two cases may arise:

a) it was the last permitted pass, the point must be redone;

b) there was still one pass allowed (first pass for a game of two passes, second pass for a game of three passes) the player

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must make his pass from the place where he landed.

The ball should not touch the ground inside this zone: the point is lost for the team that threw it there.

Regarding the general boundaries of the playing field (the one where the teams are playing), it is important to use mobile demarcation marks: ones that can be moved quickly, according to the necessities. A good coach even begins with a somewhat smaller field, to get his players’ second wind, then he will use the dimensions required by the specific meet.

The following rule should be used as reference: the field can be increased in length depending on the players exercise capacity or resistance to breathlessness (and therefore on their level of training).

The size of the field is the more flexible and adjustable element to meet the actual moving and running distance capacity of the players, as this capacity depends on the physical resistance of the players.

Increasing the size of the field results in longer moves, more space between players: thus it increases the necessity to be precise, fast, often even acrobatic; at the same time, longer moves demand more from the body: so, players that are in great athletic shape will find a larger field more interesting, and it will also be of interest when the intention is to improve cardio-respiratory fitness.

Any ball that touches the ground inside the limits of the field, whether immediately after bouncing off the frame or as a result of

a missed pass, makes the team responsible to catch it lose the point. Except in special cases as indicated before (player carried away by his momentum, for example), players must move within the field. If a ball hits the ground on the limit, we found it simpler and fairer to just cancel the point. The ball is put back into play by the team that had the ball before the event.

5. The rule: — “The ball must not touch the ground” does not need additional comments.

In some difficult receiving situations, it may happen that the player ends up rolling on the ground after catching the ball: the referee shall check whether or not the ball touches the ground because the ball cannot touch the ground at any time between when it is received up to when the player gets back on his feet.

6. Three passes allowed. — Passes are intended to make the ball move so as to provide the best shooting position: this is the basis of tactics.

In games involving small teams (two players per team) the number of passes can be limited to two to reduce physical demands on the players.

A good play of passes requires undivided attention: even while moving, a player should always keep the ball in sight and always be ready for a pass.

For the player who has the ball and has a right to pass, it is necessary to decide quickly if he/she is in a good position to shoot, or if another teammate is in a better shooting position.

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For the teammate who seeks to get a pass, the problem is different: he must choose a firing position where the “mirrored” reception area is free.

The quality of pass execution is fundamental: it relies on communication between players, and it needs to be performed in a way that ensures good reception.

If it happens that a player only touches the ball (fumbles or deflects): a teammate has the right to recover the ball, but then it is counted as a pass.

It is important to keep the pace of the game while allowing a little time for reflection. Therefore, five seconds are allowed between catching and throwing the ball: passed that time, the ball gets to the other side.

7. Throw-in. — After each lost point, this is the team who lost that must play; for this purpose the ball is served to a “losing” player

For a fast game, each player benefits from catching the ball within reach to throw it in according to the rule.

9. Calculation of the fault : — Whenever the proper assessment of an event cannot be made, the point gets cancelled and the throw-in is served to a player of the same team as the one that had the ball before that error occurred. Errors are mostly:

a) Involuntary obstruction (in any form): this means that as soon as the game is hampered by the respective positions of

the players, the referee states ‘fault’ but without penalty.

b) The assessment of a fault is difficult, sometimes impossible to determine: a point cannot be granted without a risk of error. The referee has the authority to cancel the point if there is a chance for his objectivity to be challenged.

10. Essential elements of the game: – The game involves two specific disciplines:

a) The ball technique: it relates to the technique of the shoot, the pass or the reception (that includes the diving reception: in this case the reception is valid as long as the ball does not touch the ground).

b) The tactics, which is the reasoning with consideration for the “mirrored” nature of the rebound.

— It is essential to choose as shooter a player who is in a position where he can make the rebound go to an area of the field where there is no opponent. Therefore, it is the role of the teammates to seek a suitable place before seeking a pass allowing a good shot (offense).

— As soon as guessing which player in the attacking team might be the shooter becomes possible, the opposing team must get positioned in the ”mirrored” t rajectory of the shoot (defense). Both the front and the back line players should combine their moves with this double perspective in mind.

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3. Description of the technical aspects of the game

The frame (see fig 1)

At the beginning we used to use the frame called: the “Punch Back”, from Cheftel (France). We remained faithful to the concept of a square frame with one meter sides (1 m2). This elastic surface seemed to be the most suitable.

Mechanical laws of rebound

The frame is placed at the back of the field, on the ground and tilted towards the field in such a way that the ball striking the net rebounds off upward. (See pl.1-2)

We assessed different inclines of the net, (see pl.3-5) and found that the best is an angle of 55° from the horizontal. When Increasing this angle, or when the frame is more vertical, the rebound is lower, more horizontal; on the contrary, when reducing the angle by tilting the frame more to the ground or backwards, the rebound is much more vertical and upward. This feature is to be taken advantage of and can be most useful. For beginners, for example, putting a frame more tilted (providing high rebounds) allows players to better monitor the trajectory of the rebound upward and gives them more time to move and position themselves for receiving; tilting the frame more horizontally provides an aerial, slower type of game.

Apart from these specific educational uses, we do not see any interest in slowing down the game; Therefore, the 55° incline is the best suited to provide the most useful and effective rebounds.

The trajectory of the ball from the frame, demonstrate the importance of the mechanical laws of the rebound. (See pl.6 overhead view)

Except when the throw is executed squarely in front of the frame (in which case the rebound takes the same direction as the throw and returns to the shooter), the information to always keep in mind is that the rebound is “mirrored”. The surface of the frame is “reflective” and the trajectory departing from the frame is perfectly symmetrical to the shooting one (same angle to a perpendicular raised from the frame).

This is crucial: first horizontally, this means that the more lateral the throw, the more lateral the rebound (of the same angle) (shot 1 pl.6). During a throw, it is important to consider that a side shot rebounds to the opposite edge of the field: if it is a bit strong, the ball gets out and the point is lost. Therefore, in terms of shooting position, the more lateral it is, the softer the shot should be; the power of the shot should be adjusted to the degree of incline that the trajectory will have by reference to the frame. Lateral positions do not allow powerful shots.

On the contrary, a more frontal position (shot 3 pl.6) allows more power in the throw in order to get to the back of the field. The exact measure of strength required to shoot from a lateral position has always been very difficult to teach, especially to athletic men.

In general, computing the symmetry (“mirrored” rebound) resulting from the ball striking the frame does not come naturally and requires a certain amount

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of experience. This calculation is however essential, because when shooting, one does not aim at the frame, but at the mirrored position or aiming to place the ball in an area of the field where there is no opponent. The aim of the game is to find the weak point in symmetry. Before each shot, the player calculates the symmetrical effect of his shot.

On the offense, one seeks a point “unmarked” (a symmetry that is not occupied) and, if there is none, one passes the ball to a better-positioned teammate. When no more passes are allowed, there is no other choice than to attempt a surprise shot (ball effects, power, etc.) which takes the opponent off guard.

In defense, the assessment involves positioning oneself in the trajectory of the rebound: the symmetry of occupation goes along the entire trajectory. The correct observation is the one that guesses quickly enough the position where the shot will come from, and based on the shooter’s position and the principle of symmetry, the future trajectory of the ball. On this trajectory the power of the shot will determine the reachable drop point for receiving. The defender, using intuition and experience, will determine where to run in order to be able to correct at the last second his/her own trajectory in order to meet the trajectory of the ball.

In offense and in defense, the entire effort is focused on the drop point in symmetry. For the player, being able to adapt to a moving target type of situation requires a very complex, highly differentiated brain process (observation and judgment). During the moves (the ball moving as quickly as

possible to confuse the opponent), each player must keep the opposing team in check while having in mind as a primary concern the potential drop point: it is a mental exercise that requires the ongoing evaluation of dynamic situations that come and go continuously

4. Psychobiological conditioningFrom a psychobiological point of view,

we can distinguish several conditioning resulting from this particular game:

First, the information on the positions of the players and the meaning of their moves are sensory: it involves first and foremost vision. This sensory information is processed by the brain and integrated with other information to extrapolate the intentions of the players. Integrating this information can be done based on the experience of the flow of the game as much as on the quality and the psychology of the players.

The sensory information is being integrated in the brain at the level of higher processing structures, which enable the player to guess the intentions of the actors of the play and their reactions. The more accurate and specific the assessment, the better the anticipation of the positions required to the behavior needs. There is thus intellectual activity involved.

The last phase, the decision, is determined by all the previous data, plus the perception of the appropriateness of the gesture intended to meet the critically important element of the game, the symmetry of the ball drop point, or what is really at stake.

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The main concern: the symmetrical drop point.

When we say that, in the game of Tchoukball, the goal is not located in the visual field, that it is either behind or on the side, we describe a game mechanism far more complicated than the ones involved in other sports. The symmetric drop point dominates the scene, remains always in mind and defines the immediate intentions there and then. We should not, and cannot, forget this if we want to efficiently coordinate all individual moves. This is why, in this play, there is not a single second of rest: each player must survey the entire field at all time, he/she can be called upon to take his share of responsibility in the action at any time and must be ready, i.e. he/she must be in an optimal state of information and reaction.

All the features of the game depend on this versatile process. One of the indirect consequences —which has no place in this chapter, but the statement at this moment is necessary because of considerations discussed before — is that this is a game that requires full attention at all time. To support this assertion, we would like to add that during each training game, we observe that the players obviously feel this cerebral tension at the end of the session which is reflected in the accuracy of the responses (that tend to decrease with time). Nevertheless, the interest of the game and the pleasure to play is such that none of the players willingly accepts to interrupt his/her participation because of fatigue. Even the player him/herself is barely aware of this decrease in attention. It is only back in the locker room that he/she admits to it!

I want to point out, just in passing, the problems engendered by this particular aspect of the required vigilance. As for other elements of the psychophysiology of Tchoukball, we get findings that are so obvious that they look like experiments. Vigilance is a variable affecting the quality of the game because it catalyzes all the functions that we spoke about so far and it is a prerequisite for a good game. But at the same time it can be improved, it can be trained through participation. Following the principles of good pedagogy, it is possible to define, when necessary, a set of game conditions that require a less intense degree of vigilance. We’ll see in the section related to training how to do this; this resource (flexibility) increases the educational and pedagogical value of the game. However, it was important to point out the relationship between the educational aspect of the game and the specific feature affecting its potential efficacy.

While developing the rules of game, this specific characteristic led us to organize the game around this factor.

5. The field (see pl.7)The field develops from the foot of

the frame; in front, it’s the length of the field, and on each side of the frame is the transversal part of the field.

The best dimensions appeared to be from 7 meters on each side of the frame up to 8 or 9 meters, and in length, 10, 15 or 20 meters. These dimensions are of interest because they play an important role in the development of the game. (when using a single frame)

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Forbidden zone

But before addressing the issue of the field, it is essential to clarify the importance of the nature of the forbidden zone.

It was important to put some distance between the frame and the players. Obviously, we cannot use the entire field up to the foot of the frame. This would only result in a fistfight. The importance of a distance from the frame is illustrated in the drawing below. (See pl.8)

The trajectory of a ball bouncing upward gets high enough to escape an immediate catch only beyond a certain distance from the frame.

At distance 1, the shot is at point-blank range and bounces immediately back onto the shooter him/herself.

In position 2, it is still easily catchable, as it is within reach of a defender’s hands. In these positions, if players are placed near the frame, there is no reason for the game to leave this area. If it were allowed to play near the frame, this would limit the game to dangerous exchanges, at close distance. A certain distance from the frame was thus necessary to allow room for defense to come into play. This explains why the game cannot take place closer to the frame than that distance: this limit has defined the forbidden zone.

This way, the moving ball always leaves a clear space that gives the game some air and makes it possible, without the interposition of a genuine barrage in front of the frame. The distance of three meters always seemed sufficient to us, but

experience will enable us eventually to find a better distance, if necessary and why, and again change the dimensions. At the moment, this zone as defined seems fine.

The only question that remains is the best shape for that forbidden zone. We always played with a transversal limit, thus reaching the two lateral sides of the field at three meters from its end. But one could define a closer lateral limit for the forbidden zone, three meters from each side, from the sides of the frame itself. This would provide a rectangular shape or a half circle for the edge of the forbidden zone. Such shape should have many advantages, e.g., it should allow for a better use of the lateral positions in the field. Indeed, these positions are extremely interesting from a point of view of skill. Therefore, recovering useful lateral positions should be considered.

Field dimensions

Except for the forbidden zone, the field represents the usable area. First, It is the area where the ball, when hitting the ground, makes the side who was supposed to receive it loose a point. Thus, it is the area where the attacker should aim for the ball to hit the ground; it is also the area from where to play.

Play outside the limits is not allowed. Some extreme cases, which will be discussed along the way, are acceptable for practical reasons, but first, it is important to clarify the reasons for the dimensions.

In principle, the field must be longer than it is wide, the length facing the frame; but we cannot underestimate the interest of lateral play. Indeed, even if somewhat

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difficult from a technical point of view (difficult to reach the center of the frame), from a tactical standpoint, the lateral game allows much more variety, which means that lateral play (with possible lateral extension) must be reserved, yet well implemented, to well trained teams.

As for the length of the field, it must be proportionate to the number of players. It is (excluding the prohibited area) 14, 18, or 20 meters. (see pl.7). While these dimensions can be modified according to the number of players (see pl.7), do not underestimate the importance that the field size has on the technique and tactics used. It really determines the players’ moves.

Effects of the size of the field on the develop-ment of the game.

A small field, by keeping the players more together, more dense, prevents large moves and also allows setting the shooting positions closer to the frame. But less travel also means less move calculations, less tactics; this explains why, as a team learns to use moves purposively, increasing the dimensions of the field becomes of interest. This clarifies the game while at the same time allows larger moves to get to the terminal phases.

But field size has another important educational purpose. We’ll see along the way that large moves, rapid moves, are a way of playing typical of players who know how to implement effective tactics. But, as distance increases, cardiovascular factors come into play that must be considered. Indeed, by increasing the playing area, it also increases demand on the major cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It is necessary to have enough breathing capacity to go on for a

match, tactically speaking, on a large field. For example, a two player game on a field sized for three players requires long, rapid moves, which are taxing the major body functions.

The varying effect of the size of the field on breath allows us some interesting propositions. Particularly, at the start of a training session or of a match, it is a good idea to start with a smaller field for warm up purpose, and, after getting one’s second wind, to carry on with the game on a bigger field.

In addition, a large field allows fast athletes to demonstrate their skills. A large field, indeed, leads to very different types of interceptions, covering not just a surface but a three-dimensional space, and interceptions are often in midair, by a jump up to the end of the field. In other words a field that is large relative to the number of players, requires more athletic skills, and by the same token, has that much more educational value.

Therefore, variations in major physiological effects and field dimensions go hand in hand. We use these relations for utilitarian purposes, but without excluding the playful aspects of the game. We can associate the pleasure of the shot with scientifically tuned psycho-physiological effects. The coach is the master of the field, and the master of individual physiologies. In our opinion, the fact that a game can be adapted technically to the necessities of physiological variables without loosing sight of the purely immediate imperatives: fun, competition, etc., it is not the least advantage of it.

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How to mark the field

One can mark the field the usual way, with strips fastened to the ground or with sawdust tracing, but we have often adopted the method of wood batten placed on the ground, therefore movable.

To avoid any contesting, we decided as an arbitration rule that a ball that hits the line has to be played again; this ball is for neither side. It is therefore important to know for sure if the field limit has been reached; here is the advantage of the wood batten laid on the ground; when touched, they move slightly and this indicates that the limit was touched, and allows the referee to cancel the point without giving it to either

teams. The marking using wood batten has the advantage of being easily transportable, and when traveling by car to play in the country, it is easy to carry a small batch of wood batten that can be quickly and easily laid on the ground. On the other hand, when changing the size of the field during a game, it is easier to move wood batten than a strip of canvas .

Ultimately, it does not matter how the field is marked, but we must be remember that the limits must be extremely movable and adapted to the circumstances. We also see the psychological interest of cancelling any ball that touches the field boundary.

Documents

II. A NEW GAME: TCHOUKBALL · 2018. 8. 14. · II. A NEW GAME: TCHOUKBALL 1. The origin of Tchoukball General explanatory notes T he problem of sports has been a concern of mine for