Sports history: 12/01/2010

How to Play Handball

Handball, a very popular game in Ireland, has become increasingly popular in the United States. It is similar to racquetball and squash, except that the ball is hit with the hand, and can be played with 2 to 4 players in singles or doubles. Even with all the rules and regulations of the game, the following steps will lead you through how to play the basic game of 4-wall handball.

Instructions

Stand beside your opponent on the court facing the front wall. You, as the server, must stand in the "service zone," which is about 10 feet from the front wall. Your opponent must be at least 5 feet behind the service zone when you serve.

Bounce the ball once on the floor. As the ball comes up, hit it with your hand toward the front wall causing it to strike the wall without it touching the floor first and then bouncing back over the service zone.

Return the ball by hitting it with either hand or fist back toward the wall after it flies over the service zone. Do this before the ball hits the floor twice. This is done by your opponent, or either opposing teammate. The ball may hit the side walls before hitting the front wall after it is returned, but it cannot touch the floor first.

Continue play. Alternate turns between opponents or teams as you return the ball. After the initial return, you can hit the ball anywhere in front or behind the service zone as long as it doesn't touch the floor twice before doing so.

Score points. Although the ball is allowed to hit the wall or ceiling an unlimited amount of times, it must not touch the floor more than once before you hit it back, or your opponent receives a point. Whoever makes the point becomes the server or remains the server as the case may be.

Win the Handball game by scoring 21 points before your opponent or the opposing team does.

Handball history

The origins of Handball are a subject of great debate. One view is that it was invented in Germany, back in the late 19th century, as an outdoor sport to keep soccer players fit during the summer months. Outdoor Handball involved 11 players on each side and was played on a virtually fullsize turf soccer ground with soccer goals. It was mainly played with soccer rules, except it was played with the hands and kicking the ball was illegal rather than the other way round. However, there are records of handballstyle games going back to antiquity. The sport was depicted on a tombstone carving in Athens dated 600BC. The first match of the modern era was officially recorded on 29 October 1917 in Berlin, Germany. Outdoor Handball had its only Olympic Games appearance in the XIth Olympiad (1936 Berlin Games). The first international match recorded was played on 3 September 1925 with Germany defeating Austria, 6:3.

The sport's international governing body was first formed in 1928 as the Federation Internationale Handball Amateur, and took its current name in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1946 as the International Handball Federation (IHF). The IHF's first president was Avery Brundage an American who went on to become president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Indoor Handball was invented in the 1940s in Denmark. This is a 7aside game, played on a court slightly larger than a basketball court with smaller goals than its outdoor counterpart. Again, this sport flourished in the Germanic nations where it was hoped that it would appeal to a wider audience. With rules from other sports like basketball being introduced, this made the game simpler to play and more exciting to watch. The fact that it became a winter sport added to the spectator appeal being away from the cold, seated in comfort, with more action and excitement and higher scores than soccer. The sport is now played all over the world and was reintroduced as an Olympic event for the XXth Olympiad (1972 Munich Games).

Handball has always been a sport dominated by the European nations. In its formative years as an outdoor game, Germany, Austria and Denmark dominated in the international sphere, even though not many other nations outside Europe were playing the game.

After World War II, and the introduction of the indoor game, the Eastern Europeans quickly become competitive and were soon dominating the sport. Nations like the Soviet Union, Romania, Yugoslavia, East Germany and Hungary were regularly in the top three in most of the male and female international competitions. Only Sweden showed any significant resistance to the Eastern Bloc.

With the conclusion of the cold war and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc alliance, many of these nations suffered a temporary economic downturn which effected some of the national teams to lose the winning edge and a number of prominent players and coaches migrating to the west. Countries like France, Spain and Germany began to dominate. Some African (Algeria and Egypt) and Asian (South Korea and China) nations started to make an impact on the international competitions (especially the Olympics) in the late 1980s early 1990s.

The indoor game is now the more popular of the two types of handball. The outdoor variety is rarely played these days mainly for special occasions or by purists.

In recent years, a new outdoor version has emerged called Beach Handball, played naturally on the sands of a beach. This variety is now recognised by the IHF and now has formal rules.

Handball is now played on every habitable continent on this planet. It is estimated that about 7 million players are registered with a club. Many of the European clubs are professional and professional clubs in Asia (in South Korea, China and Japan) are becoming established and are considered as very competitive on the international stage. Africa, Americas and Oceania (our region) mainly comprise of amateur clubs but are very enthusiastic.

The UK has a small but thriving community of handball clubs in most parts of the country, and welcomes participation by members of both sexes and of all ages.

Football information

Football game

Football is familiar all of the game. It is interesting game for all men.I like best this game.It was deja vu for Herbert after Chris Payne handled a goal in Sydney’s 4-2 win over the Phoenix in last season’s preliminarScott Jamieson attempts to avoid the Phoenix defence. NO ONE, probably not even the players, wanted to be at the Sydney Football Stadium last night. But moments after the final whistle was blown, Sydney FC’s dressing room was the happiest place in a drowning city. Three points brings a warmth of its own.

Wellington Phoenix should have been used to these conditions, for the swirling breeze and rain was more reminiscent of a wintry Wellington than Sydney on the first day of summer. They never really adjusted but would leave the stadium fuming after two controversial late goals proved the conduit to victory for the Sky Blues.

Alex Brosque is put under pressure by the Wellington defence. Sydney took an early lead through Brendan Gan but it was their next two goals – scored in the 74th and 76th minutes – that left Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert enraged at referee Gerard Parsons. The first controversial strike had Mark Bridge offside after being put through by Terry Antonis, with the second contentious call coming when Sebastian Ryall clearly handled the ball as he started the move that ended with an Alex Brosque finish.

Football is familiar all of the game. It is interesting game for all men.I like best this game.It was deja vu for Herbert after Chris Payne handled a goal in Sydney’s 4-2 win over the Phoenix in last season’s preliminary final. ‘‘I just think it’s really disappointing. It’s two sides who were endeavouring to keep their seasons going ... but [the decisions] changed things dramatically,’’ he said.

‘‘You just want an answer. Just tell us if we’re wrong and they’re right – nothing else. We’re all accountable. We didn’t get an answer from last year, and who knows what we’ll get this time.’’

Top Tennis

The Tennis Ball

A tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis, approximately 6.7 cm (2.7 in.) in diameter and is normally yellow in color. In the early days of tennis, balls were often made of leather stuffed with hair or wool. Early tennis balls were made by Scottish craftsmen. These tennis balls were commonly made from a wool-wrapped stomach of a sheep or goat and tied with rope. In the 18th century, ¾” strips of wool were wound tightly around a nucleus made by rolling a number of strips into a little ball. String was then tied in many directions around the ball and a white cloth covering sewn around the ball. This type of ball, but with a rubber core, is still used for the original game of tennis, today called real tennis. With the introduction of lawn tennis in the 1870s, vulcanized rubber was first used to manufacture balls, often in tubes of four with a package, but not with the name of the brand.

Modern balls are made from rubber mixed with 14 to 18 chemicals to get the proper consistency. Approximately 85% of the ball weight is the rubber/chemical mix. The most expensive ingredient in the ball is the felt, which is adjusted in various ways to produce different properties. Steaming the felt raises its nap to make it fluffier, which increases wind resistance and control while reducing bounce and speed

The specifications for tennis balls are defined by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). This means the ball must be a certain size and weight and made with certain materials. Tennis balls are made of 2-piece rubber cores that are cemented together. This is then covered with fabric, usually wool or synthetic felt. The seams between the two pieces of the core are exposed, but covered with elastic sealant.

The ITF defines the official diameter as "more than" 2 and 1/2 inches but "less than" 2 and 5/8 inches. The weight is "more than" 2 ounces but "less than" 2 and 1/16th ounces.

The rules also say that, when dropped onto a concrete base from 100 inches, the ball should bounce "more than" 53 inches but "less than" 58 inches. In order to achieve this, most balls are pressurized and filled with air.

Finally, the rules state that the "stiffness" of the balls, defined by how much they deform (curve in or out) at 18 lbs of pressure, must be "more than" .220 inches and "less than" .290 inches for forward deformation. For return deformation it must be "more than" .315 inches and "less than" .425 inches.

Because there is some "looseness" in the dimensions required for tennis balls, there is small, but noticeable differences between brands. Some balls are designed for hardcourt and grass, while others are designed for clay courts. The ball can vary by about 1/8 of an inch in size and 1/16th of an ounce in weight. Its rebound height can vary almost 10%. The stiffness, defined by the deformation under pressure, can vary over 5%. In addition, the rules do not say what material the cover should be, the thickness of the cover, or how tightly or loosely the fibers are woven.

Most of the major tournaments are played with different brands of balls, designed especially for the different court surfaces. One of the questions the team investigated at Key Biscayne was did any of the differences in balls, mentioned in the previous paragraph, really make a "difference" in professional tennis tournaments.

Boxing enjoy

Sweet Boxing
We know that boxing is an enargycal game doing this game need to you power and energy. We most like this game spicily U.S.A are like it. We give some information about boxing.
Boxing is a martial art thought by historians to have originated in Ethiopia approximately 6000 years ago, thus pre-dating other forms of martial arts by centuries. We know that boxing made its way to Egypt and eventually to Greece where it officially became part of the 23rd ancient Olympic games in 688 B.C. (Greek mythology holds that the Greek god Apollo created boxing).Those wishing to train as boxers did so at the palaestra (training hall) within a special room set aside for the exclusive use of boxers and pankratists known as the korykeion. Bags or balls filled with meal or fig seeds were suspended from the ceiling at chest level for punching (the original heavy bags). During practice sessions, trainees were usually divided into pairs, with techniques taught progressively. The novice was compelled to learn basic techniques and combinations before he was allowed to participate in "loose play" or free sparring with other fighters. Although participants sometimes wore protective equipment in sparring, such as padded gloves known as spheres and earguards called amphitodes, full-contact was emphasized to bring practice matches as near possible to actual contest conditions. Stamina and flexibility were stressed, along with stretching, running, abdominal exercises, and a kind of shadowboxing known as skiamachia. To toughen one's physique, trainees would first strike a punching bag with their fists and then allow the rebounding bag to hit them full impact in the stomach, chest or back.
In these early times, a boxer's basic qualities were deemed to be good physical form, strong fighting spirit, and faith in eventual victory. Power equals mass (weight) multiplied by velocity (speed). Punching power is a precise blend of speed, timing and proper coordination of muscle tension and mass in the correct form. The good boxer with effective punching power must execute the punch as a kinetically combined chain from the ground up with his feet, legs, hips, trunk, core, shoulders, arms and hands along with proper rotation, appropriate muscle relaxation and precise muscle tension all comprising independent and critical links which must function synergistically to maximize his punching power.

Hockey game information

Hockey bad

The Canadian Press is reporting that the overall significance of this is that several teams are still struggling. The annual report from Forbes found that the average NHL franchise was worth about $228 million, which is up 2% from last year. The kicker is that 14 out of 30 teams saw their values decline.

The Toronto Maple Leafs predictably lead the pack at $505 million. The rest of the numbers showcase the divide between those franchises that have a lot of value and those that do not. Contrast the Leafs’ numbers with the value of the Edmonton Oilers, who are worth $183 million.

The Calgary Flames come in at $206 million, while the Montreal Canadiens rank at $408 million. The Senators linger near the middle with $196 million and the Vancouver Canucks round out at $262 million.

Some of the other big market teams include the obvious, like the New York Rangers at $461 million and the Boston Bruins at $302 million. But as you can see, there’s an awful lot of space between a team like the Leafs and a team like the Oilers.

As Forbes points out in their report, “the NHL has become a two-tiered league.”

You can check out the full report here.

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Word around the campfire today is that telecom giant Rogers is looking to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs. Should the deal go down, it would be the biggest transaction in Canadian sports history.

The deal would conceivably be worth more than $1 billion and would also include the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and the Marlies, the Maple Leafs’ AHL team. The potential transaction has been outlined in the Toronto Star using anonymous sources, including a top sports executive who requested to remain nameless in the reporting.

By purchasing a majority stake in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Rogers would become one of the most powerful sports enterprises in North America.

According to the Star’s sources, the deal would also include Leafs and Raptors television stations. The real estate holdings, however, would be off-limits.

Richard Peddie, MLSE’s CEO, declined comment other than to say that it was a “shareholder matter” and that he had not been involved in any discussions.

For now, we can choose to take the Star’s sources however we wish. With no other evidence to support this story at press time, I can only treat it as a rumour. So it goes.

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This is a story that simply makes my blood boil.

Mere hours after Pat Burns was laid to rest, somebody broke into the vehicle belonging to his wife. Montreal police say that somebody smashed one of the car’s windows as it was parked overnight a few blocks away from the cathedral. They took some of the possessions inside, including 30 autographed hockey jerseys set to be donated to charity and other items.

“There’s two suitcases with clothes belonging to Pat Burns and his wife,” Lemieux said. “There’s a Movado watch for men. There’s also family pictures, credit cards, iPad, jewelry belonging to his wife.”

The credit cards were taken out of Pat Burns’ wallet.

According to police, the spineless crooks might try to sell some of the items due to their high profile. Burns’ widow says she just wants the items back and the late coach’s son Jason agrees. “It’s a good thing to bring it back so we can do the job we wanted to do with the shirts,” said Jason. “There were a bunch of hockey jerseys that were going to foundations for needy people.”

“They went through his stuff,” said Const. Anie Lemieux of the Montreal police. “The person who left with the shirts and everything knows that this is Pat Burns’ stuff.”

I’ve been criticized for obscenity on this blog before, so I think I’ll just leave this story as is.

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Reports say that about 1,500 people headed into the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral to pay their respects to legendary NHL coach Pat Burns.

The funeral took place in the afternoon and went for about two hours, with eulogies by Burns’ cousin and New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello. Burns’ courage was the topic of the day, if there was one, and Msgr. Robert Sansoucy’s sermon focused on the importance of hockey. Interestingly, Burns’ ashes were in an urn shaped like the Stanley Cup.

“It gives me a big smile, every time I think of Pat,” said New Jersey netminder Martin Brodeur. “We won a Stanley Cup together, and at the same time I got the chance to get pretty close to him, riding motorcycles. We had plenty of fun together.”

Quebec Premier Jean Charest was also at the service. “Leadership in sports, like in life, business, or politics, always comes down to the same ingredients. You have to prove you have a lot of determination. You have to be capable of vision,” Charest said. “Burns had an exceptional career, he was a very generous man … and he had a positive effect everywhere he went.”

Hockey luminaries at the funeral included Patrick Roy, Guy Carbonneau, Carey Price, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Jacques Demers, Kirk Muller, Raymond Bourque, and Yvan Cournoyer. Members of the Gatineau police department, where Burns served as an officer prior to his NHL coaching career, also attended.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte led the services.

Sunday saw Atlanta Thrashers defenceman Dustin Byfuglien dominate again, putting four points on the scoreboard as his team took down the Boston Bruins.

Byfuglien scored his fifth game-winner and chipped in with three helpers to gather up a 4-1 win for his club over the Bruins. This is Byfuglien’s fourth goal in five games, giving his nine points through the Thrashers’ current five game winning streak and 25 points in 24 games overall. That’s good enough to lead all NHL defencemen in both goals and total points thus far.

Looking at these statistics, it’s hard not to think of Byfuglien as dominant. In typical hockey player fashion, however, he takes the humbler road. “I feel comfortable,” he said. “I wouldn’t put myself out there as dominating, but I’m just out there playing good hockey and having fun and trying to play as a team.”

Sunday’s game was another example of Byfuglien’s ability to do it all on the ice. He creates turnovers, clears the crease, handles the puck, and creates offensive opportunities.

Perhaps it’s the move to Atlanta that has given the bulky defenceman that extra jump, as he’s now the go-to guy on the roster and has been revelling in the role. Sure, he was clearly a good player back on the Chicago Blackhawks, but Byfuglien’s surging start with the Thrashers is something else altogether.

Badminton Rules

Basic Badminton Rules

Badminton is always enjoyable game so we try to always enjoy it.If you are not able to rule of badminton you dont play this game .So you have need know to rule of badminton. Learn the Basic Badminton Rules and you can start to enjoy the game.

Of course if you intend to play competitively, it's important that you know all of the badminton rules. For social and leisure purposes, I think this will do.
Introduction

Before the 2006 Thomas/ Uber Cup, the official scoring format was the 15 points format. The IBF (International Badminton Federation) then tested a new scoring format which is the 21 points rally format in the 2006 Thomas/Uber Cup. This 21 points rally format has since become the official one replacing the 15 points format.

15 Points Format

There are a lot of people who still prefer the old format. So I have listed down the basic badminton rules for this format here if you have this preference.

- To win a match, you have to win 2 out of 3 games.

- To win a game, you have to score 15 points for men and 11 points for women.

- If the score becomes 14-all (10-all in women's singles), the side which first scored 14 (10) shall exercise the choice to continue the game to 15 (11) points or to 'set' the game to 17 (13) points.

- If you win a rally in which your opposition served, you win back the service rights.

- Only the serving side can add a point to its score.

- You score a point when your opponent could not return the shuttle or the shuttle he/she returns fall out of bounds.

- In singles, you will serve on the right service court when your score is an even number while you will serve on the left service court when your score is an odd number.

- In doubles, if you serve and receive first on the right service court during a match, you will continue to serve there when the score of your side in an even number. Reverse pattern for your partner.

21 points Format

Currently, this is the official format used by the IBF. Here are the basic badminton rules for this format.

- To win a match, you have to win 2 out of 3 games.

- To win a game, you have to score 21 points.

- If a score becomes 20-20, the side which scores 2 consecutive points shall win that game.

- If the score becomes 29-29, the side that scores the 30th point shall win that game.

- There are no "service over", meaning you can score a point no matter who serves.

- One service only for doubles.

- Other rules shall remain the same.

So what is the difference between these two formats you may ask? For one, the old format requires more time to finish a match as there are 'service overs'. The level of fitness and stamina is really important. It is not unusual to see a match last for 2 hours.

The new format however requires less time to finish a match as it is a rally point system. It is now quite common to see matches finished just below an hour. Avoiding making unforced errors is crucial here because every rally counts.

Decide for yourself on which format you want to use. I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with the new format in case you become more serious with this game. Understand the basic badminton rules already? .

Cricket enjoy

Cricket are enjoyable game and it popular game all of the game. It is news for cricket if you are wanted to know about large or enjoy to flow our advise. The second Ashes Test begins in Adelaide on Friday morning with honors’ even. By all accounts England 'won' the opening stalemate at the Gabba but you can't bank good form. 16 months ago in Cardiff Australia battered the home side to the very brink, saw Graham Onions and Monty Panesar hang on for 0-0, and rode that wave into a 115-run defeat at Lord's. Ricky Ponting handed over the urn five weeks later after a 2-1 reverse. Australia had scored as many runs for six wickets as England did for 18 in the 2009 opener, one ball from victory for an excruciating hour. In the abstract last weekend at Brisbane does not compare. Each side managed only 11 wickets and the match result was safe for a day and change. If there is a running theme between the first Tests then and now it is Australian indifference. Despite their dominance at Lord's over 75 years they failed to convince after the Welsh disappointment; following the humiliation of Sunday and Monday they are no-one's idea of a top Test team. This is hardly breaking news but for Englishmen the new reality of ordinary Oz takes some getting used to. This home identity crisis is born out in more selection uncertainty. Ryan Harris and Doug Bollinger have been added to the squad for the Adelaide Oval as Ponting looks for a pace attack with some penetration. Why two extra seamers? Harris and Bollinger were both cut from the original 17-man squad for Brisbane due to supposed injury doubts but it would be nonsense to call up a player of questionable fitness between back-to-back Tests. Mitchell Johnson was the man most vulnerable after a grim all-round performance last week (a duck, a dropped dolly and nought for 170) and the axe has now fallen on him; Bollinger should be front of the queue after his surprising omission last Thursday. It would be a like-for-like swap in bowling terms, left-arm balance retained and hopefully a little control added. But Bollinger is a batting rabbit and Johnson a Test centurion so that change on its own would open up the Aussie tail. After being whipped out so easily in Brisbane on day three, that is a concern. On the other hand Harris has a little substance as a batsman but is an experienced rather than explosive swing bowler. You begin to see why Australia's selectors are doubting themselves. Almost certainly Marcus North is on his final chance, with Usman Khawaja primed for inclusion next time, while Bollinger should replace Johnson, ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2009 but now mistrusted in a four-man attack. Ponting is a confirmed Harris fan but would he drop Ben Hilfenhaus or Peter Siddle, attack-leader and hat-trick hero in Brisbane respectively? Changing two of the three seamers but keeping Xavier Doherty would be an admission of desperation, bringing us back to the question: why Harris and Bollinger? Do Australia not even know their best XI? For England coach Andy Flower, who missed part of the first Test having a life-threatening cancer removed, there will be no team changes. The biggest issues are Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann, but both have more than earned the right to one poor Test match. It was inevitable that Australia came at Swann hard with a calculated plan. The manner in which he responds in Adelaide will have a significant influence on the Test and the series. Collingwood faces replacement with Eoin Morgan in the next 12 months but it will take something drastic to force such action in Australia. There has also been mischievous suggestion that Ajmal Shahzad might replace Steven Finn on account of the Yorkshireman's skid and reverse-swing. Flower was brutal in dropping Onions for a 'rest' in Johannesburg at the start of the year, so the idea cannot be discounted. But Finn, like Siddle, has six wickets from Brisbane so would be hugely disappointed. England will be happy with how things look and reluctant to take risks. The Adelaide surface is expected to be flat initially and the boundaries are short. Winning the toss is an advantage but, again, Ashes history offers a note of caution. Of all the humiliations England have suffered in Australia their last visit here was among the worst for the very reason that they batted first and thought they would win - having declared their first innings they were bowled out in 73 overs second time around, losing by six wick

Football information

Football game

Football is familiar all of the game. It is interesting game for all men.I like best this game.It was deja vu for Herbert after Chris Payne handled a goal in Sydney’s 4-2 win over the Phoenix in last season’s preliminary final. ‘‘I just think it’s really disappointing. It’s two sides who were endeavouring to keep their seasons going ... but [the decisions] changed things dramatically,’’ he said.