The Sports Rules Book

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Third Edition The SPORTS RULES Book Human Kinetics with Thomas Hanlon Human Kinetics

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Human Kinetics (Organization)   The sports rules book / Human Kinetics with Thomas Hanlon. -- 3rd ed. p. cm.   Includes bibliographical references.   ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-7632-6 (soft cover)   ISBN-10: 0-7360-7632-8 (soft cover) 1. Sports--Rules I. Hanlon, Thomas W. II. Title.   GV731.H85 2009   796--dc22 2008051170 ISBN-10: 0-7360-7632-8 (print) ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-7632-6 (print) ISBN-10: 0-7360-8526-2 (Adobe PDF) ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-8526-7 (Adobe PDF) Copyright © 2009, 2004, 1997 by Human Kinetics, Inc. All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. The Web addresses cited in this text were current as of November 2008, unless otherwise noted. Acquisitions Editor: Tom Heine Managing Editor: Melissa J. Zavala Assistant Editors: Nicole Gleeson and Christine Bryant Cohen Copyeditor: Patricia L. MacDonald Proofreader: Anne Meyer Byler Permission Manager: Martha Gullo Graphic Designer: Bob Reuther Graphic Artist: Francine Hamerski Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg Photographer (cover and interior): © Human Kinetics, unless otherwise noted Photo Asset Manager: Laura Fitch Photo Production Manager: Jason Allen Art Manager: Kelly Hendren Associate Art Manager: Alan L. Wilborn Illustrator: Tammy Page Printer: Hess Printing Solutions Printed in the United States of America   10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1 Human Kinetics Web site: www.HumanKinetics.com United States: Human Kinetics Australia: Human Kinetics P.O. Box 5076 57A Price Avenue Champaign, IL 61825-5076 Lower Mitcham, South Australia 5062 800-747-4457 08 8372 0999 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Canada: Human Kinetics New Zealand: Human Kinetics 475 Devonshire Road Unit 100 Division of Sports Distributors NZ Ltd. Windsor, ON N8Y 2L5 P.O. Box 300 226 Albany 800-465-7301 (in Canada only) North Shore City e-mail: [email protected] Auckland 0064 9 448 1207 Europe: Human Kinetics e-mail: [email protected] 107 Bradford Road Stanningley Leeds LS28 6AT, United Kingdom +44 (0) 113 255 5665 e-mail: [email protected]

Contents Contributors  v  ◾   Introduction  vii  ◾  Measurement Conversions  ix 1 Alpine Skiing . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 28 Karate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 2 Archery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 29 Lacrosse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 3 Australian Football . . . . . . . 11 30 Netball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4 Badminton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 31 Racquetball . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 5 Baseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 32 Rowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 6 Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 33 Rugby Union . . . . . . . . . . . 185 7 BMX Racing . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 34 Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 8 Bowling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 35 Skateboarding . . . . . . . . . . 197 9 Boxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 36 Snowboarding . . . . . . . . . 202 10 Canoeing and Kayaking . . . . 55 37 Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 11 Cheerleading . . . . . . . . . . . 60 38 Softball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 12 Cricket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 39 Speedskating . . . . . . . . . . 222 13 Cross Country . . . . . . . . . . 73 40 Squash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 14 Cross-Country Skiing . . . . . 78 41 Swimming and Diving . . . . . 231 15 Curling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 42 Synchronized Swimming . . 238 16 Cycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 43 Table Tennis . . . . . . . . . . 242 17 Equestrian . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 44 Taekwondo . . . . . . . . . . . 246 18 Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 45 Team Handball . . . . . . . . . . 251 19 Field Hockey . . . . . . . . . . . 101 46 Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 20 Figure Skating . . . . . . . . . 106 47 Track and Field (Athletics) . 262 21 Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 48 Triathlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 22 Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 49 Ultimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 23 Gymnastics . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 50 Volleyball . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 24 Handball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 51 Water Polo . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 25 Ice Hockey . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 52 Water Skiing . . . . . . . . . . 296 26 Judo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 53 Weightlifting . . . . . . . . . . 302 27 Ju-Jitsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 54 Wrestling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 References  316  ◾   About the Authors  318 iii

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Contributors Alpine Skiing Cross-Country Skiing Finn E. Gundersen Yuriy Gusev U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Central Cross Country Ski Association Archery Curling Jane Johnson David Garber USA Archery USA Curling Australian Football Cycling Lawrie Woodman Shawn Farrell Australian Football League USA Cycling Badminton Diving Peggy Savosik Donald Leas USA Badminton USA Diving Baseball Equestrian Christopher D. Downs Mary Smith Little League Baseball and Softball United States Equestrian Federation Basketball Fencing Rick Leddy Alex Beguinet National Association of Basketball Coaches Duke University BMX Racing Field Hockey Erma Miller Karen Collins National Bicycle League USA Field Hockey Bowling Figure Skating Mark Miller Susi Wehrli-McLaughlin United States Bowling Congress U.S. Figure Skating Boxing Football Krysti Rosario Mike Bath USA Boxing Miami University Canoeing and Kayaking Golf Kent Ford Susan Hinrichsen American Canoe Association Illinois High School Association Cheerleading Gymnastics Billie Ann Caya Luan Peszek, Caroline Hunt, Jeff Robinson North Dakota Cheer Coach Association USA Gymnastics Cricket Handball Andrew Larratt Vern Roberts Cricket Australia United States Handball Association Cross Country Ice Hockey Steve Kearney Matt Leaf Chesterton (IN) High School USA Hockey v

vi  ◾  Contributors Swimming Mike Unger Judo USA Swimming Richard Celotto United States Judo Association Synchronized Swimming Taylor Payne Ju-Jitsu United States Synchronized Swimming Patrick Hickey United States Ju-Jitsu Federation Table Tennis Felisa Huggins and David Huggins Karate USA Table Tennis Patrick Hickey USA Karate Federation Taekwondo Mark Kaufmann Lacrosse USA Taekwondo Brian Logue U.S. Lacrosse Team Handball Dawn Lewis Netball USA Team Handball Anne-Marie Phippard Netball Australia Tennis Paul Roetert Racquetball Unites States Tennis Association Otto E. Dietrich USA Racquetball Track and Field Steve Kearney Rowing Chesterton (IN) High School Brett Johnson U.S. Rowing Triathlon Kathy Matejka and Charlie Crawford Rugby Union USA Triathlon Peter Baggetta PAC Rugby Ultimate Standing Rules Committee Shooting Ultimate Players Association Robert Mitchell USA Shooting Volleyball Marjorie Mara Skateboarding USA Volleyball Don Bostick World Cup Skateboarding Water Polo Liz Grimes Snowboarding USA Water Polo Jeremy Forster U.S. Snowboarding Water Skiing Scott N. Atkinson Soccer The Water Skier Charlie Keaney Soccer Association for Youth Weightlifting Mike Conroy Softball USA Weightlifting Kurt Gibson Illinois High School Association Wrestling Jim Heffernan Speedskating University of Illinois Robert Crowley U.S. Speedskating Squash Faraz Hussain Illinois Squash Racquets Association

Introduction The Sports Rules Book, Third Edition, is designed for sport administrators, coaches, physi- cal education teachers, players, and fans who want to know a sport’s basic rules and procedures, penalties, scoring system, playing area dimensions, and officials’ signals— providing a concise yet clear overview of how a sport is played. The reader-friendly format helps you understand the fundamental rules without getting bogged down in every minute detail. Inside you’ll find overviews and rule descriptions of 54 sports popular in the United States and around the world. You’ll find historical descriptions of how each sport was started and interesting statistics about the popularity of the sport worldwide. To be accurate, the field dimensions and terminol- ogy individual to each sport are maintained (i.e., metric versus English measurements). You will also find a conversion chart to help you convert between metric and English measurements. Here’s what you’ll find in most chapters of The Sports Rules Book: ◾◾ A brief introduction that touches on the sport’s origin and provides an overview of the sport’s main features (e.g., number of players, length of game, scoring, and how the game is played) ◾◾ A diagram and description of the playing area, when appropriate ◾◾ Useful terms that will help you understand the sport ◾◾ Descriptions of the sport’s equipment ◾◾ Rules that pertain to the players and to the various aspects of the sport (e.g., pitch- ing, batting, and base running in baseball) ◾◾ Information on the sport’s officials, occasionally including drawings of their signals ◾◾ For a handful of the sports, rule modifications to help teachers and sport admin- istrators adapt the sport to make it more appropriate for younger and less-skilled players ◾◾ Organizations to contact for more in-depth rules You can find comprehensive officiating rules and information for most sports by writing to the National Association of Sports Officials, 2017 Lathrop Avenue, Racine, Wisconsin 53405, or by calling the association at 262-632-5448. The Sports Rules Book is not meant to be complete in its coverage of any sport. It is meant to provide the basic rules and procedures of a sport and to be practical, under- standable, and concise, without sacrificing the essentials. The Sports Rules Book provides you with the information necessary to teach and play everything from soccer and softball to curling and cricket through fundamental instruction of the basics. vii



Measurement Conversions Feet English to metric Meters Metric to English Feet .3048006 m/ft Centimeters 3.280833 ft/m Inches 30.48006 cm/ft Centimeters .032808 ft/cm Inches 2.540005 cm/in Millimeters .39370 in/cm Miles 25.4000 mm/in Kilometers .0394 in/mm Ounces 1.60935 km/mi Grams .62137 mi/km Pounds 28.349527 g/oz Grams .0352740 oz/g Pounds 453.5924 g/lb Kilograms .00220462 lb/g Yards .453592 kg/lb Meters 2.2046223 lb/kg .91440183 m/yd 1.093611 yd/m C.R.C. Standard Mathematical Tables, 12th Edition, Chemical Rubber Publishing Company, 1959. Information Please Almanac Atlas & Yearbook, 50th Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997. To convert: Start with the measurement you are dealing with. Multiply by the appro- priate conversion factor using all the decimal places. If there is more than one choice of conversion factor, use the one that is closest in comparison (i.e., pounds and kilograms rather than pounds and grams, or feet and meters rather than feet and centimeters). In general, round the answer to the same number of places after the decimal as you had in the original number. For example, to convert 99 pounds to kilograms, look under “Pounds” in the English-to-metric column where it specifies the conversion in “kg/lb.” Multiply 99 lb by .453592 kg/lb, and the result is 44.905608 kg. Since you started with a whole number, you may also want to round the result to a whole number: 45 kg. Common conversions 10 kilometers = 6.2 miles 10 meters = 32.8 feet 5 kilometers = 3.1 miles 100 meters = 328 feet 5 miles = 8 kilometers 500 meters = 1,640 feet 5 ounces = 142 grams 10 feet = 304.8 centimeters 100 grams = 3.5 ounces 100 feet = 30.5 meters 5 kilograms = 11 pounds 10 inches = 25.4 centimeters 500 grams = 1.1 pounds 10 centimeters = 4 inches 100 pounds = 45.4 kilograms 20 millimeters = .79 inches 20 yards = 18.3 meters 50 millimeters = 2 inches 10 yards = 9.1 meters 10 inches = 254 millimeters ix

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© Icon Sports Media 1 Alpine Skiing

2  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Accounts of Alpine ski competition date back demands of television. Slalom competitors to the 6th century. Skiing competition began begin at irregular intervals at the starter’s com- on a broader scale in the early 1800s; the sport was mand. Competitors must pass across the gate introduced to the United States in the mid-1800s line (between two poles or panels) with ski tips by Norwegian immigrants. Early skis were made and both feet. If a competitor loses a ski without of wood and were laminated. Today’s skis offer committing a fault, the tip of the remaining ski many shapes and lengths to accommodate differ- and both feet must pass the gate line. Competi- ent styles of skiing, racing, and snow conditions. tors must cross the finish line on both skis, on one ski, or with both feet (in case of a fall at the line). Today there are more than 57 million skier The time stops once any part of the competitor’s visits (one person buying one ticket a day) a equipment or body stops the electric timing. year in the United States alone. Alpine skiing is popular not only in the United States but also Course in Europe and numerous countries around the world. It consists of several disciplines, includ- Each discipline in alpine skiing has various course ing downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-giant measurements and obstacles (figure 1.1). Specifics slalom (super-G), super combined, team, and for each one follow. skier-cross competitions. Downhill Overview The vertical drop for men ranges from 500 to In downhill, giant slalom, and super-G competi- 1,100 meters; for women, from 500 to 800 meters. tions, skiers start at intervals of 1 to 2 minutes, (Distances vary between U.S. Ski and Snowboard depending on the length of the course and the Association courses and international courses.) Open gate Vertical combination Hairpin Closed 4-6 m 4-6 m vertical gate Max. 0.75 m 0.75 m 15 m Min. Min. 4-6 m 4-6 m 0.75 m 0.75 m Min. Min. 4-6 m ▶▶ Figure 1.1  Alpine skiiEn4g6c2o5u/rHsKe./Hanlan/Fig 1.1/331123/Tammy Page/R2-alw Reprinted, by permission, from International Ski Federation (FIS), 2004, The international ski competition rules (Oberhofen/Thunersee, Switzerland: Author), 79.

Alpine Skiing  ◾  3 Men’s and women’s courses are marked with red Super-G gates (blue may be used to mark a women’s gate on a men’s course). The gate width is at least 8 The vertical drop for men’s courses is 500 to 650 meters. The course must be free of large stones, meters; for women’s courses, 350 to 600 meters. tree stumps, and similar debris. Courses through A gate consists of four slalom poles and two wooded terrain must be at least 30 meters wide. panels; gates are alternately red and blue. They Competitors are required to take part in official must be between 6 and 8 meters wide from inner training on the course, which takes place on three pole to inner pole for horizontal (open) gates separate days before the event. A downhill event and between 8 and 12 meters wide for vertical may consist of one run or two runs. If the event has (closed) gates. two runs, those runs take place on the same day. Men’s courses have a minimum of 35 gates; Slalom women’s courses have at least 30. The distance between the turning poles of two successive gates The vertical drop for men’s courses ranges from must be at least 25 meters. A super-G course is 140 to 220 meters; for women’s courses, from undulating and hilly with a minimum width of 120 to 200 meters. The gates alternate in color. 30 meters. The competition consists of one run Each gate must be between 4 and 6 meters wide. for each competitor. Men’s courses have 55 to 75 gates, with excep- tions allowing for as few as 52 and as many as 78. Parallel Events Women’s courses have 45 to 65 gates, with excep- tions allowing for as few as 42 and as many as 68. A parallel event is a competition where two or Successive gates must have at least .75 meter and more competitors race simultaneously side by no more than 13 meters between them. side down two or more courses that are as iden- tical as possible. Competitions typically consist At major competitions the course has a gradi- of 32 competitors, paired off as follows: 1st and ent of 20 to 27 degrees. It may reach 30 degrees in 32nd; 2nd and 31st; and so on. (These placings brief portions of the course. The course includes a are based on previous races.) series of turns that the competitors should be able to complete rapidly. The course must be at least 40 Each match consists of two runs; the two meters wide if two runs are set on the same slope. competitors change courses on the second run. It must contain both horizontal (open) and verti- The competitor with the lowest total time on the cal (closed) gates, as well as one to three vertical two runs advances; the other is eliminated. The combinations consisting of three or four gates and second round also consists of two runs. Eight at least three hairpin combinations. skiers from this round advance to the quarter- finals; four advance to the semifinals; and two The slalom start takes place at irregular inter- advance to the final. vals; on the starter’s command to go, the competi- tor must begin within 10 seconds. Competitors The vertical drop is between 80 and 100 take two runs on two different courses; usually meters. Each course has between 20 and 30 both runs are taken on the same day. gates; the run-time of each race should be between 20 and 25 seconds. The first gate is Giant Slalom between 8 and 10 meters from the start. The difference between the competitors’ times—not The vertical drop for men’s courses is 250 to 450 each competitor’s total time—is recorded at the meters; for women’s courses, 250 to 400 meters. finish. Difference is recorded in thousandths of A giant slalom gate consists of four slalom poles a second. and two panels (flags). Gates are alternately red and blue and are between 4 and 8 meters Equipment wide. Successive gates must be no greater than 10 meters apart. The course must be at least 30 Poles are either rigid or flex-poles. Rigid poles meters wide and should present a variety of turns. have a diameter of 20 to 32 millimeters and have A giant slalom competition consists of two runs. no joints. They are made of a nonsplintering The runs may be held on the same trail, but the material, such as plastic, and when set they must gates must be changed for the second run. Both project at least 1.8 meters out of the snow. Flex- runs are usually held on the same day. poles have a spring-loaded hinge; they must be used for all competitions except downhills.

4  ◾  The Sports Rules Book A turning pole is the pole that is closest to the The outside ski is the downhill ski, performing skier’s line of travel in the gate. Turning poles most of the turn, carrying most of the pressure in for slalom, giant slalom, and super-G must be the arc of the turn. flex-poles. Slalom poles are red or blue. In giant A pole swing is the preparatory movement of the pole slalom and super-G competitions, two slalom forward that precedes a pole plant or pole touch; it’s poles, with a panel between them, make up one often used as a timing device for turning in rhythm. half of the gate; a like pair of slalom poles makes A sideslip occurs when the skis slide sideways, up the other half of the gate. under control, down the fall line. A sidestep occurs when a skier lifts one ski and Terms moves it sideways away from the other ski, then moves the other ski next to the first ski to re-form A blocking pole plant is a forceful placement of the original parallel position. the ski pole’s tip in the snow to help the athlete change edges on steep terrain (usually found only Officials in slalom). The edge angle is the degree of angle between a ski’s The technical delegate controls the event and the edge and the snow; a greater angle creates greater officials. The chief of race is responsible for the resistance to the pull of gravity. overall race, organizing committee, and course An edge set is the equal edging of both the inside workers. The chief of course is responsible for (uphill) and outside (downhill) skis to create a momen- course preparation. The chief of timing and cal- tary or permanent stopping of one’s progress. culations coordinates the start and finish officials. Edging is the combination of edge angle; ankle, knee, The chief gate judge supervises the gate judges. and hip angulation; pressure and weight distribution; The chief steward is in charge of safety precau- and steering that influences the degree of skidding tions and keeping spectators off the course. A jury (slow) or carving (fast) of the skis while turning. oversees adherence to race rules. A flat ski is one that is not edged. The gate line is the imaginary shortest line an ath- Modifications lete is capable of taking between the gate poles. In slalom, the gate passage is correct when both the Children 13 and 14 years old may take part in ski tips and feet pass the inside gate markers in the a downhill competition. The maximum verti- direction of the turn. If a competitor misses a gate, cal drop is 400 meters for both boys and girls. he is disqualified. Courses may have no jumps, sharp curves, or The inside ski is the one that’s inside the arc of the other special difficulties. For maximum vertical turn (often referred to as the uphill ski). drops and number of gates, see table 1.1. Table 1.1 Children’s Drops and Gates Classification Event Vertical drop Number of gates (max. meters) Maximum 2 hairpin combinations and maximum 1 vertical Children I Slalom combination consisting of maximum 3 gates 120 Maximum 3 hairpin combinations and maximum 2 vertical Children II Slalom combinations consisting of 3 or a maximum 4 gates 160 13% to 15% of vertical drop Children I Giant slalom 13% to 15% of vertical drop Children II Giant slalom 250 8% to 10% of vertical drop Children I Super-G 250 8% to 10% of vertical drop Children II Super-G 250 to 350 250 to 400 Data from International Ski Federation (FIS), 2004, The international ski competition rules (Oberhofen/Thunersee, Switzerland: Author), 22.

Alpine Skiing  ◾  5 Organizations U.S. Ski Team P.O. Box 100 International Ski Federation Park City, UT 84060 Marc Hodler House 801-649-9090 Blochstrasse 2 www.usskiteam.com CH-3653 Oberhofen Switzerland www.fis-ski.com U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association P.O. Box 100 1500 Kearns Blvd. Park City, UT 84060 435-649-9090 www.ussa.org

2 Archery © Comstock

Archery  ◾  7 Archery began as a method of defense and as a tors may shoot at one target. Each buttress is way to hunt game. It evolved into a sport by numbered and set at an angle of about 15 degrees the mandates of English kings, as a competition from vertical. The distance is measured from the among the men who defended the crown. By the ground directly below the gold of each target to 17th century, tournaments were commonplace. the shooting line. The center of the gold is about In the United States, the first archery club was 130 centimeters above ground. formed in Philadelphia in 1826. Archers Archery made brief appearances in the Olym- pic Games in the early 1900s and was readmitted Archery is a sport for people of all ages. Men, to the Games in 1972 after enough countries had women, and children compete. The longest dis- adopted international rules. Since 1972, technol- tances that archers shoot vary by category: ogy has greatly advanced the equipment. Archery has become wedded to skiing in the sport of ski- ◾◾ Men 18+: 90 and 70 meters archery and to running in run-archery. ◾◾ Junior boys up to age 18: 70 meters ◾◾ Women 18+: 70 and 60 meters Overview ◾◾ Junior girls up to age 18: 70 meters ◾◾ Cadet boys and girls up to age 16: 70 Objective: To score the highest number of points by shooting arrows into a target marked with meters rings worth various points. ◾◾ Cub boys and girls up to age 14: 50 meters ◾◾ Bowman boys and girls up to age 12: 30 Scoring: Determined by where the shaft lands in the target; rings are valued from 1 to 10 meters points. Equipment Number of Players: Individuals or teams of three. The target is made of straw mat or other material and has a target face of canvas, paper, or cloth. Number of Arrows per Archer: 72 or 144. The target face has five concentric colored zones Length of Range: From 15 to 90 meters, depending arranged from the center outward as follows: gold, red, light blue, black, and white. Each color on the category. is divided by a thin line into two zones of equal Length of Contest: An agreed-on number of width, resulting in 10 zones of equal width. Diam- eters for 122- and 80-centimeter target faces are rounds, or ends (see “Terms” on page 8). shown in table 2.1. For an end consisting of three arrows, an archer The target face is supported on a buttress, has 2 minutes to complete shooting. For an end of which is at least 2 centimeters larger in diameter six, a maximum of 4 minutes is allowed. In case of than the target face itself. Each buttress is num- equipment adjustment, such as changing a bow- bered and set at an angle of about 15 degrees string, additional time may be granted. Archers from vertical. The distance is measured from the shoot in rotation and can shoot either from the ground directly below the gold of each target to longest to the shortest target or vice versa. Scores the shooting line. Any portion of the buttress that are entered for each arrow; the score is called out can damage an arrow is covered. by the archer and checked by competitors. A bow consists of a handle (grip), riser, and Range two flexible limbs ending in a tip with a string nock. A single bowstring is used; an adjustable The shooting range is divided into lanes and is arrowrest is also allowed. No crossbows are laid out so that shooting is usually done from allowed. A bowsight or bowmark is permit- south to north. Each lane has lines at right angles ted, but only one or the other may be used at between the shooting line and the target; a lane one time. A bowsight may not incorporate any can contain up to three targets. Men and women magnifying lens or electronic devices to aid in are separated by a clear lane of at least 5 meters. sighting. A waiting line is set at least 5 meters behind the shooting line. No more than four competi-

8  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Table 2.1 tion, the highest-scoring arrow for any member of the team—regardless of who committed the Diameters for Target Faces foul—is forfeited.) Target zone 122-cm face 80-cm face A spent arrow is not counted as a shot if any Inner 10 (cm) (cm) part of the arrow lies within 3 meters of the shoot- 10 6.1 4 ing line or if the target face or buttress blows 12.2 8 over. The judges may compensate for lost time 9 24.4 16 in such cases. 8 36.6 24 7 48.8 32 Shooters can receive advice or instruction 6 61.0 40 while they are on the shooting line providing this 5 73.2 48 does not disturb other archers. 4 85.4 56 3 97.6 64 Scoring 2 109.8 72 1 122.0 80 Scores are checked by competitors and, if assigned, by scorers. The score is determined by Data from International Archery Federation (FITA), 2008, FITA constitution and rules: where the shaft lands in the target (see figure 2.1). Book 2: Outdoor target archery rules. [Online]. Available: http://www.archery.org/ No arrows are touched until the archers complete UserFiles/Document/FITA%20website/05%20Rules/01%20C&R%20Book/ the end and all arrows for that end are scored. 2008RulesENG_Book2.pdf [November 4, 2008]. Scoring takes place after every end. Here are rules that cover specific occurrences: Arrows of any type may be used as long as they do not cause undue damage to the target faces ◾◾ Shaft touching line: If the shaft of the arrow or buttresses. An arrow consists of a shaft with a is touching two colors, or a dividing line head, a nock, fletching, and, if desired, cresting. between two scoring zones, the higher value is awarded. Finger protectors, such as tips, gloves, or tape, are permitted, but they cannot include any ◾◾ Bouncing off target: Unless all arrow holes device that aids in holding, drawing, or releas- are marked when scored, subsequent ing the string. Field glasses may be used to spot arrows bouncing off or passing through the arrows. the target will not be scored. If an arrow does pass through the target or bounce Rules off another arrow, however, and its mark can be identified, it scores however many Following are the basic rules that pertain to shoot- points it would have had it stuck in the ing and scoring. target. Shooting ◾◾ Landing in another arrow: An arrow that lands in another arrow receives the same Shooting takes place in one direction only. Archers points as the first arrow. shoot from a standing position, without support, either with their feet straddling the shooting line ◾◾ Deflecting off another arrow: An arrow that (one foot in front of, one foot behind the line) or deflects off another arrow and lands in the with both feet on the line. target receives the points awarded for that portion of the target face. An arrow that When a signal is given to begin the time limit, rebounds off another arrow scores the point archers may raise their bows and shoot. If archers value of the arrow it struck as long as the shoot either before the signal to start or after the damaged arrow can be identified. signal to stop, they forfeit their highest scoring arrow for that particular end. (In team competi- ◾◾ Hitting another target: An arrow hitting another target scores as a miss. Terms An end is a series of either three or six arrows for each archer.

Archery  ◾  9 Colors in target Points 10 123 4 5 6 78 9 White Black Blue Red Gold Inner 10 ▶▶ Figure 2.1  The score in archery is determined by where the shaft lands in the target. Target point values are shown on the target. E4625/HK/fig.2.1/331127/alw-pulled/r2 A gold is an arrow that lands in the center of the ble target archery. Many of the shots are made target. The outer portion of the gold is worth 9 uphill or downhill and require consideration for points; the inner portion, 10. obstacles. Field events are held for the recurve A round is a series of ends—the total number (Olympic) bow, compound bow, and barebow of arrows that each archer shoots in the divisions. competition. Flight Archery Officials The objective of flight archery is shooting for Officials include a competition director, director distance. Accuracy is also involved in shooting of shooting, and judges. at a right angle to the shooting line. This is more difficult than it appears, and a distance penalty Modifications is incurred if the shot is off this line. Archery can be modified in a number of ways. Two types of arrows are used: regular flight The following are among the most common. and, in the United States only, broadhead flight (arrows with cutting heads, suitable for hunting). Field Archery These arrows can be combined with many types of bows: standard recurve and compound bows, In field archery the archer takes on the terrain crossbows, flight bows that have an extended as well as the target. A course is set up with 24 handle and an overdraw, primitive bows, and targets that are marked with the distance to the footbows, though no broadhead footbows are shooting line. The distances to another 24 targets allowed. are unmarked. Three arrows are shot on each target for a total of 144. The targets are placed In a flight tournament, each archer shoots four with such difficulty that the shots do not resem- ends of six arrows. Each end can be in a different class or division. A different bow can be used for each class, or the archer can shoot the same bow for all four classes.

10  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Clout Archery another 1-mile run followed by four arrows shot from the standing position. Clout archery is a rarely practiced discipline that most archers take part in only for fun. Basically, Bows are carried by the competitors. Targets it is a test of trajectory skill. The target, which is are 16 centimeters in diameter and are positioned 15 meters in diameter, consists of five concentric 18 meters from the shooter. circular scoring zones that are outlined on the ground. The innermost circle is worth 5 points, 3-D Archery and scores decrease to 1 point for the outermost circle. Each senior recurve archer shoots 36 arrows Targets in 3-D events are life-size replicas of a at the target at a range of 165 meters for men, 125 variety of wildlife. These events combine the meters for women; male compound shooters shoot skills of determining distance to the target, deter- 185 meters, females 165 meters. Youth rounds are mining what part of the target to hit, and shoot- identical, except that the distance is 125 meters. ing. Most archers who compete in these events use a compound bow. Archers competing in the Crossbow Archery typical 3-D tournament walk a course and shoot 24 different targets in qualifying rounds and 12 Crossbow events are held in target (indoor and targets in eliminations rounds. outdoor) and clout. Outdoor target events are shot at a 60-centimeter, 10-ring multicolored target Organizations face. Indoor rounds are shot at a 40-centimeter, 10-ring target face. Archery Shooters Association P.O. Box 399 Ski-Archery (Ski-Arc) Kennesaw, GA 30156 770-795-0232 A relatively new discipline, ski-archery combines www.asaarchery.com archery with cross-country skiing. It is performed International Archery Federation much like the Olympic biathlon, which features Maison du Sport International rifle shooting instead of archery. Each archer car- Av. de Rhodanie 54 ries bows in a backpack while skiing. The course CH-1007 Lausanne is 12.5 kilometers long for men and 10 for women. Switzerland One end of four arrows is shot every 4 kilometers, www.archery.org and, in one of those ends, the archer shoots from International Bowhunting Organization a kneeling position. Targets are 16 centimeters in P.O. Box 398 diameter and are positioned 18 meters from the Vermillion, OH 44089 shooter. Each shot is either a hit or a miss. For every 440-967-2137 target missed, the archer must ski a 150-meter pen- www.ibo.net alty circuit before leaving the target site. The first National Archery Association of the United athlete to complete the course is the winner. States Run-Archery 1 Olympic Plaza Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5778 A summer run-archery event is a combination of 719-866-4576 target archery shooting and running. The athlete www.usarchery.org is required to run a course and stop at prescribed National Field Archery Association points to shoot at fixed targets. The typical course P.O. Box 398 is between 5 and 12 kilometers. Athletes make Yankton, SD 57078 three shooting stops, shooting four arrows at www.fieldarchery.com each. The typical event consists of a 1-mile run followed by four arrows shot from a standing position, then another 1-mile run followed by four arrows shot from the kneeling position, then

© Mark Dadswell/Getty Images 3 Australian Football

12  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Australian football was originally developed Players are freely interchangeable at any time. as a game unique to Australia, incorporating A runner conveys messages from the coach to the elements of rugby with some aspects of Gaelic players in the game. This message bearer must (Irish) football. The game was initially devised stay away from the ball but can stay on the field as an off-season training regimen for Australian as long as necessary. cricketers. It quickly evolved into a fast, rough, and free-flowing sport. The first official match was played in 1858 in Melbourne. Today, Aus- Field tralian football is played by more than 640,000 The field is oval shaped, usually between 110 players at the senior, junior, amateur, and school and 135 meters wide and between 135 and 185 levels. It was a demonstration sport at the Mel- meters long (see figure 3.1; the smaller dimen- bourne Olympic Games in 1956. sions are common in football played at the junior level). Boundaries are marked with white lines. The center square is at midfield, measuring 50 Overview meters square. The center circle is in the middle Objective: To score the most points. of this square; it consists of two concentric circles measuring 3 meters and 10 meters in diameter Scoring: Goals are worth 6 points; behinds are and is bisected by a lateral line parallel to the worth 1 point (see “Scoring” on page 14). goal line. Number of Players: 18 on each team, plus 4 The goal square is 9 meters long and 6.4 meters interchange players each. wide. It is directly in front of the goal posts, which are set 6.4 meters apart on the boundary line and Length of Game: Four 20-minute quarters of are at least 6 meters high. Two behind posts, each actual playing time; there are no timeouts. If at least 3 meters high, are set 6.4 meters outside a game is tied at the end of regulation, it is a the goal posts. For the players’ safety, the posts draw; there is no overtime. Play begins with the field umpire bouncing the are padded to 2.5 meters. ball in the center circle (see figure 3.1); one nomi- Many fields have two 50-meter lines drawn nated player from each team contests the ball. The two players contesting the center bounce must in semicircles 50 meters from the center of the goal line, to give the umpire a point of reference be in their team’s defensive half of the circle and have both feet within the 10-meter circle. Until the ball has bounced, no other player may enter 135 to185 m the center circle, and only four play- ers from each team are allowed in the center square. Center Except for when a behind is Goal 9m circle 110 to posts 6.4 m 135 m scored or a ball goes out of bounds, 45 m possession of the ball is continually contested. Players advance the ball by kicking it, handballing it, and Goal Center running with it; throwing it is not square square allowed. Any player who runs with 50-meter line the ball must dribble it (bounce it Interchange or touch it to the ground) every 15 area meters. Catching a kicked ball in the air after it has traveled at least 15 meters allows a player to take a ▶▶ Figure 3.1  Field dimensions and features for Australian football. free kick, without the risk of being tackled (this is called a mark). E4625/HK/fig.3.1/331128/alw-pulled/r2

Australian Football  ◾  13 for marking off 50-meter penalties and to give Equipment spectators a means of assessing the distance of kicks for goal. The ball is generally made of leather—red for day games, yellow for night games. It is a sym- Players metrical oval shape and is a standard size of 720 to 730 millimeters in circumference and 545 to There are five general lines of play, with three 555 millimeters in transverse circumference. It is players in each line. The remaining three players inflated to a pressure of 62 to 76 kPa. are the followers, who roam the whole ground, following the ball. These players are the ruck, Uniforms consist of numbered guernseys rover, and ruck-rover. The rover and ruck-rover, (jumpers), with or without sleeves; socks; and along with center-line players, are part of a group boots with “sprigs,” or stops. No padding is in the modern game referred to as midfielders. The worn, but mouth guards and soft, protective other two groups are forwards and defenders. headgear are allowed. The lines of play are shown in figure 3.2. Note, Rules however, that players are free to move anywhere on the ground. There is no offside rule in Aus- The basic rules of play include those for ball tralian football. possession, restarting play, ball out of play, and free kicks. Full back Ball Possession Left back Right back A player may hold the ball for an pocket pocket unlimited time if she is not held by an opponent. If the player with the ball is Left half Center half Right half held by an opponent, the player must back back back immediately either kick the ball or handball it. The hand holding the ball Rover Ruck Ruck-rover must not move excessively; the motion is that of a quick punch. A player lying Left wing Right wing on the ball is considered to be in pos- session of it. Center A player running with the ball Left half Center half Right half must bounce the ball or touch it to the forward forward forward ground every 15 meters. When a player catches (marks) a kicked ball that has Left forward Right forward traveled at least 15 meters in the air pocket pocket without being touched by another player, he has the choice of playing on Interchange Full forward immediately or kicking the ball from players where it was received, without being impeded by any opponent. Within 5 meters of the ball, a player may push an opponent in the chest or side or otherwise block the opponent’s path to the ball. ▶▶ Figure 3.2  Lines of play for Australian football. Restarting Play After a goal is scored, the field umpire restarts play by bouncing the ball in the center circle, just as at the start of E4625/HK/fig.3.2/331129/alw-pulled/r1

14  ◾  The Sports Rules Book the game. Play is also restarted in these situa- ◾◾ kicking the ball out of bounds without tions: it bouncing or being touched by another player, ◾◾ When a team scores a behind, a player of the defending team kicks off from the goal ◾◾ deliberately forcing or carrying the ball over (kickoff) square in front of the goal. the boundary line, or ◾◾ When the ball bounces out of bounds, the ◾◾ running farther than 15 meters with- umpire throws the ball over her head toward out bouncing or touching the ball to the the center of the ground; if the ball is kicked ground. out of bounds on the full (without first bounc- ing in the field of play or being touched), the A free kick is also awarded when any player opposing team receives a free kick from the place where the ball went out. ◾◾ grabs or tackles an opponent above the shoulders or below the knees when the ◾◾ When no player in a pack can gain clear pos- opponent has the ball; session, the umpire bounces the ball where the scrimmage has occurred and play has ◾◾ pushes an opponent in the back, charges stopped. an opponent, or trips or attempts to trip an opponent; Ball Out of Play ◾◾ bumps or punches an opponent trying to The ball is out of play and the clock is stopped in catch a kick in the air; these situations: ◾◾ shepherds an opponent farther than 5 ◾◾ When a team scores a goal; the clock starts meters from the ball; or when the ball is bounced in the center circle to restart play. ◾◾ enters the center square before the ball is bounced to restart play. ◾◾ When a team scores a behind; the clock starts when the ball is kicked in by a defender. An infringement is also called if a ball that is kicked back into play after a behind is scored goes ◾◾ When the ball goes out of bounds; the clock out of bounds without any player touching it. In starts when the umpire throws the ball back this case the attacking team receives a free kick. into play or when the team receiving a free kick returns it into play. Note: If any portion A 50-meter penalty is called against a player of the ball is on or over the boundary line in after a free kick if the player refuses to stand on fair territory, it is still in play. A player can the point indicated by the umpire, deliberately be out of bounds and in possession of the wastes time in returning the ball to the player ball, but if the ball is not out of bounds, play who is to kick, holds the player who is to take is not stopped. the kick, runs over the mark before or as the ball is kicked, uses abusive or obscene language Free Kicks or behavior toward an umpire, or disputes an umpire’s decision. An umpire may award a free kick against a player either with or without the ball. A player takes the When a player has been infringed on, the kick (or hand passes) where the infringement umpire may choose not to award a free kick if occurred, unless the player is fouled after dispos- the player or a teammate in possession of the ball ing of the ball. Then the kick is taken where the has an advantageous position. In this case, the ball landed. Infringements against a player with umpire immediately calls, “Play on,” and play the ball may be called for continues. If the player infringed on is injured, a teammate may take the free kick. This call is at ◾◾ not disposing of the ball within a reason- the umpire’s discretion. able time when correctly held (tackled) by an opponent, Scoring ◾◾ not disposing of the ball with a kick or a A ball kicked between the two larger goal posts handball, is a goal worth 6 points if it does not touch a post or a player. A behind, worth 1 point, is scored when

Australian Football  ◾  15 ◾◾ a ball passes between a goal post and a When a player drops the ball, a free kick is given to behind post; the tackler, provided the tackle is legally executed. Followers are a team’s ruck, ruck-rover, and ◾◾ a ball hits a goal post, no matter whether rover. it passes between the two larger posts or A foot pass occurs when a player passes to a team- rebounds back onto the field; or mate by kicking. A free kick is awarded for a variety of offenses (see ◾◾ a ball is carried over the scoring line between “Free Kicks” on page 14). the goal posts. A goal, worth 6 points, is scored when the ball is kicked over the goal line by an attacking player To score, the ball must completely cross the without the ball touching any other player or a goal line. goal post. The goal line is the line drawn between the goal Terms posts. The goal mouth is the area directly between the goal The backmen are the six defenders across the full- posts in front of the goal. back and half-back lines on a team’s defensive half The two goal posts are 6.4 meters apart. A ball of the field. kicked between them scores 6 points. Ball up describes the moment when the umpire The goal square is the rectangle measuring 6.4 bounces the ball or tosses it up to restart the game meters by 9 meters in front of the goal posts after a stalemated scrimmage. from which the ball is kicked off after a behind is A behind, worth 1 point, is scored when the ball scored. passes over the goal line after being touched or Handball is the method of striking the ball with kicked by a defender, when it hits a goal post, or a clenched fist while holding the ball stationary when it passes over the behind line without touch- with the other hand. This is also known as a hand ing the behind post. A behind is sometimes called pass. a minor score. When a player holds the ball after being tackled, The behind line is the line drawn between a goal without disposing of it legally in a reasonable post and behind post. amount of time, a free kick is awarded against the The behind posts are the two smaller posts 6.4 player. meters outside the goal posts. Interchange players are a team’s substitutes. There The boundary line marks the boundary of the play- are four interchange players. ing field. The ball must go completely over the line A mark occurs when a player catches a kicked ball to be out of bounds. in the air, if the ball has traveled at least 15 meters A bump occurs when a player uses his hip and and not been touched by another player. shoulder to knock an opponent out of position. The oval is the playing field, usually between 110 A bump is legal if it occurs within 5 meters of the and 155 meters wide and between 135 and 185 ball and is not in the back or above the opponent’s meters long. shoulders. The pockets are the areas on the field close to the A center bounce, made by the field umpire, occurs behind posts. in the center circle at the beginning of each quarter A rocket handball is a handball that spins end over and after each goal. end backward in flight (similar to a drop punt). The center circle has an inner circle 3 meters in A runner is a person who carries messages from the diameter and an outer circle 10 meters in diameter; coach to the players during the game. it is where the umpire bounces the ball. No player, Shepherding occurs when a player uses her body other than the players nominated to contest the to block an opponent from the ball or from a team- bounce, can be in the center circle until the umpire mate in possession of the ball. Shepherding farther has bounced the ball (or tossed it up, if conditions than 5 meters from the ball is illegal. are too wet to bounce it). A player stands the mark where an opponent has The center square is a 50-meter square in the center been given a free kick or marks (catches) the ball to of the field. Only four players from each team can ensure that the opponent does not play on and has be in the center square for a center bounce. to kick over the mark. A drop punt is the most common kick in Aus- tralian football. It travels end over end, spinning backward.

16  ◾  The Sports Rules Book A player can tackle the player with the ball by ◾◾ The number of interchange players is grabbing the player above the knees and below unlimited. the shoulders. A throw-in occurs when the ball has gone out of ◾◾ Players may bounce a ball only once before bounds. The umpire throws the ball in over his head disposing of it. toward the center of the ground. A torpedo punt, or screw punt, is a kick that spirals ◾◾ Players may not soccer the ball off the the ball through the air. ground (kick it while it’s on the ground). A turnover occurs when a team loses possession of the ball to the opposition. ◾◾ After scrimmages, the contest is restarted by throwing a ball up between two players Officials of about equal size. Three field umpires control the game. Each con- ◾◾ Tackling is not permitted. trols about a third of the ground. Two boundary ◾◾ The players who may score are limited, and umpires judge when the ball is out of the playing area. Two goal umpires, one at each end of the scoring must take place within a certain oval, judge the scoring of goals and behinds and zone. record the progressive scores. Organization Modifications Australian Football League The following modifications are made by many GPO Box 1449 junior leagues to encourage younger players’ Melbourne, Victoria 3001 development: Australia 61 (03) 9643 1999 www.afl.com.au

© Jasen O’Brien/Action Images/Icon SMI 4 Badminton

18  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Aform of badminton, with players kicking a Number of Players: Either two players (singles) small, feathered shuttlecock, was first played or four (doubles). in the 5th century BC in China. The game derives its name from its introduction in England in 1873 Game and Match Length: A match consists of the at a country estate called Badminton. By this time best of three games of 21 points. players were using rackets, and the shuttlecock Before a match, the winner of a coin or shuttle was put into play after each point by servants (this is where the term “to serve” comes from). toss, or of a spin of the racket, chooses either the Badminton was introduced in America in the end of the court on which he will begin or else 1870s, grew in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, whether he will serve or receive first. and became a full-medal Olympic sport in 1992. Court Today badminton is enjoyed worldwide; inter- national competitions are typically dominated by The court is 17 feet by 44 feet for singles matches Indonesia, Malaysia, and China as well as Korea and 20 feet by 44 feet for doubles (see figure 4.1). and Denmark. In the United States, more than 6.5 The short service line is 6.5 feet from the net. The million people play badminton each year, about long service line for doubles is 12.75 feet behind the 1.5 million on a regular basis. short service line. The long service line for singles is 2.4 feet behind the long service line for doubles. Overview This is also the back boundary line. The singles sideline is 1.4 feet inside the sideline for doubles Objective: To score points by hitting a shuttlecock play. The cord net stretches across the center of the over the net and into the opponent’s court so court, 5 feet high at center court and 5.08 feet high that the opponent cannot return it over the net at the posts. The net is 2.5 feet in depth. and in bounds. Players Scoring: 1 point for each successful hit that the opponent cannot return over the net and in A singles match consists of one player on each side; bounds. a doubles match is contested by two teams of two 44 ft. Post Short service line Long service line (doubles) Long service line (singles) 20 ft. Left service court Right service court Center line Net Right service court Left service court 3 ft. Singles sideline Doubles sideline 2.4 12.75 ft. ft. Post 6.5 ft. ▶▶ Figure 4.1  The dimensions and features of a badminton court. E4625/HK/fig.4.1/331130/alw-pulled/r2

Badminton  ◾  19 players each. Players may not have play suspended If the server wins a rally, she scores a point and to catch their breath or recover from an injury, nor serves again from the alternate service court. may they receive coaching or instruction from anyone else during a match (except during the If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores 5-minute break between games two and three). a point and becomes the new server. Equipment Points: Doubles The shuttlecock either contains 16 feathers or is At the beginning of a game and when the score made of a synthetic mesh. It has a cork base cov- is even, the server serves from the right court. ered by a thin layer of leather; the base is 1 to 1.13 When the score is odd, the server serves from inches in diameter. If feathers are used, they can the left court. be from 2.5 to 2.75 inches long (the same length must be used in any one shuttle). The shuttle If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side weighs from .17 to .19 ounce. The racket frame scores a point, and the same server serves again may not be longer than 27.2 inches or wider than from the alternate service court. If the receiving 9.2 inches. The stringed portion may not be more side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point than 11.2 inches long and 8.8 inches wide. and becomes the new serving side. The player on the receiving side who served last stays in the Rules same service court from where he served last. The reverse pattern applies to the receiver’s partner. Under the simplified rally-point scoring system, adopted by the International Badminton Fed- Faults and Lets eration (now known as the Badminton World Federation) and USA Badminton in 2006, here A server commits a fault and loses her serve if she are the rules for the scoring system, intervals and misses the shuttle, if the shuttle becomes stuck in end changes, points for singles play, points for the net on the serve, or if she serves incorrectly. doubles play, and faults and lets. Faults also occur in play, when the shuttle hits outside the court; passes through or under the Scoring System net; does not pass the net; or touches the roof, ceiling, or any side walls. Games are to 21 points; the match goes to the side that wins the best of three games. The side that In addition, a fault occurs when the shuttle wins a rally adds a point to its score. If the score touches a player or player’s clothing; touches any is 20-20, the side that gains a 2-point lead first person or object out of bounds; is caught, held, wins the game. However, if the game is still tied and slung on the racket; or is hit twice in a row at 29-29, the side that wins the next point wins by the same player on the same play. A fault also the game. The side that wins a game serves first occurs when both partners hit the shuttle before in the next game. it is returned to the other side. Intervals and End Changes A player also commits a fault when the shuttle is in play and he When the leading score reaches 11 points, play- ers have a 60-second interval. In between games, ◾◾ hits a shuttle when it is on the opponent’s players receive a 2-minute interval. In the third side of the net; game, players change ends when a side scores 11 points. ◾◾ touches the net or posts with his racket, clothing, or any part of his body; Points: Singles ◾◾ moves his racket or any part of his body At the beginning of the game and when the score over or under the net (exception: a racket is even, the server serves from the right service can cross the net, without touching it, on a court. When the score is odd, the server serves follow-through, as long as the shuttle con- from the left service court. tact was on the hitter’s side of the net); or ◾◾ obstructs an opponent’s stroke (e.g., obstructing a follow-through as described in the previous situation). A let is a situation that calls for a halt in play. A let occurs when a shuttle remains suspended on

20  ◾  The Sports Rules Book top of the net or passes the net and becomes caught Officials on the other side of the net (except on a serve; this is a fault on a serve). Lets are also called when the An umpire is in charge of the match. Other offi- server and receiver commit faults at the same time; cials may include a service judge to call service when the server serves before the receiver is ready; faults and a line judge to indicate whether a and when the shuttle comes apart. shuttle is in or out of bounds. When a let is called, no score counts for that play, Organizations and the server who began the play serves again. Badminton World Federation Terms Stadium Badminton Kuala Lumpur Batu 3 1/2, Jalan Cheras A fault occurs in a number of situations (see “Faults 56000 Kuala Lumpur and Lets” on page 19). A fault committed by the serv- Malaysia ing side gives a point to the opponent; a fault by the www.internationalbadminton.org receiving side gives a point to the serving side. USA Badminton A let occurs when a point must be replayed. See 1 Olympic Plaza “Faults and Lets” for such situations. Colorado Springs, CO 80909 The serve is the hit that begins each play. 719-866-4808 The shuttlecock, also called the shuttle or the birdie, www.usabadminton.org is the feathered object the players hit with their rackets.

© Photodisc/Getty Images 5 Baseball

22  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Abner Doubleday is reputed to have invented Equipment baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839, though some insist the game evolved from the Balls, bats, bases, and batter’s helmets are British games of cricket and rounders. Alexander described under “Terms” on page 24. The catch- Cartwright, a former player, is credited with for- er’s glove must be not more than 38 inches in cir- mulating the first set of rules, and the first game of cumference and not more than 15.5 inches from record was between the New York Knickerbockers top to bottom. The first baseman’s glove may and another New York team, played on June 19, be a maximum of 12 inches from top to bottom 1846, at the Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey. and 7.75 inches across the palm. In addition to gloves, catchers wear other protective gear: a Baseball has long been popular in the United helmet, face mask, chest and throat protectors, States and in Latin American countries, and it is and shin guards. Players may not wear pointed a major sport in Japan and many other countries spikes on their shoes. as well. The sport is played at the youth level in more than 90 countries; it ranks behind only Rules soccer and basketball in youth participation in the United States. The basic play of baseball can be understood through its rules for pitching, batting, and base Overview running. Objective: To score the most runs. Pitching Scoring: A player scores a run when he safely Following are specific pitching rules that have touches first, second, third, and home before not been previously stated. his team makes three outs. 1. Once a pitcher begins his motion to home, he Number of Players: 9 per team (10 if a designated hitter is used, though only 9 are on the field). must throw home or be called for a balk. Number of Innings: Nine (five to seven for younger players). 8 Number of Outs per Inning: Three outs for each team. The defense fields nine players. 7 Second base 9 Each team has a batting order it 4 must adhere to, though substitu- 5 Foul line tions can be made. Once a player is Third 6 90 ft. removed from the game, he cannot base return. The pitcher pitches and Foul line Pitcher's 3 attempts to get the batter out; the plate 127.25 ft. First batter attempts to get on base and 1 base eventually score. The most common 60.5 ft. ways to record outs are by strikeout, force out, tag out, and fly out. Field 4 ft. Figure 5.1 shows the dimensions of Batter's 6 ft. a major league field. Distances to box 2 Catcher's outfield fences vary, but distances 43 in. box of 320 feet or more down the lines, and 400 feet or more to center field, ▶▶ Figure 5.1  The dimensions, features, and player positions are preferable. The figure also shows of a basebaEll4f6ie2l5d/.HK/fig.5.1/331131/alw-pulled/r2 player positions.

Baseball  ◾  23 2. When the bases are empty, the pitcher has 5. A batter makes an out when 20 seconds to pitch, or the umpire will auto- –– his fair or foul fly ball is caught by a matically call a ball. fielder; –– a third strike is caught by the catcher; 3. The pitcher may not bring his pitching hand –– a third strike is not caught by the catcher into contact with his mouth or lips while when first base is occupied before two are on the mound, although exceptions can be out; made in cold weather if both managers agree. –– he bunts foul on the third strike; Penalty: automatic ball called. –– an infield fly rule is called (see “Terms” on page 25);   Other reasons for an automatic ball being –– his fair ball touches him before touching a called include fielder (such as on a bunt); –– applying a foreign substance to the ball; –– after hitting a ball in fair territory, he hits the –– spitting on the ball, on either hand, or on ball with his bat a second time (unless the the glove; umpire judges that the batter did not intend –– rubbing the ball on the glove, body, or to interfere with the ball); clothing; –– after a third strike or a hit into fair territory, –– defacing the ball; and he or first base is tagged before he touches –– pitching a “shine” ball, spitball, mudball, first base; or “emery” ball. –– he runs outside the 3-foot line toward first base, interfering with the first baseman 4. The pitcher may rub the ball in his bare taking the throw or with a fielder fielding hands. the ball; –– he interferes with the catcher’s fielding or 5. The pitcher may not intentionally throw at a throwing; batter. If he does, the umpire may expel the –– he uses a bat that has been tampered with pitcher and his manager or may warn the (i.e., a bat that has been filled, hollowed, pitchers and the managers of both teams. grooved, covered with paraffin or wax, or otherwise altered) to increase hitting 6. A manager or coach may make two trips to distance; or the mound during an inning to talk to the –– a runner on first intentionally interferes pitcher. On the second trip, the pitcher must with the second baseman or shortstop on be removed. a double play opportunity (if the runner leaves the baseline to try to “take out” the Batting pivot man, both the runner and the batter are automatically out). Batting rules that have not been previously stated include the following. Base Running 1. Players must hit in the batting order decided The following are base-running rules that have by the manager. not been previously covered. 2. A batter cannot leave the batter’s box once 1. A runner is entitled to an unoccupied base the pitcher comes set or begins his windup. when he touches it before he is put out. 3. Both of the batter’s feet must be in the 2. The baseline belongs to the runner. A fielder batter’s box (the lines are part of the box). not in the act of fielding the ball cannot block If the batter hits the ball—either fair or the path of a runner between any two bases. foul—with one or both feet on the ground In such a case the ball is dead, and the runner entirely outside of the box, he is automati- is awarded the base he would have reached, cally out. in the umpire’s judgment, had he not been obstructed. 4. A batter may request time, but the umpire does not have to grant this request. If a batter refuses to take his position in the batter’s box, the umpire will order the pitcher to pitch and call each pitch a strike, no matter the location.

24  ◾  The Sports Rules Book 3. A runner is out when ◾◾ When the game is shortened for bad –– he is tagged by a fielder with the ball while not weather, if it has gone at least five innings on a base (however, a runner can run or slide and one team is ahead (or 4 1/2 innings if past first base without risking being tagged the home team is ahead) out if he returns immediately to first base without stepping or turning to second); ◾◾ When the umpire declares a forfeit –– he fails to reach the next base before a fielder tags him or when he is forced to advance Terms because the batter has become a runner; –– he runs out of the baseline (more than 3 feet An assist is credited to a fielder when his throw away from a direct line between the bases), leads to the putout of a runner. Two or more fielders unless he is doing so to avoid interfering can receive an assist on the same play. with a fielder fielding a batted ball; A balk is an illegal move (usually toward home –– he intentionally interferes with a thrown plate) by the pitcher with a runner or runners on ball or hinders a fielder making a play on base. All runners automatically advance one base a batted ball; when a balk is called. –– two runners occupy the same base, and one The ball is cork or rubber wrapped in yarn and runner is tagged with the ball; covered by cowhide or horsehide. It weighs 5 to –– a runner is hit by a batted ball in fair terri- 5.25 ounces and is 9 to 9.25 inches in circumference. tory before it touches a fielder or an umpire A pitch that the batter doesn’t swing at and that is (unless he is on a base and an infield fly rule outside of the strike zone is also called a ball. has been called); First, second, and third base are made of white –– he passes a runner on the base paths; canvas, 15 inches square, between 3 inches and 5 –– he misses a base in advancing to the next inches thick, and secured in the ground. Home plate base, and a fielder appeals before the next is five-sided, 17 inches wide, 8.5 inches long on three pitch by touching the base with the ball in sides, and 12 inches long on the sides that meet to his possession; form the point at the rear of the plate. –– he fails to touch each base in order; or A batter is credited with a base hit when he reaches –– he intentionally interferes with a fielder base safely on a hit, without aid of an error. or the ball in trying to break up a double The baseline extends 3 feet on either side of a direct play—in this case both the runner and the line between bases. A runner is out when he runs batter are out. outside the baseline, except to avoid interfering with a fielder fielding a batted ball. Scoring A batter receives a base on balls (is awarded first base) when he takes four balls during a time at bat. A win can be recorded in any of the following This is also called a walk. situations: The bat is a smooth, round stick not more than 2.75 inches in diameter at its thickest and no longer ◾◾ When the home team is ahead after the visit- than 42 inches. The bat handle can be treated with ing team bats in the top of the ninth inning a sticky substance to improve the batter’s grip, but this substance may not extend beyond 18 inches ◾◾ When the home team, tied or behind going from the bottom of the bat. into the bottom of the ninth inning, scores Batter’s boxes are 4 feet by 6 feet on either side of the winning run in the bottom of the ninth home plate. Batter’s circles, or on-deck circles, are in foul territory ◾◾ When the home team, losing in the bottom between home plate and each team’s bench. of the ninth inning, fails to score (the visi- The battery refers to the pitcher and the catcher. tors win) Batters must wear batting helmets with at least one ear flap (facing the pitcher as the batter is in ◾◾ When the teams are tied after nine innings, his stance). and the game goes into extra innings, where A batter bunts the ball by letting the ball meet the it is played until one team has scored more bat to drop a soft ground ball on the infield. A bunt than the other at the end of a complete can be an attempt to beat out a base hit or a sacrifice inning to move a runner or runners up a base.

Baseball  ◾  25 A catch means a fielder has secured the ball in his A fielder’s choice occurs when an infielder fields hand or glove. A fly ball is not caught if the fielder a ground ball and elects to throw to another base simultaneously falls or collides with the fence or rather than to first base to put out the batter- another player and the ball is dislodged. A fly ball runner. that is dropped may still be ruled a catch if the A fly ball is a ball batted high in the air. fielder had control of the ball long enough before A fly out is a fly ball caught before it touches the he dropped it. ground or the fence. A catcher’s box, 43 inches wide and 8 feet long, is A force play occurs when a runner is forced to directly behind home plate. advance to the next base because the batter becomes Catcher’s interference occurs when the catcher a runner. When a batter hits a ground ball with a hinders the batter from hitting the ball. runner on first, the runner is forced to run to second. Coaches’ boxes are set near first and third base, in If a fielder touches second base with the ball in his foul territory, for the offensive team. possession before the runner reaches second, the A pitcher is credited with a complete game when runner is “forced out” at second. If a runner is on he starts and finishes a regulation game. second when a ground ball is hit, he is not forced A cutoff throw is one that is received by a fielder to advance if first base is unoccupied. who is not the final target of the throw. For example, A foul ball is any ball hit into foul territory. a right fielder may throw to the second baseman, Foul territory is all territory outside the foul lines. who then relays the throw to the third baseman in A ball striking a foul line is a fair ball. an attempt to put out a runner. A ground out occurs when a batter is thrown out at A designated hitter takes the place of the pitcher in first base after hitting a ground ball. the batting order but does not play defense. A ground rule double is awarded to a batter when A double is a hit in which the batter safely reaches his fair ball bounces into the stands, passes through second base. or under the fence, or is caught in vines or shrub- A double play is recorded by the defense when two bery in the fence. outs are made on the same play. When a batter is hit by a pitch that is not in the strike An earned run is charged against a pitcher every zone and that he attempts to elude, he is awarded time a run scores on a hit, sacrifice, bunt, sacrifice first base. fly, wild pitch, stolen base, putout, fielder’s choice, A home run is recorded when a batter hits a fair ball base on balls, batter hit by pitch, or balk. A run is over the fence or circles the bases on an inside-the- unearned if that runner scores by benefit of an error, a park hit without being thrown out. passed ball, or defensive interference or obstruction. The infield refers to the portion of the field that con- A relief pitcher who enters a game is not charged tains the four bases. In terms of players, the infield with any run, either earned or unearned, scored by is made up of the first, second, and third basemen any runners already on base. and the shortstop. The pitcher and the catcher are An error is charged to a fielder who misplays a also positioned in the infield. ball (e.g., a dropped fly ball or throw, or a fumbled The infield fly rule prohibits an infielder from ground ball) and consequently prolongs an at bat intentionally dropping a fair fly ball that can be for a batter or the life of a base runner, or permits a caught with normal effort. This rule is in effect with runner to advance one or more bases. An error can first and second or first, second, and third bases be charged even if the fielder does not touch the ball occupied before two are out. When an umpire calls (e.g., a ground ball that goes through the legs). an infield fly rule, the batter is automatically out and A game goes into extra innings when it is tied at runners may advance at their own risk. the end of nine innings. The losing pitcher is the pitcher charged with the Fair territory and foul territory are marked by two runs that give the opposing team a lead that is not foul lines. Each line extends from home plate. One relinquished. line creates a third baseline and left field line, stop- A no-hitter is credited to a pitcher who pitches a ping at the left field fence; the other creates a first complete game and allows no hits. baseline and right field line, stopping at the right A fielder can be called for obstruction if he impedes field fence. Anything on or in between the foul lines the progress of a runner when the fielder does not is considered fair territory. Foul poles rise above the have the ball or is not fielding the ball. fence in left field and right field. A ball striking a An out can be recorded in a variety of ways, includ- foul pole is a home run. ing strikeout, force out, tag out, and fly out.

26  ◾  The Sports Rules Book The outfield is that portion of fair territory between The set position is one of two positions from which the infield and the fence. In terms of players, the a pitcher can deliver a pitch. In the set position, a outfield consists of the left fielder, the center fielder, pitcher comes set (halts his motion) just before pitch- and the right fielder. ing. This is also known as the stretch position. A passed ball is charged to the catcher when he fails A shutout occurs when a team is held scoreless. A to control a catchable pitch and allows a runner or pitcher must pitch a complete game to receive credit runners to advance. for a shutout. A perfect game occurs when a pitcher pitches a A single is a one-base hit credited to the batter. no-hitter and allows no base runners at all (e.g., by The starting pitcher is the pitcher who begins the walks, hit batters, or errors). game for his team. A pinch hitter is a player who bats for another player. A runner is credited with a stolen base when he The player replaced cannot return to the game. advances one base without aid of a hit, putout, Apinch runner is a player who runs for another player. error, force out, fielder’s choice, passed ball, wild The player replaced cannot return to the game. pitch, or balk. The pitcher’s mound is a circular mound of dirt 18 A strike is a pitch that the batter takes (doesn’t swing feet in diameter and 59 feet from its center to the back at) in the strike zone; that the batter swings at and of home plate. The mound has a rectangular rubber misses; or that the batter hits into foul territory. plate, called the pitcher’s rubber, set perpendicular A strikeout is recorded after a batter has three to home plate. The pitcher’s rubber is set in the strikes. Exceptions to this are if the third strike is a ground, and its front edge is 60.5 feet from the back foul ball that is not caught in the air or a strike that of home plate. The rubber is 6 inches by 24 inches the catcher does not catch. In the latter case, if first and is set 10 inches higher than home plate. base is unoccupied, or if it is occupied with two A putout occurs when a batter-runner or base out, the defensive team must put out the batter by runner is called out (e.g., force out, tag out, caught either throwing the ball to first base before the batter stealing, and so on). reaches it or by tagging him with the ball before he A relief pitcher is any pitcher who enters a game after reaches first. Batters attempting to bunt on the third the starting pitcher has thrown at least one pitch. strike are out if the ball is picked up in foul territory. A batter is credited with the appropriate number of This play is considered a strikeout. runs batted in (RBIs) when his hit is responsible for The batter’s strike zone is over home plate, between one or more runners scoring. RBIs are not tallied for the top of the knees and the midpoint between the runs scored as a result of errors, or if a run is scored top of the shoulders and the top of the pants. as the batter grounds into a double play. Substitutions can be made when play is dead. Once A sacrifice bunt is placed by a batter to advance a a player leaves the game he cannot return. runner or runners. A successful sacrifice bunt does A suspended game is one that is halted, to be com- not count as a time at bat; an unsuccessful attempt pleted at a later date. The game is resumed at the does. exact point of suspension, with the same lineups A sacrifice fly is credited to a batter whose caught intact. fly ball results in a runner on third base tagging A tag out is one way a fielder can record a putout. up and scoring. A sacrifice fly does not count as a When a force play is not in order, such as with a time at bat. A run must score for a sacrifice fly to runner on second, the runner must be tagged out be recorded. (touched with the ball, which can be in a fielder’s A pitcher may be credited with a save when he fin- glove or bare hand) when the runner is not touch- ishes a game his team wins and he is not the winning ing a base. pitcher—if he meets one of these criteria: On a caught fly ball, a runner must tag up (be in contact with his base) after the catch before ◾◾ He enters the game with a lead of no more advancing. than three runs and pitches for at least one A 3-foot line to guide the runners is parallel to the inning. first baseline, beginning halfway between home plate and first base and ending beyond first base. ◾◾ He enters the game, regardless of the count, A batter is credited with a triple when he reaches with the potential tying run either on base, third base on his hit. or at bat, or on deck. A triple play occurs when the defense records three outs on the same play. ◾◾ He pitches effectively for at least three innings.

Baseball  ◾  27 The outfield has a dirt warning track that alerts Officials outfielders that they are approaching the fence. A wild pitch occurs when a pitch eludes the catcher, The umpire-in-chief (home plate umpire) is in full allowing one or more runners to advance one base. charge of the game. Any umpire may disqualify A wild pitch is judged to be the pitcher’s fault, not any player, coach, or manager for objecting to the catcher’s. A ball that bounces in the dirt and decisions or for unsporting conduct or language. allows any base runners to advance is automatically The umpire’s decision on any judgment call is a wild pitch. final and may not be appealed. A manager may, The windup position is one of two positions from however, appeal any call that he believes goes which a pitcher can deliver a pitch. The windup is against the rules. For common umpires’ signals, normally used with no runners on base. see figure 5.2. The winning pitcher is the starting pitcher if he pitches five or more innings and leaves the game with Modifications the lead, and the lead is never relinquished. If a pitcher leaves a game with the lead, but the game is later tied Baseball leagues begin with players as young or the opponent takes the lead with runs not charged as 5 years old and go on through the teen years to that pitcher, that pitcher cannot be either the winner and, of course, beyond. To make the game safe, or loser. In most cases, if the winning pitcher is a relief fun, and appropriate for younger players who are pitcher, he is the pitcher of record when his team has just beginning to develop their talents, various taken a lead that it does not relinquish. Time out Strike Runner is safe Player is out ▶▶ Figure 5.2  Common umpires’ signals in baseball. E4625/HK/fig.5.2/331132/alw-pulled/r1

28  ◾  The Sports Rules Book organizations and leagues modify their playing Coach-pitch is usually recommended for ages 8 rules. The rules most often modified pertain to and under. Some leagues use a pitching machine the following areas: instead of an adult. ◾◾ Length of game: Youth leagues typically Tee Ball play between five and seven innings; as the players age, they play more innings. Some Many 8-and-under leagues play tee ball instead of leagues have time limits; for example, no baseball. In tee ball the batter hits the ball off a tee. inning may start after the game has gone This results in the ball being put in play more regu- 1.5 hours. larly and is appropriate for leagues with young and unskilled players who cannot bat or pitch very ◾◾ Distance between bases and to fences: Dis- consistently. General rules for tee ball include the tance between bases varies from 50 feet at following, though they are often varied: the youngest levels to 60 to 80 feet in the preteen years to the major league distance ◾◾ All players on the roster bat. of 90 feet by teen years. Fences down the ◾◾ An inning is over when nine players have lines are usually less than 200 feet until the players are 11 or 12 years old; the distance hit or three outs are made, whichever occurs increases as the players get to mid- and first. The ninth batter must attempt to score; late teens, with many leagues having 300- his scoring or his being put out will end the foot fences at that point. In center field, inning, if three outs have not already been the fences typically begin at 200 feet and made. increase to 275 feet by age 12 and 350 feet ◾◾ No bunting is allowed. The ball must travel by midteens. at least 25 feet in fair territory; a 25-foot arc is drawn from foul line to foul line. ◾◾ Pitching: Many leagues make concessions ◾◾ Balls not hit beyond the 25-foot arc are foul for the abilities of youngsters to pitch. See balls. “Coach-Pitch” and “Tee Ball.” ◾◾ A “pitcher” on the mound must be in contact with the pitching rubber and make a pitch- ◾◾ Base running: Younger divisions of youth ing motion before the batter swings. leagues typically have “no lead off” and ◾◾ Three misses constitute a strikeout. “no stealing” rules. Older divisions may ◾◾ No stealing or leading off is allowed. lead off and steal. ◾◾ Nine players are on defense (many leagues allow all the players on defense). ◾◾ Other modifications: Youth leagues also ◾◾ Each player must play at least two innings limit the number of innings young pitchers in the field. may pitch in one game and in one week, ◾◾ The coach of the defensive team may stand and many 8-and-under leagues use a safety beyond the infielders and instruct his (softer) ball. Younger divisions often allow players. up to 12 players on defense and have no ◾◾ A regulation game is by innings or hours— infield fly rule. often 6 innings or 1.5 hours. Coach-pitch and tee ball are two of the major Organizations ways in which the game is modified. For specific rule modifications for youth baseball, contact the All-American Amateur Baseball Association organizations listed at the end of the chapter. www.aaaba.us Coach-Pitch Amateur Athlete Union’s Baseball P.O. Box 1000 Coach-pitch is a step between tee ball and regular Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 baseball (player-pitch). A coach or another adult 407-934-7200 pitches to the batters because the pitchers are not www.aaubaseball.org able to throw the ball over the plate consistently. With coach-pitch, batters have more of an oppor- tunity to practice their hitting and are less likely to be hit by pitches.

American Legion Baseball Baseball  ◾  29 700 N. Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis, IN 46206 National Semi-Professional Baseball 317-630-1369 Association www.baseball.legion.org Babe Ruth League 2609 Vista View Dr. 1770 Brunswick Pike Evansville, IN 47711 Trenton, NJ 08638 812-430-2725 609-695-1434 www.eteams.com/NSPBA www.baberuthleague.org Pony Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball www.ponybaseball.org 539 U.S. Rte. 15 USA Baseball Williamsport, PA 17701-0485 P.O. Box 1131 www.LittleLeague.org Durham, NC 27702 National Amateur Baseball Federation 919-474-8721 P.O. Box 705 www.usabaseball.com Bowie, MD 20718 U.S. Amateur Baseball Association 301-262-5005 P.O. Box 55622 www.nabf.com Seattle, WA 98155 National Federation of State High School 425-776-7130 www.usaba.com Associations U.S. Baseball Congress P.O. Box 690 2609 Vista View Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46206 Evansville, IN 47711 317-972-6900 www.eteamz.com/usbc www.nfhs.org

6 Basketball

Basketball  ◾  31 Basketball began with 13 fundamental rules free-throw lane, which borders the free-throw that have been added to and amended greatly line, is 12 feet wide in high school and college over the years since the game’s beginnings in and 16 feet wide in the NBA. This lane has a 1891. Invented by James Naismith, basketball first semicircle with a 6-foot radius from the center of featured nine players per team because Naismith the free-throw line. had 18 students in his YMCA Training School. In a few years that number was changed to five per A 3-point line—an arc at a set radius from the side, a metal ring with a net replaced the original basket—is set at varying distances for high school, peach baskets that players shot at, and running college, professional, and international play. with the ball was eliminated. At least 3 feet of unobstructed space should lie Basketball first became an Olympic sport in beyond the sidelines and end lines (or baselines) the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It is a widely enjoyed that mark the boundaries of the court. The court participant sport, with leagues for all ages and is split in half by a center line, around which are abilities. More than 30 million people play the two center circles. sport, from recreation levels on up, in the United States. Two coaching boxes are behind the sidelines, 28 feet long and extending toward center court Overview from each end line. See figure 6.1 for standard court attributes. Objective: To win by scoring more points than the other team. Players Scoring: 1 point per successful free throw; 2 A team consists of five players. Typically, but points per 2-point field goal; 3 points per not always, a team will play two guards (a point 3-point field goal. guard, considered the team’s playmaker, and an off guard or shooting guard), a small forward, a Number of Players: Five per team. power forward, and a center or post player. These Length of Game: 32 minutes (high school), are loosely defined roles; players may be defined differently in different systems. Players are some- 40 minutes (college), or 48 minutes (profes- times referred to by position numbers (which have sional). nothing to do with their uniform numbers): A team advances the ball, by dribbling and pass- 1. Point guard ing, and attempts to score. A shot that does not go 2. Off guard or shooting guard into the basket is usually rebounded by a player. 3. Small forward If that player is on offense, she can either shoot or 4. Power forward set up another scoring opportunity. If the player 5. Center or post who rebounds is on defense, she and her team advance the ball downcourt and try to set up their Equipment own scoring opportunity. After a made basket, the player who throws the ball in may run the length The ball has a circumference of 29.25 to 30 inches of the baseline with the ball. On any inbounds for men and 28.5 to 29 inches for women. A play other than a made basket, the player who men’s ball weighs 20 to 22 ounces; a women’s throws the ball in must establish, and may not ball weighs 18 to 20 ounces. The ball has either move, a pivot foot before releasing the ball. The a synthetic or a leather cover with eight panels player must throw the ball in within 5 seconds, joined by rubber ribs. or it is turned over to the other team. The backboard, which supports the basket, Court can be either 6 feet by 4 feet or 6 feet by 3.5 feet for college and high school play; professional Court sizes vary according to the level of play. basketball uses only the smaller size. In high In high school, the court is 50 feet by 84 feet; in school play, a fan-shaped backboard may be college and the National Basketball Association used. A 24- by 18-inch rectangle is centered on (NBA), it is 50 feet by 94 feet. The free-throw line the backboard, behind and above the basket. The at all three levels is 15 feet from the basket. The

32  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Center line 3-point line Free-throw line 6 ft. Center line ▶▶ Figure 6.1  Dimensions for courts vary according to the level of play, but many of the same features are included on all courts. E4625/HK/fig.6.1/331133/alw-pulled/r2 bottom and sides of the backboard are padded, Game length and other time factors differ as is the backboard support. according to the level of play; see table 6.1. The shot clock governs the time a team is allowed to The basket is an orange metal ring, 18 inches in be on offense before attempting a shot. If the ball inside diameter. A white cord net, 15 to 18 inches does not leave the shooter’s hand before the clock in length, hangs from the basket. The upper edge expires, or if the shot does not touch the rim or of the basket is 10 feet above and parallel to the go into the basket, a shot clock violation is called floor. The nearest point of the basket is 6 inches and the ball is given to the other team. The clock from the backboard. is stopped at the end of each period and when an official blows a whistle for Other equipment includes ◾◾ a violation, ◾◾ a scoreboard, ◾◾ a foul, ◾◾ a game clock, ◾◾ a held or jump ball, ◾◾ a shot clock, and ◾◾ a ball that goes out of bounds, ◾◾ a possession indicator (which indicates ◾◾ suspension of play because of an injury to which team will get possession of the ball in a player, the next held-ball or double-foul situation). ◾◾ suspension of play for any other reason, ◾◾ when the shot clock sounds (if the shot is in Rules the air when the clock sounds and the shot The rules in this chapter are general basketball rules, hits the rim, the clock is ignored and play with specific references at times to high school, col- continues without time stopping), and lege, and professional play. How the game is modi- ◾◾ timeouts. fied at the international level and the youth level is noted toward the end of the chapter.

Basketball  ◾  33 Table 6.1 Game Length and Time Factors Level Length Overtime Shot clock Timeouts High school 4 8-min quarters 3 min None 4 per game College 2 20-min halves 5 min 30 sec women; 4 per regulation 35 sec men (3 per televised game); Professional 4 12-min quarters 5 min 1 per overtime 24 sec 7 per regulation plus one International 2 20-min halves 5 min 20-sec timeout per half; 30 sec 3 per overtime 2 per half Defense Fouls When a defender is guarding a player who has A foul occurs when a player or coach breaks a the ball, the maximum distance between the rule in any of a variety of ways. A player is dis- two players is 6 feet. (No minimum distance is qualified and removed from a game after being required.) To establish legal position, the defender assessed five fouls (high school and college) or must have both feet on the floor, with the torso six fouls (professional). Specific fouls include facing the opponent. If the opponent is airborne, these: the defender must have established a legal posi- tion before the other player left the floor and must ◾◾ Away from the ball is a foul committed by maintain that position. a player in a play not involving the player with the ball. When a defender is guarding a player who does not have the ball, the defender must give the oppo- ◾◾ Blocking is illegal contact by a defender, nent time and up to two steps to avoid contact. If impeding the progress of an offensive the opponent is airborne, the defender must have player. established a legal position before the other player left the floor and must maintain that position. ◾◾ Charging is illegal contact by an offensive player by pushing or moving into the Examples of legal use of hands and arms include defender’s torso. when a defender vertically extends hands and arms, reaches to block or slap the ball away, or ◾◾ Delay of game is called when a player pre- hits the hand of the opponent when the ball is in vents the ball from being promptly put into contact with the opponent’s hands. If the extension play, such as after a made basket or in bat- is not vertical and any contact hinders the offensive ting the ball away from an opponent before player, the movement is not legal. Defenders may the player can throw the ball inbounds. use their hands to protect their faces or bodies in absorbing a charge from an opponent, but they ◾◾ A double personal occurs when two oppos- can’t use their hands to push the offensive player ing players commit personal fouls at about away. Defenders cannot use any part of their bodies the same time. No free throws are awarded; to force their way through screens or to hold a in professional ball, the team in possession screener and then push that player away. of the ball at the time of the fouls retains pos- session; if neither team was in possession, In professional basketball a team cannot play a a jump ball is used to put the ball into play. zone defense, in which each defender is assigned a In college, the alternating-possession arrow certain portion of the court rather than an individ- determines the team that gets possession. ual player. In college and high school, zone defenses are allowed, as are man-to-man defenses, in which ◾◾ A double technical is called when two each player defends a specific opponent. opposing players commit technical fouls at about the same time. In college, each

34  ◾  The Sports Rules Book team receives two free throws, and the an official in order to stop play or shoving alternating-possession arrow determines a player in the back as she is attempting a which team gets possession. In professional layup that cannot be defended are examples ball, this penalty is handled the same way of intentional fouls. The penalty for such as a double personal foul. fouls is two free throws and the ball out of ◾◾ In professional ball, two free-throw attempts bounds. are awarded for an elbow foul. If the contact ◾◾ Any player on offense can commit an offen- is made above shoulder level, the player sive foul. If a defender has established legal throwing the elbow may be ejected. In position in a dribbler’s path, the dribbler college and in high school play, excessive cannot make contact with the opponent. swinging of elbows—even without making A screener cannot move into an opponent contact—may result in a foul. after setting a legal screen. A shooter cannot ◾◾ A team calling a timeout when it has no charge into a defender who has established timeouts left is assessed a technical foul legal position and who maintains that for excessive timeout. The timeout is position. granted, but two free throws and the ball ◾◾ The term personal foul covers a wide variety out of bounds are awarded to the opposing of contact fouls that players can commit, team. including holding, pushing, charging, ◾◾ A defender cannot face guard—that is, place tripping, and illegally interfering with a a hand in the face or eyes of the opponent player’s progress. he is guarding from the rear if the opponent ◾◾ A player-control foul is another term for does not have the ball. Such a play results charging—when the dribbler commits an in a technical foul. offensive foul by charging into a defender ◾◾ In the NBA, fighting results in technical who has established legal position. fouls assessed against those involved and ◾◾ In professional ball, a punching foul results automatic ejection. No free throws are in one free throw being awarded and the awarded. ball out of bounds. The player throwing ◾◾ In both college and the pros, a flagrant foul the punch—whether it connects or not—is results in two free throws awarded to the automatically ejected. (In college this foul offended team and possession of the ball. would be handled the same as a flagrant Any player committing a flagrant foul is foul.) automatically ejected in college; a profes- ◾◾ A technical foul is a foul committed by sional player may be ejected at the discretion anyone—players on the court or bench, of the official. coaches, other team officials—that does ◾◾ Defenders cannot hand check—that is, use not involve contact with the opponent their hands to check the progress of offen- while the ball is alive. Examples of techni- sive players when those players are in front cal fouls include use of profanity, delay of them. of game, excessive timeouts, unsporting ◾◾ If either an offensive or a defensive player conduct, and hanging on the rim (except hangs on the rim, a technical foul is assessed. to prevent injury). Two free throws and The only exception is if a player hangs on the ball are awarded to the offended team the rim to protect himself or other players when a player commits a technical foul. If from injury. a coach, substitute, or other team personnel ◾◾ In college, an intentional foul occurs when commits a technical foul, two free throws a player commits a personal foul without are awarded (and in college, the offended attempting to directly play the opposing team would retain possession of the ball). player or the ball. It does not depend on the A player who commits two technical fouls severity of the foul; it depends on whether is removed from the game. A coach who the official judges the foul to be intentional. commits two technical fouls is removed Holding or pushing a player in full view of from the competition area.

Basketball  ◾  35 ◾◾ Throwing the ball, or any object, at an offi- more free-throw attempt. Bonus free throws are cial is a technical foul and cause for possible awarded as follows: ejection. ◾◾ High school and college: The one-and-one ◾◾ Unsportsmanlike conduct is a technical foul bonus is awarded on the 7th, 8th, and 9th team resulting from any of numerous unsporting fouls of each half. Beginning with the 10th team actions, including disrespectfully address- foul of each half, the team fouled gets two free ing an official, trying to influence an official’s throws, regardless of the outcome of the first decision, arguing with an official, taunting free throw. an opponent, inciting undesirable crowd reactions, and throwing items on the court. ◾◾ Professional: Two free throws are granted The penalty is two free throws and the ball for each foul after four fouls in a quarter (or three out of bounds to the opposing team. in overtime). Scoring The penalty for most technical fouls is two free throws and the ball out of bounds to the team When the ball enters the basket from above and attempting the free throws. Any player on the remains in or passes through the net, a goal is floor may be named by the coach to attempt free scored. If that goal is scored with at least one of throws awarded from a technical foul. the shooter’s feet on or inside the 3-point line, a 2-point field goal is scored. If neither of the Violations shooter’s feet is on or inside the 3-point line, a 3-point field goal is scored. After releasing the Violations occur when players break the rules in ball, the shooter may touch the 3-point line or a way that does not involve contact. Violations land inside the line and still be awarded 3 points include the following: on a successful shot. If a goal is mistakenly scored in the opponents’ basket by a defender, 2 points ◾◾ When a team is in possession of the ball in are awarded to the nearest offensive player. its frontcourt and the ball goes into the backcourt (last touched by an offensive player), an offensive A successful free-throw attempt counts as player cannot touch the ball until a defensive 1 point. If the free throw is not made but the player does. If an offensive player does touch rebound is tapped in, the player who tapped the ball first, a backcourt violation is called, it in is awarded 2 points. Free throws must be and the ball automatically goes to the defensive attempted within 10 seconds. team. If, however, the ball was deflected into the backcourt by a defender, then an offensive player Defensive players and offensive players alter- may retrieve the ball in the backcourt. nate positions along the free-throw lane, with the defensive team getting the positions closest to ◾◾ Basket interference and goaltending are the basket. The shooter must remain behind the called when a player touches the ball or the free-throw line until the ball touches the basket. basket when the ball is on or within the basket. The players in the lane must remain in their posi- A player cannot touch the ball when it is in the tions on the free-throw lane until the ball leaves cylinder (the basket extended upward) or touch the shooter’s hands. the ball if it is in flight downward toward the basket and has a possibility of entering the basket. A player who is fouled while attempting a Defensive basket interference and goaltending 2-point field goal gets two free throws; a player result in 2 points for the offense; offensive basket gets three free throws if fouled during a 3-point interference results in no points and the ball out field goal attempt. One free throw is awarded a of bounds to the defense. player who is fouled while making a field goal. After a certain number of fouls are committed in ◾◾ Double dribble is called when a player stops a quarter or a half, a team may be in the bonus her dribble and then resumes it. A player can situation, where the next player fouled (not in resume a dribble, however, if the ball has been the act of shooting or as the result of taking a batted out of her hands or if a pass or fumble has charge from an offensive player) receives a chance been touched by another player. Double dribble to make a free throw. If the first free throw is also occurs when a player dribbles with both successful, that player receives a bonus of one hands at once.

36  ◾  The Sports Rules Book ◾◾ A player cannot intentionally kick the ball or A pass is the movement of the ball by a player who strike it with his fist. Doing so results in the ball throws, bats, or rolls the ball to another player. being given out of bounds to the other team. A pivot occurs when a player holding the ball keeps one foot at a point of contact with the floor while ◾◾ Any ball that goes out of bounds is awarded stepping in any direction. Picking up the pivot foot to the team opposing the player who last touched before dribbling or getting rid of the ball is a travel- the ball. ing violation. A rebound occurs when a player controls posses- ◾◾ Any shot that does not beat the shot clock sion of a shot missed by either a teammate (offensive results in the ball being turned over to the other rebound) or an opponent (defensive rebound). team. If the ball is released before the clock expires A screen occurs when an offensive player reaches and hits the rim after the buzzer goes off, no vio- a desired position first, causing a defensive player lation has occurred. to go around him and delaying the progress of the defender. The offensive player must have feet ◾◾ Traveling is called when a player advances planted and remain stationary. with the ball without dribbling it. Substitutes are alternative players who may enter a game by reporting to the scorer and being beckoned ◾◾ A player making a throw-in (throwing the by an official. Substitutes may enter during a dead ball inbounds) may not carry the ball onto the ball and when time is out (except in college, where court; hold the ball longer than 5 seconds; touch a substitute may enter after a successful field goal in the ball on the court before another player has the last minute of a game and in overtime). A sub- touched it; leave the designated throw-in spot stitute may not enter a game for a player shooting (except after a made basket); or step over the a free throw unless that player is injured. boundary line while still touching the ball. Verticality applies to ascertaining who has legal position. A defender who has already established Terms position and who raises her hands and arms within her vertical plane is in legal position and shouldn’t These terms are not described elsewhere in this be charged with a foul if an offensive player causes chapter. contact. The defender can leave her feet within this To dribble is to bounce the ball on the floor, using plane but cannot “belly up,” or use the lower part one hand at a time. (Dribbling with both hands at of the body to contact the offensive player outside once is “double dribbling,” a violation that results in the vertical plane. a turnover.) Players may move on the court or be sta- tionary when they dribble. The dribble ends when Officials the ball is caught by the dribbler, who cannot dribble again until another player touches the ball. A referee and one or two umpires, depending A team’s frontcourt is that half of the court that on the level of play, call fouls and violations and includes its basket. The backcourt is the half of the make all on-court calls. A scorekeeper operates court that includes the other team’s basket. No part the scoreboard and records the play; a timekeeper of the end line or the center line is considered part operates the game clock; and a shot clock operator of the frontcourt. is in charge of the shot clock. A held ball occurs when each of two players from opposite teams has a firm grasp on the ball or when For common officials’ signals, see figure 6.2. an opposing player places a hand on the ball to prevent an airborne player from attempting a pass Modifications or shot. The team with the possession indicator in its favor is awarded the ball out of bounds. Because basketball is so widely popular and is Incidental contact occurs when opponents are played by young and old, skilled and unskilled, in equally favorable positions to perform normal many organizations adapt the rules to fit their defensive or offensive movements and contact members better. Two major groups who have (even severe contact) is made, such as in going for a rule variations are youth and international loose ball. No foul is called. Similarly, a blind screen basketball. may be ruled incidental contact, regardless of the violence of the collision.

Jump ball Pushing or Holding charging Foul Technical Blocking Points scored (1 or 2) Lane violation Three-point goal ▶▶ Figure 6.2  Common officials’ siEg4n6a2ls5/iHnKb/faigs.k6e.2tb/3a3ll1.135/alw-pulled/r1 37

38  ◾  The Sports Rules Book Youth Basketball Organizations Variations differ from organization to organiza- Continental Basketball Association tion; following is an overview of the types of rules 195 Washington Ave. that are adapted for youths. Albany, NY 12210 Phone: 518-694-0100 ◾◾ The size of the ball and the court is gener- www.cbahoopsonline.com ally smaller. National Association of Basketball Coaches 1111 Main St., Ste. 1000 ◾◾ The basket height is lowered to give youths Kansas City, MO 64105-2136 a reasonable chance to score and to help 816-878-NABC (6222) them learn proper shooting technique. www.nabc.com National Basketball Association ◾◾ The free-throw line is closer to the basket. 645 Fifth Ave., 110th Fl. The younger the players, the closer the line New York, NY 10022 (compared with the standard 15-foot free- 212-826-7000 throw line). www.nba.com National Collegiate Athletic Association ◾◾ The length of the game is shorter, and a 700 W. Washington St. shot clock is often not used for the younger P.O. Box 6222 levels. Indianapolis, IN 46206-6222 317-917-6138 ◾◾ Officials are not as strict in calling all viola- www.ncaa.org tions and fouls, and they often help instruct National Federation of State High School the players in terms of what constitutes violations and fouls. Violations that are typi- Associations cally not called strictly by the book, espe- P.O. Box 690 cially for younger levels, include traveling, Indianapolis, IN 46206 double dribble, and backcourt violations. 317-972-6900 www.nfhs.org International Rules USA Basketball 5469 Mark Dabling Blvd. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Colorado Springs, CO 80918 regulates international play for Olympic and other 719-590-4800 international competitions. Some of the major dif- www.usabasketball.com ferences between FIBA rules and the rules presented Women’s Basketball Coaches Association earlier in this chapter include the following: 4646 Lawrenceville Hwy. Lilburn, GA 30047 ◾◾ The size of the court is 28 meters long by 770-279-8027 15 meters wide. The free-throw lane is 3.6 www.wbca.org meters wide at the free-throw line, widening Youth Basketball of America to 6 meters at the baseline. The 3-point arc 10325 Orangewood Blvd. is a semicircle that is 6.25 meters from the Orlando, FL 32821 basket at all points. 407-363-9262 www.yboa.org ◾◾ Game length is four 10-minute periods with, if necessary, one or more 5-minute overtimes. ◾◾ The shot clock is 24 seconds. ◾◾ All held balls result in jump balls. ◾◾ A player fouls out after committing five fouls. ◾◾ A team is in the bonus foul situation when it has committed four team fouls in a period. ◾◾ A maximum of five players—three defen- sive and two offensive—may occupy the free-throw lane places during a free throw.