NAVOTAS POLYTECHNIC

COLLEGE
Bangus St., Corner Apahap St., NBBS, City of Navotas

Name: Bilo, Lemwell g.

Course/Year/Section: BSEd Filipino 2A

History of SEPAK TAKRAW

The origins of sepak takraw remains a question of extreme controversy in Southeast

Asia, as several countries with pride say it as their very own. There is, nevertheless,
some understanding that the sport was introduced to Southeast Asia through
commercial contact with China, where a traditional form of the sport originated.

It is believed that many variations of the game developed from a historical Chinese
military workout program, where soldiers would try to keep a feathered shuttlecock
flying by kicking it back and forth amongst two or more people. As the game developed,
the animal hide and chicken feathers were eventually replaced by balls made of woven
strips of rattan.

The Malaysian Sepak Raga Federation was founded in 1960 at Penang and in 1965 it
was included in South East Asia Peninsular Games. It was then formally named as Sepak
Takraw and in 1965 the Asian Sepak takraw Federation (ASTAF) was founded as the
governing committee of the sports. In 1992, the International Sepak takraw Federation
(ISTAF) was formed as the world governing body of the game.
Equipment’s

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

Ball

Sepak Takraw Ball. Considered as the most essential equipment of the game, the ball is
spherical in shape and usually made of synthetic fibre. In some cases, a hand woven
layer is also used. Initially, the ball was made up of rattan strips which were gradually
replaced by synthetic strips. Usually the ball has a maximum weight of 170-180 gram for
men and 150-160 gram for women.

Usually the ball has a diameter of 5 inch. Balls made of

without synthetic rubber must have 12 holes and 20
intersections with a maximum circumference of 42- 44
cm for men and 43- 45 cm for women. The ball can be
single coloured or multi coloured but colours impairing
player’s performance are not allowed.

In order to soften the impact of the ball on the player’s

body, the ball can be made of synthetic rubber or any other soft durable material that is
approved by the governing committee.

Usually the ball has a diameter of 5 inch. Balls made of without synthetic rubber must
have 12 holes and 20 intersections with a maximum circumference of 42- 44 cm for men
and 43- 45 cm for women. The ball can be single coloured or multi coloured but colours
impairing player’s performance are not allowed.

In order to soften the impact of the ball on the player’s body, the ball can be made of
synthetic rubber or any other soft durable material that is approved by the governing
committee.

Net

The net used in the game is usually made of ordinary cord or nylon with 6-8 cm mess
and is usually heavier and stronger than badminton nets in order to provide better
impact when the ball hits it. The net shall be 0.7 metres with a maximum length of 6.1
metres. The height of the net should be 1.42 metres from the centre of the court for
women and 1.52 metres for men.
Shoes

The shoes used in this game are light in weight and have flat sides with soles. It has a
good grip on both indoor and outdoor surfaces and has a sole inside for supporting the
high impact of constant jumping and landing. These are especially made for players to
help them kick perfectly.

Protective gears

In this game, usually ankle supportive bands are used by players for providing
protection as high jumping is involved throughout the game. Even knee tensors are also
used by players in order to prevent joints and tendon injury. Some players use ankle
gears for ankle support. Players also use forehead bandanas in order to stop the sweat
running into eyes.

Rules and Regulations

"Sepak" means to smash or kick in the Malay language, while "Takraw" originates from
the Thai language, meaning “rattan ball”. The objective of this game is to hit the ball over
the net and onto the floor in the opponent's court to score a point. Players are allowed to
use their legs, head and torso to contact the ball, but any contact with their arms or
hands is an infringement of the rules.

Competitions and tournaments are run in accordance to rules and regulations set by the
International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF). All equipment and attire must adhere
to specifications set by ISTAF.

A game of Sepak Takraw is played between two teams (known as Regu). Each Regu has
three players on court and two substitutes. The players on court are the striker, server
and feeder. Game play is very similar to the sport of Volleyball. In Sepak Takraw, players
are allowed a maximum of three contacts with the ball to get it over the net.

A coin toss will decide which Regu will start service, while the other Regu can pick the
side of court they wish to start on. The feeder will start the game by tossing the ball to
the server. The server will keep one foot within the 'serving circle' and use his other foot
to kick the ball past the net. On the defensive Regu, the server and feeder becomes the
setters to pass the ball to the striker within three contacts. The striker then hits or
smashes the ball over the net. During game play, the Regu who commits a fault will lose
service and a point is awarded to the opposing team.

Service will change over after three consecutive points scored by the serving Regu.
Depending on the level of competition and rules set by the organising committee, the
first Regu that scores 21 points wins the set. The set can only be won by the Regu with a
two point lead, and the maximum points a set typically reaches is 25 points. The umpire
will announce for the set to extend to 25 points when there is a tie at 20 - 20. The game
is played in two sets with a two minute break in between. The Regu that wins two sets
wins the match.

In the event that both Regus win a set each, the match is extended to a tie-break set. This
third set is played to 15 points, and will be extended to 17 points if there is another tie at
14 - 14. Before the tie-break set, the Regus will toss a coin to decide who starts the
service. Service will change over when one Regu scores eight points.

SEPAK TAKRAW COURT

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

Center Line − The central line is of 0.02 metre drawn in the middle of the court, dividing
it into two equal halves.

Quarter Circles − At each side of the central line corners, quarter circles with a radius
of 3 feet are drawn.

The Service Circle − Each half has a service circle from where the server serves the ball.
Each of them has a radius of around 1 foot and the centre of each circle is 8 feet from the
back lines and 10 feet from the side lines.

REFERENCES:

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/sepak_takraw/
sepak_takraw_playing_environment.htm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/sepak_takraw/
sepak_takraw_playing_environment.htm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/sepak_takraw/sepak_takraw_equipment.htm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/sepak_takraw/sepak_takraw_overview.htm