Throwball is one of the most prominent sports that came out of England in recent years. However, the game is widely confused with its more popular counterpart, volleyball. So, we are here to alleviate whatever doubts you might have so that you can be more informed about your choice of sports.
Overview
Even though it is not confirmed, it is believed that the game of throwball is essentially an English game, which means that the game originated in the English mainland. In fact, historians confirmed that the game was quite popular in the 1930s. In fact, it was also believed to be particularly popular among women in England and Australia as a recreational sport.
As the popularity of the sport grew in volume, the sport traveled from the mainland to colonies. As a result, some of the colonies, like India, Sri Lanka, etc., became the very hub of throwball. Most likely, organizations like the YMCA brought the game to that part of the world during the 1940s.
Even though this is an internationally recognized sport, Indians seem to enjoy playing this sport more than anyone on this planet. The man behind popularizing this game in the Indian subcontinent was Harry Crowe Buck, founder of YMCA College of Physical Education in Chennai. By the time it was the 1950s, the game gradually made its way to Bangalore. A sports enthusiast named Ramana was the first person to organize a throwball competition in the 1980s. Cut to 95, the sport became one of the most popular sports played by the Indian population.
The Objective
A game without an objective is no game at all. And that rings true for throw ball as well. This is a fast-paced sport that requires specific skill sets like speed and agility, along with teamwork, for a good game. The primary purpose of the game involves:
- Place the ball on the ground
- Once the ball bounces and reaches an optimum height, use your forehand to hit it.
- Volley the ball in the air using your forehand.
- Serve a ball to begin a rally.
- Your primary objective is to serve the ball to your opponent in a way that they miss the opportunity to return it back to you.
Skills & Fundamentals
The objective might sound pretty simple and can give an idea to the player that the game requires basic fundamentals, but then again, it is far from the truth. The game requires a specific set of skills, and knowing what they are will certainly enable you to understand the game even more closely. This section will look at some of the most fundamental and basic aspects of the game, like net height, serving, etc, so that you know where to start.
Team Formation
The first and foremost thing that you need to know and take care of is to build a strong team. Each side needs to have at least seven to nine players. The number of players needs to be equal on each side. Also, the roster of a squad should consist of defenders as well as attackers. This makes the team evenly organized.
Serving
This is where the technicalities of the game come into action. To begin a rally, a player from either of the teams will serve the ball over the net so that the game can begin. While serving, a player has to be mindful and stay behind the line. Otherwise, the serve becomes null and void. A server needs to know some of the most basic serving techniques like overhand, underhand, and leap serve. This will help the server to choke the opponents.
Receiving And Passing
Just as serving is an important skill, in the same way, passing and receiving is a key skill as well. To keep your attacks rotating and dynamic, you need to pass the ball effectively and properly to the most effective attacker of your team. In fact, receiving a ball is also a crucial skill as it ensures that there is no scope for a fumble.
Launching An Offensive
Ideally, an effective attack formation includes throwing the ball in a way that the opponent does not get a chance to receive the ball without a fumble. In other words, your aim should be that the receiver cannot receive and throw the ball in one go but, at the same time, maintain a fixed momentum.
Blocking
This is a skill that is specific for the defenders, who are usually positioned near the net. A defender’s job is to deflect the incoming attack so that it returns back to the attacking side. This is best defined as a means to counterattack. This can really put the team under a lot of pressure.
Stepping
The final fundamental skill that a throw ball player needs to master is the skill of stepping. As a player, one must know his or her zone. This is seminal for understanding how the game flows. Otherwise, one misstep can result in a detrimental outcome. Therefore, know the steps and the rhythm you need to follow in order to be an effective player.
Rules
The final set of information that every throw ball player needs to know about is the rules. They are not very complex, but knowing them can certainly help you get through the game with the breeze.
- All matches must be played over three distinctive sets.
- You lose a point if you fail to return the ball or break the momentum.
- This is not volleyball and, thus, should not be volleyed. Instead, the call must be received and then thrown while maintaining the momentum of the game.
- Catchers are required to receive and throw balls within three seconds.
End Note
So there you go, all the basic and fundamental information that you need to know about the game of throw ball. However, the pointers mentioned here are some of the most fundamental and basic things that you need to remember in order to initiate your journey. Keep following our page for more sports-related content.
Additional Reading:
