Reviving Traditional Gaming - Sepak Takraw

A typical game of Sepak Takraw found in championships.

Basic Information

Sepak Takraw, or "kick volleyball" is a sport native to the Malay Peninsula. In countries like Singapore, Malaysia or Japan, Sepak Takraw is treated like a professional sport with tournaments and championships being occasionally held.

Historical Origins

Earliest historical evidence shows the game was played in the 15th century's Malacca Sultanate, for it is mentioned in the Malay historical text, "Sejarah Melayu" (Malay Annals).^[4]The Malay Annals described in details the incident of Raja Muhammad, a son of Sultan Mansur Shah who was accidentally hit with a rattan ball by Tun Besar, a son of Tun Perak, in a Sepak raga game. The ball hit Raja Muhammad's headgear and knocked it down to the ground. In anger, Raja Muhammad immediately stabbed and killed Tun Besar, whereupon some of Tun Besar's kinsmen retaliated and wanted to kill Raja Muhammad. However, Tun Perak managed to restrain them from such an act of treason by saying that he would no longer accept Raja Muhammad as the Sultan's heir. As a result of this incident, Sultan Mansur Shah ordered his son out of Malacca and had him installed as the ruler of Pahang.^[5]

How to Play - Instructions

Sepak takraw is played between two teams of three players; the left inside, right inside and back. The court is about the same size as a badminton court (20 by 44 feet) and the net is 1.52 metres high. Traditionally balls were hand-woven from bamboo or rattan, but most modern ones are synthetic.

Basic rules and scoring are similar to volleyball. Each team is allowed a maximum of three touches of the ball to get it back over the net to the other side without letting it touch the ground. The first team to score either 15 or 21 points, depending on the rules in play, wins the set. The team that prevails in two sets wins the match.

Play starts when the server is tossed the grapefruit-sized ball by a teammate while keeping one foot in a small 'serving circle'. He then must kick the ball over the net with the other foot. After that, volleyball rules pretty much apply, except for the fact that the ball can't be touched by the hands or arms, instead having to use your feet to kick the ball to the other side of the court and over the net. Top takraw players have to combine great foot-eye coordination with quickness, anticipation, power, flexibility, and acrobatic skills. 

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepak_takraw
http://www.perses.org/Article/Entries/2011/4/25_HOW_TO_PLAY_SEPAKTAKRAW.html
http://www.bangkok.com/sport-sepak-takraw/basic-rules---how-to-play.htm