FOOTBALL

For other uses, see Football (disambiguation). Several codes of football. Images, from top down, left to right: Association football, Australian rules football, International rules football, rugby union scrum, women's rugby union, American football. Football refers to a number of sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer". Unqualified, the word football applies to whichever form of football is the most popular in the regional context in which the word appears, including association football, as well as American football, Australian rules football, Canadian football, Gaelic football, rugby league, rugby union,[1] and other related games. These variations of football are known as football codes. Various forms of football can be identified in history, often as popular peasant games. Contemporary codes of football can be traced back to the codification of these games at English public schools in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.[2][3] The influence and power of the British Empire allowed these rules of football to spread to areas of British influence outside of the directly controlled Empire,[4] though by the end of the nineteenth century, distinct regional codes were already developing: Gaelic Football, for example, deliberately incorporated the rules of local traditional football games in order to maintain their heritage.[5] In 1888, The Football League was founded in England, becoming the first of many professional football competitions. During the twentieth century, the various codes of football became amongst the most popular team sports in the world.[6]

HOCKEY
For the 1980 John Zorn album, see Hockey (album). For the American new wave band, see Hockey (band). For the Australian politician, see Joe Hockey. Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick. In many areas, one sport (typically field hockey or ice hockey[1]) is generally referred to simply as hockey. The first recorded use of the word "hockey" is found in the text of a royal proclamation issued by Edward III of England in 1363 banning certain types of sports and games. [m]oreover we ordain that you prohibit under penalty of imprisonment all and sundry from such stone, wood and iron throwing; handball, football, or hockey; coursing and cock-fighting, or other such idle games.[2] The word hockey itself is of unknown origin, although it is likely a derivative of hoquet, a Middle French word for a shepherd's stave.[3] The curved, or "hooked" ends of the sticks used for hockey would indeed have resembled these staves. History bas relief c.600 BC, in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens Games played with curved sticks and a ball can be found in the histories of many cultures. In Egypt, 4000-year-old carvings feature teams with sticks and a projectile, hurling dates to before 1272 BC in Ireland, and there is a depiction from c.600 BC in Ancient Greece where the game may have been called kertzein or kerhtzein () because it was played with a horn or horn-like stick(kras, )*4+ In Inner Mongolia, the Daur people have been playing beikou, a game similar to modern field hockey, for about 1,000 years.[5] Most evidence of hockey-like games during the Middle Ages is found in legislation concerning sports and games. Similar to Edward's proclamation was the Galway Statute enacted in Ireland in 1527, which banned certain types of ball games, including hockey. ...at no tyme to use ne occupye the horlinge of the litill balle with hockie stickes or staves, nor use no hande ball to play withoute walles, but only greate foote balle[6] By the 19th century, the various forms and divisions of historic games began to differentiate and coalesce into the individual sports defined today. Organizations dedicated to the codification of rules and regulations began to form, and national and international bodies sprung up to manage domestic

and international competition. Ice hockey also evolved during this period as a derivative of field hockey adapted to the icy conditions of Canada and the northern United States. Subtypes Field hockey game at Melbourne University. Field hockey Main article: Field hockey Field hockey is played on gravel, natural grass, sand-based or water-based artificial turf, with a small, hard ball approximately 73 mm (2.9 in) in diameter. The game is popular among both males and females in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In most countries, the game is played between single-sex sides, although they can be mixed-sex. The governing body is the 116-member International Hockey Federation (FIH). Men's field hockey has been played at each summer Olympic Games since 1908 (except 1912 and 1924), while women's field hockey has been played at the Summer Olympic Games since 1980. Modern field hockey sticks are J-shaped and constructed of a composite of wood, glass fibre or carbon fibre (sometimes both) and have a curved hook at the playing end, a flat surface on the playing side and curved surface on the rear side. All sticks are right-handed left-handed sticks are not permitted. While current field hockey appeared in mid-18th century England, primarily in schools, it was not until the first half of the 19th century that it became firmly established. The first club was created in 1849 at Blackheath in south-east London. Field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan.[7] It was the national sport of India until the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports declared that India has no national sport in August 2012.[8] Ice hockey The Barrie Colts and the Brampton Battalion in an ice hockey game. Main article: Ice hockey Ice hockey is played on a large flat area of ice, using a three-inch-diameter (76.2 mm) vulcanized rubber disc called a puck. This puck is often frozen before high-level games to decrease the amount of bouncing and friction on the ice. The game is contested between two teams of skaters. The game is played all over North America, Europe and in many other countries around the world to varying extent. It is the most popular sport in Canada, Finland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The governing body of international play is the 66-member International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Men's ice hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics since 1924, and was in the 1920 Summer Olympics. Women's ice hockey was added to the Winter Olympics in 1998. North America's National Hockey League (NHL) is the strongest professional ice hockey league, drawing top ice hockey players from around the globe.[citation needed] The NHL rules are slightly different from those used in Olympic ice hockey over many categories.[citation needed] Ice hockey sticks are long L-shaped sticks made of wood, graphite, or composites with a blade at the bottom that can lie flat on the playing surface when the stick is held upright and can curve either way, legally, as to help a left- or right-handed player gain an advantage.[citation needed] There are early representations and reports of ice hockey-type games being played on ice in the Netherlands, and reports from Canada from the beginning of the nineteenth century, but the modern game was initially organized by students at McGill University, Montreal in 1875 who, by two years later, codified the first set of ice hockey rules and organized the first teams.[citation needed] Ice hockey is the national sport of Latvia[9] and the national winter sport of Canada.[10] Ice hockey is played at a number of levels, by all ages.

BASKETBALL
This article is about the sport. For the ball used in the sport, see Basketball (ball). For other uses, see Basketball (disambiguation). Basketball Michael Jordan goes for a slam dunk at the old Boston Garden Highest governing bodyFIBA First played 1891, Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.

Characteristics Contact Contact Team members 10-20 (5 on court) Mixed gender Single Categorization Indoor (mainly) or Outdoor (Streetball) Equipment Basketball Olympic Demonstrated in the 1904 and 1924 Summer Olympics Part of the Summer Olympic programme since 1936 Basketball is a sport played by two teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and 10 feet (3.0 m) high mounted to a backboard at each end. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.[1] A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal scores two points for the shooting team if a player is touching or closer to the basket than the threepoint line, and three points (known commonly as a 3 pointer or three) if the player is behind the three-point line. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) may be issued when the game ends with a draw. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while walking or running or throwing it to a team mate. It is a violation to move without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. Violations are called "fouls". A personal foul is penalized, and a free throw is usually awarded to an offensive player if he is fouled while shooting the ball. A technical foul may also be issued when certain infractions occur, most commonly for unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of a player or coach. A technical foul gives the opposing team a free throw, and the opposing team also retains possession of the ball. As well as many techniques for shooting, passing, dribbling and rebounding, basketball has specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures (player positioning). Typically, the tallest members of a team will play "center", "power forward" or "small forward" positions, while shorter players or those who possess the best ball handling skills and speed play "point guard" or "shooting guard".

History
Main article: History of basketball Creation The first basketball court: Springfield College In early December 1891, Canadian American Dr. James Naismith,[2] a physical education professor and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School[3] (YMCA) (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA), was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10foot (3.05 m) elevated track. In contrast with modern basketball nets, this peach basket retained its bottom, and balls had to be retrieved manually after each "basket" or point scored; this proved inefficient, however, so the bottom of the basket was removed,[4] allowing the balls to be poked out with a long dowel each time. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball. The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle, searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a major part of the game around the 1950s, as manufacturing improved the ball shape.

The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket, his team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game.[5] The baskets were originally nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the playing court, but this proved impractical when spectators on the balcony began to interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional effect of allowing rebound shots.[6] Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006, indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a children's game called "Duck on a Rock", as many had failed before it. Naismith called the new game "Basket Ball".[7] The first official game was played in the YMCA gymnasium in Albany, New York on January 20, 1892 with nine players. The game ended at 10; the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6 m), on a court just half the size of a present-day Streetball or National Basketball Association (NBA) court. By 1897 1898 teams of five became standard.

CRICKET
This article is about the sport. For the insect, see Cricket (insect). For other uses, see Cricket (disambiguation). "Cricketer" redirects here. For other uses, see Cricketer (disambiguation). Cricket A bowler bowling to a batsman. The paler strip is the cricket pitch. The two sets of three wooden stumps on the pitch are the wickets. The two white lines are the creases. Highest governing bodyInternational Cricket Council First played 18th century (modern) Characteristics Team members 11 players per side substitute fielders (only) are permitted in cases of injury or illness Mixed gender Single Categorization Team, Bat-and-ball Equipment Cricket ball, cricket bat, wicket: stumps, bails Venue Cricket field Olympic 1900 Summer Olympics only Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a field at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. Each team takes it in turn to bat, attempting to score runs, while the other team fields. Each turn is known as an innings. The bowler delivers the ball to the batsman who attempts to hit the ball with his bat far enough for him to run to the other end of the pitch and score a run. Each batsman continues batting until he is out. The batting team continues batting until ten batsmen are out, at which point the teams switch roles and the fielding team comes in to bat. In professional cricket the length of a game ranges from 20 overs of six bowling deliveries per side to Test cricket played over five days. The Laws of Cricket are maintained by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) with additional Standard Playing Conditions for Test matches and One Day Internationals.[1] Cricket was first played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, it had developed into the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas and by the mid-19th century the first international matches were being held. The ICC, the game's governing body, has 10 full members.[2] The game is most popular in Australasia, England, the Indian subcontinent, the West Indies and Southern Africa.

TENNIS
This article is about the sport. For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). Tennis A tennis match at Wimbledon, the oldest and the most prestigious tennis tournament. Highest governing bodyInternational Tennis Federation First played Between 1859 and 1865 (Birmingham, England) Characteristics Contact No Team members Single or doubles Mixed gender Yes, separate tours & mixed doubles Categorization Racquet sport Equipment Tennis ball, tennis racquet Venue Indoor or outdoor tennis court Olympic Part of Summer Olympic programme from 1896 to 1924 Demonstration sport in the 1968 and 1984 Summer Olympics Part of Summer Olympic programme since 1988 Paralympic Part of Summer Paralympic programme since 1992 Country or region Worldwide Tennis is a sport that people usually play individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a racquet that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a good return.[1] Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racquet, including wheelchair users. The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as "lawn tennis".[2] It had close connections both to various field ("lawn") games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older raquet sport of real tennis. During most of the 19th-century in fact, the term "tennis" referred to real tennis, not lawn tennis: for example, in Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will "go down to Hampton Court and play tennis.".[3] The rules of tennis have changed little since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tie-break in the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system, which allows a player to contest the line call of a point. Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and is also a popular worldwide spectator sport. The four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the "Majors") are especially popular: the Australian Open played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open played also on hard courts.

IMPORTANCE OF GAMES
The ideal of a good and perfect life is to have a sound mind in a sound body. This is recognized by all as the best means of performing our duties. Body and mind should work at their best, and they cannot do so unless both are in good order. The limbs must be- supple, active and obedient to the will. The best way to keep the limbs fit is to exercise them in sports and games of physical skill and strength. This indeed is the importance of games, there is no society, which has not its own special kinds of games. The proper end of game is bodily health arid physical fitness. In the past, sports like hunting and fishing used to be mainly utilitarian in purpose, That is to say, men used to hunts in order to get food. But with the dawn of the Greek Civilization, sports and games came to be looked upon as a means of building up the body beautiful. The famous Olympic Games, held every fourth year, were proof of importance given to sports and games. Theses have been revived from 1896, and are now held once in four years at various centers.

Sports and games have now come to stay in our civilization as an essential feature of human activity, and their object is not merely fun, they also instill the sprit of discipline and team-work. Game like cricket, hockey and foot ball are popular because of the sprit of team work which they inspire. This no doubt true. The discipline that gained in playing up games is invaluable in later life. It makes for a life of co-operation and team work which could be used for building up a great society and a nation. Our young man and woman should take active part in sports and games. It is good that our .educational institution encourage sports and games by organizing matches and awarding prizes and trophies. The habit of taking part in games and sports is good in severa1 ways. Apart from making us strong, healthy and fit, it teaches us how to use our energy in the right way. But all good things sometimes become bad. This is a strange but the true fact about human activities. Sports and games should be so organized that they will not interfere with studies of our youth. Life is not all sports. They are only a part, though a very important part.