Games and athletics: skills and rules

Major team games

• Football (soccer): 11 players per side; matches of two 45-minute halves; offside, fouls, free kicks, penalties; skills include passing, dribbling, heading and shooting.
• Netball: 7 players; positions (GS, GA, WA, C, WD, GD, GK) restricted to areas; no running with the ball (footwork rule); a player must pass or shoot within three seconds.
• Basketball: 5 players; dribbling, passing and shooting; travelling and double-dribble violations.
• Volleyball: 6 players; a maximum of three touches per side; rotation.
• Rugby, cricket, hockey and traditional games (nhodo, raka-raka, tsoro) also build skills.

Athletics

• Track: sprints (100 m, 200 m, 400 m), middle and long distance (800 m, 1 500 m, 5 000 m), hurdles and relays (4 × 100 m, 4 × 400 m) with a baton exchange inside the changeover zone.
• Field: long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus and javelin.

Skill learning

Stages: cognitive (learning what to do), associative (practising), autonomous (automatic). Practice can be whole, part or progressive, with feedback from coaches.

Officials

Referees, umpires, linesmen, judges and timekeepers enforce rules and keep play fair and safe.

Check yourself

1. How many players are in a netball team on court?
2. What is the maximum number of touches per side in volleyball?
3. Where must the baton be exchanged in a relay?