How to Play Sports
How to Play Sports
According to "PBS," "Baseball is a game played between two teams of nine players each. The game is divided into nine innings, each divided into two halves.
In the top half of the inning, the players of one team successively come to bat and attempt to score runs, while the other team plays in the field and attempts to stop the offensive team from scoring.
In the bottom half, the teams swap places. The team with more runs at the end of nine innings is the winner of the game.
The game is played on a diamond-shaped playing field, the four corners of the diamond being formed by home plate, first base, second base and third base. In the middle of the infield is the pitcher's mound, where the pitcher stands to pitch the ball to the batter. The area beyond the infield, bordered by the first and third baselines, is called the outfield.
During an inning, the pitcher of the defensive team throws the ball toward member of the offensive team currently in batting position at home plate. The batter attempts to hit the ball with the bat to a location out of the reach of the defensive players in the field and run around the bases.
If he is able to round the bases and return to home plate, he scores a run. But if the ball is caught, or can be thrown to first base before he arrives at the base, then the batter is out. A batter is also put out if he strikes out, or fails to hit the baseball three times after three good pitches. The offensive team's time at bat is over when it gets three outs."
According to "International Federation of American Football," the football rules are as follows:
"Teams score 6 points for a touchdown, 3 points for a field goal and, after a touchdown, can kick for one extra point or pass or run for two extra points.
Teams advance the ball down the field in a series of set-piece plays (called ‘downs’). The play ends when the ball-carrier is tackled to the ground, goes out of bounds, or if a forward pass hits the ground. Teams have to gain at least 10 yards in 4 plays to keep possession and earn a new set of 4 downs. If a team gains 4 yards on its first down, they would then be facing 2nd and 6 (2nd down and 6 yards to go to make the required 10).
On each play teams can choose to run (by handing the ball off to a running back) or pass (the quarterback throws to a receiver). On fourth down teams will usually try to kick a field goal or punt the ball away if they don’t think that they can gain enough yards for a first down. Otherwise, they have to surrender possession of the ball to the opposition at the place of the end of the play.
Players on the offensive team (the team with the ball) can protect the player with the ball by blocking opposing tacklers. Defenders can use their hands to push or pull opponents out of the way to get to the ball carrier. Only the ball carrier can actually be tackled and pulled to the ground. There may only be one forward pass per play. A forward pass cannot be thrown once the ball has gone forward of its starting spot.
Team mates are allowed to block opposing defenders to protect the quarterback but cannot grasp with their hands or encircle with their arms. Defenders can try to disrupt receivers with open hands (put not hold them) until the ball is thrown. After this any intentional contact is deemed illegal and will result in a ‘pass interference’ penalty. Defenders can also attempt to catch the ball themselves. This is call an ‘interception’.
Receivers must have control of the football and get at least one foot in the field of play to have completed a ‘catch’. A player running with the ball can complete as many backward passes (as in rugby) as they like, although this is considered risky as, unlike rugby, players not in possession of the ball can be blocked. Team mates are allowed to block opposing defenders to create running lanes for a ball carrier. However, they cannot block defenders in the back or from behind. When a quarterback runs beyond the line of scrimmage (the start point of the ball) it is considered a running play and they can no longer throw a forward pass."
According to "MasterClass," Basketball rules are as follows:
"1. Only five players per team on the court. In the NBA, WNBA, and NCAA basketball, each team can play a maximum number of five players on the court. If a team breaks this main rule, they will lose possession of the ball. Sometimes this inadvertently happens, particularly at low levels of the game, when substitute players check into the game and others don't leave the court in time.
2. Score more than your opponent to win. To win the game, a team must score more field goals than the other team. A field goal refers to any basket a player scores during gameplay. Field goals can be worth two or three points. Field goals shot from inside the arc that designates the three-point line on the court are worth two points. Field goals shot from outside the arc are worth three points.
3. Dribbling advances the ball. Basketball players may only advance the ball by passing or dribbling (bouncing the ball on the floor) as they move up and down the court. If a player stops dribbling, they may not resume; instead, they must pass the ball or shoot it. If an offensive player with possession of the ball stops then continues dribbling before passing or shooting, the referee will call a “double dribble,” and the opposing team gets the ball. Additionally, players may only advance the ball by dribbling it. If they run while holding the ball, they are traveling. Referees will issue a traveling call, and possession of the ball will go to the opposing team.
4. Ball and ballhandler must remain inbounds. During gameplay, the player with possession of the ball must stay within the designated inbounds lines marked on the court. If a player steps out of bounds or touches this line with their foot while holding the ball, the referee will award possession to the opposing team.
5. Illegal contact results in a personal foul. Players can incur personal fouls by pushing, blocking, or striking another player in the act of shooting. Shooting fouls result in free throw attempts for the fouled player. If a defender fouls a shooter attempting a two-point shot, the shooter will receive two free throws. If a shooter is fouled during a three-point shot attempt, they will receive three free throws. If the player makes the shot they were attempting at the time of illegal contact, the basket counts, and the shooter will receive one free throw.
6. Certain rule violations result in technical fouls. A technical foul is a penalty for violating the game’s administrative rules. Officials commonly assess technical fouls for fighting and verbal abuse, often assessing coaches with this penalty if they are too abrasive when disputing a call. Technical fouls result in a free throw and a change of possession. If a player or coach receives two technical fouls in the same game, the referee will eject them. Players with a long history of technical fouls risk suspension from the regular season and even playoff games." These are just some of the rules."
According to "soccer.com," "Soccer, or football as it is called in certain countries, is a game played between two teams, each with a maximum of eleven players and a minimum of seven players.
A soccer game can't begin if either of the teams has fewer than seven players. The team has one designated goalkeeper (often referred to as a goalie) and 10 outfield players.
The game is played on a rectangular field, with each team trying to score goals by kicking the ball into the other team's goal. The way to win is simple: Score more goals than the other team in the allotted time.
Soccer game length varies by age group and level of play but is typically 90 minutes — two 45-minute halves with a break in between.
Here are the basic rules of soccer everyone should know: The ball must cross the goal line to score. The team with the most goals wins. The goalie is the only player who can touch the ball with their hands. There are no timeouts. Soccer uses a running clock, which means the game continues even if a player is injured. If the ball goes out of bounds, the team who didn't touch it last gets to throw or kick it back in. If a player commits a foul or offense, the other team gets a free kick."
According to "Performance Golf," the basic rules of golf are as follows:
Golf Clubs:
The United States Golf Association limits you to 14 clubs. Although it’s unlikely you’ll have (or need) 14 clubs when taking up golf, breaching this rule could cost you up to 4 strokes in a stroke play competition."
The Teeing Area:
You must tee the ball behind the tee markers. Teeing up even an inch in front will cost you a penalty stroke. However, you can tee the ball anywhere between the markers, and up to 2 club lengths behind the markers. You can even stand outside of the markers as long as the ball is in between them. This can be a good strategy if you have a tendency to slice the ball left or hook the ball right, giving you a larger margin for error off the tee.
Keeping Score:
Each course has a total ‘Par’ score and is calculated by adding up the total number of Par 3, 4, and 5 holes on the course, typically totaling around 70. In a stroke play event, the player with the lowest number of total strokes wins and you can either be under par, over par, or even par. Under par means you have taken less strokes than par for the course. For example, if you took only 68 shots in a par 70 course, you’d finish the round 2 under par. Even par means you’ve shot the same score as par for the course. And over par means you have taken more strokes than par for the course. For example, shooting 72 on a par 70 course means you’d finish 2 over par.
Provisional Ball:
If you think you’ve hit your ball out of bounds and won’t be able to find it, you’re allowed to hit a provisional ball from the same spot you hit your original shot. Unfortunately, if you do find your first ball, but your provisional was a better shot, you must play the original ball.
Order Of Play:
The player furthest from the hole should hit their ball first. Play The Ball As It Lies. You must play your ball as you find it, meaning you can’t pick it up or move the ball to make it easier to hit your next shot. This rule doesn’t apply when your ball is on the putting green, however.
Unplayable Lies:
Another exception to the above rule is where you are able to find your ball, but it’s completely unplayable. For example, it’s stuck in the middle of a bush. In this scenario, you can take a ‘drop’, which allows you to drop the ball up to 2 club lengths from where you found it (as long as it’s not closer to the hole) but you will incur a penalty stroke.
Penalty Strokes:
There are many reasons why you could get a penalty stroke. However, as a beginner, the most common reason will be from hitting the ball out of bounds."
According to "Olympics.com," the basic rules of tennis are as follows:
A tennis match begins with the umpire doing a coin toss. The player who wins the toss can choose to serve, receive or pick the side from which they want to start the match. The serving player has to stand behind the baseline of his side of the tennis court and within the bounds of the centre mark and the sideline. For a successful serve, the server has to toss the ball up with his non-playing hand and hit it with the racket before it bounces. The ball needs to cross the net and land within the serving area which is marked on the diagonally opposite side of the court for it to be deemed a legal serve.
Each player is allowed two serves per point. If a player hits the net, or the ball’s first bounce occurs outside the serving area, it's called a service fault and the server has a second serve to initiate the point. If the server’s foot touches the baseline or goes out of bounds of the sideline, it is known as a foot fault and the server will have a second serve. If a player commits a fault on his second serve also, it is called a double fault and the receiving player gets that point.
However, if a player’s serve hits the net and lands within the serving area, then the server will still have two serves to initiate the point. This situation is known as let. The server has to alternate between the vertical halves of the tennis court for each point. If the server manages to land a legal serve and the receiver is unable to return the ball, it is known as an ace and the server gets the point.
How points are scored in tennis? Any point is initiated by the server and it is the job of the receiver to return it successfully. Once the serve is returned, the two players engage in a rally, i.e trading shots back-and-forth over the net and within the sidelines and baseline. To win a point, a player must hit a shot either before the ball has bounced or after the first bounce. If the ball bounces twice, then the player with the last shot wins the point. A player must also wait for the ball to pass the net and come over to his side of the court and cannot step over the net to hit the ball. The server becomes the receiver and the receiver becomes the server once a game is completed.
In a doubles match, the receiving team gets to choose the first receiver and then the two players in the team alternate to receive every subsequent point.
According to "owayo," hockey is played by having "6 players to each side, one of which is the goalie. The goalie can be pulled for an extra player. Hockey teams usually consist of 4 lines, totally to 20 players. Hockey is a very intense sport. Players are usually on the ice for only 1 minute at a time before being substituted on the fly. Changing the players is called a "line change". As the Puck is relatively small compared to a soccer and as hockey is played very fast, it's very easily to loose sight of what's going on. Which is why lights flash after a goal has been made, so that everyone knows a goal was scored. There is 60 minutes of ice time in a game, which are split into 3 periods. Between the periods, there are 15 minute breaks. The play clock stops when the puck is not on the ice. During stoppages, the players are usually substituted. Games typically take two and a half hours. Also, at the end of each period, teams switch sides. When the score is tied at the end of regulation, there is overtime. In the NHL, overtime is played in a 3 on 3 scenario, first goal wins. If after the overtime a goal has not been scored, the game moves into a shootout."
According to "Woneropolis," lacrosse is played by having "Ten-person teams face off as they try to get the small rubber ball into their opponent's goal. Instead of throwing the ball with their hands or kicking it with their feet, lacrosse players use long sticks with a net-like basket or pocket on the end to pick up, carry, throw, catch, and shoot the ball. The lacrosse stick — called a crosse — allows the players to whip the ball around the field with incredible speed. Players must cover a lot of ground and game play can get intensely physical, which has earned the sport of lacrosse the nickname of "the fastest game on two feet." Lacrosse players get a lot of exercise, and the best players develop exceptional speed and stamina. The 10 players on a lacrosse team are divided into three attackers, three midfielders, three defenders, and a goalkeeper. Game play involves strategy and precise passing. The game shares some similarities with basketball, in the sense that lacrosse games can include fast breaks, picks, and different defensive strategies, such as zone and man-to-man. A crosse isn't the only piece of specialized equipment that lacrosse players need. Since the small, hard ball whips around the field at high speeds and contact with other players is frequent, protective gear is a must. A typical lacrosse player will wear a helmet, gloves, mouth guard, and protective pads that cover the ribs, shoulders, and elbows. Today, lacrosse is a popular sport with both men and women at high schools and colleges across the United States. In 2001, a semi-pro league, called Major League Lacrosse or MLL, began play. There are currently nine teams in the MLL."