Sports and Games: Rules, Techniques and Tactics
This domain tests the rules, basic techniques and simple tactics of common school games, especially volleyball, cricket, football, basketball, netball and badminton.
Core rules
- Volleyball: six players per side; rally scoring to 25, win by two; decide the fifth set at 15. A team rotates clockwise only when it wins a rally as the receiving team, then serves.
- Cricket: six balls per over; a no-ball is an illegal delivery, often because of the bowler’s front foot; a wide is too far from the batter to hit. Batters can be run out when the wicket is broken while they are out of their ground.
- Football: eleven players per side; offside restricts attackers ahead of the ball and second-last defender; a penalty is taken from 11 m.
- Basketball: five players per side; 24-second shot clock; three seconds in the restricted area.
- Netball: seven players; three-second limit; footwork rule; goals only from inside the shooting circle.
Worked example
In volleyball, Team A is receiving. Team A wins the rally. Reasoning: winning a rally while receiving gives Team A the right to serve. Before serving, all players rotate one position clockwise. If the serving team wins a rally, it scores but does not rotate; the same server serves again.
Traps that cost marks
- In volleyball, rotation occurs on gaining the serve, not on every point.
- Netball’s three-second rule and footwork rule differ from basketball’s.
- A cricket wide and a no-ball are different umpiring signals.
- Offside in football is judged at the moment the ball is played, not when it is received.