Peteca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pronounced ‘PA-TECK-A’
Peteca is a traditional sport of "hand shuttlecock" indigenous to Brazil and is reputed to be as old as the country itself.
The object of the game is to hit the shuttlecock with your hand over a high net, making it land on the floor of the oppositions court. Doubles and singles games are played. The shuttlecock can only be hit once while on each side of the net.
The name of the sport is also the name of the shuttlecock-like product used in the game. It is played both competitively and for fun. Although designs vary, most Petecas consist of a base – consisting of a bag or rubber pad - and a flight, which is usually made out of feathers.
Contents |
[edit] History
The word Peteca is derived from a Tupian word meaning ‘hit’. Over time the word found its way into the Brazilian Portuguese language.
Originally Peteca was played at times of celebration with dances and songs. Gradually, this play became more of a sporting activity. The game has been passed down through several generations by the Brazilian ancestors and has developed considerably along the way.
Early Petecas were very primitive home-made affairs consisting of stones wrapped in leaves tied inside an ear of corn. A more sophisticated version was described in a Brazilian - English dictionary as "a leather pad with feathers stuck into it."
Pictures of the first Peteca’s are few and far between but on 30th May, 1979, Brazil issued a set of four postage stamps depicting children's toys, to commemorate the International Year of the Child. The 2.50 Cruzeiro value stamp depicts an unusual looking shuttlecock which catalogues describe as a Peteca, a title which can only have been extracted from Brazilian Post Office literature at the time of issue.
When Brazil was present at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium the Brazilian athletes took with them some shuttlecocks for amusement on the ship and during the intervals between games. The game (Peteca) fascinated athletes from many other countries who wanted learn the rules of the game. The problem was that there were no rules - it was just for pleasure.
Peteca is now one of Brazil's fastest growing sports closely behind Football and Volleyball.
[edit] Rules of the game
A Peteca match is played to the best of the three games, singles or doubles. The first player (or the first pair) who scores twelve points wins the set. One game can last only a maximum of twenty minutes. If neither of the two sides have reached the required score, then the win is given to the team with the most points.
The Peteca must be struck with one hand only and must pass above the net to the oppositions side in order for them to return it. The server remains the same one until the service changes side. A point can only be won by the serving team. The player with the service has thirty seconds to score the point. If this is not achieved then the service is given to the opposing player/team.
Faults
There are a number of recognised faults which can occur:
Service:
Service passes to the opposing team if the Pétéca passes below the net, outside the limits of the court, if the Pétéca touches the net or if Pétéca touches a player of the same team (double) before passing over to the opposing side.
In play :
If a player puts his hands or feet on the opposing teams side (penetration as with Volley ball) if a player touches the Pétéca with two hands, if there are marked accompaniment and not striking, if any other part of his body touches it and if the peteca is not hit(head, feet…).
30 Second Rule
The server or the team which is serving, has 30 seconds to score the point, if the point is not scored in this period, then the service goes to the opposition. It should be noted that at the end of 20 seconds, the referee announces "10" as a warning of the time remaining. With the sounding of the referee's whistle, the rally is finished.
[edit] Equipment and court
Shuttlecocks:
There are two types of shuttlecock used in the two games of Peteca. Peteca Tournament The ‘shuttlecock’ has a flat base and a standard weight of 42 grams. The feathers are crimped and straight. Mini Peteca The ‘shuttlecock’ used in mini Peteca has a rounded rubber base attached to five or more rubber discs. The base is softer on the hand and
Court:
Singles games are played on courts 15 m x 5.5 m. Doubles games at 15 m x 7.5 m. By comparison, a standard Volleyball court is 18 m x 9 m. Peteca is played on wood, cement or clay courts. Mini Peteca is played on a standard sized badminton court.
Net:
Mens games are played over a net 2.43 m high, women over 2.24 m. Children (8-12yrs) play over a 2 m high net.
Footwear:
Trainers with a good sole to obtain a grip on the floor are important.
Lightweight Gloves / Mitts
New players to Peteca often find that the ‘shuttlecock’ can sting the hand. For this we suggest a lightweight fingerless glove – similar to those used in rugby.
[edit] Competition
Competitive court games have been played in Brazil since the early 1930s. It was only 1973 that the first rules were written. In 1985 the National Sports Council of Brazil drew up the first official set of rules so that competitions could be held between cities and states and only into 1987 that the first Brazilian championship of Pétéca was organized. In 1995, under the direction of the President of the Brazilian Confederation of Terrestrial Sports, new rules were introduced into the game play to make it still more competitive and attractive.
France is one of the first European countries to embrace this game and already has thousands of players. Federation Francaise de Peteca (FFP) is the National Governing Body for France and was created in February 1997 by Jean-François IMPINNA, a French ex-international rugby player.
The United Kingdom has recently followed suit and taken up the game with the United Kingdom Peteca Association (UKPA) leading its development.
May 2006 sees the first International Peteca Tournament being hosted by the FFP in Sannois, Paris. Teams from Brazil, France and the United Kingdom will be competing..
[edit] Famous players
Brasil
Tiago VELASCO
France
Jeff IMPINNA ( SANNOIS )
Vincent VANNOSTAL ( SANNOIS )
Yannis KOKOTAKIS ( SANNOIS )
Stéphane MANKA ( SANNOIS )
Benoît PERTUC ( SANNOIS )
Thomas DERRIEN ( SANNOIS )
Caroline MARTIN ( LAXOU )
Marie - France THYRARD ( LAXOU )
Laura BUREAU ( SANNOIS )
Clémence LAPERCHE ( SANNOIS )
Elodie LAUDREN ( SANNOIS )
Alix LEBLANC ( SANNOIS )
Kathleen VENTURA ( SANNOIS )
United Kingdom
Peter CHEEK (GREENWICH)
Nick TRUMBLE (GREENWICH)
Daniel OUSDINE (GREENWICH)
Joseph LUDKIN (GREENWICH)
Chris WALL (GREENWICH)
Matt HARFIELD (GREENWICH)
Luis OLMOS (GREENWICH)
Isaac LOFTUS-CHEEK (GREENWICH Juniors)
Tom CHAPMAN (GREENWICH Juniors)
