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Links 🔗
International Korfball Federation
2019 England Korfball League Finals – Skip to 26 min mark for the actual game.
Ninh Explains Youtube Video on Korfball Rules
So far in Pub Convos, I have talked about sports that I often watch or at least pay attention to. This week I think it's time for me to write about a sport I play, and I can tell you not a lot of people pay attention to it or even know what it is. Hence this week on Pub Convos, we will introduce the wonderful and inclusive Dutch sport called Korfball.
What is Korfball?
Korfball is a fast-paced mixed gender sport where the aim of the game is to score by shooting a ball into the Korf (Dutch for basket). Each team consists of 8 members, 4 male and 4 females. They are then split into defence and offence with each side having 2 males and 2 females each. The Korf is 3.5 meters off the ground and the standard dimension for a pitch is 20m x 40m. Although most places will not have purpose-built courts so any good old rectangular field or court about that size will do for recreational purposes. Importantly, the basket does not have a backboard similar to Netball.
Rules
The rules are actually very simple and could be seen as a cross between netball and basketball. apart from one peculiar, defended rule which we will talk about later. You are not allowed to dribble or run with the ball. If you have the ball, you can either pass it or shoot it. You are only allowed to mark players of the same gender and are not allowed to just snatch the ball away from their hands like in basketball. When a defensive player is within arm’s length of you and is actively raising their hands to stop you from shooting, an offensive player is not allowed to shoot the ball. Shooting the ball will be called as a defended shot and the ball is turned over to the other team. So now you are going to ask me, how am I supposed to score if I can’t shoot every time there is someone defending me? That is the challenge of the game where players need to outmanoeuvre their opponents and get into favourable positions. It is a game of speed, agility, and balance.
History:
Korfball was invented by P.E teacher Nicolaas Broekhuijsen in 1902 for his students. Korfball as a sport was first rejected due to the mixing of genders however it became a demonstration sport in the Summer Olympics of 1920(Antwerp) and 1928(Amsterdam). The sport is now played in more than 50 countries and has been a regular sport in the World Games since 1985. Some of the best teams in the world include Netherlands, Belgium and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan).
Korfball is an amazing sport where all genders and all skill levels are welcomed. It is a fun community which does not shy away from competitiveness. If you have not heard about it before and want to learn more about it click on the links at the top of this article to find out more. If you think you might like the sport, have a search for your local korfball club and just turn up for some Korfmazing fun.
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