Frisian handball

From Freepedia

Image:Kaatsen.jpg Frisian handball (Dutch: kaatsen, Frisian: Keatsen) is a traditional Dutch/Frisian sport, related to American handball and fives, that is most commonly practiced by people from the northern province of Fryslân/Friesland. It is believed to be one of the oldest ballgames. The score is similar to tennis. The first team scoring six games, wins the match.

The major Frisian handball tournament, called the P.C. (short for Permanent Comity), is the oldest regulated sports tournament in the world. The P.C. is yearly held in de township Franeker since 1854.

Frisian handball is played on a square lawn of 61m by 32m by two teams of 3 players. In the center of one short side of the field is a receiving zone of 5m by 19m defended by 2 players, the other team member remaining field player. One of the opponents is serving the hard leather ball with his bare hand from a serving box at about 30 meters from the receiving zone. If he does not succeed to reach the receiving zone, the receiving team gets a direct score. The receiving team, of which the players are allowed to wear a single hardened leather glove, returns the ball over the short line behind the serving box (called the upper line, in Frisian boppe) they also get a direct score. Of course the serving team is allowed to prevent this happening by hitting or holding the ball before the upper line. The place where the ball is remaining after such a rally is marked with a small woodblock called a kaats, which is best defined as an undecided score. When two such undecided points occur (or one, if one of the teams is on game point) the teams change places. In the next rally the team that then has the receiving position, tries to hit the ball passed the first kaats and, if any, in the next rally passed the second kaats, so deciding the undecided points. Then they start all over again.

In parts of Belgium a similar game is played, there called Jeu de Pelote. This game is played by teams of 5 players on a trapezium shaped field, mostly located on marketplaces.