Sipa
Encyclopedia
Sipa is the Philippines
' traditional native sport
which predates Spanish rule. The game is related to Sepak Takraw
. Similar games include Footbag net
, Footvolley
, Bossaball
and Jianzi
.
The game is both played by two teams, indoors or outdoors, on a court that is about the size of a tennis court. The teams consist of one, two or four players in each side. The aim of the game is to kick a soft ball
made out of rattan
fragments, back and forth over a net
in the middle of the court. The sport requires speed
, agility
and ball control.
balls.
Originally, the rattan Sipa ball was 10 centimeters in diameter and made of woven rattan strips with symmetrical holes. The most defining feature of the game of Sipa is that the ball should only be touched with the legs anywhere from below the knee to the tip of the toes. The rattan ball can touch the ground.
There is also a court version in which a rectangle is marked in grids. Grids denote zones, and dictate where players stand, and how points are allotted based on where the ball lands in the court.
This game requires much coordination.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
' traditional native sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
which predates Spanish rule. The game is related to Sepak Takraw
Sepak Takraw
Sepak takraw , or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula...
. Similar games include Footbag net
Footbag net
Footbag net is a sport in which players kick a footbag over a five-foot-high net. Players may use only the feet. Any contact knee or above is a foul. The game is played individually and as doubles....
, Footvolley
Footvolley
Footvolley is a sport which combines aspects of beach volleyball and football .-History:Footvolley was created in Brazil, by Octavio de Moraes, in 1965 in Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach as a means for football players to be able to touch the ball without violating the formal football ban at the...
, Bossaball
Bossaball
Bossaball is a sport invented in Spain by Filip Eyckmans who developed the concept between 2003 and 2005. It is similar to volleyball, but also includes elements of football , gymnastics and capoeira...
and Jianzi
Jianzi
Jiànzi , ti jian zi , ti jian or jiànqiú is a traditional Asian game in which players aim to keep a heavily weighted shuttlecock in the air using their feet and other parts of the body...
.
The game is both played by two teams, indoors or outdoors, on a court that is about the size of a tennis court. The teams consist of one, two or four players in each side. The aim of the game is to kick a soft ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
made out of rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
fragments, back and forth over a net
Net (device)
A net, in its primary meaning, comprises fibers woven in a grid-like structure, and is very infrequently mentioned in discussions of philosophy. It blocks the passage of large items, while letting small items and fluids pass...
in the middle of the court. The sport requires speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
, agility
Agility
* Agility is a physical trait of an animal or person, and a component of physical fitness. It is the ability to change the body's position and direction with speed and precision.Agility may also refer to:In Sport:...
and ball control.
Washer version
One version of Sipa uses a metal washer covered with cloth, which gets kicked. This version is played by both girls and boys, but girls tend to use the outside of their foot to manipulate the washer, while boys more often use the inside of the foot. Points are scored based on the number of kicks without the ball touching the ground. If the ball touches the ground one point is awarded to the opposing team.Rattan ball version
This version uses a larger rattan woven ball with the same foot action. Sipa balls can be purchased online, which look like Hacky SackHacky Sack
thumb|right|200px|A Hacky SackHacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of footbag.-History:The name "hacky sack" came from the 1972 inventors of the Footbag, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall. Although Marshall suffered a fatal heart attack in 1975, Stalberger continued the business. At a...
balls.
Originally, the rattan Sipa ball was 10 centimeters in diameter and made of woven rattan strips with symmetrical holes. The most defining feature of the game of Sipa is that the ball should only be touched with the legs anywhere from below the knee to the tip of the toes. The rattan ball can touch the ground.
Simplified play (one on one, two on two, three on three, or four on four)
A set of rules determines penalty points (such as the ball bouncing twice on the ground). The two teams play against each other until a set number of penalty points is reached by one of the teams.There is also a court version in which a rectangle is marked in grids. Grids denote zones, and dictate where players stand, and how points are allotted based on where the ball lands in the court.
This game requires much coordination.