Korfball, invented in the early 1900s by an Amsterdam schoolmaster,
Nico Broekhuysen, is a game comparable to netball and basketball with one
major exception - the game is designed to be played by mixed teams. It
was designed by Nico Broekhuysen in this way because he wanted a game
which could be played by his schoolchildren where both boys and girls were
able to compete on an equal footing within the same game.
It
is the world's only true mixed team sport with the rules laid down so that
both men and women have equal opportunities.
It was first
demonstrated in Holland in 1902, just a few years after James Naismith
invented basketball in the USA. A national association was formed in Holland
in 1903 and soon the game spread to almost 40 other countries, including Armenia,
Australia, Belgium, Britain, Germany, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Spain,
Japan, Taiwan and USA. The Federation International de Korfball was formed in
1923 and this changed its name to the International Korfball Federation in
1978. The IKF is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and is a
member of ARISF and the IWGA. In the latter organisation, which organises the
World Games - for non-main Olympic Sports and held the year after each
Olympic year, Korfball is one of the more popular sports and has its
President as one the Senior Vice-President of the IWGA.
Korfball is played by two teams of 8 (4 men, 4 women) on a
rectangular pitch 40 m by 20 m (although smaller sizes have to be used
in Britain where most Sports Halls tend to be based on Badminton Courts). The
pitch is divided into two halves so that each end is square. At either
end, at one third of the length of the square measured from the back line, is
a goalpost supporting a cylindrical basket open at both ends with the rim
of the basket 3.5 m (11.5ft) from the ground, 1.5ft higher than a netball
post. There is no backboard. The ball is similar to a soccer ball,
although the weights allowed are towards the top end of the weights for a
soccer ball. The two zones, defence and attack, are occupied by two men
and two women from each team.
Action consists almost
entirely of passing the ball by hand from person to person. Passing
and movement form the basis of the game with attackers using changes of speed
and direction, combined with team tactics, to try to lose their defenders in
order to create a shooting chance. This is not easy because an attacker is
not allowed to shoot if the defender is within arms' length and nearer to the
post. Any player in the attack zone may score. Kicking, punching and
running with the ball are forbidden and no body contact is permitted. Players
may only mark a player of the same sex. Apart from playing within one
half of the field there are no set positions and players need to have all
round skills since whenever two goals are scored in the match the players
change zones (ie those who were attacking now become defenders and
vice versa).
