COMPLETE OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL SEPAK TAKRAW RULES

(Rewritten to be clearer, using consistent terminology and more grammatically correct than original version)

1. THE COURT 1.1. The Court The court is an area of 13.4 m X 6.1 m, or 44 ft X 20 ft, free from all obstacles up to the height of 8 m, or 26.25 ft, measured from the floor surface, and free of all obstacles on the floor or ground up to a distance of at least 3.0 m, or about 10 feet, from the edges of the court all the way around. 1.2. Sidelines & Baselines The width of the sidelines (two sides) and baselines (two back ends) bounding the court should not be more than 0.04 m, or 1 inches, measured and drawn inward from the outer edge of the court measurements. 1.3. The Center Line A Center Line of 0.02 m, or inch, should be drawn across the centre of the court, from side to side, to divide the court into two equal halves. 1.4. The Quarter Circle At the front corners of each half of the court, at the center line, a Quarter Circle shall be drawn from the sideline to the center line with a radius of 0.9 m, or 3 ft, measured and drawn outward from the outer edge of the radius. 1.5. The Service Circle A Service Circle of 0.3 m, or 1 ft, radius shall be drawn on each half of the court, the center of which is 2.45 m, or 8 ft, in from the baseline of the court and 3.05 m, or 10 ft, in from the sidelines. The 0.04 m, or 1 -inch, line shall be measured and drawn outward from the outer edge of the radius.

3.2. The net shall be 0.7m, or 2 ft 4 inches, in height (top to bottom) and not shorter than 6.10 m, or 20 ft, in width (side to side). 3.3. The net shall be edged on both sides along the sideline edges from top to bottom with 0.05 m, or 2-inch, tape, and shall be called Boundary Tape. 3.4. The net shall also be edged with at least 0.05 m, or 2-inch, tape on both sides along the top and bottom, and shall be supported by a fine ordinary cord or nylon cord that runs through the tape and is tightened at the posts. 3.5. The top of the net shall be 1.52 m, or 5 ft, in height from the floor at center court for men (1.42 m, or 4 ft 8 inches, for women) and 1.55 m, or 5 ft 1 inch, at the posts for men (1.45 m, or 4 ft 9 inches, for women).

4. THE SEPAK TAKRAW BALL 4.1. The Sepak Takraw ball shall be spherical, made up of one woven layer of synthetic fiber, or any other ISTAF approved materials, having 12 holes and 20 intersections. 4.2. For men, the ball circumference shall not be less than 41 cm, or 16.14 in., and not more than 43 cm, or 16.93 in. For women, the ball circumference shall not be less than 42 cm, or 16.54 in., and not more than 44 cm, or 17.32 in. 4.3. For men, the weight of the ball before play shall not be less than 170 g, or 6 oz., and not more than 180 g, or 6.35 oz. For women, the ball weight before play shall not be less than 150 g, or 5.3 oz., and not more than 160 g, or 5.6 oz. 4.4. The ball can be a plain singular color, multi-colored, or made of luminous colors, but not of any color that will impair the performance of the players. 4.5. All world, international, or regional competitions sanctioned by ISTAF, including but not limited to, the Olympic Games, World Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and South East Asian Games must be played with ISTAF approved Sepak Takraw balls.

2. THE POSTS 2.1. The posts shall be 1.55 m, or 5 ft 1 inch (1.45 m, or 4 ft 9 inches, for women) in height from the floor and shall be sufficiently firm to maintain high net tension. They should be made from strong materials and shall not be more 0.04 m, or 1 inches, in radius. 2.2. Position of Posts The posts shall be erected or placed firmly 0.3 m, or 1 ft, outside the sideline boundary and directly in line with the center line.

3. THE NET 3.1. The net shall be made of fine ordinary cord or nylon with 0.06 m to 0.08 m, or 2 to 3-inch, mesh. 5. THE PLAYERS

5.1. A match is played by two Regus, each consisting of three players. 5.2. One of the three players shall be near the back of the court and he/she is called a Tekong (Server). 5.3. The other two players shall be in front, closer to the net, one on the left side of the Tekong and the other on the right side. The player on the left is called a Left Forward and the player on the right is called a Right Forward. 5.4. Regu Event 5.4.1. Each Regu shall consist of a minimum of 3 players and a maximum of 5 players (which is 1 Regu of 3 players plus 2 Reserve Players that may be substituted in if necessary), all of whom must be registered prior to a Regu Event Match. 5.4.2. Prior to the commencement of a Regu Event Match, each Regu must have a minimum of 3 registered players present on the playing court. 5.4.3. Any Regu having less than 3 players will not be allowed to play the Match and will be considered as having lost the Match in two straight Sets, with each sets score being 0-21. 5.5. Team Event 5.5.1. Each Team shall consist of a minimum of 9 players (3 Regus of 3 players per Regu) and a maximum of 15 players, which allows for 2 Reserve Players per Regu to be included, BUT ONLY 12 PLAYERS MAY BE REGISTERED PRIOR TO A TEAM EVENT GAME (in other words, a coach must decide which of the two reserve players on each Regu would be most ready to be substituted in if necessary). 5.5.2. Prior to the commencement of a Team Event Game, each Team must have a minimum of 9 registered players present on the playing court. 5.5.3. Any Team having less than 9 players will not be allowed to play the Game and will be considered as having lost in two straight matches, and each match being recorded as lost in two straight sets with each sets score being recorded as 0-21.

both regus/teams arrive at a match/game dressed in jerseys of the same color, the home regu/team must change. On a neutral site, the regu/team listed first on the match/game program shall change. 6.4. A players attire shall consist of jerseys/T-shirts, shorts, socks and sports shoes with rubber souls without heels. The entire apparel of a player is regarded as part of his/her body, so to avoid Net Fouls, if jerseys or Tshirts are baggy or loose, and not snug-fitting, it is RECOMMENDED that they be tucked into the shorts. In case of cold weather, players are permitted to wear tracksuits. Optional attire may also include a cloth head band or bandana. 6.5. All jerseys/T-shirts are to be numbered at the back. A player must be assigned with one permanent number throughout a tournament. Each participating Regu or Team is allowed to use only numbers 1 to 15. The size of the number shall not be less than 19 cm, or 7 inches, in height. 6.6. The Captain of each Regu shall wear an armband of a different color from the Jersey/T-shirt on the left arm. 6.7. Any other apparel not specifically mentioned in these rules must first receive approval of the ISTAF Technical Commission before use.

7. SUBSTITUTION 7.1. There shall be no repeat of the same player in any Team Event competition involving more than one regu. 7.2. Substitution of a player is allowed at any time on request made by the Team Manager or Coach to the Official Referee when the ball is not in play. 7.3. Each Regu may nominate none to maximum of two reserve players, BUT CAN MAKE ONLY ONE SUBSTITUTION IN A MATCH. 7.4. Each Regu will be allowed to make a substitution for an injured player on the court provided a substitution had not been made earlier in the match. If substitution had already been made, the Regu will not be allowed to continue and will be considered as having lost the match, and the injured Regus last recorded points being their final score while the winning Regu automatically records a score of 21 (first two sets) or 17 (tie break set). 7.5. The only time that two players will be allowed to continue a match is if, after a Regu has already made a substitution, one of the 3 players on the court gets sent off by the Referee with a Red Card.

6. PLAYERS ATTIRE 6.1. All equipment used by players must be appropriate for Sepak Takraw. Safety and fairness are the priorities. Any equipment that increases or reduces the speed of the ball or increases the height of the player so as to give an unfair advantage and/or endanger the safety of himself/herself or other players shall not be allowed. 6.2. To avoid unnecessary conflicts or confusion, two opposing Regus or Teams must wear different color jerseys. 6.3. Regus/Teams must have a minimum of two sets of Jerseys/T-shirts, one light and the other dark in color. If

8. THE COIN TOSS AND WARM-UP 8.1. Before commencing the game, the Court Referee will toss a coin or disc in front of the captains and the regu winning the toss shall have the option of Choosing

Service or Choosing Side. The regu that loses the toss will abide by the decision. 8.2. The regu being awarded with the Service shall warm-up first for 2 minutes followed by the other regu. Only 5 persons are allowed to move freely on the court during the warm up.

11.1. The Serving Side During Service 11.1.1. The Forward player who is making service throws, plays around with the ball (throwing the ball up, bumping it, giving it to the other Forward player, etc.) after the score has been announced by the Referee. 11.1.2. The Forward player lifts his/her feet or steps on/over the line or touches/crosses over the net while throwing the ball to the Tekong during the serve.

9. POSITION OF PLAYERS DURING SERVICE 9.1. At the start of play, the players of both regus must be in their respective courts in a ready position. 9.2. The Tekong shall be standing with one of his/her feet inside the serving circle. 9.3. Both of the Forward players of the serving side must be standing in their respective quarter circles. 9.4. The opponent or receiving regu is free to be anywhere within its court. 11.1.3. The Tekongs support foot leaves the ground or steps on/over the serving circle before the kicking foot contacts the ball during the serve. 11.1.4. The Tekong does not KICK the ball on the service throw. 11.1.5. The ball touches the Tekongs own player before crossing over to the opponents court. 11.1.6. The ball goes over the net but falls outside the court. 11.1.7. The ball does not cross over the net to the opponents side. 10. THE START OF PLAY AND SERVICE 10.1. The Regu that serves first (according to the toss decision) shall start the first set. The side that wins the first set shall begin serving in the second set. 10.2. The throw or pitch of the Takraw ball from Forward player to the Tekong must be executed as soon as the Referee calls the score. If a Forward player throws the ball to the Tekong to serve before the Referee calls the score, it must be re-thrown and a warning will be given to the Regu. A repetition of this act will be considered a Fault. 10.3. During the service, as soon as the Tekong kicks the ball, all players are allowed to move around freely in their respective courts. 10.4. The service is valid if the ball passes over the net, whether it touches the net or not, and inside the boundary of the two net tapes and boundary lines of the opponents court as long as even the shadow of the ball (very outer edge) is directly over the boundary line or tape, it is considered in bounds. 10.5. In a Team Event Game during a Knock-out Style Tournament, if a winner is already decided at the end of the first two Matches, the losing Regu is not obligated to play a third Match with their third Regu. 10.6. In a Team Event Game during a Round Robin Style Tournament or League Schedule, if a winner is already decided at the end of the first two Matches, the losing Regu is MUST PLAY a third Match with their third Regu. Teams without a third Regu will be considered to have lost the third Match by default in two straight sets, 0-21 and 0-21. 11.1.8. A Tekong uses his/her hand(s) or arm(s) to facilitate the execution of a kick, even if the hand(s) or arm(s) do not touch the ball but touch other objects or surfaces. 11.1.9. For the second time during the same Match, the Forward player of the Serving Regu throws the ball to his/her Tekong to execute the serve before the Referee announces the score. 11.2. Serving and Receiving Side During Service 11.2.1. Creating distracting mannerisms or noise or shouting at their opponents. 11.3. For Both Sides During The Game 11.3.1. Stepping ON the Centre Line (under the net, that divides the two courts in half), except during a follow through after an execution of a spike or a block. 11.3.2. Any player who touches the ball on the opponents side. 11.3.3. Any part of player's body CROSSES OVER into opponent's court, whether above or under the net, except during the follow-through after striking the ball from ones own side. 11.3.4. Contacting the ball more than 3 times in succession. 11.3.5. The ball touches the arm or hand (except for during the service throw). 11.3.6. the ball STOPS or STALLS on any part of a players body. 11.3.7. Any part of a players body or a player's attire, e.g. shoes, jersey, head band etc., touches the net, post,

11. FAULTS

Referees chair, or any object outside the court, or falls onto the opponent's side. 11.3.8. The ball touches the floor, wall, ceiling or any objects outside the court during play. 11.3.9. Any player who uses the aid of any external object or aid as a form of support to facilitate the execution of a kick. 11.3.10. The ball does not cross over the net to the opponents side within 3 hits during play. 11.3.11. The ball goes over the net within 3 hits but falls outside the opponents court during play. 11.3.12. Any player who intentionally delays the game unnecessarily.

14. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF PLAY 14.1. The Referee can suspend play temporarily in the event of obstructions, disturbances or any injury to a player who needs immediate treatment, for not more than 5 minutes for each Regu in a Match. 14.2. An injured player is allowed up to 5 minutes of Injury Time-out. If after 5 minutes, the player is unable to continue, a substitution must be made. If the injured player's Regu has already made a substitution, the match will be declared a forfeit in favor of the opposing Regu, and the injured Regus last recorded points being their final score while the winning Regu automatically records a score of 21 (first two sets) or 17 (tie break set). 14.3. In the event of obstructions, disturbances or any other matters, only the Official Referee can suspend play upon concurrence with the Tournament Committee. 14.4. In the course of such suspension of play, all players are not allowed to leave the court to receive drinks or any other form of assistance.

12. SCORING SYSTEM 12.1. When either serving side or receiving side commits a fault, a point and the next service is awarded to the opposing side. 12.2. The winning point for a set is 21 points, unless the points are tied at 20-20, then the set shall be decided on a difference of two points, up to a ceiling of 25 points. When the score is tied at 20-20, the Referee announces Setting up to 25 points. 12.3. A Match is played in two OR three sets with a 2minute rest in between each set. 12.4. If each regu wins one set of the first two sets, the match shall be decided by a third set called a "Tiebreak" with the winning points being 15 points, unless the points are tied at 14-14, then the Tiebreak Set shall be decided on a difference of two points, up to a ceiling of 17 points. When the score is tied at 14-14, the Referee announces Setting up to 17 points. 12.5. Before a Tiebreak Set takes place, the Referee shall toss a disc or coin, and the Regu winning the toss shall serve first. The change of sides takes place when one regu reaches 8 points.

15. DISCIPLINE 15.1. Every player must abide by the rules of the game. 15.2. Only the Captain of a Regu is allowed to approach the Referee during a match, when the ball is not in play, for matters either relating to the position or condition of the player in the Regu, or to ask for a reasonable explanation of a decision made by the Referee concerning the match, for which the Referee must accede to the request made by the Captain. 15.3. However, Coaches, Team Managers, Players and/or Team Officials are not allowed to dispute the Referees decision during the match or to act in any way that will jeopardize the continuity of the match, for which such act shall be regarded as a serious Disciplinary Offence.

16. PENALTY Fouls and misconduct are penalized as follows: 16.1. Cautionable Offences A player is shown the Yellow Card and Cautioned if he/she commits any of the following six offences: 16.1.1. Is guilty of unsporting behavior, whereby the display of such behavior can be reasonably regarded as either a mitigated or unmitigated violation of the norms of sporting ethics and can be considered as having, or will have, a detrimental effect on the proper conduct of the Match as a whole; 16.1.2. Shows dissent by word or action; 16.1.3. Persistently infringes the Laws of the Game; 16.1.4. Delays the restart of play;

13. TIME-OUT 13.1. An automatic 1-minute Time-out will be given to each Regu in the first two sets when one Regu reaches 11 points. During the Tiebreak Set an automatic 1-minute Time-out will be given to each Regu when one Regu reaches 8 points. During the time-out, players must go outside the court, behind the baseline. Only 5 persons are allowed behind the base line during a time-out. 13.2. The 5 persons should consist of the 3 players who were just playing the game and two other persons, such as coach and manager, who are dressed differently than the players.

16.1.5. Enters or re-enters the court without the referee's permission (except during regular play); 16.1.6. Deliberately leaves the court without the referee's permission (except during regular play). 16.2. Sending-off Offences A player is shown the Red Card and Sent Off (immediately sent out of the Match) if he/she commits any of the following five offences: 16.2.1. Is guilty of serious foul play;

other person, for which a Red Card is given for each offence committed is disciplined as follows: 16.4.1. Offence: Red Card Penalty: Sent OUT of the Match and immediate suspension from playing in any tournament sanctioned by the relevant Sepak Takraw controlling authority until a Disciplinary Committee has convened to reach a final decision on the matter.

17. MISCONDUCT OF TEAM OFFICIALS 16.2.2. Is guilty of violent conduct, including an act executed with deliberate intent to cause injury to his/her opponent; 16.2.3. Spits at an opponent or any other person; 16.2.4. Uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures; 16.2.5. Receives a second caution (Yellow Card) in the same match. 16.3. Any player who commits a Cautionable Offence, either on or off the court, whether directed towards an opponent, team-mate, Referee, Assistant Referee, or any other person, for which a Yellow Card is given for each offence committed is disciplined as follows: 16.3.1. Offence: FIRST Penalty: Normal Caution Yellow Card 17.1. Disciplinary action will be taken against Team Officials or his/her regu/team for any misconduct or disturbances committed by the official or regu/team during a tournament, whether in or outside the court. 17.2. Any Team Official who commits misconduct or disturbances will be immediately escorted out of the arena by the tournament officials and the Official Referee and will also be immediately suspended from being a Team Official by the relevant Sepak Takraw controlling authority, until a Disciplinary Committee has convened to reach a final decision on the matter.

18. GENERAL 18.1. In the event of any question or any matter arising out of any point, which is not expressly provided for in any of the rules of the game, the decision of the Official Referee shall be final. CURRENT RULES WITH AMENDMENTS APPROVED BY ISTAF IN BANGKOK, THAILAND, JULY 2, 2007

16.3.2. Offence: The same player receives a SECOND Yellow Card in different Matches but in the same tournament. Penalty: One Match Suspension. 16.3.3. Offence: The same player receives a THIRD Yellow Card, after a Match suspension has been served for the first two Yellow Cards received, in the same tournament. Penalty: Two-match Suspension, plus a US $100 Fine that must be paid by the club or any other body the player represents in the competition. 16.3.4. Offence: The same player receives a FOURTH Yellow Card, after having served a two-match suspension for the earlier third Yellow Card, in the same tournament. Penalty: Immediate suspension from playing in the next and all subsequent matches in any tournament sanctioned by the relevant Sepak Takraw controlling authority until a Disciplinary Committee has convened to reach a final decision on the matter. 16.3.5. Offence: The same player receives TWO Yellow Cards WITHIN THE SAME MATCH. Penalty: Two-match Suspension, plus a US $100 Fine that must be paid by the club or any other body the player represents in the competition. A Red Card will be given for a third disciplinary offence committed in any other subsequent match in the same tournament. 16.4. A player who commits a Sending-off Offence, either on or off the court, whether directed towards an opponent, team-mate, Referee, Assistant Referee, or any

Sepak Takraw Glossary

There's a whole bundle of words out there that you won't understand if you're new to that game or sport, if you want :) The pages on my site are written in such way, as I suppose you know what they mean. If you don't, here are some specific words together with the explaination of what they mean. ASTAF: The acronym for the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation Block: Blocking is a defensive skill used to counter a spike coming from close to the net. A block is usually made by jumping in the air and raising a leg and/or back to divert the ball back into the opponent's court. A block counts as one contact. Centre Line: Divides the length of the playing court into two equal halves. Dig: The act of fielding hard-hit ball successfully, usually a spike or block, to regain

control. Eg: The dig by Thailand came at a crucial point in the game. Dink: A soft hit ball, usually either a "dink serve" or a "dink spike". Fault: A violation of one of the rules of the game. Feeder: Person who "sets" the ball to the "spiker". First Ball: Term used to describe receiving the service by the opposing team. Formations: Order of play is decided by the toss of a coin. The ceremony involves thereferee and the two team captains. The winning captain chooses either the right to serve first, or the choice of court ("Serve or Side"). ISTAF: The acronym for the International Sepaktakraw Federation Killer: A common usage to describe the Spiker or a successful spike ball. Quarter Circle: Place on court where the serving team's forwards (left and right inside players) should remain during the service until the ball has been kicked by the Server. Regu: A Malaysian word meaning a team. A team comprises four players (three starters and one reserve) is known as a Regu, and a squad of three Regus is known as a Team. Roll Spike: A spike in which the player jumps with his back to the net, rotates in the air and kicks the ball over the opposite shoulder from the kicking foot with a flip like motion. The most dramatic and popular move in the game. Sepaktakraw: The name of the game from the words Sepak, a term used in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia which translates into "kick", and Takraw, a term used in Thailand which means "woven ball". Service Over: When the serving team fails to return the ball over the net or commits a fault. The opposing team becomes the serving team but a point is not awarded. Serving Circle: A circle located in both halves of the court where the Server is required to be positioned during the service. Set: A period of play which is concluded when one team reaches 15 points. A match consists of the best of three sets. The third set is played in a six-point tiebreak. Set or Setting: A high pass by one player to a teammate or to self to enable a spike on the next move. Service: The act of putting the ball into play by the Server. Service Toss: A hand throw of the ball by one of the forwards to the Server. Spike: A powerfully hit shot directed into the opponent's court using either the foot or head. Sunback Spike: A spike in which the player jumps with his back to the net and kicks the ball over the same shoulder as the kicking foot. In soccer this is known as a "bicycle kick". Takraw Ball: Traditionally, the ball is made by weaving bamboo or rattan into a spherical shape. In 1982, Marathon Intertrade Co., Ltd. revolutionisedthe sport by introducing woven synthetic (plastic) balls. Today, almost all players around the world are using synthetic takraw balls.

To Begin Play: The game is initiated when one of the forwards tosses the ball to the back player - the "Server" who must keep one foot inside the the serving circle and the other foot outside. The ball must be kicked with the foot outside the circle in one attempt over the net. Note: A ball hitting the net on the serve is "good".