Sepak Takraw is a well known, well played and always popular game. It has been around for decades and in the West, is especially popular in America, and also in the Caribbean. The rules of Sepak Takraw are simple, but there is a certain amount of strategy that goes into playing the game.
The rules of play of Sepak Takraw can be described as four cups of 30 balls each. This is quite a standard set up but there are no specific rules regarding the ordering or positioning of the balls.
A player is either out of the game (no points scored), in the game but not out of bounds (two points scored) or in bounds and must stay within the specified number of balls on the court. If a player stays within the specified number of balls, they win. If they go over the specified number of balls, they lose points. The match is won by whichever team wins at least two matches, three matches or four matches. There are no time limits.
The rule of thumb when it comes to scoring is the player with the most points wins. If two players are tied for second place then the player with the most points wins. The first tie-breaker is head to head.
There are seven points in every game. These points are called out, not scored. If you hit a point your opponent will be credited with one point for that game. The other player will get a point for every four balls you hit in this round.
The five cups are referred to as the baseline. These cups are numbered one through five. Once you have reached the fifth cup your opponent will drop out of the game. Once the game has started you may alternate players. Play continues until there are five players left in the tournament.
When the last person plays their last round, the time for the next game will begin. Each player is given five minutes to play. After the allotted time you will alternate who is going to serve first then you will switch roles. The last person playing should serve from the cups that have been served before them.
When it is your turn to serve, you must first find the cup from which the ball is drawn. Then, place your ball onto the server’s cup and then you must hope that the other player will put the ball into the cup from their side.
If they do this successfully you win the game. If they do not then you need to find another player to serve from the remaining cups. Each player earns a point when a player successfully serves from two cups.
Once the game is over you will have a short time to play one more game. If you want to continue the competition you must stop playing after your last round. Otherwise the game will be continued on a best three rounds tie break basis. The first round usually ties the first place winner. The second round ties the second and third place winner.
Once the last round is complete, the players will reveal who has won the game. Each player receives a trophy as well as their points. The player with the most accumulated points wins. If your opponent stops playing in the last round, you still have a chance to play a one more game. However, you lose your chance to earn any additional points for that game.
In general the scoring of the game takes into account how many cups each player has played. However, each player may only receive a certain amount of bonus points for their first and second game. For example, the player with the most first and second place bonus points after playing all three games receives a double-triple bonus for their next game.
The winner of the game is the player with the most prize money at the end of the game. Whoever ends the game first is deemed the winner. If there is a tie between two players, then the remaining tied players will play an overtime game.
This overtime game is subject to the Sepak Takraw rules and scoring system. If a player wins a game and receives an extra prize in this manner, they must stop playing that round and all subsequent matches they enter are null and void.
In order to win the game you must accumulate more points than your opponents. Points are earned by completing the course or tracks in the game and also by striking other players while they are standing on the course.
A player who lands on an opponent’s track without hitting them needs to be penalized according to the Sepak Takraw rules. Points can be earned by striking other players and then removing them from the course.