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Swanky sport complexes with Astroturf, shooting range soon

VADODARA: Soon, the city will get swanky sports complexes with state-of-the-art facilities as construction of two sports complexes is expected to begin in March. One of these complexes, the only infrastructure project other than basic amenities in corporation budget this year, will also house a hockey Astroturf the second in the state after Gandhinagar.

So, in the next few months when a mall-like building comes up on New Sama Road, do not mistake it to be one by the facade. The building will in fact one of the two, the indoor sports complex planned there.

Coming up on 3.33 lakh square feet area, the building will have facilities for holding national and international level events for sports like table tennis, badminton and a swimming pool. VMC will be constructing the indoor stadium at a cost of Rs 43 crore. The state government has financed the project from Gujarat Municipal Finance Board.

For hockey players and those working for its revival, the planned Astroturf at the outdoor stadium at Manjalpur has brought great cheer. Coming up at a cost of Rs 25 crore, after construction it will be only the second Astroturf in the state after Gandhinagar. Most national and international tournaments these days are held on Astroturf and not having them has emerged as a major handicap for several states.

"We would be delighted to have the facility. It will be great news for all hockey enthusiasts in the city," said Baroda District Hockey Association (BDHA) president Nilesh Patel. The outdoor stadium will also house a state-of-art shooting range.

"We expect to begin work on the project from March this year. Tenders for construction of both the indoor and outdoor sports complex have been invited. Once the process is over and the standing committee clears them, work can begin," said VMC executive engineer Alpesh Majmudar, who is taking care of the project.

Vadodara mayor Balkrishna Shukla said that the civic body had set itself the target of completing both the sports complexes by May 2011 in the golden jubilee year of Gujarat's statehood. "Finances are not a problem as the state government is supporting us. The complexes are the first step in the direction of nurturing national and international level sports talents from the state," he said.

Basketball Fouls

Fouls
A foul is any illegal contact (that is not allowed in the basketball rules) towards either a defensive or
offensive player. There are many consequences depending on the situation and other factors at the time of the foul. Firstly, this is a list of illegal physical contact that a player is not allowed to commit.
Hitting (of any kind, such as punching, kicking, elbowing, etc).
Holding or pushing
Slapping (that`s not slapping to the face otherwise they would be ejected out of the game or even suspended, it`s usually unintentionally like slapping of the arms)
Illegal pick/screen. When an offensive player touches a defensive player while moving to block his or hers path.
Consequences of Personal Fouls: Most the time the person who was fouled would shoot free throws but here's what really happens besides just that:
- A player who's in the act of shooting and gets fouled is awarded free throws but the number of free throws shots vary. If he shoots from behind the three point line then he's gets three free throws. If he doesn't shot from behind the three point line than he gets two free throws.
Also, if the shot goes in regardless of where the player shoots it and gets fouled in the act, then the shot is counted and he gets one attempt at the free throw line (which is also known as a "and one").
- A player who is fouled and is not in the act of shooting (which is considered a foul on the floor) is only awarded an inbound throw. But there is an exception.
If the other team as a whole commits more than 4 personal fouls in a quarter (this is considering we're talking about the NBA or FIBA) then a foul on the floor ends up in a different situation. The situation is called "One and One" which means the player shoots two free throws only if the first one is successful.
- In most leagues the basketball rules state that if a player gains more than 6 personal fouls in a game, they are not allowed to play.
Blocking- illegal contact when a defensive player who hasn't establish position (meaning he's not stationary) tries to prevent an opponent from driving to the basket.
Charging- an offensive foul when a player with possession of the ball runs over or into a defensive player (who's established position, meaning his feet are planted stationary). No free throws are awarded only a loss in possession for the offensive team.
Intentional Foul- When a player intentionally makes physical contact with another player. This is judged by an official. This type of foul is often used near the end of the game to avoid wasting time for the losing team to score.
Flagrant Foul- a strongly violent foul towards a player (whether it was intentional or not). This results in free throws and then the repossession of the ball for the offensive (the team who shot the free throws).
Technical Foul- this doesn't involve any physical contact and can be committed by a player or coach. This foul has more to do with manners of the game. This includes course language, unsportsmanlike actions or behavior, and or auguring.

Football Rules Explained

Although football can seem like a complicated game, the basic football rules are simple. If you have the ball, your team’s objective is to move the ball across the goal line. If the other team has the ball, your team’s objective is to stop them from making forward progress.

Football Rules That Define The Game
The goal in football is to advance the ball into the opponent’s end zone. The team in control of the ball is called the offense and the team trying to stop the offense is called the defense.

Football is played on a field that is 100 yards long. At each end of the field are10 yard long scoring areas called end zones. The football field is 160 feet wide and the lines that mark the edges are called sidelines.

Progress in football is measured in yards. The field is marked with stripes set at five-yard intervals. Shorter marks (called hash marks) are placed at one-yard intervals.

At the back of each end zone is a goal post that supports a crossbar. Attached to the crossbar are two uprights. Points can be scored by kicking the ball over the cross bar and between the uprights.

A football game is divided into four 15-minute quarters. The clock runs during plays but can be stopped for various reasons during the game. As a result, most football games last longer than the prescribed 60 minutes of play time.

Advancing The Ball
The offense has four attempts (called downs) to move the ball 10 yards down the field. If the offense is successful, they are awarded another set of four downs. If the offense fails to move the ball 10 yards in four downs, possession of the ball changes to the opposing team.

The ball is advanced by carrying it (called a running or rushing play) or throwing it to another player (called a pass play). A player may no longer advance if he runs out of bounds or is tackled (brought to the ground) by another player.

Scoring In Football
The football rules provide a number of ways to score, including:

* A touchdown (six points) — A touchdown is scored when a player with the ball crosses his opponent’s goal line—the line between the playing field and the opponent’s end zone.
* An extra point attempt (one or two points) — Once a touchdown has been made, the scoring team may add to their score by kicking an extra point attempt (kicking the ball through the uprights in the end zone) worth one point or by attempting a two-point conversion, which involves running or passing the ball across the opponent’s goal line using only one attempt.
* A field goal (three points) — A field goal is successfully completed when the ball is kicked through the opponent’s goal posts by the team in possession of the ball.
* A safety (two points) — A safety occurs when a player with the ball is tackled in his own end zone.

HOCKEY MADE SIMPLE

Field hockey is a game in which two teams attempt to score a goal by using sticks that are curved at one end. Each team is comprised of 11 players, usually 5 forwards, 3 halfbacks, 2 fullbacks, and 1 goalkeeper and 5 substitutes. A match between two teams consists of two halves, each 30-35 minutes in duration. At halftime the teams take a short break before changing direction and defending the opposite end. Field hockey is usually played outdoors on grass or an artificial turf field. The field is 100 yards long and between 55 and 60 yards wide.

Play begins from the center spot; a coin deciding which team has first hit. One player from the team that wins the toss starts the game by hitting the ball into play with a pass to a teammate. This procedure is repeated to reactivate the ball by the team scored against, when a goal is scored, and when play begins again after halftime. If there is a stop in action, the re-start is called a Bully. This is when the ball is placed on the ground between two players, one from each team. The players tap the ground with their sticks once, then tap their sticks together three times before going for the ball. The other players must be at least 5 yards from the ball during a Bully.

The ball is moved toward the goal by use of the stick, using only the flat left-hand side. Players make advances towards the opposition’s goal by either dribbling, pushing the ball along or by passing to a teammate. They will either take the ball on or pass to another teammate until they reach the striking circle. This is the zone in front of the goal that is a semicircle with a radius of 16 yards, affectionately nicknamed the “D”. All goals have to be scored from inside this space.

Goals are scored when the ball passes over the goal line between the two goal posts. These are centrally positioned on each end line. For the goal to count, however, the ball must either be struck by a player inside the striking circle or touch the stick of an attacking player, standing inside the striking circle, before crossing the line.

If play becomes too intense, fouls or infractions become more common. The infraction that is made most often is obstruction. This is called when a player deliberately blocks an opposing player from reaching a ball while not trying to play it themselves. No player, except for the goalkeeper, is allowed to touch the ball with any part of their bodies during play. Hitting the ball with anything other than the flat side of the stick is also considered an infraction. Last but certainly not least is dangerous play. This is not specifically defined, but is based on the judgment of the officials. It is usually called when the ball comes above the knees of nearby players or when a high ball goes into a crowd of players. A foul is also committed if the stick is used in a dangerous manner. Officials may award a free hit, a penalty corner, or a penalty stroke to the offended team. A free hit means that the offended player gets possession of the ball with defenders at least five yards away. This is awarded for any minor fouls occurring outside the circle.

In a penalty corner, the ball is placed on the goal line at least 10 yards from the nearest goal post. One attacking player hits the ball to a teammate just outside the striking circle line. No shot on goal may be taken until the ball is stopped outside the circle. All attackers must be outside the circle before the shot is taken. On defense, a maximum of five defenders may be behind the goal line while the remaining defenders must be positioned beyond the centerline. Penalty corners are awarded for any infraction within the striking circle or when a defender intentionally sends the ball into touch beyond the goal line.

A penalty stroke is one-on-one between an offensive player seven yards in front of the goal vs. a goalkeeper on the goal line. All other players must stand behind the 25-yard line. The goalkeeper must stand with both feet on the goal line and may not move either foot until the ball has been played. A penalty stroke is awarded when an infraction by a defender prevents what would have been a certain goal, or for an intentional foul by a defender within the striking circle.

Because this game is more a defensive game than an offensive game goals tend to be infrequent. Rules regarding overtime vary depending on the leagues.

Cricket Score Can Tell Everything About A Match

Cricket fanatic are always eager to know the scores. It brings them happiness and joy in watching a live cricket match. Watching cricket is like a passion for all the crazy lovers of cricket. The fans are full of zeal and excitement when a match is played. They involve themselves entirely and become emotionally attached to the match. All fans want is that their favorite teams must win the match

Cricket fever can be found everywhere. Cricket is an exciting game, it is watched with enthusiasm. Cricket lovers want to know about each and every aspect of the live match. Watching a live cricket match is most exciting moment for a fan. You will find something missing if you miss a. match. It’s not possible for every fan to a catch a live match in the green cricket ground. In such situation, they opt for a TV or internet to know the online cricket score. One of the easy means to get all the information about cricket score is internet and newspaper.

Cricket fans can also tune in to news channel or sports channel to get latest Cricket Score. Now news channels are also telecasting live scores from the cricket ground. Not only this, you can also hear the live commentary from the cricket ground on radio. Fans want to know the latest cricket score through any means.

Cricket Score can let you know score made by the team. For a working professional who is very busy with his work, he can know the cricket score online through internet. It is not always possible for a cricket fan to watch a live match on television or in the stadium. It may be due to his busy schedule. Time constraint is a very big issue behind this, Untill and unless the match takes place on a holiday or weekend. It becomes very difficult for a professional to follow the match on week days, so cricket score is the best way for people who are busy to know about the match.

There are several sites on the web world where you can find the cricket score. It is one of the simple ways which can tell you the happenings on the cricket ground. Along with score, you can know other things in the match as well. You can also the average which is the main part of cricket. The average in a cricket match can give you the idea of the performance given by the players. Overall the team’s performance can be anticipated by the average.

You can know the runs made by your favorite team, name of players who played well. There may be some other reasons apart from your work to miss the live cricket, but its nothing to worry because cricket score can keep you updated. It provides you complete information of all the happenings on cricket ground. You can see the average rate at which score is made by each team.

The individual score made by each player of both the team can also be seen. You can also know the number of sixes, fours, no balls, wide balls, extras etc. Which team is batting on the pitch, which bowler is bowling, which players are doing good etc. All these information can be accessed from a reputed site which keeps updated as per the game. Cricket fever is high during world cup. Fans keep themselves updated with cricket score. They involve themselves deeply in the cricket match. They become upset with the bad performance of the players. Sometimes fans also forget about their personal work and indulge themselves to the cricket score. This shows the craziness of the fans for cricket.

Golf The Universal Sport With Proper Instruction

Golf is an interesting and popular sport which originated in Scotland in the seventeenth century, although it had been in existence in one form or the other even many centuries previous to that. In most places of the world, especially the United States, it is very popular among the business community. It has long been thought that many a board room decision has actually taken place on the golf course and just endorsed formally at the meetings. Therefore, knowing golf is considered an extra skill in business circles. Many good universities even offer courses to teach golf to interested people. But everyone may not have the time or money to learn golf from a professional teacher either in person or through an institute.

A good alternative would be to watch a golf instruction video produced by professionals. Golf instruction videos offer the comfort of learning at one’s own convenience, pace and location. You may not even need to go to a golf club and still gain sufficient knowledge about the game by carefully watching and assimilating a set of good instruction videos. Even further on the plus side, one doesn't feel hesitant to watch a video ten times over if you are having a hard time grasping some concept. If you're shy about "owning up" to a shortcoming and dread facing an instructor to ask "what?" over and over, these are for you.

Videos can either be purchased in stores or online. There are many websites which provide golf instruction videos if one is serious about learning golf. Worth noting, in either case, is who is featured on the video. Check the instructor's professional profile; a player who has sufficient experience in the game is most likely to give better instruction than someone who has not had that much exposure on the course.

The upside to any instruction video is the motivation "knowing and understanding" lends to get you up and onto the golf course. Thus golf instruction videos provide an excellent complement to instruction, but never can replace the "real thing."

Knowledge gained and applied provides a great starting point for the beginner, and an increase of skill for the intermediate to advanced golfer. Independent of weather, proper instruction can increase your enjoyment and decrease your score for that perfect golf game.