Pesäpallo
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Pesäpallo (Swedish: boboll ) is a Finnish ball sport that is similar to American baseball . The field sport was developed in 1922 by the Finn Lauri Pihkala after a stay in the USA.
In Finland Pesäpallo is played in five different leagues, with the "Superpesis" league being the highest league with the best division in the world.
The term Pesäpallo is derived from the Finnish word Pesä for nest, which is used in the sense of the English term "base" . The sport is related to baseball, but the rules are very different. The most striking difference to baseball is the playing field. For men, the size of the playing field is 93.5 × 62 m, for women 82 × 56 m. The throwing player also faces the batsman in the home nest (Kotipesä). The ball is thrown at the batsman with a vertical throw above the throwing plate (60 cm diameter) by the "thrower" or in Finnish Lukkari, at least one meter high.
Game idea
Two teams compete against each other, each consisting of nine players (batsmen and runners). There are three pesas (nests) on the playing field. They consist of a semicircle with a protection zone of ten meters behind. The size of the Pesäs enables a fast game. Obstacles or gross fouls by the opponent are not allowed under the rules. In the event of occurrence, the referee will punish him. The batsman has three strokes available and must execute them in the home nest. The Lukkari (pitcher or "thrower") faces the batsman in the home nest and throws the ball for one stroke vertically and at least one meter high. A referee in the home nest ensures that it is carried out correctly. With the blows, the batsman enables himself or his teammates who are on the field to continue or run home. He himself becomes a runner on the field after the third stroke at the latest. If he doesn't manage to get to the first Pesä, he's burned. In contrast to baseball, the batsman does not have to become a runner when he has scored a valid stroke, but allows his teammates to continue on the field. Only after the third stroke does he become a batsman and become a runner. If three runners have been burned, they change. The teams then switch from the inside out. The batting team only scores points if a runner returns to the home nest (Kotipesä) after the three pesas have expired. An incorrectly executed throw-off by the thrower or Lukkari results in a free run for the opponent to the first nest if no player is on the field. Any further incorrect throw-off by the starter results in another free run for the runner who has come the furthest. The team on the field tries to prevent the batting team from running by catching the ball directly in the air (Koppi in Finnish). Any runner who is then outside the pesas must be eliminated from the game round. He is hurt. If the ball is thrown to a target nest of a runner after a catch, the runner is burned if the ball arrives earlier than the runner.
The limitation of the playing area has the effect that the ball must be hit in place. Also the area and the distances between the Pesäs are so big that it is hardly possible to get to the next nest. A run from Pesä 2 to Pesä 3 can be about 40 meters for men. The runner therefore tries to run a few meters in the direction of the next nest, but must have at least one body part in the nest when throwing a ball to a nest. A throw to a nest by well-trained players only takes a fraction of a second. That is what makes the game so attractive. At each nest there is a referee who decides whether the ball or a runner was first in the nest.
In addition to athletic skills such as running, throwing, catching and hitting, the sport also requires very quick reactions and a good understanding of the game. This applies to all players on the field. Since no team is so well staffed with players, it depends on the form of the players on the day and there are always possibilities to counteract by clever positioning of the players (stroke order) or in the tactical area of the opponent's style of play.
Sports equipment
The modern rackets that are used are made of glass fiber reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastic . In the past, wooden clubs were used. In contrast to American clubs, the clubs used at Pesäpallo are hollow on the inside. The clubs are up to one meter long and weigh between 580 g and 640 g. The balls are similar in size to baseball balls, but are heavier and harder (men's balls 160–165 grams, women's balls 135–140 grams, and children's balls 95–100 grams). The catch gloves ( Räpylä ) are made of leather and have a catch bag. The helmets also have a special shape. Helmets are compulsory in official games, as well as for personal protection.
International
Pesäpallo is becoming increasingly popular in other countries outside of Finland, especially in Sweden , Estonia , Germany , Switzerland , Great Britain , Japan , Australia and India .
World Championship
- 1992 in Helsinki (FIN): 1. Finland, 2. Sweden, 3. Australia
- 1997 in Hyvinkää (FIN): 1. Finland, 2. Sweden, 3. Estonia
- 2000 in Melbourne (AUS): 1. Finland, 2. Australia, 3. Germany
- 2003 in Södertälje (SWE): 1. Finland, 2. Sweden, 3. Germany
- 2006 in Munich (GER):
- Men - 1st Finland, 2nd Germany 1, 3rd Germany 2, 4th Australia
- Women - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd Germany
- Mixed - 1st Finland, 2nd Germany, 3rd Australia, 4th Sweden
- 2009 in Pori (FIN): 1. Finland, 2. Germany, 3. Australia
- 2012 in Goldcoast (AUS):
- Men - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd Team Europe
- Women - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia
- Mixed - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd team Europe
- 2015 in Lucerne (CHE):
- Men - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd Germany
- Mixed - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd Switzerland
- 2017 in Turku (FIN):
- Men - 1st Finland, 2nd Germany, 3rd Australia
- Women - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd India
- Mixed - 1st Finland, 2nd Australia, 3rd Germany
- 2019 in Pune (IND)
In an international comparison, which is held by a World Cup, Germany has so far been in second place after Finland. The 2006 World Cup took place from 8th to 16th July 2006 in Munich (Germany).
Germany
Pesäpallo has been played in Germany for many years. The teams have u. a. Developed by the initiative of Finnish schools and members of the German-Finnish Society (DFG) and emigrants living here. The first German Pesäpallo association is Tahko Berlin e. V., which was founded on November 11, 1992. At the initiative of individual player representatives, there were various votes in the course of 1993 and 1994 regarding possible league operations. After six teams across Germany had been found in 1994, the German Pesäpallo League and thus regular game operations were founded with the support of the Finnish Pesäpallo Association Pesäpallo Liitto (PPL).
Based on the old Finnish tradition, a so-called east / west or north / south game of the best players was played annually. Due to the league change there was a change in the process. In the 1990s, Pesäpallo was offered in university sports in Augsburg . The aim was to make the sport better known and to inspire sport students as multipliers for this sport. After a few years this activity was stopped.
Switzerland
Pesäpallo has been played in Switzerland since the 1990s. Since 2012, in addition to the championship decision or the final weekend, league game days with two-legged matches have also been held. As of 2019, five teams are taking part in the game.
See also
Web links
- Finnish Pesäpallo League (Finnish)
- Pesäpallo at nachbarsport.de (created in a project of the "Online Editor" course at Cologne University of Applied Sciences)
- Pesäpallo Switzerland
Individual evidence
- ↑ pesis.ch - swiss pesäpallo community. Retrieved on August 19, 2019 (Swiss Standard German).
- ↑ Pesapallo Federation Of India. In: Pesapallo Federation Of India. Retrieved August 19, 2019 (American English).
- ↑ World Cup 2019. In: Pesäpalloliitto. Retrieved August 19, 2019 (Finnish).
- ↑ Welcome to Munich ( Memento from December 23, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Swiss Pesäpallo League (SPL) - pesis.ch. Retrieved on August 19, 2019 (Swiss Standard German).