Week 4

<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW198216424 BCX0" <the="" sport="" i="" decided="" to="" learn="" about="" was="" beach="" volleyball.="" in="" volleyball="" there="" are="" 2="" teams="" separated="" by="" a="" net="" line<="" span="">The Sport i decided to learn about was Beach Volleyball. In Beach Volleyball there are two teams separated by a net/line in a field measuring 16 by 8 meters. The teams are made up of 2 people on each side with no substitutions. The object of the game is to hit the ball over the net to the opposing team's side and have it land on the ground in bounds. When the ball is on your side of the net you get three touches to hit back over to the other side without you hitting two times consecutively. Teams rotate sides after 7 points are scored but can elect to switch sides whenever if the other team agrees. Players may go under the net as long as it does not interfere with the other team. 1 point can be earned by grounding the ball on the opposing court. A point can also be earned when the opposing team strikes the net. The game is over when one team reaches 21 points.</span> 

In Chapter 3, The Kinds of Play, Sicart talks about how Competition can be really fascinating because of their designed spaces. He talks about how Players can think about not only their own decisions but those of their opponents too. In the case of Volleyball, you have to be constantly thinking about what move you are going to be making and trying to predict what your opponents are going to do to counter you and in turn, counter them first. He later also talks about players competing against the game itself. In Volleyball this would translate into two different ways. The first would be to avoid hitting the net. Players have to hit the ball with enough angle and speed to get it over the net without crashing into it. The second one would be to avoid hitting it out of bounds. The difficulty in having to hit the ball with enough force to make your opponent's miss while still being in bounds takes a lot of concentration and precision. Just a bit later he talks about Symmetrical competition in which players have the same abilities to move around and hit the ball over, which correlates over to both teams having the same about of play space and the same number of touches to hit the ball over the net.