Dear all,
Please find below my first instalment of a series highlighting several obscure sports that are still practised, but many of you will not have heard of. I hope you enjoy this post and those that hopefully will follow soon.
Today's highlight is Frisian handball (West Frisian: keatsen; Dutch: kaatsen), a sport that is prevalent in the Dutch Province Friesland and that until this day, is extremely popular (yet local!).
In essence, Kaatsen can be considered a name used to group many ball sports, in which the players try to strike the ball with the palm of their hand, such that the opponents cannot return the ball in a meaningful way.
As you can imagine, Kaatsen occurs in a great number of variants, practised in more than 50 regions including Belgium, France, the Basque Country, Valencia, Italy and as far as the United States. Kaatsen is one of the oldest ball sports still practised today.
Kaatsen as it is played in Friesland today was introduced by Dutch Dike workers (how appropriate) in 1505 while they were reclaiming the Bildt. The game is played on the grass between two teams, each consisting of three players.
During the game, one player hits the ball with the palm of his hand towards the opposing team that defend their receiving zone, marked by lines. The players in the returning team wear gloves and must try to return the ball. If the serving team does reach the receiving zone, the opponent gets a direct score. When the receiving team manage to return the ball past the serving box, they also score.
Image: Receiving team Trying to return the ball (Kaatsen).
The serving team will try to prevent this from happening by hitting or stopping the ball. The ball location after a rally is marked with a kaats (small woodblock), which is an undecided score. When two such undecided points occur, the teams switch to decide those points. When this has concluded, they start all over again.
On the fifth Wednesday after June 30th, the PC (permanente commissie) will take place in Franeker. The PC is the most important event in the Frisian Handball Calendar that takes place in one day and is filled with ritual and celebration. It is the oldest annual sports event in the Netherlands. At the PC, the 48 best male players play in sixteen teams that compete in a knock-out competition. It is by far the most important event in the sport.
Crowning of the champions. From the champion team, the most important player (De Koning, or King) gets elected.
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