Meet Peteca the traditional sport of Brazil and inspiration for Kickit

Borrowing the rules or spirit of an ancient game can be difficult. Often, devotees of the original game don’t appreciate the new style of play. This is something we have to acknowledge at Kickit, as we were inspired by several ancient games ourselves. But being inspired and adapting, improving, and modernizing an ancient game is great for the original and for the new version! This article is on one of the sports that inspired Kickit; Peteca, read on to learn more.

How do you play Peteca?

Peteca, like badminton, Jianzi, and other games, is also played with a shuttlecock. Unlike Jianzi or even Kickit, in Peteca, the game is played by hitting the shuttlecock with your hand over a high net. The net is very similar in height to a volleyball net, and the players must make sure the shuttlecock stays in-bounds during play. Players may only hit the shuttlecock once while on their side of the net.

Peteca’s Basic Rules

Peteca is played in matches to see which side wins best of three. The sport is played by singles or in teams of two. The first side that is able to score twelve points first wins the set. Peteca games typically last twenty minutes and, after the end of that time, if neither team has reached a score of twelve, the win goes to the team with the most points.

During a Peteca game, there are two important rules of play:

Service - if the peteca passes below the net, out of bounds, touches the net, or a player on the same time, service passes to the opposing side.

30-second rule - the serving team has 30 seconds to score or the opposing team gets the service. The referee announces “10” as a way of warning that time is running out to score.

History of Peteca

Originally, Peteca was played during celebrations along with dancing and singing. Gradually, the game evolved into more of a sport and has passed down through several generations in Brazil. Early shuttlecocks were usually just stones wrapped in leaves and fastened to an ear of corn. The game and the shuttlecock evolved, with the first fielding of the sport in 1940 in the capital city of Minas Gerais with proper, competitive games.

Competition

It was just 1973 when the first rules were written for Peteca and in 1985 the National Sports Council of Brazil drew up the first official set of rules so that competitive play could begin between cities and states. In 1987, the first championship Peteca tournament was organized. The rules of Peteca were updated in 1995 to make it even more competitive. In May 2006, the first international tournament was held in Paris, and teams from Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom competed.

Conclusion

For thousands of years, humans have been creating games and sports that involve propelling an object over or through something to score points and create a game. Peteca is one of many fun, competitive ways to engage with others, improve fitness, and have a good time. For a modern twist on an ancient object, Kickit is often described as soccer meets badminton! Check out our great Kickit Sport-Packs, get your friends together, and discover a cool, fun way to improve coordination, balance, and fitness while having a blast!