What sport is pearl ball?

Pearl ball is the competition item of the 11th National Minority Traditional Sports Meeting.

This sport originated from the production activities of Manchu people collecting pearls. When Manchu ancestors picked pearls by the river, the leading pearl picker was Zhu Xuanda, and there were often competitions between the teams led by Zhu Xuanda. Pearl pickers on board threw mussels into baskets on the shore, and whoever was quick and accurate was naturally full of harvest. Later, this activity gradually formed its own rules and tactics and became a traditional sport of Manchu.

The competition mode of pearl picking activity is relatively simple. The two sides played against each other, with six athletes in each team, one of whom stood at one end to catch the net, and three players with clam-shaped sticks stood in front of another pearl catcher to intercept pearls. The other three players went into the water to compete with that player for pearls. After winning, they threw pearls at their teammates.

Pearl ball competition rules

The pearl ball competition venue is a rectangular solid plane with a length of 28m and a width of15m. There are waters, restricted areas, blocked areas, isolated areas and sub-areas, and there are no obstacles in the venue. The competition ball is a pearl inflatable leather ball or rubber ball with a circumference of 54 to 56 cm and a weight of 300 to 325 grams.

In the competition, the technical and tactical actions such as holding the ball, dribbling and passing the ball in the water are somewhat similar to those in basketball and handball competitions. It is necessary to constantly use physical movements such as accelerating sprint, emergency stop, turning around, changing direction and changing speed, and breaking through the crowd to cooperate with the audience's fast-paced attack and defense. In the blocked area, the defender with racket has the characteristics of goalkeeper and volleyball blocker. There are very high requirements for athletes' speed, strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility.