"The Twenty-Four-Inch Home Run The Twenty-Four-Inch Home Run: And Other Outlandish, Incredible But True Events in Baseball History is a book about baseball lore written by sportswriter Michael G. Bryson. The title refers to the book's central story, about a game where Andy Oyler hit a baseball that became stuck in the mud 24 inches in front of home plate, allowing him to score an inside-the-park home run before the opposing team located it. All told, the book contains 250 such stories, including an anecdote about a team registering a triple play without touching the ball. Bryson also debunks several"
"worldwide since antiquity. The modern game traces its origins to 1863 when the Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association. Players are not allowed to touch the ball with hands or arms while it is in play, except for the goalkeepers within the penalty area. Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may also use any other part of their body except the hands and the arms. The team that scores most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end"
"a single point can be scored simply by punting the ball from any point on the field into the end zone. In football a team's defense or goalkeeper may be said to ""keep a clean sheet"" if they prevent their opponents from scoring any goals during an entire match. Because soccer is a relatively low-scoring game, it is common for one team, or even both teams, to score no goals. A theory as to the term's origin is that sports reporters used separate pieces of paper to record the different statistical details of a game. If one team did not"
"by both teams – there is no separate 'offense' and 'defense'. The team which has possession of the ball at any given time will normally try to keep it, while the other team will try to recapture it, or at least deny the team in possession the chance to attack and/or force it to kick the ball away or commit an error. One team will initially gain possession of the ball, either from the kick-off, a restart kick or a set piece (scrum and line-out). The need to maintain possession means the team with the ball will usually seek to"
"live ball in the field of play, propels the ball (by carrying it or fumbling it) into its own end zone, and then is downed there with the defense in possession of the ball. This event has only occurred twice in NCAA Division I history. Before 2015, the only scenario in which a one-point safety could have been scored in the NFL would have involved the defense kicking or batting a loose ball out the back of the end zone without taking possession of it. A conversion safety could be earned by the defense if the offense retreated with the"
"Uncontested shot An uncontested shot is a term used in basketball. It encompasses shots from a layup, a slam dunk, and jump shots. It is any kind of shot in which the shooter has no one contesting or interfering with the shot. In competitive leagues, an uncontested shot is one in which a defender is not within five feet of the shooter or one in which a defender is not near enough to alter the offensive player's shot in any way. The primary strategy of most offensive plays is to gain an uncontested shot and defensively to prevent one. In"
"the kick is made, without an intervening touch by the member of the receiving team, the receiving team may elect to scrimmage the ball from that spot of ""first touching"", regardless of anything else (other than a penalty) that happens during the rest of the play. If the kicking team gains possession of the ball during the kick before it is touched by the receiving team, the ball is then dead. Often, the ball hits the ground and is surrounded by players from the kicking team, who allow it to roll as far as possible downfield – without going into"
"A goal cannot be scored from a goal throw, but unlike football, a goal can be scored from a stroke-in or a corner stroke. All free strokes are ""direct"" and allow a goal to be scored without another player touching the ball. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner. If both teams have scored an equal number of goals, then, with some exceptions, the game is a draw. The primary rule is that the players (other than the goalkeepers) may not intentionally touch the ball with their heads, hands or arms"
"of a difficult situation. Retaining possession in this way may also be regarded as a longer-term way of defending, as the opposing team cannot attack when they don't have the ball. With the ball, the team applying this tactic can simply pass the ball between each other - as in the possession football style, but with little or no intention of building up an attack, thus decreasing the risk of a break. The major benefits of this tactic is that the team is in complete control over its opponents. Meanwhile, by knocking the ball around, opponents playing the pressing game"
"a zone where only the defending goalkeeper is allowed; goals must be scored by throwing the ball from outside the zone or while ""diving"" into it. The sport is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants exist in the forms of field handball and Czech handball (which were more common in the past) and beach handball. The game is fast and high-scoring: professional teams now typically score between 20 and 35 goals each, though lower scores were not uncommon until a few decades ago. Body contact is permitted by the defenders trying to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. The"
"Combat football Combat football is a full-contact team sport similar to other football games such as rugby, but is distinguished by its emphasis on violence. The object of the game is to get the ball into the opposing team's goal through ""any means short of an actionable felony"". It was invented by South Korean border guards at the DMZ to keep soldiers sharp in peacetime, and was subsequently adopted by General Harry W. Brooks, Jr., commander of the United States Army, Tropic Lightning division. While the men of the Schofield Barracks were known to regularly play the game, very little"
"Possession (sports) In sports, possession is control of the ball or other implement of play by one team, which typically gives that team the opportunity to score. Generally, the team with possession is said to be on ""offense"", while the other team is on ""defense"". Sports have different rules governing how possession is kept or lost (""turned over""), which affect the strategy of gameplay. The number of possessions or total time of possession are often useful statistics of team or individual performance. In goal-based sports, including basketball, all forms of football, hockey, and lacrosse, the team with possession has the"
"breakthrough is made only one player carries the attack, thus removing the possibility of offside and tag. That player (who will often have made a diagonal run from the middle of the parallel line, thus outflanking the melee created by the beaten opponents) kicks the ball repeatedly hard and cannot be penalised for dribble. The remainder of the team are spread four posts back, waiting for easy catches and flyers from defensive panic. It is then easy for the referees to see the opponents breaking the rules. The hoped-for outcomes include free busts for prevention of goal by offside and"
"or lose possession. Possession (sports) In sports, possession is control of the ball or other implement of play by one team, which typically gives that team the opportunity to score. Generally, the team with possession is said to be on ""offense"", while the other team is on ""defense"". Sports have different rules governing how possession is kept or lost (""turned over""), which affect the strategy of gameplay. The number of possessions or total time of possession are often useful statistics of team or individual performance. In goal-based sports, including basketball, all forms of football, hockey, and lacrosse, the team with"
"with goalkeeping privileges are only permitted to play the ball with their stick. Further, a goalkeeper, or player with goalkeeping privileges who is wearing a helmet, must not take part in the match outside the 23m area they are defending, except when taking a penalty stroke. A goalkeeper must wear protective headgear at all times, except when taking a penalty stroke. For the purposes of the rules, all players on the team in possession of the ball are attackers, and those on the team without the ball are defenders, yet throughout the game being played you are always ""defending"" your"
"who loses possession is suddenly out of formation to defend, and the interceptor may be able to sprint down the field for a spectacular try. Interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team but caught by a player of the opposing team, who thereby usually gains possession of the ball for their team. It is commonly seen in football, including American and Canadian"
"American football American football, referred to as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, which is the team controlling the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with or passing the ball, while the defense, which is the team without control of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and aims to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four"
"ball hits the water in the opponents' side or the opponent team commits a fault. As in volleyball, each team can contact the ball no more than three times before the ball crosses the net, while consecutive contacts must be made by different players - except for contacts while blocking, which are not counted. Players also cannot touch the net or they commit a fault and a point is awarded to the opponent team. Unique to the sport is that there is no penetration under ""and"" over the net - it is even allowed to block a set being executed"
"Punchball Punchball is a sport spawned by and similar to baseball, but without a pitcher, catcher, or bat. The ""batter"" essentially plays ""fungo"" without a bat, bouncing or tossing up the ball and then using a volleyball-type approach to put the ball (usually a spaldeen or pensie pinkie) in play, punching the ball with his fist. Stealing and bunting are not allowed. Historian and baseball enthusiast Stephen Jay Gould referred to it as ""the canonical recess game"", and in ""The Boys of Summer"" baseball writer Roger Kahn described how when he grew up it was a boys game, as the"
"the offensive team recover in their own end zone. Although such a conversion safety has never been scored by the defense, this rule provides the only way in American football that a team could finish the game with a score of one point. (Canadian football allows another one-point play called the single or rouge). The high school football rulebook acknowledges the conversion safety, awarding one point for it, but also immediately ends a play if the opposing team gains possession of the ball, a rule similar to the one the NFL used before 2015. Thus, any situation that requires the"
"""defensive fullback"", then to its modern term ""free safety"" (or ""punt returner"" in kicking situations). Unlike in soccer or Gaelic football, the goal-tend/safety does not physically protect the goalposts, as they are elevated above the ground and mostly out of the reach of any player. Also unlike other codes of football, goal-tends have no special ball-handling privileges. One situation in which a goalkeeper-like responsibility can arise is in Canadian football, where a single point is awarded for a kicked ball that is not returned out of the end zone. While standard practice is for defending teams to concede the single"
"the NBA an uncontested shot is called a bunny or a snowbird. Uncontested shot An uncontested shot is a term used in basketball. It encompasses shots from a layup, a slam dunk, and jump shots. It is any kind of shot in which the shooter has no one contesting or interfering with the shot. In competitive leagues, an uncontested shot is one in which a defender is not within five feet of the shooter or one in which a defender is not near enough to alter the offensive player's shot in any way. The primary strategy of most offensive plays"
"touch""). The ball can neither be shifted (passed) to the left or right, nor deliberately pushed. In official play, teams wear shorts and jersey uniform with numbers only in the range of 1–12 printed front and back. In India, the National Throwball Championship is organized by the Throwball Federation of India. A Junior International Throwball Match was conducted in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia in December 2015; eight countries participated. Throwball Throwball is a non-contact ball sport played across a net between two teams of seven players on a rectangular court. It is popular in Asia, especially on the Indian subcontinent, and"
"Interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team but caught by a player of the opposing team, who thereby usually gains possession of the ball for their team. It is commonly seen in football, including American and Canadian football, as well as association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, as well as any sport by which a loose"
"no set order but without consecutive touches, the players attempt to keep the ball from touching the ground. The group that has the most touches in a set time wins. If the ball touches the ground the count is restarted. Two teams of four play on a volleyball court sized pitch with football (soccer) goals at each end. A game consists of two halves lasting 10 minutes each. Players may use feet, knees, thighs, chest and head to keep the ball aloft with the team losing possession if the ball touches the ground, is intercepted or an infringement occurs. Tackling"
"legitimate weapon, the only defense against it was a defensive back who could outleap R.C. – and at that time, no such animal existed in the NFL."" According to the ""Oxford English Dictionary"", the usage of the term in football predates its usage in basketball by two years, with the football counterpart also inspiring the play in basketball. Alley-oop (American football) The alley-oop is an American football play in which the quarterback throws the ball high into the air, and another player jumps up and catches it. The play was developed in 1957 by San Francisco 49ers players Y. A."
"football. Non-contact sports are those where participants should have no possible means of touching, such as sprinting, swimming, darts or snooker, where players use separate lanes or take turns of play. Consideration should also be given to other sports such as Moto-cross and Bicycle Moto-cross (BMX) and cycling which all involve riding/racing in packs of riders. This often results in brushing and bumping off other riders. Current medical terminology in the United States uses the term collision sport to refer to sports like rugby, roller derby, American football, ice hockey, and lacrosse, the term contact sport to refer to sports"
"""thirteen–nil."" Generally, a team that is well-disciplined defensively, as well as behaviorally (not giving away penalty kicks), is most likely to not concede scores. This may also occur if there is a significant difference in class between the two teams, for example, when Scotland beat Spain (who were playing in their only Rugby World Cup) 48–0 in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, or when Australia beat Namibia 142–0 in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Shutout In team sports, a shutout (US) or whitewash (UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible"
"several non-contact variants of American football, such as flag football. In flag football the ballcarrier is not tackled; instead, defenders aim to pull a flag tied around their waist. Another variant, touch football, simply requires the ballcarrier to be touched to be considered downed. A game of touch football may require that the player be touched with either one or two hands to be considered down, depending on the rules used. American football American football, referred to as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven"
"Handball Handball (also known as team handball, fieldball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outfield players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores the most goals wins. There is no protective equipment worn while playing. Modern handball is played on a court of , with a goal in the middle of each end. The goals are surrounded by"
"is taken back in line from the spot where the try was scored, so if possible a scorer will aim to down the ball as close to the goal posts as possible. Kicking the ball is generally considered the sole preserve of the backs. Exceptions include flanker John Taylor, lock John Eales and number eight Zinzan Brooke, who have all scored points from kicks. The aim of the defending side is to stop the player with the ball, either by bringing them to ground (a tackle, which is frequently followed by a ruck), or by contesting for possession with the"
"team with possession of the ball that is trying to attack the ball as described is said to be on offense. The team on defense attempts to prevent the attacker from directing the ball into their court: players at the net jump and reach above the top (and across the plane) of the net in order to block the attacked ball. If the ball is hit around, above, or through the block, the defensive players arranged in the rest of the court attempt to control the ball with a dig (usually a forearm pass of a hard-driven ball, or a"
"ball was put in motion by action of the right hip, the right elbow and the right knee and was not permitted to touch the ground. It could be passed from person to person in each team by propulsion by one of the above body parts. The aim was to move the ball back to the opposite team, preferably through the ring. The goal of the opposition (what today might be termed ‘the defense’) was to force the offense to lose control and to allow the ball to touch the ground. The stone ring was an innovation of the late-classic"