Comprehensive Sports Guide: Rules, Conditioning & Equipment

Athletic mastery depends on understanding official gameplay rules, optimizing equipment technology, and implementing sport-specific conditioning drills.

USA, California, San Bernardino, baseball runner sliding safely into home base

What Does it Mean If a Team Has a Half a Game Lead in Baseball?

Due to a quirk in the way standings are calculated throughout a baseball season, the lead one team has over another is often described in half-games. For example, one team will have a half-game lead over another. The quirk is simple to understand in the context of how standings are compiled.

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Youth Teen Football Player Touchdown

Exercises for a Youth Football Workout

Youth football workouts must incorporate several elements. A program for young players must make the most out of limited practice and conditioning time while emphasizing safety.

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USA, California, San Bernardino, baseball players awaiting pitch during game

Baseball Rules on a Hit Ball That Hits Home Plate

When a batter makes contact with a pitched baseball, one of two main things will happen -- it will either be ruled a fair ball or a foul ball. As long as its in the field of play, the ball is considered live and the defense must make a play.

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Football boots hang in a changing room

Metal vs. Plastic Cleats

Top athletic performance, no matter what sport you play, depends first and foremost on stability. You need to have your feet firmly planted underneath you before you can throw, catch, kick, twist, turn or push off for a run.

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American Football and Helmet on the Field

How Much Do Football Pads Weigh?

To minimize the risk of injury, nearly all organized football leagues require players to wear specialized pads and equipment. The exact weight of football pads varies based on the age level and position of the player, but for the average player, the combined weight is around 20 pounds.

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How to Stop Popping Up at Slow-Pitch Softball

Few things are more frustrating for a hitter than to unleash a sweet swing, make contact with the ball, then have ball pop up weakly somewhere in the infield. This can be especially frustrating for a slow-pitch softball player, since the ball gently glides by, ripe for the picking.

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benched

Can You Play Sports With a Torn ACL?

For most athletes, the knee is a vital joint to performance. The health and mobility of the knee’s major ligaments is an absolute prerequisite for many individual and team sports. For any sport that requires running, pivoting, pitching and long throws, you will need a strong anterior cruciate ligament.

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Overhead View of Young Man Weight Lifting

What Are the Requirements to Become a Powerlifter?

Powerlifting is a competitive sport that features β€œraw” weightlifting where competitors strive to reach their maximum capability in three specific exercises. The main exercises are the deadlift, the squat and the bench press.

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Gymnast on the Pommel Horse

Training Program for a Gymnast

Gymnastics is an intensive activity that requires strength, flexibility, agility and balance. To successfully prepare for competitive or recreational gymnastics, create a training program that develops the necessary physical attributes in a way that complements the activity.

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tackled

Advantages & Disadvantages of Football

For the span of its existence, the sport of football has had a love-hate relationship with with the public. It can be a dangerous game, requiring players from Pop Warner to the pros to put their bodies on the line for the good of the team. But it's also a perennial favorite for fans and players alike.

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