red belt

The red belt is awarded based on competitive achievements and contributions to the judo community. It is the highest belt color worn by judoka who hold 9th or 10th dan, and even in Japan, very few people possess a red belt.

cow

It’s common to use cowhide for the surface of regulation baseballs. Beyond its clean, white appearance, the pleasant feel also seems to contribute to better performance. In addition, the grade of the cowhide—specifically the part of the hide used—varies by level, such as professional, high school baseball, and practice balls.

When the team size becomes 8 or fewer

In baseball, if for any reason a team can no longer field nine players during a game, it may lose even if it is ahead in runs. Such a game is called a forfeit.

Praise

A card used for acts of fair play and respect. However, since it is unrelated to the outcome of the match, receiving a green card does not contribute to the score.

mawashi (sumo wrestler’s loincloth)

Losing a sumo match because your mawashi comes off is called a “fujō-make” (loss due to impurity). However, it does not count as a foul if only the knot comes undone or if only the buttocks are exposed.

King Dodgeball

Pick one player on your team to be the King, and play the game while protecting the King with your teammates. If the King gets hit by the ball, you lose, so the key is to play in a way that keeps the other team from figuring out who the King is.

crawl

The crawl is a swimming style that uses a flutter kick, with the arms alternating to pull through the water and the legs moving up and down. Because it is faster than other strokes, many swimmers choose the crawl in freestyle events.

setter

They are responsible for instantly handling any ball and delivering an accurate toss. Because of that, it’s a position that demands not only agility and excellent athletic ability, but also sound judgment and flexibility.

Own goal

An own goal refers to accidentally putting the ball into one’s own team’s net in soccer. Because it adds to the opposing team’s score, it used to be called a “suicide goal” in the past. However, in 1994, after the Japan Football Association designated the term “own goal,” the name was changed and has remained in use to this day. “Own” is spelled O-W-N and means “one’s own” or “done by oneself.”

400 meters

When the switch to the metric system occurred, the then-standard 440-yard (about 402 m) track was rounded down and changed to a 400 m track.