All-star game

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An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games (such as the Pro Bowl). The method of choosing teams varies, but the selection is usually based upon sub-divisions of the league or the nationalities of the players involved.

All-star games are played as though they are regular games, but since they present a special showcase for skills, they are hardly regular. In baseball, bunts and intentional walks are virtually banned, and the coaches try to get everyone into the game (while constrained by normal substitution rules). In basketball, the defense is soft and everyone tries to score. In hockey, there is no serious checking. In football, there are special rules to prevent the defense from deceiving the offense.

The term "all-star" is not generally used outside North America. Moreover, all-star games are not often played in many sports (such as soccer) that are popular outside North America because such sports play more games between individual nations, which are usually much more popular than all-star games would be. In the United Kingdom, all-star teams (both real and fantasy) are usually denoted with the Roman numeral corresponding to the number of players allowed on the field - for example, a soccer or cricket XI, a rugby league XIII and a rugby union XV.

[edit] Professional all-star games

Note: In American football, the term "all-star game" refers to the American Football League All-Star Game, last played in 1969; or the College All-Star Game, last played in 1976.