Scanderan sportsboll

Sportsboll (English: Sportsball) is a Scanderan competitive sport and one of the few large scale team sports that is played in Scandera even if it still is second in popularity to other games such as fencing, staff fighting, archery, dart throwing, jousting, pugilism, and animal fighting. Despite that however does it have a rather loyal following and is generally seen as a odd mixture of football, rugby, and boxing.

It is played between two teams of 30 people each over a field that have generally been limited to 1000 meters long and 250 meters wide. The field is supposed to have a so-called main "road" of cleared field in the middle but no official standards exists of how straight these are supposed to be and the fields outside this road lacks regulations. And many Scanderan stadiums have trees growing on them. Both fans and players have protested against attempts to regulate this, arguing that it adds a certain feeling of uncertainty to the game despite the massive home advantage this provides. A compromise was finally agreed upon in 1892 when it was decided that the playing field at least must be cut regularly and the fields were not allowed to be located in a dense forest.

On each side of the large field is a so called heim or home where the ball is supposed to be kicked into. It is allowed to hold the ball but it is not allowed to throw it forward (kicking it forward however is acceptable if it has touched ground and stopped bouncing first). The game lacks a set time but rather ends when the first goal is scored.

The game is also known for being very lenient when it comes to tackles. It allows players to throw punches against an opponent that holds the ball, or if the ball is on the ground unclaimed by either team. A punch must however be thrown over the belt of an opponent and striking under the belt is outlawed. The ball in the game is very oval in its design but it is also noticeable for being much heavier and larger than what is common for balls used in either Menelmacari football, American handegg or Rugby.

History

The game evolved from sports played between different villages in old Scandera and they first ended when the ball was firmly planted on the opponents' temple doors. These earlier games were a bit more bloodier than the milder modern variant. For instance, there were no rules and the game quite often resulted in heavy wounds and even causalities. One example of a more odder variant was recorded in 1245 in Asterarna between two fishing villages. However since the two villages were on opposite islands, the villagers were forced to use boats and the game did not end due to players from the village Haraldby ramming the opponents from Grönö and sinking their entire boat and crew. This also included the ball. The writer goes on to write that this started a feud between the two villages and also pointed out that the game never finished. Research into this were inconclusive since both villages claimed victory in the end but it was impossible to determine who was right.

The sports have also been known to cause death even amongst the high and mighty, from times to times have even kings and high kings met their end either playing or by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The most noteworthy of these is Odowater rex Stjärnkhrone I that at the age of sixtythree took a stroll and managed to find a ball that seemed to have fallen down the cliff he was traversing with his small number of bodyguards. Not sure what to do did he stop to figure out where the ball had come from and were as a result caught in the resulting melee when the players stormed the group. While the bodyguards managed to finally regroup and drive the peasants away from the king where they sadly enough too late and the old man had died from a nasty blow to his skull. According to legend did the young high guardsman Elfrik auf Borgerholme reach the body of the king and stood over him during the brawl with his blade drawn and slew many a players before the mob realized that they maybe had made a mistake. Elfrik later on organized an armed expedition with the blessing of the new king and put both villages involved to the sword. As penance for his failure did he then take up the black cloak of a so called death seeker, a wandering warrior looking for a honourable death in battle and become a beloved Folkhero in north western Imeriata.

Emytology

The modern day sportsboll name comes from the old Scanderan name Beirknottleike or "Village ballsport" which later on was shortened to Knottleike (ballsport) and later on evolved into sportsboll.

Scanderan sportsball abroad

Both Federal "Mindre Sportsboll ligan" and the Scanderan league "Skanderiska sportsbools ligan" are two major sportsballs leagues in the absolute royal federation however so are the international games organised by "Stare sportsbolls ligan" or "The greater Sportsbolls league" where international teams are allowed to compete. While the league is traditionally overseen by the Scanderan sportsballs order so do games take part abroad as well as every nation is allowed to send a team to compete.

A variant of sportsboll is played at the Herdite town of Kumane where according to the records it was brought by Scanderan merchants in the 13th-14th century. It is called hamteishauszaematei or "a sports game where actions happen" as the rules were explained by the Scanderans to the locals. The game has a status of Kumane's traditional game and local tournaments are held every year. It has also developed unique rules and peculiarities that divorce it from the original sport; for example the field is larger and punches are prohibited but tackling, headbutting and even biting is allowed. There have even been records of games where firearms were used by the opposing teams. Other locales in the Herd might have local enthusiasts of sportsboll or hamteishauszaematei but their activities are limited and not nationally significant.