THE UNNAMED GAME
OBJECTIVE OF GAME
To score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing goal or by running with the ball and entering the opposing goal.
Team that scores more goals than opponent by end of game wins.
DURATION OF THE MATCH
The match lasts two equal periods of 1 minute.
Half-time interval lasts 5 minutes.
Game begins with a coin toss. Captain of the visiting team calls heads or tails. In a neutral arena captain who has smaller fangs calls heads or tails. Winner of the coin toss selects the goal they will defend, and the loser starts the match.
Each team must be inside their own half when the match is started.
When a period starts, the Runner of the team that starts the period holds the ball.
After each period teams switch goals they defend and the period is started by a team that didn’t start the previous period.
DRAWS AND PENALTY THROWS
In cases where either team has to advance but the match ended with a draw, penalty throws are used. After the final period of the game has ended with neither team winning, referee will choose which goal will be used for the throws.
- Each team names three throwers, in the order of throwing.
- No on-going spells are allowed when penalty throws begin
- The team that didn’t start the previous period, is allowed to start the throws.
- The team that has scored the most goals after all six throwers have thrown once, wins.
- If the penalty throws end with a draw, it’s repeated but this time no magic or supernatural abilities are allowed.
THE ARENA (see picture)
1. Goals. Dead magic zones. You can only enter the goal with a ball. Only the ball may be placed or thrown inside the goal.
2. Goal areas. Dead magic zones.
3. Permanent Grease.
4. The pitch (two halves).
Arena is surrounded by a force field, which prevents the players and the ball from leaving the field. Force field is otherwise equal to the size of the arena with the exception that it’s 30 ft high.
The pitch is an open arena, surrounded with 3 ft high adamantium walls.
The pitch is 120 ft end to end and 30 ft wide. The idea is that it takes time to run the area from one end to another, but it's narrow enough to allow fighting chance for slower opponents (arena with too much space means slower opponents miss all the action). Also the greased area in the middle is an interesting hindrance.
The goal areas are closed areas made of armored glass, with an entry to goal and pitch.
Goal areas are 15 ft deep, 15 ft wide and 8 ft high. Entry point to the pitch is 15 ft wide and 8 ft high. Entry point to goal is 15 ft wide and 5 ft high.
Goals are closed areas made of armored glass, with an entry to goal area. Goals are 5 ft in depth, 15 ft wide and 5 ft high. Entry point to goal area is 15 ft wide and 5 ft high.
MOVEMENT
- Only walking is allowed in opposing half, opposing goal area and opposing goal.
- Burrowing is not allowed
- Flying to delay the game is considered as a foul
THE REFEREE
- Supervises and enforces the rules.
- Uses a whistle to draw attention to him when pausing or restarting the game.
- Ensures the ball, equipment, gear and the arena are by the rules.
- Communicates with the players when necessary.
- Communicates with Captains to ensure game is flowing and fair.
- Allows advantage to be played when necessary, allowing the game flow, so that there is no unfair advantage to the fouling team.
- Allows substitutions without interfering the game.
- Ensures game time is played fully and takes any delays into consideration.
- Cautions players with a yellow either without a delay or during the next game break
- Removes players from the arena with red card either without a delay or during the next game break
TEAMS
Each team consists minimum of four (4) players up to maximum of six (6) members.
Maximum size for a player is large.
Players immune to nonlethal damage are banned from playing.
Players unable to walk on the pitch are banned from playing.
Runners without limbs to hold the ball are banned from playing.
One Goalkeeper. Allowed to handle the ball inside his own goal area. Can only be attacked if the ball is inside his goal area within the hands of a member of the opposing team.
One Runner. Allowed to carry and thow the ball. Allowed to score goals.
Two Strikers. Allowed to use one melee-weapon each, hold and throw the ball, but not carry it. Not allowed to score goals.
One Captain. One of the team members carry Captain’s armband. Only Captains are allowed to initiate communication with referee. In addition, Captains are required to participate in coin tosses and tournament ceremonies. Captain is ultimately responsible for the whole team.
0-2 Substitutes. Substitutes are allowed to substitute players during a pause or during an interval. To make a substitute, Captain has to gain permission from the referee. Player who is replaced by a substitute, can not enter the game anymore - not even for penalty throws in match ends in a draw.
THE BALL, EQUIPMENT, DEVICES AND GEAR
- 2 lb ball, made of Tarrasqueskin. Rough surface makes it easy to hold the ball with one hand.
- Goalkeeper is allowed to use Goalkeeper Gloves, provided by the tournament organizer. Goalkeeper Gloves are +5 Merciful adamantium spiked gauntlets of Ball Catching (bonus equal to the enchantment bonus to any rolls to catch a ball).
- All weapons used by Strikers are fitted with safety padding, making them nonlethal weapons. It is possible that some unusual weapons can not be padded, and such weapons are banned.
RESTARTING THE GAME AFTER A GOAL
The team that conceded the goal restarts the match. Both teams have to be in their own halves and the Runner from the conceding team is holding the ball.
RESTARTING THE GAME
Outside goal areas:
In case of a foul or if game has to be restarted because either team has committed an error, the ball is given to the fouled team’s Runner. Runner must stand in the square where the foul occurred, or the closest possible square. All opponents are required to stand at least 10 ft away from the Runner.
Inside goal areas:
If the foul was made inside the fouled team’s goal area, the ball given the fouled team’s Goalkeeper and all opponents must exit the goal area.
If foul was made inside the fouling team’s goal area, a penalty throw is given to the opposing team.
If the game is paused but neither team is fault, the game will be restarted on pitch on the square where the ball was when the game was paused and the ball is given to the Runner from the team that was last to play the ball. All opponents are required to stand at least 10 ft away from the Runner.
In any case, the referee indicates when the game is restarted.
PENALTY THROW:
- All players must remain behind the thrower, expect the opposing goalkeeper.
- Throw must be done using physical limbs
- The thrower throws the ball from 10 ft distance of the goal area, standing on the pitch. Thrower is not allowed to carry the ball before shooting.
- Goalkeeper must stand inside the goal area, and try to save the ball
- After the ball is thrown and ball is either stopped or exits in the goal area, the throw is considered as failed and the penalty throw has ended and the game continues normally. If the ball ends up in goal without stopping or exiting the goal area, it’s considered as a goal and the conceding team restart the game.
USE OF MAGIC
- All players must start each period with no on-going spells
- Spells that can cause real damage are not allowed
- Only spells that can be dismissed or dispelled are allowed
- All spells that can be dismissed, must be dismissed by the caster after each period. Spells that can not be dismissed, are dispelled by tournament organizer after each period.
- Using magic to completely block the passage to own goal.
- Only creatures that are able to communicate with the caster are allowed to be summoned or otherwise conjured.
- Area spells and directed spells are not allowed to effect the referee.
- Spells are not allowed to use to make referee think there is a foul or a scored goal, or hide a foul or a scored goal.
LAWS OF THE GAME
Fouls:
Red card results expulsion and one match ban.
Yellow card is a warning.
Two yellows in a match produces a red card.
Two yellows in separate matches result one match ban.
Yellow card is shown for
- Consistently breaking the rules
- Circumventing the Laws of the Game
- Casting spells that violate the rules of Use of Magic
- Trying to damage the arena or the ball or damaging the arena or the ball unintentionally
- Unsportsmanship behaviour
- Causing real damage recklessly or intentionally
- Trying adjust equipment in an unsafe manner, including using a command word on Goalkeeper Gloves
- Faking an injury
- Time wasting, delaying or excessive stalling
- Speaking without permission to the referee, unless you’re a Captain
- Striking a downed opponent with any other weapon than Goalkeeper Gloves
- Eye gouging
- Biting
- Hair pulling
- Fish hooking
- Groin attacks of any kind
- Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Gouging)
- Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee
- Entering the goal, unless you’re entering an opposing goal carrying the ball
Red card is shown for
- Serious foul play
- Intentionally damaging the arena or the ball
- Racism
- Spitting at anyone
- Opponent is incapacitated due to a foul
- Fouling to deny a certain goalscoring opportunity
GAME-MECHANICS
Rules regarding the ball:
1. The ball weights 2 lb. and is considered a simple ranged weapon for medium sized creatures, causing 1d2 nonlethal damage. Ball can cause damage only if specifically targeted as an attack and if the ball strikes the intended target. Thrown range increment is 10 ft.
2. Thrown ball:
Ball is considered thrown after it leaves the square of the thrower and before it enters the target square.
3. Throwing:
Passing and trying to score a goal is a ranged touch attack, either at a square (all squares have AC 5) or at some creature. Missed throw ends up in a randomly determined square next to the target, with the exception that missed throw can not end up inside the goal.
Attacking with the ball is a ranged attack, otherwise the mechanics stay the same.
4. Game-mechanics of Catching the Ball:
Intended targets:
On the pitch, ball can only be catched by the intended target of a successful pass. This is done by rolling a ranged attack roll vs. AC12 (10 + ball’s size modifier). Failure means that the ball drops at your feet.
With Snatch Arrows feat you automatically catch the ball if you are a target of a successful pass or an attack.
Goal areas and intercepting a pass or throw:
Inside a goal area the space is so thight that it’s possible to intercept any throw within a reach. In this case a thrown ball is considered as a Tiny object, which provokes attacks of opportunity. But since ball can not be damaged or even grappled, you can only use attacks of opportunity to catch it with a successful ranged attack vs. attackers ranged attack roll. Success means that you’ve catched the ball. Failure by 4 or less means that the ball drops to that square it currently is. Failure by 5 or more means that you couldn’t intercept the ball.
Goalkeepers Gloves bring +5 enchantment bonus to rolls to catch the ball.
You can try to catch the ball once per throw, regardless of numbers of limbs. You can try to catch the ball once per round, unless you have Combat Reflexes. Cathing the ball counts as an attack of opportunity, unless it was a readied action or some specific magic was involved.
Rules regarding readied actions:
1. Normal rules apply and catching the ball can also be readied. This means that it is possible to try to catch the same throw twice: First by readied action and second by AoO, or vice versa.
Rules regarding penalty throws:
1. Since a Goalkeeper is ready only for a throw, it’s automatically assumed that a Goalkeeper has readied an action to catch the ball. Thus Goalkeepers are always allowed to roll twice for penalty throws inside a goal area.
