Malletball
Malletball, previously known as the fieldball game is a sport native to Sayaffallah, and was created as a brutal yet effective "gentleman's game" for the wealthy genteel industrialist class.
Concept
The basic concept involved a team of 5 on elephants known as the Ivories and a team of 5 on stallions known as the Cavalry. The objectives of the ivories is to knock the ball down the field as fast as they can and to attempt to simultaneously knock t he Cavalry off their horses at the same time with their long handled mallet. Meanwhile the objective of the Cavalry was to knock the ball away from the elephants and towards the opposite end of the field and to make it go airborne through the uprights of the goal while also attempting to dodge blows from the Ivories.
Points are given accordingly:
- Within the 50 metre circle = 2 pts
- Within the goal square = 5 points
- Over the uprights = 10 points
As you can see in the image to the right, the field's 50 metre line is the area in which 2 points are awarded if the ball remains in that area for a hard 5 second count by the referee. When the points are awarded the referee slams a lance into the ground on the side of the field signifying that a point has been awarded. A green lance symbolizes 2 points while a blue lance symbolizes 5 points of the goal square and the purple lance symbolizes 10 points. However if the ball leaves the 50 metre area and enters back into the center square the sides reset and the ball is placed back in the center by the referee and then when the referee is on the sideline the whistle is blown and the game begins again.
The center square is typically the main area of play action as both teams of players attempt to wrangle the ball out of the center square and to get it within the 50 metre area for the 5 second count so they can gain basic points. However players try to get it into the goal square and then airborne through the uprights for the 10 points. However if the ball is within the goal square for 5 seconds an automatic 5 points are awarded.
Likewise if you maneuver the ball accidentally into your own goal square or 50 metre area it automatically gives the points to your opponent.
Today
Today the game is still played and is formally known as malletball and is governed by a professional malletball League known as the Sayaffallan Mallet Association (SMA) which sets up league matches and provides for the hosting of the annual championship game typically held in Bellissimomare. Malletball is still considered a wealthy man's sport given that it uses elephants and purebred horses which often costs in the hundreds of thousands to purchase and then maintain at an acceptable level for use within the sport. Over 2200 different malletball teams exist typically under the umbrella of an SMA club which allows dues paying members to create teams and to use the fields for their own games and to hire referees from the professional league as a fixed rate within their monthly dues package.
