Calecuda

Calecuda is the national sport of Nesaria, and it is also commonly played all over the Empire. It is the most popular sport to come out of Nesaria, being enjoyed all over the world but predominantly in Europe and ex-Empire states. The Imperial Calecuda League, which is a competition just in the Nesarian Empire, takes place once a year, and the International Calecuda League takes place once every three years. The first recorded instance of the game is in 100BC. The rules were standardised in 437AD and were only changed once, in 1881, when the measurement of the field was changed from imperial to metric, during the Empire-wide transition from imperial to metric.

Calecuda is a team sport played between two teams of 30 players, with a cap of 20 substitutes. The game is played on a rectangular 120m by 100m grass field. The field is split in two on the long side, and each side has two 4m by 4m boxes in each corner, one of which is the "bank" and one of which is the "prison". There are no set rules dictating the position of the team, but a typical formation is 20-5-5. 22-4-4 is also a fairly common formation, but rarer as it relies on especially skilled defenders.The meaning of the X-Y-Z format is that X is the number of players attacking, Y is the number of players guarding the bank, and Z is the number of players guarding the prison. However, "attacking" players do not necessarily have to always attack - an attacker is just defined as someone not guarding the prison or bank. Those guarding the prison or bank do not have to stay right next to the prison or bank but are not allowed to cross over onto the opposing side. Teamwork is essential for all players but especially attackers - the nature of the game does not support the existence of individual star players.

The bank contains five balls, similar to (but slightly smaller than) a basketball. One team's balls are blue, the other team's balls are red. The objective of the game is to steal the opposing team's balls and place them in your own bank. A ball is only considered stolen if you have taken it from the opposition's bank and placed it in your own. Balls can be thrown into the bank, but if they roll outside the bank they are no longer owned by your team. Only one ball can be taken at a time, and you can steal back your own balls from the opposition's bank. The time limit of each round is 20 minutes, and there are four rounds to a game, totalling 80 minutes. At the end of each round, the number of balls a team has in their bank is the number of points they get, with 1 extra point if they own all of their team's original balls. Therefore, the most points a team can get in a single round is 11.

At the end of the game, various bonus points are allocated if certain conditions are met. A team that did not get a single ball taken is awarded 5 extra points. A team that won every victory (note: not every round) by capturing all opposing players is awarded 4 extra points. A team that ended no rounds with players captured in the opposition's prison is awarded 3 extra points. Therefore, the total amount of points up for grabs each game is 56. Normally, these after-game bonuses only apply in tournaments, where the total amount of points is key to winning the tournament. Unless a tie needs to be broken, they are usually ignored in friendly games.

The balls can be thrown between players at any time, but not within the prison or by captured players (explained later). Balls cannot be taken off other players, however if you are in the opposing team's side, you can be "captured" at any time. In order to be defined as in the opposing team's side of the field, both feet must be over the line dividing the field. To capture an opposing player, you must tackle them so that both knees touch the ground. A captured player is taken to the prison and, if they are carrying a ball, they must drop it immediately and not throw it to anyone else. You can free prisoners taken by tagging any captured teammate who is in contact with the flag in the centre of the prison (the flag is coloured according to the team colour - so the team with blue balls will have a blue flag). Captured players are allowed to form "chains" (so long as they do not extend beyond the boundary of the prison), and all players in this chain are considered to be in contact with the flag. When one captured teammate is tagged, all captured teammates in contact with him (includes those who are in the same chain as him) are set free.

While taking all the opposition's balls is the main objective, the game also ends if all members of a team are taken prisoner, with the team in prison being the loser. Opposition players can only be captured once they enter your side of the field, and they cannot be captured while they are in the bank or prison. Recently freed prisoners must run straight to their own side and cannot be captured until they return to their own side and re-enter the opposition's side. The player who freed the prisoners is free to either run back or to the opposition's bank.

Going outside the boundaries of the field (placing at least one foot over) will result in you automatically being captured. If the referee deems that you went outside the boundaries deliberately rather than by accident, you will be given a white card. A tackle that is deemed by the referee to by overly forceful and deliberately intending to cause injury (but does not actually cause injury) results in a white card. Deliberately causing injury to another player results in a black card. Each time you receive a white card, you will be sent to the opposition's prison. Upon receiving your third white card, you will be given a black card. Receiving a black card will send you off the field. Any form of cheating, such as taking two balls or not immediately returning to your own side once freed from the opposition's prison, will result in an instant black card.

Players are allowed to wear long-sleeved shirts, T-shirts, shorts and trousers. The shirts can have whatever colours and patterns the teams want, however the shorts/trousers must be coloured according to the team colour (so the team with the blue balls wears blue shorts/trousers).