Speardash

**Speardash** is a game played by two teams of 1 to 3 players on a rectangular field with goal boxes at each end. Prior to the start of the game, representatives of both teams meet in the middle of the field to determine which team will have the first possession. Once possession has been decided, the team on defense will throw the spear from the goal box on their side of the field to the other side of the field. The team on offense will begin their possession in or behind the space on the field (labeled by grey dividing lines) that the trident landed in. The objective of the offense is to travel across the field with the spear without being stopped by the defense or turning over the spear. The defense can stop the offense by hitting the person currently carrying the spear. If this player is hit, all players on offense must stop and move back one space on the field from the one they started at. Players on offense are allowed to pass the trident to each other via throwing; however, this may result in a turnover if the defense intercepts the trident, in which case the defensive team instantly becomes the offensive team and may continue until stopped. Once the offensive team has been stopped to a point in which they can no longer move back to a further space on the field, their possession is over and must throw the spear to the other team to determine their offensive starting position.

Points are scored in Speardash by throwing the spear into the defending team's goal box. The spear must be thrown from the defending team's side of the field (i.e. past the mid-field line) in order to count as a point. The offensive team can perform a "backup," in which the player with the spear throws it into the mid-field circle. If a backup has been successfully executed, the offensive team will advance one space on the field. A backup can only be performed if the offensive team has 3 or less spaces remaining on the field; the offense cannot advance to and start from spaces on the defense's side of the field. In order for a backup or a point to count, the spear must land fully within the mid-field circle or the goal box; it cannot touch the surrounding white lines.

Players on the defensive team must stand behind their side of the mid-field line and cannot move until the offensive team begins the possession. A possession begins when a player on the offensive team (usually located at the top of the offense's current space) passes the spear to another player on the team (known as the "captain") who is usually located several spaces behind the other players. Upon receiving the spear, the captain makes an attempt to carry the spear up the field while the other players block the defenders. All players are allowed to hit players on the other team during a possession, but, the possession immediately ends once the player carrying the spear has been hit.

In more professional settings, a referee is usually situated along the sidelines to determine certain matters relating to the game and its rules. It is the job of the referee to determine whether a player carrying a spear was hit before or after they passed or threw the spear to another part of the field. Referees also notify players when they carry or throw the spear "out of bounds" (i.e. outside the white boundary lines surrounding the field), in which case the offensive team is penalized with one stop and must revert back one space on the field.

The game is usually played until either team reaches 5 points; but, some versions use a timer and award victory to the team with the most points once time runs out.

## Miscellaneous Additional Info

At the beginning of the game when the team on defense throws the spear to the team on offense, the throwing player must do so prior to being hit by players from the opposite team. If the throwing player is hit prior to releasing the spear, then the team on offense will start their possession one space on the field away from the defending team's goal box. The team on offense is permitted to begin running towards the defensive throwing player once said player is standing in their goal box and has picked up the spear.

If team on defense intercepts the spear and is subsequently stopped (i.e. hit) by the opposing team, they will start their possession with four spaces.

Once a team successfully scores a goal, that team will remain on the side of the field they scored the goal on and the team that was on defense will walk to the other side of the field. The team that scored will subsequently initiate the process of throwing the spear to the team on offense.