Hello, and thanks for reading! I'm trying to propose a rule set for Skyball (
https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Skyball ). I'm a little new to the EVE universe, and I've tried to read up properly on all relevant lore but I'm happy to take corrections and criticism if there's something I've missed.
-
Skyball - Caille rulesThough Skyball originated in Balle, as a means of recreation among hangar workers in space stations where the possibilities of football in a 0G environment led to some creative solutions, the first major leagues originated in Caille. The Caille rule set is more formalized, as the Caille audience had a lower tolerance for the injuries and occasional fatalities of the Balle version of the sport.
ArenaSkyball is played in a three-dimensional field constituting a sphere, 150 meters in diameter. This represents the 0G environment of the space station hangars of the sport's earlier versions. The sphere is formed by three outlying rings, against which the player's levigear harnesses are calibrated. Two hoops, situated on opposite ends of the sphere, form the goals.
TeamsSkyball is a team sport, played by two teams of eight players. Team setup varies according to each team or club's strategy, but it's almost always some variation on the basic team: Two players form the defenders, who stay by the team's goal. Three players make up the midfield, the early line of defense against the enemy team as well as the backbone of any attack. Two other players are the offense, whose job it is to break through the opposing team's defense and clear the way for the eight player - the striker - to score. This is informal, however, and any player can score, not just the striker. At the start of the game, the teams are free to distribute their players according to their own tactics, but only in their native half of the arena. It is considered good form, however, to put the strikers right on each side of the center of the arena, so they can shake hands and wish each other good fortunes before the game begins. Failing to do so is typically suicide by audience antipathy.
ScoringThe teams fight to control a single ball and throw it through the opponent's goal hoop. One goal equals one point. Matches typically end with points well into the 30's, 40's and even 50's range. Egregiously unsporting behavior can lead to point subtractions, but that is uncommon. Moving with the ball is typically necessary to score, and there are no limitations on how it may be moved. Throwing and kicking are both acceptable ways both to score and to pass. In a 3D space, catching a pass can be quite difficult, and the ball frequently defaults into an orbit around the arena's center. If the ball leaves the arena, its own safeguards kick in and it makes a controlled descent so as not to hurt any spectators. A new ball is launched into the arena, defaulting to center orbit. The points of the goal are not affected by where in the arena it was thrown from.
Rules and penaltiesSkyball is a contact sport, and tackling is not so much permitted as encouraged. Punching, kicking, biting and so on are all strictly prohibited, as is ganging up on a player. Going off-side, outside the rings of the arena, is both prohibited and ill advised as the player's harnesses are calibrated against the ring and leaving the arena typically results in both a penalty and a hard fall to the ground.
Most rule violations give the opposing team a penalty throw, but severe ones can result in players being discharged from the match, or even point deductions.
A match lasts for 90 minutes, with six rounds of 15 and pauses in between.
The umpires avoid the playing field for their own safety, watching over the proceedings from a small scene below the arena, via numerous camera drones. Team set-ups may be rotated with the players on the field on the fly, but they (or their manager) have to request a break if they want to switch a player out or in. Each team may request one break per round, and each break lasts one minute. Rounds are kept short due to extreme physical demands on the players, and calling for a break is used with caution - the team that does it may bring in the player they want, but they are also giving the enemy team a minute to rest.
GearSkyball is played with a spherical ball. All sixteen players are equipped with levigear harnesses, a variation of the harnesses used by the first hangar workers to develop skyball. They are thinner and more sleek than the industrial version, bands strapped across arms, legs and torso a few millimeters thick. The harnesses utilize a combination of antigravitation and inertia dampening fields to keep players levitating. Moving in the levigear is taxing. It requires tremendous physical strength and muscle control, but with the right training, it can reach great velocities. Injuries frequently occur when players crash into each other at high speeds.
The maximum speed that the levigear will allow a player to travel is set and cannot be exceeded without the levigear overriding and slowing down. The athletes can only accelerate in one direction, with speed increasing depending on their angle. The levigear leaves them with enough inertia, however, to spin and change directions, assuming a controlled trajectory. It is possible to accelerate to the point where it's impossible to break or turn away before hitting an obstacle, fellow player, or even the edge of the arena. High speed turns and breaks put a significant amount of stress on the body - approaching the gravitational forces applied to high velocity atmospheric pilots. The levigear are controlled via electrodes on the skin reading muscle movements, not by implants. As Skyball is a contact sport, players tend to be built for strength and speed, and weight is not regulated or compensated for. Either extreme of mass or the lack of it is detrimental, but all professional Skyball players are trained to a significant bulk.
ObstaclesUnder Caille rules, the audience or viewers at home can participate in the game, turning a team sport into a crowd spectacle in flamboyant Gallente fashion. Popular vote can see obstacles added to the arena, typically to aid a crowd favorite team or even the playing field for an underdog. A team that behaves badly, or simply plays with a style that bores or provokes the viewers, can see the path to the opponent's goal hoop suddenly blocked by hard foam blocks, suspended in mid-air or drifting slowly and aimlessly. Moving obstacles are a threat to both teams. Typically, the ends of matches tend to see the arenas more crowded, with stakes rising for both teams, even though the obstacles only last for a set period of time. Tackling players into obstacles is both common and often appreciated by the audience. Hitting an obstacle accidentally is typically considered a penalty in and of itself, as it can lead to injury. Obstacles can be altered in their trajectories, but their soft bodies and significant inertia makes that option unappealing - theoretically possible, but situational at best, as the time and energy required is almost certainly better spent trying to control the ball.
Many Skyball purists prefer games without obstacles, as they weren't part of the original rule set but rather added as the sport grew as a crowd spectacle. The obstacles are often displaying the colors of the sponsors, with everything from giant Quafe cans to soft-foam household appliances hovering in the arena to distract the players. Other Skyball fans argue that the obstacles add another critical element to the sport's appeal, however: a degree of strategy required of its viewers. Since obstacles only last for a set duration, the timing with which they are deployed can make or break a game for a team. In professional league Skyball, there is typically a board of judges from the broadcasting network in conjunction with representatives from the GSA, the Galactic Skyball Association, approving or disapproving the viewer's requests for obstacles.
Popularity and cultural significanceSkyball is one of the most commonly viewed sports in the Gallente Federation, with almost every major population center fielding at least one team of its own. Constituent states typically field their own tournaments, where winners progress into constellation and finally the Federal Tournaments. Some non-Gallente teams exist as well, but the sport is not quite as prominent there. Many larger universities and other sites of learning have prestigious skyball teams as well. The Caldari State War Academy in particular is known for its high quality skyball, to the chagrin of many Gallente sport aficionados.
Author
Topic: Skyball Rules - a proposition (Read 1724 times)