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Team Combat Rules.
1. Teams
Teams consist of two jugglers each.
2. The Arena, Equipment and Referee
The playing arena is a clearly marked, regular shape of any size. It is divided into two equal sections by a line across middle. [1]
Players must have a total of three regular juggling clubs each. All clubs must be in a safe condition.
A referee who is knowledgeable of these rules must be at hand to:
- Keep track of the score.
- Arbitrate any disputes between players.
- Make sure that players understand when and why they have committed a foul.
The referee has the power to restart or replay a game.
The referee’s decision is final and any dispute must be settled before the end of the match. No appeals can be made to change the final outcome following the end of the match.
3. Winning the Match
The match lasts one set of as many games are needed for a team to score 9 points. To win a team must have a score of 9 or above and a two-point advantage. If the score is 8-8, play continues until one team gains a two point advantage.
4. Starting a game
The arena is cleared of any obstructions.
The two teams take up position at either end of the arena.
All the players start to juggle their three clubs.
Once all of the players are juggling regular play starts.
5. Regular Play
The aim of Team Combat is for a team to score point by having one or both of its players still juggling at the end of the game without committing a foul.
As soon as regular play begins players must cause both of the opposite team members to commit a foul. This is done by attacking and disrupting the opponent’s juggling patterns. Any part of a player's body or clubs may be used for attacking an opponent's clubs.
If a juggler commits a foul they must leave the arena without taking any further part in the game, staying clearly away from remaining players. They must not try to pick up any clubs from the floor.
Any club left in the arena by a terminated juggler may be used by any other player to their team’s advantage.
Once both players from one team have each committed a foul the remaining players from the opposite team must keep juggling for at least 5 more catches without themselves committing a foul. This marks the end of the game.
If there are two jugglers remaining at the end of the game that team scores 2 points. [2]
If there is one juggler remaining at the end of the game that team scores 1 point.
If there are no jugglers remaining no points are scored by either team.
6. Fouls
It is a player’s personal responsibility to know when they have committed a foul and act accordingly. Ignorance is not a defense against accusations of unfair play.
During the start of a game:
- A player crossing the center line before all players start juggling.
- A player taking too long to start juggling.
During regular play:
- A player is left juggling less than three clubs. This can be for any reason, e.g. dropping, failing to catch a high thrown club, having clubs knocked or stolen out of a player’s hands or pattern, etc.
- A player holding or trapping clubs instead of juggling them.
- A player attempting to juggle a club they have just dropped and has bounced off the floor.
- A player attacking an opponent’s body or head. The target is the opponent’s clubs so accidental hits to hands or arms are not considered a foul unless the attack is unnecessarily violent.
- A player leaving the arena for any reason.
If a player that has committed a foul disrupts the play of an opponent, the opponent may rejoin and continue play immediately.
If a player that has committed a foul continues to disrupt play or fails to leave the arena quickly the game ends and the opposite team receives points as in a regular game ending.
6. Valid play
A player may juggle two clubs in one hand for as many throws as they want while attacking with their third club.
A player may attack an opponent from behind.
A player may steal an opponent’s club or clubs. If they do this by throwing one of their own clubs away they must be clearly in sole control of the stolen club before the first club hits the floor. If two players are left holding the same club and are juggling just 5 clubs between them, the player who was juggling the jointly held club first must be allowed to continue juggling their three clubs. The player who is left with just two clubs has committed a foul.
A player may juggle four or more clubs either by stealing them from an opponent without dropping any of their clubs or by picking or kicking up a club that has been dropped by another player. The player may then throw any of the clubs they are juggling at an opponent as long as they continue juggling at least three clubs.
A player may kick a club dropped by another player directly at an opponent. If they throw one of their own clubs at an opponent before kicking the found club up into their own pattern they have committed a foul.
A player may make a kamikaze attack against an opponent by throwing a club at them without a chance of ever catching another club. When that club hits the floor or is caught by another player the first player is left with just two clubs and has committed a foul.
A player may keep a club from hitting the floor by kicking, bouncing or hitting it up with any single part of their body or clubs.
Footnotes:
1. Exact size and shape for the arena is not needed. It can be any size or shape. A large, wide arena makes play slower and a small or narrow arena makes play a lot faster.
2. Awarding extra an extra point for each player left juggling at the end of a game encourages skillful attacks over mindless kamikaze style attacks.