Speedball

What is Speedball?
Speedball is the sport played all across the New Federation Order and is funded and directly supported by the government. Speedball invites its players to compete in a game requiring immense skill, speed, strength and tactics. It is known to be a particularly dangerous sport and has resulted in a few casualties over the years. However the government provides it's competitors with extremely advanced protective equipment to reduce the chance of serious injury.

Origins
Speedball originated as an underground sport, usually regarded as illegal. During it's time as an underground sport the rules were far less strict and safety equipment was poor in quality. As a result it was a sport that had a very high fatality rate and was more of a bloodbath than a real sporting event. At this time it didn't have an official name, most called it Bloodball, and the name Speedball only became the official name of the sport once it was taken over by the NFO.

How to Play
Teams consist of eight players, two of which are substitutes who may only join the game in the event of a player suffering a severe injury or being sent off by a referee. The sport takes place in small arenas which vary wildly, these arenas contains platforms, walls, stairs and various hazards. The aim of the goal is to deliver the ball, which is made of solid metal and is small enough to fit into one hand, through your opponents scoring hoop. The hoop is a small target and moves, making it quite challenging to score.

Almost anything is allowed when it comes to how to achieve this goal. Any form of physical contact is allowed, however high contact is to be avoided where possible and can be penalized in extreme situations. Players are allowed to run and pass with the ball, hide the ball, throw the ball at an opponent, it really doesn't matter. All that matters is that whatever strategy they choose, that they score points.

Game duration changes depending on the tournament, however most go for 60 minutes with only a 5 minute half time break. In tournaments teams are required to play either Bo3 or Bo5 series with each game being played in a different arena, as decided by the teams prior to the game through a pick and ban system. In friendly games or ladder matches, the games usually go for 120 minutes instead.

Tournament System
The grand tournament hosted by the NFO occurs once a year, however other tournaments and competitions are hosted frequently. The NFO tournament features a unique system of 16 teams in a double elimination format, the top 4 teams from the previous year are guaranteed a spot in next years tournament. The other 12 teams qualify based on their power rank, a rank that is determined by a voting from various NFO officials, team captains, coaches and other officials. The panel take into account the players, experience, recent results and any other factors that seem relevant to how the team will perform. The winner of the tournament becomes the reigning champion, and the tournament in the following year will be in their name.