Jugging

Jugging (also known as Jugger) is often described as "medieval style football." It utilizes padded safety equipment, two teams, a ball (known as the "skull"), and two goals. A gong, drum, or other way of keeping a beat is utilized to count time (known as "stones").

There are five positions per team, with an additional two alternates allowed. While variations exist, the basic positions are:

• Quick: armed only with a dagger, the Quick is the only position which can deliberately touch the Skull.
• Chain: the chain is generally armed with dual flails, or a flail and a medium/short sword.
• Shield: armed with sword/club and a non-tower shield
• Heavy: armed with a two-handed weapon (such as spear, glaive, or great sword)
• Slash: armed with two swung weapons

The field is generally 100ft long by 50ft wide (though this is normally eyeballed during casual play, or established per-existing boundaries are used, such as walls in an indoor game).

Each "inning" (WC?) consists of 100 "stones," with each "stone" lasting approximately 2 seconds. The game continues until a given score is achieved (generally 5pts), or two "innings" (WC?) finish, with the team who is ahead at the end declared as the winner. In the event of a tie one additional "inning" is played, with the first team who scores declared as the winner.

After an "inning" the players switch sides of the field. Alternates may be subbed in after a point is scored, or at the end of an inning (or in the event of an injury).

Standard Dargarthian rules of play include:

• players (aside from the Quick) start on their goal line
• players may not move until one of the Quicks touches the Skull.
• the Heavy cannot cross the half-court line

Some variations are:

• two slashes per team, in place of a chain and a slash (because of the common lack of flails)
• the heavy may cross the half-court line
• the heavy can shield break (if wielding a red)
• a circle in the middle of the field; only the Quicks may enter the circle until the skull is removed

• Quicks may not take daggers into the center circle at round start

The "official" Dargarth jugging rules can be found here, though it should be noted that these rules are normally modified in some fashion (such as shortened counts after Death/Wounding/Stunned).

The official Dargarth jugging tournament is known as the Skullbowl. It is a yearly event which has so far been held in the winter, though Dargarth tends to jug throughout the year (especially in the nice seasons).

Jugging was first introduced in the movie The Blood of Heroes. Since then it has spread across the world in several independent movements. In Europe and Australia actual amateur sport leagues exist, while in America the sport as become popular with medieval combat and LARP organizations, most notably Amtgard, though other groups such as Belegarth and the SCA also occasionally participate.

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