Galactic Plate 1: Community Football world championship

[The Babbage Islands]

Links: Community football rules | Host bid | Tournament schedule

Community football is the result of a two-and-a-half year old discussion about inventing an original sport for the world of NationStates. While some events were held in those days, no official world championship was held as the participants continued to evolve a rules set. Time moved on, people have come and gone. The main rules page disappeared into Internet nothingness, not even the Wayback Machine was able to help. But rules have been reconstructed and several nations have signed on, so let's bring this sport back into the world.

This is a signup thread for the World Championship of Community Football.
Community Football is a unique sport invented here. Rules are in the next post.
This is not a soccer or American football event!

Come, be a part of history! You can sign up by posting your interest below.

If you're inclined to host, we're also open to host bids. Post them here too. There are two scorinators in existence, an xkoranate sport file (that needs to be installed; it's not part of the download) and a Google Doc (link in my sig). I'll post a host bid so we're sure to have one, but others are welcome.

Finally, I called this the Global Whatsit to stimulate conversation. We could have a straightforward World Cup or world championship. Or, in the spirit of this invented game we can invent a new title. Community Plate? Global Shield? Planetary Bowl? Let your imagination go, and we can vote on something.

[The Babbage Islands]

OOC Background

This fictional sport in the world of NationStates was invented by a group of members of the NS Sports forum in 2012. It was worked out by brainstorming on a discussion thread, and several competitions were held. The original code of rules was compiled by The Babbage Islands and maintained on nswiki.net. Sadly that page seems irretrievable. TBI has compiled this version 2 of community football, trying to be faithful to the established consensus and practice of the pioneers.

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Community Football Code v2.1

Overview

The Community Football Code, generally shortened to community football or CFC (and sometimes called Target from the configuration of the pitch), is a field sport played by two teams of nine players each on a circular pitch 75 metres in diameter.

The object for each team is to score more points than the other team by legally sending a rugby football between two vertical goal posts and above the horizontal crossbar connecting them. Two goals are set diametrically opposite one another, with each team generally defending one goal and attempting to score through the other.

Pitch

Three lines marked on the ground and two goals define the pitch.


The touch line is a circle 75 m in diameter.
The 18-metre line is a circle 39 m in diameter, 18 m from touch all round.
The centre circle is a circle 3 m in diameter.
(All of these circles have a common centre point.)

These lines define zones of play. The inner ring is the area within the 18 m line, including the centre circle. The outer ring is the area between the 18 m line and the touch line. The in-touch or out-of-bounds area is beyond the touch line. A player or ball touching the 18 m line is in the outer ring. A player or ball touching the touch line is in-touch or out-of-bounds.

Each goal has two vertical goal posts 8 m tall, spaced 6.5 m apart, connected by a horizontal crossbar 5 m above the ground. The centre points of each goal are 75 m apart and centred above the touch line; the goal posts are therefore in-touch or out-of-bounds.

The team boxes are located 1 m outside the touch line, diametrically opposite each other on an axis perpendicular to the line between goals. The permitted occupants of the team box are regulated by organisers. No person shall leave the team box to enter the field of play or otherwise interfere with play except in the course of lawful substitution or, with the head official's permission, to attend to an injured player.

The Ball

The ball is a prolate spheroid, inflated with air, of approximately elliptical shape. It is made of approved synthetic materials or leather, and may be of any colour or colours.

A standard ball is 28–30 cm long and 58–62 cm in circumference at its widest point. It weighs 410–460 g and is inflated to 65.7–68.8 kPa.

Number of Players

A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than nine players. A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than seven players.

In official competitions a maximum of five substitutions may be used. The rules of the competition shall specify how many substitutes may be nominated, up to a maximum of twelve. In other matches the teams concerned may agree to increase these numbers prior to the start of the match, provided that the head official is notified.

The names of all players and substitutes are given to the head official prior to the start of the match. Any substitute whose name is not given to the head official at that time may not take part.

During play either team may make substitutions at any time by having the departing player exit the pitch to the team box. After the departing player has entered the box the replacement player may then leave the box and enter the pitch. A player may return to play after having been substituted, but each such action counts against the limit of five total substitutions.

Player Equipment

Uniforming standards are the responsibility of organisers. In their absence it is expected that all players will wear a sleeved jersey or shirt, shorts, socks, footwear, and shin guards. Teams shall ensure that the colours worn contrast sufficiently from those worn by their opponents and the officials.

Jewellry is forbidden to all players and officials, save for a timekeeping device worn or carried by the head official.

Other protective equipment may be worn if its use poses no danger to the wearer or any other player.

Officials

Major competitions use teams of six officials. The four on-field officials are the head official, circle official, and two goal judges. Two scorekeepers are stationed off-field at the two team boxes.

• The head official keeps the time, whistles the (re)start of play, and serves as overall arbiter of the match.
• The circle official tosses the ball in neutral starts and monitors the taking of ground balls in the centre circle or inner ring.
• The goal judges signal scores and generally observe play as the ball nears the touch line.
• The scorekeepers keep the score, monitor substitutions, and time penalties.
• Any of the four on-field officials may whistle any observed foul. Only the head official may issue a sanction (formal warning or ejection).

Matches below the top level may operate with as few as three officials, often with the head official also assuming the duties of the circle official and the goal judges also assuming the duties of the scorekeepers.

Duration

A match has three 15-minute periods of play with a five-minute interval between periods. The head official may add time to the length of a period to compensate for significant injuries.

Starts and restarts

At the start of the match, either team may score in either goal. After the first goal is scored, the scoring team will continue to attack that goal for the balance of the period and their opponents will attack the other goal. The teams then switch goals for each succeeding period.

The centre circle is used for neutral starts:

• At the commencement of play in each period.
• After a goal is scored.
• To restart after official stoppages for injury or unusual circumstances.
• (Fouls cause a ground ball restart instead. See that section below.)

In a neutral start, one official blows a starting whistle blast and a second throws the ball up in the centre of the pitch. As the whistle blows two lifters for each side physically lift a third player, the centre, to compete for the ball. Only the centres of each team may intentionally touch the ball until it touches the ground or leaves the centre circle..

Lifting the centre prematurely is a foul, as is pushing or pulling a lifter while their centre is being lifted from or held off the ground. Also, the ball must not be popped while the centre is off the ground. Each of these fouls awards the non-offending side a ground ball (below) within the centre circle.

Playing the ball

Players may freely run with, kick, fist-strike, or throw the ball. However, except in the act of relinquishing possession a player with possession of the ball must maintain it in both hands, in front of the body, and not touching any other part of the body. The principal means of challenging for such a held ball is "popping", where a defender attempts to strike the ball out of the attacker's hands.

A ball in the air is fair game for all. Incidental contact is not a foul, but deliberate contact is.

Scoring

A team scores a goal by legally playing the ball on the full, touching neither ground nor goal posts, between the vertical posts and above the crossbar. A goal from the inner ring scores three points, and a goal from the outer ring scores one point.

Fouls

Additional to the infractions listed for starts and restarts, it is a foul to:

• Kick at a ball in contact with another player's hands, arms, or body above the waist.
• Intentionally make contact with another player.
• Endanger another player.
• Be the last player to contact the ball before it strikes the ground in-touch when a goal was not scored on the play.
• Engage in any manner of unsporting or violent conduct.

Ground ball

Fouls award the non-offending side a ground ball. This consists of one member of that side placing the ball on the ground anywhere within the centre circle. Except for the grounding player, all others must remain in the outer ring until the grounded ball is again touched by that player.

If a foul also resulted in a sanction (below), the non-offending side may elect to take the ground ball at the point of the foul. In this case, except for the grounding player all others must remain in the ring that does not contain the ball and at least 5 m from it until the grounded ball is again touched by that player.

Sanctions (warning and ejection)

The head official may, in addition to the ground ball awarded for a foul, sanction any player for dangerous, violent, or unsporting conduct. A sanction is made by displaying a yellow card (warning) or red card (ejection) to the offender.

Unsporting conduct has been held to include a wide array of infractions including dissent from an official's decision and deliberately fouling an opponent to disrupt a clear scoring opportunity.

A warned player is sent off the pitch for two minutes, returning to play by entering the pitch between the goal posts that team is defending. An ejected player, including a player receiving a second warning in one match, is sent off the pitch for the balance of the match. The ejected player may be replaced with a substitute, if a substitution is available, after two minutes.

Tiebreaking provisions in cups

Ties are normally left unbroken. In matches where a winner must be determined, such as knockout tournaments, the win is awarded to the team with the better score in two of three periods, then the team that won the third period, then the team that won the second period, then the team that scored the first goal, then the away team. (Where matches are conducted on neutral ground and this provision could apply, organisers are expected to designate an away team prior to the competition.) The official score of the match is unchanged.

(v2.1 edits on 2 Feb 2015 clarifying ground balls and neutral starts.)

[Red Blackiland]

Red Blackiland give the shot and manifest your interest in this competition.We like to praise The Babbage Islands for the great work.

[San Jose Guayabal]

We are in, also TBI. Awesome work there

[The Sword Bloke]

The Sword Bloke enter as 786 Main St Deathland's regional team. We won't manipulate

[Apox]

Well, having just read through the rules and the entirety of the development thread for the first time (this thing was all planned out before my time), I'm certainly interested enough to want in on this.

Signing up a team!

And welcome back to NSSports TBI! Good to have you back around!

[Cosumar]

In.

[Darmen]

Ja gut.

[Checkmate]

In, if the eventual hosts allow puppetry. (Puppet of TBI.)

[The Babbage Islands]

Host Bid: The Galactic Plate
(First Community Football World Championship)
Dickinson College
Harbor Beach, Tesla, The Babbage Islands

Dickinson College, the home of the first international meeting and competition at the foundation of our sport, bids to host the first world championship of community football.

Site

The College is a highly-competitive liberal-arts institution with about 1,100 students. There is a single undergraduate programme leading to the Bachelor of Humanities degree, with only one applicant in 23 being accepted to the current freshman class. Our athletic teams, the Poets, don pink and black for school colours and are affiliated with the IAAAA in university sport.

Matches will be played at historic Kipling Field on our campus, recently renovated to increase capacity to 25 279. Spillover sites are available in the city of Harbor Beach (population 174 432) should more than 20 teams enter. Ample accommodations are available for delegations at Emily's Lodge, an on-campus hotel owned by the College, and at nearby properties in the city.

Signup

The tournament is for national representative teams, one team per nation. Entry is made by expressing a desire to enter in the existing tournament thread.

A single player may control more than one entered nation provided that the relationship is disclosed at the time of entry and acknowledged by the principal entrant under their own flag. Since the tournament relies solely upon RP to generate bonuses for the scorinator, if you enter a puppet please be ready for the extra work.

Role-play Bonuses and Rosters

All ranks start at zero. A nation will receive three, four, or five points of RP bonus according to host discretion for its roster, and one-half, one, or two more points for each match day of posted RP.

Roster guidance: Your team needs at least nine named players. Details help enhance RP and may boost your bonus. The roster limit is 18 players. Also, please indicate with your roster any permissions you wish to give or restrictions you wish to impose on the use of your characters by other players in their RPs.

Scorination

TBI's community football module for xkoranate will be used. There will be no ranks, only RP bonuses as outlined above.

Schedule

For qualifying matches a five-round, randomly-drawn schedule will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of first scorination. The entire field is treated as a single group, and the top five teams will advance to a Page-system playoff. Standings will be based upon win-loss record (ties counting as one-half win), with ties broken by points difference (points scored less points yielded) and then points scored.

Subject to the flow of entries the proposed schedule is:

• Qualifying rounds: Tue Dec 30, Wed Dec 31, Thu 1 Jan, Fri 2 Jan, Sat 3 Jan
• Quarterfinal (#4 v #5): Mon 5 Jan
• Minor Semifinal (#3 v quarterfinal winner): Tue 6 Jan
• Major Semifinal (#1 v #2): Tue 6 Jan
• Preliminary Final (winner of minor semifinal v loser of major semifinal): Wed 7 Jan
• Grand Final (winner of major semifinal v winner of preliminary final): Thu 8 jan
• Scorinations should post between 1200 and 1300 UTC (0600-0700 CST).

Why Galactic Plate?

1. It's a name that stands out, in a form similar to that of major championships everywhere.
2. If the Americans can call their national baseball tournament a world series, then why not galactic for a mere world event?
3. A plate, being flat and round, evokes the community football pitch.
4. Suggestions for better names/trophies are welcome!

[The Babbage Islands]

Confirming both our own entry and the puppet status of Checkmate. If TBI hosts the tournament, Checkmate will withdraw to even out numbers as needed.

[Jeckland]

In and all that malarkey.

[Isula ge Ru]

As the OOC user of Carmadin, who initiated all this two and a half years ago, I am proud to enter a team. I can see no better place to host the competition than Dickinson College, which held the first Convocation. TBI, I think I may have a copy of the NSWiki page somewhere on an old computer, I will check.

[The Babbage Islands]

As the OOC user of Carmadin, who initiated all this two and a half years ago, I am proud to enter a team. I can see no better place to host the competition than Dickinson College, which held the first Convocation. TBI, I think I may have a copy of the NSWiki page somewhere on an old computer, I will check.

That would be great to see. And thank you for the kind words.

[Isula ge Ru]

As the OOC user of Carmadin, who initiated all this two and a half years ago, I am proud to enter a team. I can see no better place to host the competition than Dickinson College, which held the first Convocation. TBI, I think I may have a copy of the NSWiki page somewhere on an old computer, I will check.

That would be great to see. And thank you for the kind words.

I will absolutely check either tomorrow or the next day

[The Sword Bloke]

Host Bid: The World's Football Championship
(First Community Football World Championship
TopFloor Arena
Sword Park, The Sword Bloke, 790 Main St, Deathland


TopFloor Arena, the premier stadium in both The Sword Bloke & Deathland, bids to host the first world championship of community football.

Site

TopFloor Arena, 2 doors down from the Sword Shop World HQ, and a part of Sword Park, The main stadium can hold 86,279 spectators and is the ground where most of our Association Football cup finals, big games, etc. are held. Famous for its view of the region, just 10 minutes away from the sea, and near many training grounds, TopFloor also can host business meetings, has 26 corporate boxes, state of the art dressing rooms & gourmet food.

TopFloor Arena is divided into 3 stadiums-
*Orbett Stadium- Main stadium, 75% of matches will be hosted here, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Most of its facilities are mentioned above, 86,279 eager fans can sit here.
*North Krell Stadium- Northern stadium that can host 36,573 spectators, home of the association football team 'That Team the Owner Supports', and is a vintage stadium with a large, 235 seater pub, for those who miss out. Will host 15% of games.
*Michaels-Argonaut Stadium- Can host 14,101 spectators, the newest stadium of the 4, perfectly suited for community football, no association football teams play here as of yet, but will host 10% of games.
In case of more spectators attending game then seats, game will be moved to a larger stadium if one of the latter 2 stadiums. For the former, Live broadcasts are available, as well as 13,000 extra seats if needed.

TBI has all the scoring and fixtures put correct, but I would add a Opening ceremony before the first qualifying round game on the 30th December, and a closing ceremony before the start of the grand final.

Why The World's Football Championship?
1. It would show the diversity of the nations and regions entering.
2. It would mix well with other 'World' events- World Series, World Cup, World Championships.

Aim of the bid-
To show the true colours of Deathland and The Sword Bloke, and also to host a welcoming tournament free from all violence and other incidents.

[The Babbage Islands]

Signups so far:

Apox
Checkmate (puppet of TBI)
Cosumar
Darmen
Isula ge Ru
Jeckland
Red Blackiland
San Jose Guayabal
The Babbage Islands
The Sword Bloke

Host bids so far:

The Babbage Islands
The Sword Bloke

[Patistan]

In

[Sheffland]

Count me in.

[The Sword Bloke]

My Fixtures Plan, should my bid win-
Qualifying rounds: Tue Dec 30, North Krell Stadium, Opening Ceremony
Wed Dec 31, Michaels-Argonaut Stadium
Thu 1 Jan, North Krell Stadium
Fri 2 Jan, Orbett Stadium
Sat 3 Jan, Michaels-Argonaut Stadium
Quarterfinal (#4 v #5): Mon 5 Jan North Krell Stadium
Minor Semifinal (#3 v quarterfinal winner): Tue 6 Jan Orbett Stadium
Major Semifinal (#1 v #2): Tue 6 Jan Orbett Stadium
Preliminary Final (winner of minor semifinal v loser of major semifinal): Wed 7 Jan Orbett Stadium
Grand Final (winner of major semifinal v winner of preliminary final): Thu 8 jan Orbett Stadium, Closing Ceremony

[New West Guiana]

ja

[Slave State]

In

[Waterandearthstan]

I´m in

Thanks

[Nouvelle-Angouleme]

In.

[United States of Devonta]

In