Chadminton

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Chadminton is a sport invented in western Ohio by college age students. It has gained popularity at Ohio State University, where it was introduced by Alex Merkert in 2006. Of the games that have been played, the official rules have not been enforced in there entirety. The following rules are the official rules of the game, although games are played without officials or gray points. Additionally, the points have only been awarded in one point increments in games played to five, although one "yellow point" has been scored by two-time chadminton MVP Steve Gronauer.

Field
Chadminton played on a field, called the “ladder”, with dimensions of 80 yards by 55 yards. (This may be accomplished by playing on a football field where the 10 yard lines are the end lines) The middle of the field is a line that shall be called midfield, the side of a team’s defense is called their backfield, and the side of a team’s offense is called their upfield.

Players
Each team should have 7 players on the field at a time. It is up to the discretion of the team to decide how many of each type is on the field, but there may be no more than 3 of each of the following:

Striker - Strikers play forward on the ladder and usually represent the primary goal scoring threat.
Sweeper - Sweepers play near the middle and sides of the ladder. This position is crucial for offense, defense, and field position.
Guard - Guards play on the first quarter of the ladder and represent the last line of defense before the goalie.
Goalie - Keepers of the goals may use specially formatted, broad sticks to prevent balls from entering the goal. Hand usage is also allowed in limited form for defensive purposes only.
Chad - The defining position of the game. Chads may use a pillow to inflict physical punishment on opposing players. While designed as a defensive position, Chads have evolved into players in offensive and goal keeping schemes.

Time Management
Chadminton is a sport not determined by any number of periods for any amount of time. Instead, completion of the game requires one of three scenarios:
1.A blue point is scored after the standard 4 red points
2.A pseudo-blue point is scored after a pre-determined number of red points
3.If at least 3/4 of the participants and 2/3 of the judges determine that the game is taking too long, the teams may agree to end the game

Equipment
The Chadminton goal is 72 in tall x 42 in wide x 27 in deep.
The Chadball shall be a ball the same size as a softball, with a circumference of 11 inches.
Each player’s main function shall be determined by the equipment they use at any given time.
The racket is 49” long, with an 11” scoop and a 38” handle. The scoop also is about 4” deep at its deepest point. The scoop is used to carry and throw the ball and is used by Strikers, Sweepers, Guards, and Goal Keepers.
The pad is about 24” by 15”, and is nearly identical to any standard pillow. It is used to “attack” a player of the opposite team, or to hit the Chadball in any way. It is used by the Chad.
The goal keeper may wear any type of the following equipment: helmet with facemask, shin guards, thigh guards, gloves, chest/shoulder pads.
A goalie may use their feet in any way to move or deflect the Chadball.

Scoring
If any player causes the ball to enter the opposing team’s goal, they will receive a red point. Once any team has scored 4 red points, they are eligible to score a blue point. Scoring the blue point officially wins the game.
A yellow point will be awarded for impressive goals. In order to receive a yellow point, at least one judge must suggest that it is a yellow point and it may be discussed for up to 60 seconds. The yellow point can only be given if it is a unanimous decision. Standard impressive goals include, but are not limited to, the following:
A one-timer goal
A goal through the legs or behind the back
A goal scored from an exceptionally long distance

A yellow point will be equivalent to two red points. In the case that a team has 3 red points and scores a yellow point, the team will still have a score of 4 red points and will at that time become eligible for a blue point.

Penalties
Gray points will be used as penalty markers. Any player receiving 5 gray points will be ejected from the game. Once a team has accumulated 5 gray points total, the opposing team will enter showdown. Gray points are assessed on the following acts:
Guarding the Chadball (holding the mouth of the scoop close to the arm(s) or body in order to prevent it from coming loose)
Touching the Chadball with the hand(s) or foot(feet)
Throwing the Chadball at player of the opposing team
Going out of bounds with the Chadball
Deflecting another players stick with the hand(s) or arm(s)
Purposely hitting a player of the opposing team with the stick
Purposely checking a player of the opposing team from behind
Other acts of indiscretion determined to be in bad sportsmanship

Gray points are determined by the field judge.

Celebration
Every time a team earns a point, it is mandatory for at least one (1) player on that team to perform some sort of celebration. Failure to do so will result in a team gray point, which is not assessed on any specific player but still adds to the total gray points for that team.

Face off
This occurs at the beginning of the game or in the event of a free ball. Two players will face each other with sticks down, and the chadball will be dropped at their feet as they battle for possession.

Point Break
In the case of a scoop or stick breaking, the referee throws the “R” card, and a face off occurs at the point of the malfunction after it has been resolved.

Serving
This occurs any time the opposing team scores a goal. The Chadball shall be placed at the 30 yard line and then scooped from the ground into the opponent’s backfield.

Showdown
Showdown occurs any time that a gray point is awarded to the opposing team from the 5th gray point and thereafter. A player from the opposing team is allowed to take a free shot on goal from anywhere outside the goalie box, which will have a goalie in it. All the other players are to stand around the left and right sides of the goalie box, ready for any kind of rebound.

Referees
There are three different referees.

Field Judge: The field judge determines the distribution of gray points.
Ball Judge: The ball judge is responsible for placing the ball and distributing red points.
Line Judge: The line judge is responsible for keeping the boundaries.

The Field Judge has final say over all calls.

Insufficient teams
Some pickup games may fall victim to having less than 7 players per team. In this case, one of the two following clauses may be called into effect for the game:

Downsizing Clause
The players are split into two teams of equal sizes. Each team must have at least one chad.

Roaming Chad Clause
The players are split into two teams of equal sizes, with one remaining player to be a neutral chad. In this case, the chad may hit the ball or players from either team in whatever way they see fit.

Stick and Scoop Specifications
The stick and scoop may be covered in any kind of tape in order to strengthen, secure, or decorate said equipment for use in a game. However, neither the stick nor the scoop may be added to in any manner which drastically changes the functionality, e.g. creating a pocket for the ball to sit in so that it does not fall out of the scoop. In the case of duct tape “rails” along the sides of the scoop, these are allowed as long as the ball can come loose from the scoop due to the force of a normal throw or shot.

History
Chadminton was created by Alex Merkert, JT Szabo, Zack Caldwell, and Benjamin Holmes in 2004. The game was originally inspired by the sport of badminton. The original sport was an individual sport played by volleying a large rubber ball back and forth using frisbees. However, this sport lasted only a day before being replaced by a different version much closer to the modern game.

Only the name "chadminton" (first coined by Zack Caldwell) was borrowed for this version. The game was developed using elements of lacrosse, field hockey, and the fictional sport "Quidditch". The original equipment did not hold up as well before a new type of scoop was evolved to its more modern format in 2006, when its popularity became solidified at select college campuses. The first game of chadminton was played at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, on May 19th, 2006. Two more games were played in 2006, followed by the first full chadminton season in 2007. After the season, the first annual chadminton awards ceremony took place. On July 20th and 21st, 2007, the first Chadminton Summer Conference and Tournament, held in Columbus, Ohio, featured players from a diverse range of unversities and high schools. During this time, the first full 7-on-7 game of chadminton took place.

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