Florentine football is a special sport that has been around for centuries. He is one of the progenitors of all modern types of football, including American. However, he is very different from them, having a rather spontaneous and cruel character. So what is Florentine football?
Lineups
Florentine football differs from modern types in that a huge number of people take part in it. If in ordinary European football each team has eleven people on the field, then in the case of Florentine there are 27 of them, that is, in total 54 people play simultaneously. Moreover, they are not an unorganized crowd - out of 27 players, fifteen are attackers, while they are divided into three groups, two of which become flanking, and one becomes central. Under the fifteen forwards, five people play, which in modern sport could be called midfielders. As for the defenders, there are only three of them, but four more players are playing above them, who are called assistant defenders. However, it is worth noting that the roles of the players are not very clearly distributed, and a lot of things on the field are quite spontaneous - this is the beauty of a game like Florentine football. But now it's time to find out what exactly is happening on the field.
Rules of the game
And the first thing you should pay attention to when considering the rules of this sport is the size of the field. On which field are Florentine football played? Photos may seem surprising to you - and this is not a deception. The field for this type of football has virtually no markings, there is no goal, it has an elongated shape. The fact is that it is two equal squares that designate half the field of each of the teams. The specific size of the field does not exist, but in most cases the site can vary from 40 to 50 meters in width and from 80 to 100 meters in length. The main thing is that the width is half the length. What is the width of the gate? Florentine football does not establish a specific framework where the ball should fly. A net is stretched over the fence separating the field and the fans' zone, and the ball should fly exactly into it - its width is equal to the width of the field. However, attackers need to aim very well, because if the ball flies higher, the opposing team will receive half the point.
Game features
However, what is remarkable for this sport? The fact is that this is one of the peculiar ways of the southern peoples to lose the aggression that accumulates due to hot temperament. Thus, if you play Florentine football, the opponent’s goal is not your only goal. You can also attack all opponents, including those without the ball. In this regard, in Florentine football there are no restrictions. One team needs to neutralize enemy players in order to score a goal, but the opponent will also try to do the same. As for the ball game, there are also no restrictions. You can use your arms, legs, head and any other parts of the body to move the ball around the field. You can run with the ball without any restrictions, that is, until you pass the ball, hit the goal or until you take it away. In general, what is happening on the field is reminiscent of a wall-to-wall fight, but only in this fight the ball also takes part, and the result should be goals scored, not the opponent's knockout.
Tournaments
Florentine football, of course, is characteristic exclusively for Florence - in other countries of the world it does not have popularity. Moreover, it is not even played in other cities in Italy. In Florence, it has existed for many centuries, and still every year a tournament is held between four teams. In total, only three matches of fifty minutes are played - two semi-finals, of which two winning teams come out, and one final held between them. This tournament does not have a prize pool, so winners receive only a free dinner. But the point is not in money, but in honor, because for a whole year the winning team will be the champion. In ancient times, for the victory they also gave a cow to one of the oldest and most expensive breeds, but now such a trophy is no longer awarded.