Calcio Storico, football for real men!

The most Brutal sport on the planet!

So you think American football, Rugby and mixed martial arts fighting are brutal. Well Wait till I tell you about a sport played only once per year and only in a town in Italy. It will surely tickle all the blood-sport enthusiast among you.

Calcio fiorentino better known as as calcio storico is an early form of football. It originated way back in the 16th-century in Italy. It was once a widely played sport, The game may have started as a revival of the Roman sport of harpastum. Harpastum, was a form of ball game played in the Roman Empire. The Romans also referred to it as the small ball game. The ball used was small and hard, probably about the size and solidity of a softball.

During the renaissance era Calcio was a game reserved for rich aristocrats who played every night between Epiphany and Lent. Even popes, such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII played the sport in Vatican City. The games could get violent as teams vied to score goals. A variation of Calcio Fiorentino was most likely played in the 15th century as well,

Interest in Calcio dropped in the early 17th century. However, in 1930 it was reorganized as a game in Kingdom of Italy,[1] under Mussolini. It was widely played by amateurs in streets and squares using handmade balls of cloth or animal skin.Today, three matches are played each year in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence in the 3rd week of June. A team from each quartiere of the city is represented:
Santa Croce / Azzurri (Blues)
Santa Maria Novella / Rossi (Reds)
Santo Spirito / Bianchi (Whites)
San Giovanni / Verdi (Greens)
After playing each other in two opening games, the two overall winners go into the yearly final on June 24, better known as San Giovanni (St. John)'s Day, the Patron Saint of Florence. For decades, this violent match has resulted in severe injuries, including death. During the early decades, in order to encourage wagering and achieve a bettable winner, there were times when bulls would be ushered into the ring in hopes of adding confusion and inciting victory. The modern version of calcio has not changed much from its historical roots, which allow tactics such as head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking. However due to often fatal injuries, sucker punches and kicks to the head are currently banned. It is also prohibited for more than one player to attack an opponent. Any violation leads to being expelled from the game.

Here are the rules for the game.
Matches last 50 minutes and are played on a field covered in sand, twice as long as it is wide (approximately 80x40 metres). A white line divides the field into two identical squares, and a goal net runs the width of each end.
Each team has 27 players and no substitutions are allowed for injured or expelled players. The teams are made up of four goalkeepers, three fullbacks, five halfbacks, and fifteen forwards. The Captain and Standard Bearer's tent sits at the center of the goal net. They do not actively participate in the game, but can organize their teams and occasionally act as referees, mainly to calm down their players or to stop fights.
The referee and his six linesmen officiate the match in collaboration with the Judge Commissioner, who remains off the field. The referee, above everyone else, is the Master of the Field. He makes sure the game runs smoothly, stepping into the field only to maintain discipline and reestablish order when fights occur.
A small cannon shot announces the beginning of the event. The game starts when the starter throws and kicks the ball toward the center line, then at the first whistle as the ball first rests on field, 15 forwards or begin fighting in a wild mixed martial arts match- punching, kicking, tripping, hacking, tackling, and wrestling with each other in an effort designed to tire opponents' defenses, but which often descends into an all-out brawl. They try to pin and force into submission as many players possible. Once there are enough incapacitated players, the other teammates come and swoop up the ball and head to the goal.
From this moment on, the players try by any means necessary to get the ball into the opponent's' goal. The teams change sides with every goal scored. It is important to shoot with precision, because every time a player throws or kicks the ball above the net, the opposing team is awarded with a half goal. The game ends after 50 minutes and the team which scored the most points wins.
The prize is also interesting, because along with the glory of the win, the winning team used to receive a Chianina, a type of cow. However, this has been reduced to a free dinner for the winning team; the players earn no other compensation.
Check out a video of the sport: