Lore:Teeba-Hatsei (sport)

Teeba-Hatsei (meaning "Hip and Tail Ball") is a uniquely Argonian sport that makes use of their tails. Hands and feet are not used to hit the ball; only hips, elbows, and tails. Some players wear padding of wood and dried wasso leaves on their hips. Competitive balls are heavy and made of depasa gum. Non-competitive balls are softer, and ideal for performing tricks. They are usually comprised of snake leather with a swamp jelly core. The balls used to play teeba-enoo are strikingly similar to those used in teeba-hatsei.

The best teeba-players are short and bulky, with broad tails and control of their hips. In particular, a good teeba-hatsei player should be able to swing their hips powerfully and with ease. One who has long arms and a thin tail will have difficulty excelling in teeba-hatsei.

Setup

The game is played on a broad field of dry mud and salt-meadow hay. On either end of the field is a wall of mud and eeto cane. The field's size and the wall's height vary from village to village. Two reed hoops are suspended over the field: one is about fifty hands high, the other around thirty. The hoops' height also varies from tribe to tribe. The game is played by two teams of five.

Rules

The game begins when someone tosses the ball skyward. Players try to hit the ball with their hips, elbows, and tails, which can hurt due to the ball's heft; this is why some players wear padding. Tail strikes tend to be the strongest. The ball is volleyed back and forth as each team tries to strike the opposing wall.

• When a team strikes the wall, they earn a point.
• If it's raining when the wall is struck, the team that hit the opposing wall will get two points.
• Teams can earn three points by hitting the ball through the lower hoop, which is difficult as the hole is very small.
• If points are scored too quickly, the ball is covered in mud.

The game continues until one team gets ten points. If someone manages to get the ball through the upper hoop, the game ends immediately, and whichever team has the highest score at that time is declared the winner.