Basilisk (sport)

A basilisk player wearing a blinding helmet with the visor down, holding a basilisk ball, and carrying a scoop.

Basilisk is a team ball sport popular in Avistan that is named for a mechanic in which certain players must stop moving, as if paralyzed by a basilisk. The sport is considered by several nations to be a safer pastime than combat sports such as jousting.

Rules and equipment

Each team in a basilisk match attempts to place a lightweight eight-inch scoring ball through a round goal on the opposing end of a field. The task is complicated both by the presence of an opposing team who attempts to prevent the scoring ball from reaching their goal, and by two rules:

• The player in possession of the scoring ball must wear a blinding helmet or blindfold that restricts or fully blocks their vision, and must be guided toward the opposing goal by the touch or voice of their teammates.
• A second ball, the foot-wide basilisk ball, is also in play. An opponent struck with the basilisk ball is "tagged" and must stop moving until touched by a designated player called the cleric.

Players carry curved scoops designed to catch and hurl the basilisk ball. While the scoring ball can be scooped, its small size and light weight—and the scoring ball carrier's lack of vision—make throwing it riskier than handing it off. Scoops often bear a team's colors and personal decorations.

Equipment is often standardized in professional play, and more improvised in smaller or less wealthy competitions. Blinding helmets used in formal play include a visor that restricts the wearer's vision when lowered. While many basilisk balls used in professional league play are made of lizard skin, some are made of genuine basilisk hide with potentially magical paralysis. Balls used in casual play are typically made of green-painted cowhide.

Positions

Each basilisk team has ten players✝ filling eight positions:

• Two runners who collect and advance the scoring ball into a threatening position. Typically a team's fastest-moving players, runners wield shorter scoops specialized for passing.
• Two strikers who attempt to possess and hurl the basilisk ball in order to paralyze opponents. Exceptional strikers are known for their technical skills, with throws that not only hit their target but bounce into other opponents for double- and triple-tag plays.
• A caller who guides the scoring ball's carrier toward the goal and guides the team's tactical decisions. The caller is typically the team's captain.
• A cleric whose touch unfreezes tagged players, whether on their own team or the opposing team. Some team strategies force a cleric to touch a player on their opponent's team in order to unfreeze them.
• A guide who stands near the opposing goal and often uses their momentum rather than vision to receive the scoring ball and score, a move known as a "pass-play".
• A goaltender who stands a certain distance, typically 30 feet, from the opposing team's goal and attempts to defend it from scoring plays by blocking the scoring ball.
• A shield who specializes in intercepting the basilisk ball, protecting their teammates. Shield players are allowed a wider, flatter scoop.
• A watcher who helps independent match referees enforce the flow of play by calling out when an opponent possesses the scoring ball and should be blinded, or when an opposing player is tagged by the basilisk ball. The player filling the watcher position typically rotates between matches for rest.

Competitions

While informal competitions have grown in popularity, the sport's fame is led by the international professional Avistan Basilisk League, whose teams have grown in stature to have their own fan organizations. As of 4722 AR, the league has spread in recent years to also include some teams from Garund. The league is particularly popular among gamblers, who take bets not only on competition or match results but also events within matches as granular as individual plays.