Jugger: From niche pastime to world championship

Foam swords, chains and a ball resembling a football may make Jugger look like a mix of fencing, rugby and medieval combat. In practice, it is a tactical team sport, and Dresden is preparing to host one of its biggest international gatherings.

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I watched the film with friends in 1992 and we considered how to play this game without the risk of injury.

Up to 120 teams will compete at the World Club Championship from Sept. 4 to 6. The field will include teams from Europe, Australia, Japan and the United States, as well as Anima Equorum from Halle. The sport took its idea from the post-apocalyptic film The Blood of Heroes.

Lester Balz said he watched the film with friends in 1992 and began considering how to recreate its game without the risk of injury. As the operator of Jugger.de, he helped turn the fictional contest into a real sport.

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The field is 20 by 40 meters, which is about the size of a handball court.

A Jugger field measures 20 by 40 meters, about the size of a handball court. Two teams of five players compete, with one runner on each side. The other players carry long and short foam-padded sticks, known as pompfen. Each team can also use one chain, shields and a foam ball attached to a cord.

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There is also a foam ball on a cord, the so-called chain, and shields.

At the start of a round, the jugg lies in the center. The runners race to seize it and try to place it in the opposing goal, while the remaining players protect their runner and stop the other team’s runner. A player struck by a stick must kneel for a set period, counted through an audible rhythm. A chain strike requires eight beats, with each beat lasting 1.5 seconds. The game rewards teams that shield their runner, tie up opponents, create openings and close down the opposing attack.

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If a pompfer is hit by a chain, the player has to kneel for eight beats, with one beat lasting 1.5 seconds.