Home > List > Yukigassen

Yukigassen is a one of a kind sport, that involves fighting with snowballs. The Japanese term literally translates to snow-battle. The sport was developed in Japan, and is currently played in Australia, Canada, and in many European countries.

---

---

Yukigassen is a team sport played between two teams with seven players on each team.
The game is played outdoors on a specially designed court that has an ice surface. The court consists of several small wall like barriers behind which players secure themselves from being hit. Players wear helmets and full winter-gear to play the sport. Two flags, one for each team is placed on the opposing ends, is used as a part of game play.

For a match, each team gets to use 90 snowballs. Before the start of play, players from both teams pick up two snowballs and wait in a ready position. When the game starts, players start throwing snowballs at the opposing team's players. Within a team, players take an offensive and defensive position, in which the players on offense strike the opponents, while defensive players reinforce them with more snowballs. Players are considered out if they are hit by a snowball.

A match is played in a three set format, where each set lasts for three minutes. The objective for each team is to get all the players of the opposing team out, or capture the opposing team’s flag. The team that wins two sets first is the winner of the match.

---

---

Similar Sports

• Capture The Flag — the aim is to get the other team’s flag which is located at their base.
• Bo-taoshi — an unusual sport from Japan which is a capture-the-flag-like game
• Snow Skiing — traveling over a snow surface on skis. Competitive forms include Alpine Skiing (or Downhill Skiing), and Cross-Country / Nordic Skiing.

Related Pages

• About Sport in Japan
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports