Perhaps, the fireball soccers is not so common and it might be a dangerous sport ever. Let me tell you further about this occasional sport that existed a long time ago and it is considered as a traditional sport in Indonesia that is practised to welcome the holy month Ramadhan. This game is more extreme than the regular football matches. As it is not a regular sport, the fireball is practised by particular players as to test the courage of student in East Java. It is just practised in some part of Indonesia provinces such as Yogyakarta, Tasikmalaya, Bogor and Papua. The ball is made from the coconut and soaked with the kerosene. They bathed the coconut for a week or some said it took around an hour for the duration of the game. The expert selects the best coconut, old and dry and the trick is removed around 0.5 cm from the outer skin of the shell, using a knife to make it round. The coconut water has to be removed and the shell punctured with the tip of a knife, this is done before the coconut is soaked with the kerosene. Sound a bit scary...! As it is included as an extreme soccer match, the players must pass some pre-ritual process before the game are vital things to do by the players. They light the coconut on fire, soak all the players in salt and non-flammable spices, say a little player and start kicking the ball with their barefoot.
In order to avoid the fatality during the matches, the players were demanded to follow the prior ritual, such as fasting and prayers. It sounds odd, but that is what the have to do before they play the soccer that makes our heart pumping, thrilling, terrifying when we watch the fireball flying in the air. The rule of the game is the same with regular football, where the goals are counted to be a winner. They kick the fireball just like the regular football players do. It is just like with other unique sports Footdoubleball, Cycle Ball or Burton-on-the-waters. At glance, it is just a fire rolling the ball, but if the players do not how to manage the ball and they did not pass the ritual process, it will burn their feet or even whole their body, it will not happen if the player obey the rule and the ritual that I mentioned above.
The match was conducted at evening time, the fireball matches are not taken place in a stadium but traditionally they played in the dirt, in order to avoid the grass field catching on fire. They commonly played on the street or on the sand. One thing for sure, not all people have a gut to watch this game, we need to be as brave as a player to watch the match. Just like the normal sport, the fireball players must have physical strength and skill beside they also need to train their spirit that is possessed after going through a special ritual that aims to make them impervious to fire. The rule is adopted much alike the regular football game which this game is played by two teams, each team consists of eleven players who are taking the fireball to the opposing goal. The way they play is, once again, the same with regular football where the players can use their feet, head, and chest. The goalkeepers are also allowed to use their hand to catch the ball. In this game, the referee is assigned to monitor the game. The players must play this game with their bare-foot throughout 90 minutes of the game. Surely, this game is not born for the weak, during the game the intensity and nerves are at a high to adapt themselves to the fire.
Things to do before the game
The players soak in salt and nonflammable spice
The ball is lit on fire and gameplay begin
The Rule of the Game Play
- No shoes allowed
- Each team consist of eleven players
- Everyone else on the field can keep the ball at a distance from the initial contact
Actually, there is no such an official rule, it is just like the regular football rule is applied in this sport but the way they played might have the difference is that where they use the fireball and the brave that may be possessed, especially for the goalie whose job to stop the ball by any means. The goal has no net, and behind the goalie, the crowd standing if the goalie is not capable of catching the ball, the flaming went directly into the crowd.
Conclusion
The fireball sport is an occasional sport that is only played to welcome holy month Ramadhan in Indonesia. This sport is played in some particular region in Indonesia such as Yogyakarta, Bogor, Tasikmalaya and Papua regions of the Southeastern Asia archipelago. This is included as the extreme football sport that is still conserved until the present time. When we talk about football, the fireball has its own ball, that was made from the coconut. After some making process, the coconut is bathed for a certain of time in order that the ball can last long. The purpose of this game is to test the courage of the students who make them as the braver. Before the game begins, the players must pass the pre-ritual process, including the players must fast within the certain days and the players must have physical strength, skill, and gut. During the gameplay, the goalie must catch the ball by any necessary means because the goal is not set a net so the fireball is going directly to the crowds who stand behind the goal. Even so, this sport is considered as the exciting sport to watch in those regions. Probably, we can say, this is a crazy sport that ever exists on this planet!
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