Blitzball Rules

Blitzball is the most popular sport in Oceanus, and blitzball season is a cause for national celebration and displays of fanatic devotion to one's favorite teams. The rules to blitzball are as follows:

1. A professional blitzball game is played by two opposing teams and consists of two, 15-minute halves, with a 30-minute halftime between, allowing participants to recuperate. Should the score be tied at the end of the second round, a 30-minute overtime period will commence. Should the score remain tied at the end of the overtime period, the match will conclude and a rematch will be scheduled.
2. Each professional blitzball game is mediated by 3 referees, one at each goal and one that monitors the players from the outside of the sphere, water walking atop it to observe the acts of the competitors within. Referees are responsible for declaring a goal official and for calling fouls, should any player commit them. They are also responsible for retrieving the blitzball, should it leave the water sphere.
3. A foul occurs when a player inappropriately incapacitates another by using excess violence, either causing a lasting injury or deliberately targeting the private parts or eyes of another player. A foul is also called when a goalkeeper is grappled or otherwise deliberately touched by the opposing team, or when a goalkeeper attempts to grapple or otherwise deliberately touch the opposing team. Should a foul be called by one referee, the others will meet to discuss the event in question to determine whether the foul is official. Should a foul be declared official, the player responsible will be suspended for the remainder of the game (possibly longer if the offense is extremely harmful).
4. The object of blitzball is to score more points than the opposing team, points are scored by hitting, kicking, throwing, or otherwise sending the blitzball through the triangular goal of the opposing team.
5. Each half starts with the blitzball in the possession of one of the two teams. Should a half be disrupted for any reason or a goal be scored, a referee will throw the ball into the air above the sphere and the opposing teams will fight for possession of it once it re-enters the water.
6. Blitzball teams consist of eight players: 3 fielders, 4 defenders, and 1 goalkeeper.
7. Fielders are responsible for getting the blitzball into the other team's goal. They spend their time on the opponent's side of the court, attempting to receive the blitzball and score a point for their side. Fielders tend to be dexterous and nimble, with a priority on speed and evasiveness, and the ability to perform skilled shots at short and long range.
8. Defenders are responsible for stealing the blitzball from the other team. They spend their time on both sides of the court, attempting to disrupt their competitors to keep the ball from them and to steal the ball from the other team's possession by feints or by force. Defenders tend to be stronger and more bulky, with a priority on wrestling and grappling, and the ability to overwhelm their opponents to reclaim the ball.
9. Goalkeepers are responsible for keeping the blitzball from entering their team's goal. They spend their time on their side of the court, never too far from the triangular goal. Goalkeepers tend to be skilled swimmers, with a priority on acrobatic and aerobatic skill that allows them to block the ball from entering the goal even outside the water sphere, and the ability to analyze the opposing fielders to block their shots most effectively.

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The rules for Blitzball participation in a D&D 5e game are as follows.

Blitzball is a skill check based mini game with multiple roles. Should your players choose to participate in a Blitzball game, they must be outfitted in the appropriate equipment, allowing them to breathe underwater and giving them a swim speed equal to their walk speed. If they do not have the appropriate equipment, the rules for suffocation and the rules for swimming for creatures without a swim speed will be in effect. They will then need to choose one of the participating roles. Depending on the role they choose, they will utilize different checks (detailed below) to contribute to the game: they may also propose an unlisted skill check for use, which may be approved by DM's discretion.

The game plays out in a court that is a 200 foot diameter sphere of water, with the goals on opposite poles of the sphere, 5 feet away from the sphere's edge. Players roll Initiative at the start of each half of the game and roll Initiative again each time the ball is returned to the ref (whether due to scoring or foul) to be put back into play. The players are allowed to use their movement and one action on their turn, choosing from the checks and actions listed below. A maximum of 2 actions are permitted for use against a single participant in a single Initiative round.

General Checks

These checks can be used by any participant.
Actions

1. Over Here! (Athletics/Sleight of Hand): Used for attempting to pass the blitzball to another player within 10 feet.
2. You're Not Going Anywhere! (Athletics): Used for taking the blitzball from an opposing participant within 5 feet or grappling an opposing participant within 5 feet. (NOTE: It is a foul to grapple a Goalkeeper, and for a Goalkeeper to grapple though it may be attempted)
3. I'll Take That! (Sleight of Hand): Used for attempting to intercept a pass from an opposing participant within 5 feet or stealing the blitzball from an opposing participant within 5 feet.
4. On My Way!: Used to move quickly across the field, this allows a participant to use the Dash action on their turn.
5. Wait for It!: Used to take action at the opportune time, this allows a participant to Ready an action available to them.

Contested Checks

1. Hands Off! (Athletics/Acrobatics): Used for attempting to escape a grapple check by an opposing participant.
2. I Don't Think So! (Athletics/Perception): Used for attempting to prevent an interception or an opponent's attempt to steal the blitzball.
3. Can't Fool Me! (Perception/Insight): Used for attempting to prevent a Sleight of Hand, Deception, or Intimidation check by an opponent from misleading your attention.

Fielder

These actions can be used by Fielders only.

1. This is My Shot! (Dexterity): Used for attempting to score a goal. This action can only be taken when the Fielder is within 30 feet of the opposing goal (25 feet from the edge of the sphere) and is contested by the opposing Goalkeeper's Acrobatics check. If the Fielder succeeds this check, a goal is scored and a point earned for their team, unless the Goalkeeper uses We're Not Finished Yet! in response.
2. Go Long! (Dexterity): Used for attempting a long pass. This action can be taken when the Fielder is within 20 feet of another participant on their team or (at disadvantage) within 30 feet of another participant on their team.
3. I'm Open! (Sleight of Hand/Deception): Used for misleading a opponent into believing you have the blitzball or it will be passed to you. This action can only be taken when the user is within 5 feet of an opponent and is contested by the opponent's Insight check.

Defender

These actions can be used by Defenders only.

1. And Stay Down! (Strength): Used for roughing up an opponent. This action can be taken when the Defender has successfully grappled an opponent, and imposes a negative modifier on that opponent's next check. The Defender rolls a d20 and adds their strength modifier to determine the negative modifier.

   10 or below	-0
   10-12	-1
   13-15	-2
   16-18	-3
   19-21	-4
   22 or above	-5

2. Not on My Watch! (Athletics/Intimidation): Used for attempting to keep an opponent from receiving any passes. This action can be taken when the Defender is within 5 feet of an opponent or (at disadvantage) within 10 feet of an opponent.
3. Got Your Back! (Athletics/Perception): Used for assisting a teammate in their check. This action can be taken when the user is within 5 feet of a teammate and gives that teammate advantage on their next ability check.

Goalkeeper

These actions can be used by Goalkeepers only.

1. We're Not Finished Yet! (Dexterity): Used for making an all-out attempt to prevent the ball from going through the goal. This action can be taken once per half, after a Fielder has succeeded in the check to score a goal, to pull the ball from the goal at the last moment. The user must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity check for this attempt to be successful and (regardless of success or failure) cannot take actions for the next 3 rounds after this action has been used.
2. I See What You're Up To! (Perception/Insight): Used for identifying an opponent's maneuver. This action be taken when an opponent is within 30 feet and gives the user a +5 to the next ability check performed in response to that opponent's ability check. (Note: This only applies to the opponent it is used against. Should a different opponent perform an ability check against the Goalkeeper, that ability check will be resolved normally.)
3. Keep It Up! (Persuasion/Insight): Used for bolstering the morale of a teammate. This action can be taken when a teammate is within 10 feet and gives that teammate a d4 to add to their next ability check.