The Bicolline Rules of Trollball

Translator's note: French is not my first language, nor is it my primary research language, so I
apologize for any roughness in translation. Should any native speakers wish to assist/correct my
laughably poor comprehension of the French language, I would appreciate it greatly, but I haven't
been able to find the Bicolline rules in English, and thought it would be a good resource for
English-speaking gamers. There are places where I haven't gone for a literal translation, based on
my understanding of the rules and what seems like it will flow well.

All rules were are taken from Trollball.org and they retain all rights to these rules and any images in
the text.

Team Composition
According to league choice, the teams may be either mixed or female.
A team is composed of ten players (Trolleurs) and two healers.
It requires a minimum of 9 players for a team to take part in a tournement.
Each team nominates a Captain. Their role consists of:
Maintaining and updating player records throughout the tournament.
Communicating the needs/demands of the team to the ruling Trollball committee
Ensure at all times that the numbers of their players are visible to statisticians and
announcers
Maintain team spirit and make sure that their team engages in Fair Play.
Each team must also choose a Manager (Coach). Their role consists of:
Enforce the regulations and rules of the league for their team.
Ensure that their team has the fewest penalties possible.
Remove game swords when one is broken or penalties are given to one of their players.
Maintain team spirit and make sure that their team engages in Fair Play.
The coach is not a player so that they can perform their functions during the game.
Each team must choose a Water Porter. Their role consists of:
Ensuring that the team has sufficient water for the temperature and avoids dehydration.
Ensuring that the team has sufficient shade to provide relief from the sun.
A player cannot play on two different teams in the same league. The penalty for doing
so is automatic disqualification of the player.

Trollball Commitee Composition

At all times during a match, there must be 4 referees: 2 goal referees, 1 line referee, and 1
head referee who coordinates the other referees.
There must also at all times be four commissioners: 1 commissioner in charge of statistics
and penalties, 1 commissioner in charge of score display and game time, and 2
commissioners to handle the statistics of the 4 healers.

Commissioner Duties and Regulations

All questions and requests to the Commissioner Committee must be communicated either
before a game, at halftime, or at the end of the game.
Please respect the workspace of Commissioners while on the lists please do not leave any
personal effects on the Commissioner's space and do not cross the rope that defines the
restricted workspace.
Should you choose to indulge in intoxicating substances, please do so outside of the game
area.

Playing the Game of Trollball

 The field is to measure 90ft (27 meters) by 50ft (15 meters), surrounded by 4 ft (1 meter)
rows for the healers. The area for substitutes is 8 ft (2.5 meters), stretching from both
corners along each team's side towards the goal barrel (All distances in meters have been
rounded.)
The two opposing captains draw lots to decide their starting ends.
The game lasts for 20 minutes 2 rounds of 10 minutes, plus a 3 minute break to switch
ends at halftime.
The goal of the game is to place a Troll head in the barrel of the opposing team. The team
that scores the most points wings.
There is a maximum of 5 players (Trolleurs) per team on the ground at a time, a minimum of
two players in the substitution area, and two healers on each side so, a minimum of 9
players to form a team.
The Trolleurs are armed with a single sword made by approved manufacturers and makers,
with a maximum length of 110 cm. There are 5 swords per team. They must all be examined
and tested by the referees before the start of the tournament. It is recommend that each team
has spare approved swords in case of weapon breakage.
At the beginning of each play, the troll head is placed on the center line of the field. The two
teams must be behind their respective goal lines and wait for the referee's whistle to enter
the field.
During the game, only the healers are allowed to move behind the barrels between the 2
substition areas.

The Trolleurs
The troll's head may not be touched with hands, nor with weapons or feet. In addition, it may not be
thrown. A pass to another Trolleur may only be accomplished by passing the head to them directly.

A touch on any part of the body, with the exception of the throat, neck, face, and head, puts the
player into the state of death. Touches to the hands, fingers, wrists, and feet do count. Clothing can
also count, and should be adjusted accordingly when a team develops their uniform decorum.

The head of the player does not count as a target in Trollball and should not be covered. If it is hit,
the Trolleur receiving the hit does not die and continues to play. Any Trolleur who kicks the head
must immediately sit and die, or will be told to sit by the referee if they do not immediately sit
themself. The head of the player is considered to be a strategic element of the game when it is used
as a shield. Logically, a player is tilted forward when it receives a blow. So the head is constantly
exposed to blows. It is the responsibility of the players to avoid shots to the head.

Simultaneous strikes have both players sit. If you doubt the delay time sit! Both Trolleurs must
demonstrate adherence to Fair Play.

A dead player cannot do anything. They kneel at the spot that they were hit and waits for one of
their healers to retrieve their sword to bring it back into play. If a player has the head and is killed,
they are to immediately drop it down next to them without throwing it or attempting to hide it. If a
healer is hit while retrieving a sword, they immediately kneel where they were hit and can only
return to the game after the next point is scored. A dead player can also receive warnings or
penalties.

A player who leaves the field or sets a foot on any of the lines marking the borders dies
immediately. They kneel at the point where they stepped on the line.

When a player scores a goal, they must return the troll head to the middle and place it properly on
the center line. They must announce their goal to the statisticians, showing their player number or
name to them for proper record-keeping. If a player fails tofollow these guidelines, they are liable to
receieve a penalty for slow play. After each point, all players return to life and must return to their
starting positions.

When a player scores a goal and is moving, if the troll's head is in the barrel when they have
stopped moving, a goal is awarded. Only the head referee may remove the troll from the bottom of
the barrel and call whether or not the goal is good, as well as the specific location where the
violation occurred. If the Trolleur themself calls a goal good without waiting for confirmation from
the head referee, they are liable to receive a penalty for slow play.

The Healers
The healers are responsible for collecting the swords of dead Trolleurs from the ground and
returning them to the substitutes in the substitution area (found in the four corners of the field).
Healers can run, enter, and leave, on all areas of the field. Trolleurs are allowed to obstruct healers
from entering without physical contact.

In order to heal,the healer must put enter the field in order to get a sword. They are vulnerable to to
attack. Healing is recorded by the Statistician every time a sword is retrieved and enters playagain.

The dead player, once their sword is taken by the healer (without stretching or attempting to move,
with penalties for doing so), must leave the field by the shortest path possible and join one of the
areas of their team's replacements. All this must be done without interfering with the movement of
the other players. Healers may only carry one sword at a time.

The Trolleur's replacements, waiting behind their line, can re-enter the field if one of their healers
hand over a sword (without throwing it, with penalties for doing so).

The death of a healer is accomplished in the same way as for a Trolleur. A touch on any part of the
body except for the throat, neck, face, and head, kills the healer. A healer cannot be killed if their
entire body is in a protected zone only touching the line is not enough to save them! If one healer
is killed, they are brought back to life after a point is scored.

New Variant: If a team loses both healers, it cannot heal the dead until a point is scored. Regardless
of the team that scores, if it is recognized by the head referee, the match continues and the healers
come to life. The team that managed to kill both healers adds 5 points to their score.

Weapons/Armor/Costume
Authorized weapons include any one-handed sword with a maximum size of 110 cm.
Swords may be approved with or without a guard. The dimensions of these guards should
not be exaggerated. A guard must only cover one hand.
Armor and shields are not allowed on the field.
Standard costume decorum is mandatory, including shoes.
Shoes are required to play on the field.
Each player must clearly and visibly display a number. All players on a team require unique
numbers.

Warnings and Penalties

The basic principles and rules of the larger game apply.
Referees and/or commissioners may hand out warnings and/or penalties based on the
severity and intent of the act. Trust their judgment.
Some gestures automatically receive a penalty if they are considered dangerous or
disrespectful. In addition, certain actions may be subject to automatic expulsion from the
 game depending on their severity and their intent.
The base penalty is the loss of a sword until the next point is scored.
Warnings and/or penalties can be attributed to a specific Trolleur, a death, a healer, a full
team, or both teams, as considered appropriate by the Commissioners/Referees.
After three warnings are given to a team in all categories the fourth warning is
considered a penalty.
A player earning 3 warnings and/or penalties in the same category is immediately removed
from play for the duration of the game.
Warnings and penalties were grouped and classified according to six specific categories.
1. Defacing game equipment or the field (Abmer le matriel de jeu)
2. Violence/physical contact (Violence/contact physique)
3. Slow play (Ralentissement du jeu)
4. Lines of the Field (Lignes du terrain)
5. Actions of the dead (Actions des morts)
6. Verbal abuse (Violence verbale)
These will be the 6 words that are most frequently used by referees and commissioners
during the tournament.

Awards
Each team is invited to be present at the presentation of awards and prizes on Friday. Photos
will be taken and posted to the Bicolline website.
Each sponsor must bring their trophy and/or money earlier in the week to the Trollball
Committee.
We ask for sponsors to attend or send a representative to the award ceremony for taking
pictures.

Glossary of Terms for the Field Set-Up

Puits quipes Team Goals/Barrels
Zone des gurisseurs tout autour du terrain Healer's Zone around the field.
Zones des remplaants quipe X Substitute Entry Zone for Team X