Tournaments

Ready to compete for fame and glory?

Competitions of The Grand Gathering

Tournament Rules & Regulations

List of Combat Tournaments

 

Overall Combat Tournament Regulations/Rules

  1. Entering a tournament at the Grand Gathering is free of charge. 
  2. Prizes for the Grand Gathering will be posted at the event and not before. 
  3. Fun, Fairplay, and Safety are the 3 most important tenants.
  4. Fighters will have only 1 chance when their or their team name is called to be ready for the bout. If they are not prepared or are late, they forfeit the point/round/etc.
  5. Registration must be done in advance for Ludum Belli games. All other games will have sign ups starting 30 minutes before the event and closing 10 minutes before.

 

Ludum Belli Max

A 6 on 6 team game of strategy and war. 

Overview

The ultimate test of strategy and skill, the Ludum Belli Max is for the most daring and clever fighters. Twelve fighters will face off and compete in various scenarios to prove they aren’t just capable, but dangerous. 

Rules

  • Teams for this tournament are mixed and must be made up of at least 4 members from the same court (based on Kingdom, then House, and finally individual). 
  • Rosters may have 6-8 fighters on them. 6 fighters may compete in any single scenario. If an injury forces a fighter to stop participating, one of the other members on the roster who is combat ready may reinforce and hop in. 
  • The rules of combat are the same as the rules on the battlefield. (see Combat Rules)

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their own equipment including armor and weapons. 
  • Any combination of weaponry may be used, including shields, one handed weapons, halberds, spears, and bows. 
  • There is a maximum of 3 polearms per team (halberds and spears)
  • All armor allowed on the battlefield is permitted in this event.
  • Participants will not be allowed cleats. 

Format

  • Teams will compete in a round-robin style, fighting in two randomly selected scenarios versus each opponent. A “melee” is all scenarios fought versus one opponent before the final.
  • Each Scenario will last for 8 minutes with a 2 minute rest before the next scenario. 
  • Teams will have 3 minutes to prepare and get onto the field of combat before the scenario begins. If a team is not prepared, the scenario is automatically won by their opponent.

Scenario Descriptions

  • Annihilate
    • Objective: Kill more enemy soldiers than your side loses.
    • Fighters will spawn from their back line and engage the enemy with the whistle.
    • Any time a fighter dies, they return to the back line, respawn, and rejoin battle. 
    • Each respawn causes a mark. 
    • The team with the fewest marks at the end of 8 minutes is declared the victor. 
    • Tie-breaker: Two fighters 1v1 to the death. 
  • Control
    • Objective: Have 0 enemy soldiers on your half of the field.
    • Fighters will spawn from their back corners and engage the enemy with the whistle.
    • Any time a fighter dies, they return to the back line, respawn, and rejoin battle. 
    • Having 0 enemy fighters on your half of the field starts your team’s timer. If both timers would be active, no timers are. 
    • The team with the highest amount of time on their timer at the end of 8 minutes is declared the victor. 
    • Tie-breaker: 6v6 brawl with no respawns.
  • Surge
    • Objective: Ring the bell in your opponent’s left corner.
    • Fighters will spawn from their right back corners and engage the enemy with the whistle.
    • Any time a fighter dies, they return to the back line, wait 10 seconds, respawn, and rejoin battle. 
    • Bells will be placed on the opponent’s left corners. A bell can only be rung once every 30 seconds. Ringing an opponent’s bell gains a team one point.
    • The team with the greatest number of points is declared the victor.
    • Tie-breaker: Next ring wins.
  • Capture the Flag
    • Objective: Carry the enemy’s flag back to your base.
    • Fighters will spawn from their back corners and engage the enemy with the whistle.
    • Each team will have a flag placed about 5 feet in front of their back line at the center in a barrel
    • Anyone carrying a flag cannot fight. 
    • If a person carrying a flag is downed, they drop the flag where they are. The team can reset their flag back to its original capture point.
    • A team scores a point when both flags are in their barrel. 
    • First to 3 points wins.

Penalties

  • In the event of a penalty, a steward will whistle and all the stewards will consult each other. If necessary, the head steward will call the penalty. If there is agreed no penalty, the game will restart with a whistle.
  • A first offence will have the offending participant be removed from the melee for two active minutes. 
  • A second offence will have the offending participant be completely withdrawn from the melee. Their spot may not be filled. 
  • If a team incurs three penalties, it automatically loses the melee in progress. 

 

Penalties include:

  1. Excessive force.
  2. Shield charge. 
  3. Physical contact.
  4. Ignoring hits. 
  5. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 
  6. Jumping
  7. Ignoring the rules of Ludum Belli or Hynafol’s combat. 

Scoring & Judging

  • Stewards will award victories based on each scenario in the round robin. The two teams with the highest number of victories will compete in the ‘finale’ with each team choosing one scenario. If necessary, a random third scenario will be drawn. First to two victories is declared the overall winner.
  • Fairplay is exceedingly valued. A team that has not shown fair play during a scenario will be disqualified from achieving a victory. 
  • Diversity is appreciated. Any team with a minimum of 1 woman fighter will receive the following benefits per scenario. Having additional women offers no further benefits. Annihilate: 5 marks to the opponent at the start. Control: An additional 10 seconds on their timer. Surge: A team with a woman will win any tie-breaker versus a team with no women. Capture the flag: No benefit.
  • If any gesture is judged as severe by the stewards, the offending participant will be removed from either the scenario or tournament, depending on the offense. The team may fill the slot with one of their reserve fighters if they are ready. 
  • Disrespectful behavior towards a referee will not be tolerated, and may result in individual removal or disqualification of the team. 

Circle of Treachery

Ten fighters enter, one fighter leaves.

Overview

A test of strategy, allegiance, cunning, and alliances. Ten fighters will enter a circle for an all out brawl. Alliances can form, but eventually they will fail. Nobody is anyone’s ally, but no fighter can win alone.

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their own equipment including armor and weapons. 
  • Any combination of weaponry may be used, including shields, one handed weapons, halberds, spears, and bows. 
  • All armor allowed on the battlefield is permitted in this event.
  • Participants will not be allowed cleats. 

Format & Rules

  • The rules of combat are the same as the rules on the battlefield. (see Combat Rules)
  • 10 Participants enter a large circle and must stay inside the circle for the duration of the match. 
  • Unsafe or close bow shots will eliminate a player.
  • Fighting will proceed as normal, there is no healing or respawns available.
  • The top participants from each round will combine for a final round.
  • The last fighter in the final round is the victor.

Penalties

  • Any offense will have the offending participant be eliminated from the tournament.

 

Penalties include:

  1. Excessive force.
  2. Shield charge. 
  3. Physical contact.
  4. Ignoring hits. 
  5. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 
  6. Jumping
  7. Ignoring the rules of Hynafol’s combat. 
  8. Arguing with a steward.

Combat Archery (Arrow Tag)

One on one battlefield archery. 

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their own bows and arrows.
  • Participants must bring 3 arrows.
  • No armor is permitted in this event.

Format

  • Combat archery will be played on a field 100ft long and 50ft wide with a 20ft long ‘river’ in the center.
  • Archers will place their 3 arrows in a line on the ground 10 feet away from the center line at the bounds of the river and get set with their bow 100ft away from each other.
  • At the whistle, archers will sprint to the center, grab their arrows, and fire at their opponent. 
  • Archers may not enter the 20ft “neutral zone” in the center but may use any of the rest of the arena to dodge and fire within. 
  • Upon scoring a hit to their opponent, archers reset their arrows to the bounds of the river and get set for the next round.

Tournament Rules & Regulations

Rules

  • Battlefield archery rules apply. 
  • A hit to any clothing, equipment, held bow & arrows, etc. is considered a point. 
  • First to two points is the victor. 
  • Tournament is double elimination.

 

Marksman (Target Archery)

Accuracy and speed 

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their own bows and arrows.
  • Participants must bring 5 arrows.
  • Any type of quiver desired may be worn.

Format

  • Two archers will get set behind a line with 5 targets placed in front of them. 
  • Archers start with an arrow resting on their bow. 
  • At the whistle, archers draw and begin to try and hit the targets. 
  • If either archer uses 5 arrows before the other, they call “halt” and play stops. Both archers will go and retrieve all arrows used, reset, and continue with another whistle.
  • First archer to hit 3 targets down is the victor. 
  • Tournament is double elimination.

Rules

  • Upon hitting a target, the archer who hit it should call the symbol that was on it. 
  • Any hit that knocks the target down (including pole shots) counts. 
  • If there is dispute over which archer knocked down a target, it will be reset to be shot again.

 

Champions

A brutal 1v1, proving who is the best battlefield fighter.

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their own equipment including armor and weapons. 
  • All armor allowed on the battlefield is permitted in this event.
  • All weaponry is permitted in this event save archery, as there will never be enough safe distance.
  • Participants will not be allowed cleats. 

Format

  • Tournament is ‘double elimination’. Each fighter will have a minimum of 2 matches before being eliminated.
  • The rules of combat are the same as the rules on the battlefield. (see Combat Rules)
  • Each bout will be first to two kills.

Penalties

  • A first offence will give a warning.
  • A second offence will have the offending participant lose their current bout. 
  • At the third penalty, a fighter is automatically removed from the brackets.

 

Penalties include:

  1. Excessive force.
  2. Shield charge. 
  3. Physical contact.
  4. Ignoring hits. 
  5. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 
  6. Jumping.
  7. Ignoring the rules of Hynafol’s combat. 
  8. Arguing with a steward.

Champions Duo

A brutal 2v2.

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their own equipment including armor and weapons. 
  • All armor allowed on the battlefield is permitted in this event.
  • All weaponry is permitted in this event save archery, as there will never be enough safe distance.
  • Participants will not be allowed cleats. 

Format

  • Tournament is ‘double elimination’. Each Team will have a minimum of 2 matches before being eliminated.
  • The rules of combat are the same as the rules on the battlefield. (see Combat Rules)
  • Each bout will be first to two kills.
  • If a fighter is not ready when their name is called, they are considered the loser.

Penalties

  • A first offence will give a warning.
  • A second offence will have the offending participant lose their current bout. 
  • At the third penalty, a fighter is automatically removed from the brackets.

 

Penalties include:

  1. Excessive force.
  2. Shield charge. 
  3. Physical contact.
  4. Ignoring hits. 
  5. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 
  6. Jumping.
  7. Ignoring the rules of Hynafol’s combat. 
  8. Arguing with a steward.

Fencing

A fast paced 1v1 to prove who is the best swordsman.

Equipment & Attire

  • Participants must provide their blade.
  • No armor is permitted in this event.
  • Participants will not be allowed cleats. 

Format

  • Tournament is ‘double elimination’. Each fighter will have a minimum of 2 bouts before being eliminated.
  • Each bout will be first to two kills.
  • Any hit to the opponent (clothing, body, equipment) is an immediate kill. 
  • The head is not a legal target. 
  • If a fighter is not ready when their name is called, they are considered the loser.

Penalties

  • A first offence will give a warning.
  • A second offence will have the offending participant lose their current match. 
  • At the third penalty, a fighter is automatically removed from the brackets.

 

Penalties include:

  1. Excessive force.
  2. Physical contact.
  3. Head shot.
  4. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 
  5. Jumping.
  6. Ignoring the rules of Hynafol’s combat. 
  7. Arguing with a steward.

 

Maceball

MACEBALL TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS

Grand Gathering 2025

1. Maceball Goal

Maceball is a fast-paced medieval field sport where two teams compete to score by carrying the mace into the opposing team’s Revival Zone. Victory goes to the team with the most points at the end of the match. 

2. Team Composition

  • A team must have at least 9 players (7 warriors and 2 clerics) to compete.
  • A full roster cannot exceed 16 total names, and no more than 13 players may be active in any single match (11 total warriors and 2 clerics)
  • Each team may rotate players into play out of their roster only at halftime, during a single timeout per half, or to replace an injured participant.
  • Each team has two kinds of participants:
  • Warriors – swordsmen who fight for control of the mace head and score goals.
  • Clerics – unarmed support players who revive fallen warriors.
  • A team may have an optional Coach bringing their total roster to 17 for the purposes of paperwork, morale, and creating plays. This coach may never be a warrior nor a cleric. 

3. Field & Match Setup

  • The field measures approximately 100ft x 50ft with an additional 5ft wide Revival Zone at either end. 
  • The Revival Zone has two “Sacred Spaces”, measuring 5ft on either end of the field, from which all cleric-revived warriors spawn from. 
  • Each match has two 10-minute periods with a 5-minute intermission to switch sides.
  • The Maceball begins at the centerline; all players must start behind their revival lines until the whistle.
  • When a penalty is earned, the Maceball instead begins 10 ft closer to the appropriate revival zone at the penalty line.
  • Each team fields 5 warriors and 2 clerics with at least 2 warriors in the Revival Zone.

Objective and Scoring

  • The objective is to carry (not throw or kick) the mace head into the opposing team’s revival zone to score.
  • Each score is worth 1 point.
  • After scoring:
    1. The scorer returns the Maceball to the centerline.
    2. All players are revived and reset for the next face-off.
    3. If applicable, the head steward will move the Maceball to the penalty 
  • The team with the most points at the end of the second period wins.

If both opposing clerics are defeated at the time of scoring, the scoring team gains 5 points, instead of 1.

5. Combat and Elimination Rules

Hits and Death

  • A valid hit by a warrior to any part of the body below the neck kills the opponent.
  • A hit to anything attached to an opponent counts as a hit. This includes all clothing and the mace ball.
  • Hits to the head, face, throat, or neck are forbidden and result in a warning or penalty.
  • Simultaneous hits count as a kill for all involved.
  • Dead warriors must kneel, hold their sword upright near the shoulder, and face the revival zone. 
  • Stepping on or across a boundary line counts as death.
  • Dead players cannot move, speak, or interfere until revived.

6. Clerics and Revival

  • Clerics retrieve swords from fallen warriors and deliver them to substitutes waiting in the Sacred Spaces.
  • Clerics may not hold or move the Maceball.
  • A cleric may only carry one sword at a time and may not touch the Maceball.
  • A cleric killed while in play kneels and remains down until the next point.
  • A cleric, who has both feet completely past the boundary line, is considered safe and cannot be struck unless they are carrying a sword.
  • Clerics may not throw swords.
  • A living cleric may collect a dead cleric’s sword, but this does not revive the fallen cleric.
  • If both clerics die, their team cannot revive anyone until the next round.
  • A fallen warrior whose sword is taken by a cleric should run back to their revival zone and prepare to re-enter through a sacred space.

7. Gameplay Flow

  1. Start of Play – The Maceball is placed at the centerline. Teams line up behind their goal lines. The referee blows the whistle to begin.
  2. Engagement – Warriors rush forward to seize the mace head. Combat ensues; struck warriors fall and await revival.
  3. Scoring – To score, a warrior must deposit the mace head into the opposing barrel.
  4. Reset – After a confirmed goal, all players revive, and the next round begins with a whistle.

8. Equipment and Attire

  • No armor or shields permitted. Clothing should suit the medieval theme.
  • Shoes should be passably medieval and free of bright colors or logos. No cleats or heavy boots are allowed.
  • Every player must display a large, legible number on their clothing or person.

Uniform Standard

  • Teams are strongly encouraged to wear a coordinated uniform.
  • Uniforms should maintain the medieval or fantasy aesthetic of the event. Tunics, surcoats, tabards, matching colors, or heraldic symbols are all recommended.
  • Visibility and safety take precedence: numbers must remain large and clearly legible over any costume elements.
  • Excessively loose, trailing, or obstructive garments are discouraged for safety reasons.

9. Conduct and Sportsmanship

Maceball is a contest of honor. All participants must show integrity and respect toward teammates, opponents, and officials. The stewards’ decisions are final.

Above all, Maceball is a display of valor, chivalry, and good humor.

Players are expected to:

  • Call their own deaths honestly.
  • Respect safety and avoid reckless contact.
  • Accept referee rulings without argument.
  • Support the shared joy and camaraderie of the tournament.

Basic Penalty System

  • 3 warnings = 1 penalty
  • 3 penalties in a single match = ejection
  • Standard penalty = Mace starts 10 ft closer to the team’s revival zone next point.
  • Violence or verbal abuse = immediate removal from the tournament.

 

10. Common Infractions

Infraction ………………………………………………………. Consequence

Arguing with officials ………………………………………… Penalty

Striking after death ………………………………………… Penalty

Ignoring a hit ……….………………………………………… Penalty; point revoked if applicable

Unsportsmanlike conduct ……………………………………. Warning or penalty

Physical contact (charging, shoving, etc.) …………………. Warning or penalty

Delaying play …………………………………………………. Warning

Striking the dead ……………………………………………… Warning

Head or face strikes ………………………………………….. Penalty

Early start (crossing the line before whistle) ………………. Warning

Extending sword toward cleric ………………………………. Warning

Speaking while dead …………………………………………. Warning

Damaging the mace head or equipment …………………… Penalty

Striking after being hit ………………………………………… Penalty