Buzkashi:

Buzkashi is a game that dates itself into Afghan antiquity. The name Buzkashi, literally translated means "goat killing" suggest it was derived from hunting mountain goats by champions on horseback. Today the rider (or team) who is able to pitch a dead calf across a goal line first wins. The game may last as long as a week and is as free-wheeling as the Afghan spirit.
Headless carcass of calf or goat is kept in the center of a field. Players of two opposing teams try to get hold of the carcass and carry it to the goal area. This is not a simple task and requires great skills. Novice players cannot even get close to the carcass. The game continues until a team is announced the winner. Winner of the match receives prizes ranging from money, fine turbans and clothes.

It is believed that Buzkashi began in Afghanistan with the arrival of Turkic-Mongol people from steppes. They domesticated horses and used them for riding, carrying loads and hunting animals. Particularly they were fond of hunting mountain goats while riding their horses. Gradually it became a regular and popular game in the region.

There are two types of Buzkashi:Tudabarai & Qarajai
In Tudabarai, in order to score, the rider must obtain possession of the carcass and then carry it away from the starting circle in any direction. The rider must stay free and clear of the other riders.
In Qarajai, the task is much more complex. The player must carry the calf around a marker, and then return the carcass to the team's designated scoring circle.

In each version of the game, points are awarded for successfully completing the task of getting control of the carcass, and getting it to the proper scoring area. The winner of each match receives prizes which have been put up by a sponsor. The top prizes are usually money, or fine clothes.

To many Afghans, Buzkashi is not just a game, it is a way of life; a way in which teamwork and communication are essential to being successful.
Buzkashi is a sport which is only played in Afghanistan and China(there is not only horse-back Buzkashi, but also yak Buzkashi among Tuziks).

There are no worldwide buzkashi competitions, provincial tournaments are realise in the desert areas of the country or in specific venues. In China there are specific venues for this sport.


RULES: 


The Afghan Olympic Federation has established official rules for Buzkashi. They are strictly observed, however, only for contests in Kabul. In the Northern provinces, Buzkashi is seldom played according to "official" rules. There is no limitation on the size or type of the field and as many as 500 riders may participate in one game. Possible variations on the game include a free-for all in which the individual riders comprise one-man teams, and "darya-yi-Buzkashi" which is played in the middle of a river or stream.
There are, however, two rules which apply to every Buzkashi contest. A rider may never hit an opponent intentionally with his whip, and he may never deliberately knock an opponent off his horse.
Buzkashi literally means "goat dragging," but a decapitated calf is now used because it is stronger and heavier, and therefore able to withstand the punishment of the game. The carcass is soaked in water overnight to toughen the hide.
The Olympic Federation's rules require the field to be a square, the outer boundary of which is 400 metres on a side and the inner boundary, or warning line, 350 metres on each side. Two circles are drawn on the playing field.



The game begins at the starting circle with the penalty lines (the inner boundary) used only when the mounted referee has called a foul.
The object of the game is to drop the calf into the scoring circle. Two points are scored for each goal. At one end of the field stands a line of flags marking the minimum distance the calf must be carried before returning to the scoring circle to make a goal. A team crossing the line of flags receives one point.
For championship Buzkashi in Kabul, teams are limited to ten riders each. Five players take the field during the first 45 minutes of play; the other five compete during the second period. A field master presides over the match and has the authority to prolong the game and grant permission for a change of riders or horses. The halftime break lasts for 15 minutes.


At the referee's whistle, the teams approach the headless carcass which has been placed in the starting circle. Snorting and rearing back wildly, the horses try to gain an advantageous position so their player can pick up the calf. The chapandaz wear high leather boots to protect themselves from the flying hooves. The boots have extremely high heels which will be locked into the stirrups to prevent falls.
To the observer, the game appears to be absolute chaos. The simplicity of the rules is lost in the furious action of the contest, but the highpoint in the game for comes when one chapandaz has bested the rest and gallops to the scoring circle alone.