The Game of Yukigassen Explained
Everything You Need to Know About Yukigassen: Explained
Yukigassen is a battle of strategy, teamwork, skills and, of course, snowballs!
The Sporting Blog explains everything you need to know about this unique game: history, rules, court dimensions and more.
Yukigassen players must build barricades to protect themselves from snowball attacks
In some parts of the world, men and women gear up in helmets and head out into the snow. Why, you may ask? To prepare for a battle that they call "Yukigassen."
The name “Yukigassen" is derived from two words: "Yuki," which translates to snow, and "kaseen," which translates to battle.
As the name suggests, Yukigassen is a snowball competition that originated in Japan - and it’s one of Japan’s most popular traditional sports.
The game has since been introduced in Norway, Australia, Sweden and Canada.
Will we ever see it become part of the Olympic Winter Sports setup? Possibly not, but it would be extremely fun to watch.
Let’s take a look at this fascinating game!
History of Yukigassen: A Timeline of the Sport
Yukigassen started off as a way to entertain and energise the community of Sobetsu during the long and cold winters.
However, it was soon recognised by the people of Japan as an official sport - and people from all over the world started to take part in it.
In 1989, the first helmets and snowball makers were made - and the first Annual Showa Shinzan International Yukigassen was held on 25-26 February 1989. More than 70 teams participated in this incredible tournament.
The first women’s division tournament was held in 1991, and in 1992, the first Yukigassen event outside Japan took place in Australia. In 1998, the Yukigassen rule committee was officially formed.
In 2010, Yukigassen joined the 65th Winter National Sports Festival as an official sport, and in 2018 the 30th official event was held on 24-25th February.
How is Yukigassen Played?
Even though this sport has developed over the years, ever since it was established in the late 1980s, the official rules for this game haven’t changed.
This says a lot about the game itself, as it’s uncommon for any sport to keep the same rules from the very start. Yukigassen is an "untouched” game across the decades.
The game is a team sport played between two teams - and each team has seven players on set.
Yukigassen Court
The game is played on an outdoor court that has a specially-designed ice surface.
The court includes small wall-like barricades, and these barriers are used by the players to protect themselves from being hit by the snow. Most of the barricades are made from snow by the players.
A Yukigassen court
Each player is given helmets and gear such as gloves so that they can protect themselves from injury - and each team has a flag that is placed on the side of the opposing team.
Yukigassen Rules
The players must capture the opposing team's flag. The team which captures the opponent's flag first, or the team which has eliminated more players of the opposing team with snowballs, wins the set.
Each set lasts about three to five minutes. The first team to win two sets is considered the winner of the match.
For each match, both teams must use 90 snowballs, made 15 minutes before the start of the game.
Before the game begins, players from each team pick two snowballs and wait. When the game begins, players start throwing snowballs towards the opponent.
Yukigassen Players
Within a Yukigassen team, there are two positions:
Offensive position
Defensive position
Offensive players strike the opponent's team with snowballs, while defensive players support the offensive team by bringing more snowballs.
If a snowball hits a player, that player is considered out of the game. If the player picks a snowball from outside the court, or if the player moves out of the court, it’s considered a foul, and they are also eliminated from the game.
What Equipment Do You Need to Play Yukigassen?
There are two main pieces of equipment you need to play Yukigassen.
Snowball Maker
The Snowball Maker is a piece of plastic equipment that consists of a circle-shaped box. It makes approximately 45 snowballs at a time.
The players must make snowballs 15 minutes before the start of the game. Players can’t make their own snowballs as they may make them too big or too small, making it unfair for the other team.
The Court
The court is usually a rectangular-shaped area that measures around 36m long and 10m wide.
The shelter that players hide behind to protect themselves measures 180cm long, 45cm wide and 90cm in height. Usually, these shelters are made from snow.
Notable Yukigassen Tournaments
World championship: Sobetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
European championship: Kemijarvi, Finland
Swedish championship: Lulea, Norrbotten, Sweden
Nordic championship: Vardo, Finnmark
Australian championship: Mount Baw Baw
Anchorage: Alaska, U.S.
Russian championship: Murmansk, Russia
Champions League of Yukigassen: Aparan, Armenia
Yukigassen Explained: Everything You Need to Know
Community and tradition are important in Japan - and the game of Yukigassen gives us a unique insight into the nation’s strong sense of unity.
Yukigassen is a mixture of dodgeball, paintball, capture the flag and rugby - but with a snowy twist - and it’s now becoming a sport for anyone and everyone to enjoy!
Featured image credits: Wanderlustandlipstick
