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Swamp football

Form of association football played in bogs or swamps

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Swamp football (sometimes called Swamp soccer,^[1] and Suopotkupallo in Finnish) is a form of association football that is played in bogsorswamps. The sport originated in Finland, where it initially was used as an exercise for athletes and soldiers due to the strength needed to move through a bog. Swamp football is especially popular in the Kainuu region. The swamp football world championship is held annually at Hyrynsalmi, Kainuu.^[2] The first organized championship was the 1998 Finnish championship and was the brainchild of Jyrki Väänänen nicknamed "The Swamp Baron". There are currently an estimated 300 swamp football teams around the world.

The officially recognized global body for Swamp Football is Swamp Soccer UK Ltd, based in Scotland. Swamp Soccer UK's mission is to introduce the sport to other countries, primarily by organizing the Swamp Soccer World Cup. From 2011 to 2015, official tournaments have been launched in China (Beijing), Turkey (Istanbul) and India (Mumbai), led by Stewart Miller.

Swamp football in the UK[edit]

Swamp Soccer in the UK was managed by Swamp Soccer UK Ltd, headed by Stewart Miller.

The annual tournament ran from 2004 to 2015. At its peak, when FRijj (Muller) was the title sponsor, the event attracted over 100 teams from 25 countries. Other event sponsors have included Ardbeg (part of LVMH group), Springbank Distillery, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, SealSkinz, and many others

The World Cup event in Scotland attracted global media coverage.

The world cup event was moved to Istanbul in Turkey in 2016

Stewart Miller now organizes exhibition games for brands, television programs and key intermediaries.

Rules[edit]

The standard football rules have been modified significantly to suit the more demanding sport:

• The game is played in two halves of 12 to 13 minutes
• Corner kicks, penalties, and throw-ins are made by dropping the ball on to a chosen foot
• There is no offside rule
• There are 6 players on the field, with no limit on the size of squads
• The players can be substituted as often as necessary
• The World Cup is held in Scotland annually, usually on the last weekend in June
• The World Championship is held in Finland annually, usually in the middle of June a week before the World Cup
• The penalty area is five meters deep, but the goalkeeper is only allowed to hold the ball in a three meter radius from the goal.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swamp football.

• Swamp Soccer Europe
• Swamp soccer world championships in Finland
• The world cup swamp soccer tournament in Scotland
• BBC's web page on swamp football and its rules
• Images from a Scottish tournament
• The Icelandic swamp soccer page