You may recall a recent newsletter article about Discofoot, a version of soccer in which the players, clad in tiny gold shorts, are required to dance any time they want to move on the field. Continuing the theme of odd variations of “the beautiful game,” we now come to swamp soccer, which is played on exceedingly muddy fields, swamps, and bogs.
Like many unusual sports that have captured worldwide interest (hobby horse show jumping, anyone?), swamp soccer originated in Finland, where it is known as suopotkupallo. The precise origins are somewhat murky (pardon the pun), but it appears to have begun as a summertime fitness regimen for cross-country skiers, as moving through thick mud is a highly effective form of exercise.
The Swamp Soccer World Championships have been contested since 2000 in the Vuorisuo swamp in Hyrynsalmi, in Finland’s Kainuu region, though many other countries have also staged their own competitions. The annual tournament has grown to include over 200 teams and around 20,000 spectators.
Because of the physically demanding nature of swamp football, the rules differ somewhat from traditional soccer. According to the Swamp Soccer World Championship rules, each half is just 10 minutes long, with a goalkeeper and five players from each team on a 30 m x 60 m field at any one time. However, there is no limit to the size of the team roster, and substitutions can occur as frequently as needed. There is no offside rule, and the penalties, corner kicks, goal kicks, and throw-ins are all dropkicks.
Experienced swamp soccer players say that the key to success is to keep moving at all times and thus avoid sinking into the mud. This obviously equates to a huge amount of intense exercise, with some players equating a 20-minute swamp football match to an hour of hill training.
A beautiful, swampy game:
- The World Championship event consists of five categories: men’s competition, men’s hobby, women’s, mixed, and Masters of Swamp (players must be over 40 years old or the team must have been participating for at least a decade).
- The level of mud involved can determine the success of the game. Conditions can range from wet, muddy fields to waist-deep bogs, which makes movement almost impossible and all but ensures a 0-0 result. Sometimes players have to be rescued if they get stuck in particularly deep mud.
- The biggest swamp football competitions typically feature a festival atmosphere, with music, restaurants, bars, and (especially in Finland) saunas adding to the enjoyment of the event.
