Blitzball

blitz ball
Blitzball is a fictional sport that combines Hockey's 6 man teams and positions &mdash; as well as elements of full body contact &mdash; with Soccer kicks and Water Polo in one game. It is played by characters in two games of the Final Fantasy video game series, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. The game is played underwater in a large sphere pool suspended in the air.

Blitzball in Final Fantasy X
The plot of Final Fantasy X provides a very favorable view of Blitzball in general, as the sport is also shown to foster peace as it is the only activity where all races and genders are accepted as equals without squabbles. In Final Fantasy X blitzball is also Spira's only mainstream form of entertainment, allowing citizens to take their minds off the ever present threat of Sin, however briefly. Two of the game's main characters, Tidus and Wakka, are skilled blitzball players.

How exactly the teams manage to hold their breath underwater for such long periods of time is a source of confusion among players. One theory by fans of the game suggests that it is the result of training on the part of the players. In Eternal Calm, a short film set two years after the conclusion of Final Fantasy X, Yuna notes that after much practice and training from Wakka, she is able to hold her breath for over two minutes. However, the Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania guide states that it is the unique properties of the magical pyrefly saturated water in the blitzball arena that enables players to stay under water for the 5 minutes required for each half-time.

Gameplay
The game is played from a top-down perspective, with the player controlling his team members in turn. Teams are made up of six players a side, of whom one is the goalkeeper. The aim is to throw a dimpled ball (called the Blitzball) into the opponent's goal area. The team with the most goals after two five-minute halves is declared the winner. As characters advance through the ranks they learn many new tricks to improve both their offensive and defensive skills, called techniques.

Blitzball teams
The following is a list of members of each of the teams. During the minigames, the player takes control of the Besaid Aurochs. However, team lineups may be changed by signing up extra players from the world of Spira.
 * {| class="wikitable"

! width=17% | Besaid Aurochs ! width=17% | Luca Goers ! width=17% | Al Bhed Psyches ! width=17% | Ronso Fangs
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Tidus
 * Datto
 * Letty
 * Jassu
 * Botta
 * Keepa
 * Wakka (c)
 * Bickson
 * Abus
 * Graav
 * Doram
 * Balgerda
 * Raudy
 * Eigaar
 * Blappa
 * Berrik
 * Judda
 * Lakkam
 * Nimrook
 * Basik Ronso
 * Argai Ronso
 * Gazna Ronso
 * Nuvy Ronso
 * Irga Ronso
 * Zamzi Ronso
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Nuvy Ronso
 * Irga Ronso
 * Zamzi Ronso
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"

! width=17% | Guado Glories ! width=17% | Kilika Beasts ! width=17% | Zanarkand Abes ! width=17% | Zanarkand Duggles
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Giera Guado
 * Zazi Guado
 * Navara Guado
 * Auda Guado
 * Pah Guado
 * Noy Guado
 * Larbeight
 * Isken
 * Vuroja
 * Kulukan
 * Deim
 * Nizarut
 * Jecht
 * Tidus
 * Other anonymous players
 * Unknown.
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * }
 * Unknown.
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * }
 * }

Blitzball in Final Fantasy X-2
The blitzball minigame in Final Fantasy X-2 differs from the one seen in Final Fantasy X, as players no longer directly manipulate the actions of their blitzball team members. Rather, the minigame takes on a Championship Manager-esque interface. The Gullwings, Yuna's sphere-hunting group, fills in for the Aurochs when Blitzball season starts. In this version of the minigame, if a team leads the game by seven goals at any point, they automatically win.

Blitzball in other media

 * The name Blitzball was first used to describe a fictional sport on the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, as a creation of one of its main characters, Phineas. Set during World War II, Phineas named his game after the German method of attack blitzkrieg. The novel's sport bears no resemblance to the Final Fantasy X minigame.
 * Blitzball appears to be based on the video game series Captain Tsubasa about a soccer team and its exploits.
 * In 2006 fashion photographer Mick Gleissner published a calendar with photography of sports "through a fish's eyes". In it there are a series of "Water Basketball" pictures, a fictional sport that looks very similar to Blitzball. Models and photo crew had to practice diving and holding their breath under water while exercising, just like fictional Blitzball players.

Gallery
The screen captures below are copyright by the Final Fantasy X game developer Square Enix and are being shown here for illustration and discussion purposes only.

mini game version
In Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, Blitzball is a sport that combines the six-man teams, positions, and physicality of hockey with soccer kicks for scoring and the hand passes of water polo. The game is played underwater in a large sphere pool suspended in the air. Blitzball is one of the very few fictional underwater sports ever conceived. Although blitzball is a crucial element to Final Fantasy X's plot, only one game is required to be played.

The blitzball minigame is played from a top-down perspective, with the player controlling his team members in turn. Teams are made up of six players a side, of whom one is the goalkeeper. The aim is to kick a dimpled ball (called the blitzball) into the opponent's goal area. The team with the most goals after two five-minute halves is declared the winner. As characters advance through the ranks they learn many new tricks to improve both their offensive and defensive skills, called techniques. Defensive techniques in blitzball often include violent tackles. Some tackles are intended to poison, cripple, or knock opponents unconscious altogether. As substitutions are not allowed outside of halftime intermissions, the use of these techniques can offer teams a temporary numerical advantage. Special goal-shooting and goal-tending techniques can also be learned. The ball always ends up in the hands of a player or in the goal, whether fumbled or blocked.

When the blitzball mini-game first becomes available in Final Fantasy X, the player takes control of the Besaid Aurochs, and is given a standard player roster, which the player may alter by signing up other players from around the world, including players who began as members of the five other teams. Likewise, other teams may change their rosters as well.

The blitzball minigame in Final Fantasy X-2 differs from the one seen in Final Fantasy X, as players no longer directly manipulate the actions of their blitzball team members. Rather, they act as the coach, training and selecting players for their team.