Sphaerium

Sphaerium, natively Dholeus Margej (“Curve within Completion”, “Circle”) and T’onaesa Magaj among K’aajite Expatriates, is a game within the Thrown Ball family, related to Coins and Club Ball. While the exact date that Sphaerium was first played is unknown, the first records of Sphaerium come from an edict in 325 by the Matriarch of Ortheatia who declared it sinful for soldiers to play the game while not on campaign.

Sphaerium is the third most common professionally played sport- only barely beat by Club Ball and Mitzan. Professional Sphaerium is overseen by the League of Sphaerium Guilds since its incorporation in 1832.

Gameplay

The game has players toss game balls (traditionally “Coins”, but professionally “Spheres”) at a target ball called the “Rock”- the “Moor” in certain Edventyurist dialects- from a predetermined spot called the “Circle”. The game is played between two players and is judged by either an audience or a single referee (the “Host”).

In league standard play, Players stand on either side of the court and the Host tosses the Rock as close to the center as possible. The side closer to the Rock is first to play with players alternating throws each play. Coins are tossed underhanded into the play area. Points are counted at the end of the game. For each coin a player has within a circle with its center at the Pebble and its radius equal to the distance to the innermost coin of the opponent, the player earns one point. If both players’ coins are of equal distance to the Pebble, the game is a draw.

Coins are taken out of the field for foul throws, with the most common conditions for fouls being the Coin exiting the play space or the player exiting the Circle when tossing a Coin.

Sphaerium play spaces are usually rectangular or circular and be defined by a gravel-soil or sandy surface. While league play demands a flat play space, casual play isn’t as strict, just requiring bounds and roughly even, sandy terrain.

While league play has 5 coins, casual play ranges from 2 to 12 coins per player, with extended play having the judges return coins to players from the outermost toss in.