Shockball The History
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Evolution of the Game
Shockball we are playing today is not the same game originally codified in ancient times. Similarly to other popular games, it evolved, passing from a primitive form to a more elaborate one.
The main change can be seen in the score system. If now the winning team is the one which manages to score more points against the opposite team - by putting an orb into a pit - in the past the winner was simply who had more players still conscious at the end of the periods. The electrically-charged orb was only used to stun or shock into unconsciusness the opposite players. Gloves (formerly called insulated mitts) and scoops were used to catch the orb and fling it at the opponents.
Another difference with the past is certainly the location were the match took place. As a matter of fact, the ancient shockball was played in the open air, without any side glass walls nor ceiling. Over the time, a new version of this sport spreaded, called Arena Shockball[1]. Being played in a confined space, the arena, the game resulted in more elaborate tactics from the teams because of the restricted range of movement of the players in the field. However, this variation turned out to be more spectacular and was adopted more and more under the pressing requests of the shockball fans, although many believe it was promoted by the shockball league for mere economic purposes.
Lastly, the current division of 8 time periods is a recent addition. The first rules provided for a single time period, whose duration was specified but unfortunately has gone lost. Ties were not permitted and an overtime was used to decide the winner of the match.
The idea of using the orb also as something to score a point was introduced gradually. Some attribute this change to the influence of a similar game played by the Keed on the planet Keedad: Lettranin. This game is called after the lettrani tree, that produces large red fruits covered with short spikes. Thanks to their flexible skin, lettrani fruits would bounce at a great distance when they fell from the tree. According to these rules, two teams were opposing each other in a large arena, and the lettrani fruit was to be deposited into a goal. The Keed used mitts to catch the fruit and slings to throw them. No historical sources indicate that this sport was played roughly or not, but we do know Lettranin was similar to shockball[2].
Shockball Leagues of the Past
During a period called "New Order", the foremost professional league was the Royal Imperial Shockball League. The league comprised over eighty teams, many of which located in the Core Worlds[1].
As part of the Royal Imperial Shockball League's yearly schedule, a series of shockball matches were staged on the planet Coruscant, and took the name of Imperial City Exhibition Series[2].
Shockball Teams of the Past
During the height of the "New Order", the Quent Assassins[2], the Rampa Rancors[3], and the Dargul Dianogas[3] were three of the many teams which participated in the Royal Imperial Shockball League. Rampa Rancors were based on the toxic planet Rampa II in the Tingel Arm of the Corporate sector, while we have no data about the galactic coordinates of Quent, nor of the temperate planet Dargul.
Toward the end of the New Order period, the Royal Imperial Shockball League knew a team that would leave its mark, the Shad Furies.
This team originated from the city of Shad on planet Melinz, and won the RISL five times. The coach was Ji, while Ger Plortor was the famous scout who managed to recruit Ytavarg Aleema to play for the Furies[2].
A mention goes also to the Bonadan Blasters, which was one of the galaxy's most popular - and most franchised - shockball teams[4] as well as to the Royal Shockball Team, the reportedly official shockball team of the Galactic Empire[5].
Shockball Players of the Past
- Ap Kormar was a non-human sentient who played as Center for the Quent Assassins team during the years leading up to the Battle of Hoth. After the Assassins defeated the Shad Furies 21-20 in overtime in a match in Imperial City, Ap was attacked and beaten to death by seven humans who claimed to be Furies fans. In reality, the seven were Imperial supporters, working for a distant Moff, who killed Ap as an example to other Alliance sympathizers. His death was nearly prevented by Ytavarg Aleema, but Aleema arrived too late to save Kormar. In anger, Aleema used his shockball equipment to kill the seven attackers[2].
- Gordus Grime is remembered being one of the best shockball players of the New Order period. However, he used to maintain his physical conditioning through the use of myostim units, which affected his mental state. On Kaal, a planet in the Yushan sector (Mid Rim), he went berserk and killed or injured 24 people before being killed[6].
- Hron was an Abyssin who played the shock-back[7] position for the Rampa Rancors shortly after the Battle of Hoth. He is remembered not for his playing skill, rather because he was morally corrupt, and often purposely threw a game just to hedge the bets he made for and against his team[3].
- Ytavarg Aleema was born from a human and a Keed. He was known among the Keed as a great lettranin player, and was recruited to play shockball by Ger Plortor. Ytavarg emerged as one of the galaxy's most famous shockball players, during the height of the New Order. A member of the Shad Furies, Aleema earned a great deal of credit from a lucrative contract. After a match against the Quent Assassins, which the Assassins won 21-20, Ytavarg tried to rescue Ap Kormar from being beaten by some Furies fans. They killed Kormar before Aleema could intervene, claiming that they were making an example of Kormar to warn other Alliance sympathizers against taking action. In anger, Aleema used his shockball equipment to kill all seven of the attackers, an action which earned him a short suspension from league play. However, Aleema was determined to extinguish the xenophobia embraced by the Empire, and found himself trying to join the Alliance. After making contact with an Alliance agent, Aleema offered whatever services he could, either physical or financial. He had established a mansion on the planet of Melinz, which he secretly used as a safehouse for Alliance agents. Aleema himself was a foster agent, and secretly funneled a large portion of his income to the Alliance. He maintained a very public presence, providing endorsements and merchandising rights in order to earn more credits, which he later funneled to the Alliance[2].
Coming to Our Days
First attempts to modernize shockball
Before the foundation of the Galactic Sports League, two seasons of the Colonial Shockball League were played.
Blazing a Trail to Success
The most recent history of Shockball is represented by the inclusion of the Colonial Shockball League as part of the Galactic Sports League. The first matches were played on Year 10 Day 329 by 8 teams. On the same day, Troon Kebris announced that Aces Israel was no longer CEO of GSA.
Resources
From The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Volume III, Ballantine Books 2008.
The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia, http://www.cuswe.org/entryindex.htm
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All text contained below is copyright 1996-2000 by Robert Vitas, and is based on information which is copyrighted by Lucasfilm Limited.
References: CRO = Cracken's Rebel Operatives (WEG reference) SOL = Shield of Lies (novel) CSA = Han Solo and the Corporate Sector (WEG reference) SSR = Secrets of the Sisar Run (WEG supplement) SESB = Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook (WEG reference) HSL = Han Solo and the Lost Legacy (novel)
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shield of Lies (novel)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Cracken's Rebel Operatives (WEG reference)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Secrets of the Sisar Run (WEG supplement)
- ↑ Han Solo and the Corporate Sector (WEG reference).
- ↑ http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Royal_Shockball_Team
- ↑ Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook (WEG reference)
- ↑ One of the offensive positions played during a game of shockball.
