New Olympic Sport

An anonymous commenter on Guido suggests an exciting New Olympic sport. Here the rapidly emerging objects and rules of this sport are set out.


Aim: to extinguish and capture the Olympic Torch.

Teams: there are two teams in each game - Demonstrators and Authorities.

Venue: any city may offer itself as a Field.

Playing Field: The Field is a half Marathon long, there is no set width but the route must pass through the historic centre of the competing city.

Players: all citizens of a competing city are eligible to play (outreach and inclusiveness). Authorities must not be brought in from outside the competing city.

Rules of play: players must remain outside throughout the game; no damage to the city's structures. Mobiles, forward planning, ambushes, and joining in by spectators at any point in the game, on either side, are all permitted. Identifying insignia may be used, but are not compulsory. No weapons, which includes banner poles, boots, paving stones or street furniture (cf no damage rule above), as well as no guns, tasers, truncheons, lathi, shields, gas, water cannon, dogs, or horses. No vehicles.

Mode of Play: think Australian Rules Football.

Scoring: extinguishing the flame - 1 point; capturing the torch, holding it for 5 minutes, and extinguishing the flame - victory. The flame can be extinguished up to three times before the game is declared over, but if the torch is not captured by the Demonstrators, it is declared a draw. If the Authorities succeed in getting the Torch from Starting Point to Finish the Demonstrators lose half their points won. The Authorities may not deliberately extinguish the flame to force a restart, on pain of conceding the Match.

League: cities taking part in the game will be ranked by points scored and speed of capturing the Torch. The two finalists with the highest points scored and shortest capture times will compete in a Run Off in the Olympic host city (this year in Beijing) with the Authorities made up of Beijing's local forces.