Atli Cirit (Turkey)

There are two teams, each contains of 6, 8 or 12 players participating in the game, each on horseback. Horses must be endured, fast and smart. The Arabian race is often used in the game, but there is also a specially cirit breed race for this purpose after the crossing of the Arabian race with the Anadol horse. Players, depending on the occasion, can be dressed in traditional decorations, referring to elite Ottoman cavalrymen - spahis.
The pitch should be 70 to 130 meters long (for comparison, a football field is 105 meters long). The last 6 meters of each side is separated as a zone in which the player has immunity and no one can throw at him.
The game begins with the welcome of both teams in the middle of the pitch. Then, if the game takes place in front of the audience, there is a parade with the accompaniment with military or folk music. Such music is usually played with typical Turkish instrument like a drum (davul, tapan, atabal or tabl) and zurna (Turkish trumpet). Before starting the game, the pavement quality is checked by driving around the field. Players return to their team's side.
Later, riders test the field and their horses, than go back to their section. Sometimes players wear traditional regional costumes, as a symbol of the Sipahis (Ottoman cavalrymen). The teams line up facing one another on the field, each player at a distance of about 10 meters from the next. With the right hand, they hold the first cirit javelin that they will throw while those who wait for their turn hold cirit javelin in the left hand.
The whole game is observed by referees, they also check that all equipment is properly used. Every player and horse have the number to identify them, moreover, in official games, riders wear a special helmet to protect the head from injury and horses have a saddle.
Kolbaşı is the leader of the team, he is responsible for tactics and for making substitutions, every team has additional players but during the game, the team is allowed to do maximum three substitutions. Any decision must be delivered to the referees and accept by them before it is done.
Each team have their own safe zone which is located at the end of one side of the field, in front of this zone is a second zone wide about 5 meters where the running rider must enter just before summoning and throwing a javelin
The game starts when the first player sets off from the safe area towards the other team, approaching it for about 30 meters in the second zone. He summons an enemy by shouting the player’s name, throws a javelin at him and rushes towards own team. The summoned player begins the pursuit, whose ultimate goal is to get close enough to be able to hit the enemy with his javelin. When the escapee is in a safe zone, one of his teammates goes out to meet the pursuer. The pursuer turns his horse back and rushes to escape. The rest of the game goes in this cycle, each player chases first, then is being chased. The game lasts 80 minutes, with one break.
Points are earned for hitting an opponent or catching his javelin. Negative points are awarded for throwing a javelin in a safe area, for throwing a javelin at a distance of less than 5 meters, and for hitting a horse instead of a rider. Some sources even say that hitting a horse means disqualification.
Players have at their disposal numerous defensive manoeuvres. They can hang from the side of the horse so that it covers them from the javelin, or take shelter under his trunk. The game develops riding skills, the ability to accurately throw the javelin, and the ability to predict the trajectory of javelin flight. The formation of the two teams has its traditional etiquette. Care is taken not to put players, who are on bad terms in opposing teams, and players, who display deliberately hostile behaviour during a match are blacklisted.
There are injuries in the game. If you hit the eye, fall off a horse, or be trampled by amount, injuries can even lead to death. A player killed during the game becomes a local martyr, and the family of the deceased does not generally accuse the opposing team in court. Therefore, if there are any known hostilities amongst players they can be left out of the tournament or put in the same team by the elder people of the locality, or by the referees before the game starts
At the end of the game, the winner is announced by a council of former cirit players depending on points collected by two teams. Organizers give awards to the winning team and prepare big meals.

Equipment:
- Not a very large horse, older than 4 years. Popular breeds are Cirit and Arabian horses.
- Several cirit javelins with rubber coated tips. They are 70-100 cm long, 2-3 cm in diameter. Formerly they were made of dactyl or oak wood. Poplar wood is currently preferred because of its lightness, which minimizes the likelihood of injury.
- Sometimes helmets are used to protect against javelin or falls from a horse.
- The outfit depends on the occasion. Common sportswear is often enough, but on official occasions both the rider and the horse must wear exquisite clothes.

Vocabulary:
-Alan - cirit pitch.
-Değnek, Diğnek or Deynek (stick) - The name given to cirit in some regions.
-Acemi - a rookie; nickname for the player who hits the horse with a javelin.
-Atbaşı (head-to-head) - The situation that two horses running in the same line.
-At cambazı - an extraordinary rider.
-Şehit - martyr; player who died during the game.
-Dörtnal (gallop) - Fastest gait of the horse.
- Meydan - Flat ground field for playing jereed game.
- Alay basmak - Penetrating into opponent's line formation by losing control of own horse.
-Cirit havası - One or all of the melodies played with drum or zurna while the cirit game is being played.