Ba' Game

The Ba' Game is a version of medieval football played in Scotland, primarily in Orkney and the Scottish Borders, around Christmas and New Year.

The two sides are called the Uppies or the Downies, depending on which part of town they were born, or otherwise owe allegiance to.

The ball must be man handled, and play often takes the form of a moving scrum.

Unlike traditional mob football, people are generally not hurt from play.

[1] It is thought that at one time there may have been more than 200 similar games across the UK, with around 15 still being played today.

Example of a ball used in the Kirkwall Ba game on display in the National Football Museum , Manchester
The game of hand Ba' played in Jedburgh streets in 1901. The participants are dressed in black, mourning the recent death of Queen Victoria.
Jedburgh shops boarded up below where the game is in play