The most violent professional game ever played.

Calcio Storico is a game that has been played in Florence, Italy for several centuries. A mix of rugby, soccer, football, boxing, MMA and Greco Roman wrestling this sport is looking to test the strength and also fear of each of its players. Opponents kick, punch, grapple, and tackle their way through other teams in search of a win.

The tournament is held the third week of June at the Santa Croce square in the centre of Florence. Four teams of colors consisting of red, white, blue and green, represent their neighborhoods in a bloody and testosterone filled round robin tournament.

The four teams are complied by 27 players and the ball can be played either with their feet or their hands. There is one referee, one field master, and six linesmen. A game lasts a total of 50 minutes, and the team who scores most points is declared the winner. The playing field is a huge sand pit that has a narrow slit which constitutes the goal and runs the width of each end. Calcio Storico was not played for 200 years, until its revival in 1930.

Check out this monster size sport below.

MODERN GLADIATORS – CALCIO STORICO from David Battistella on Vimeo.