The World Waterbucket Championship

The world community has been dramatically impacted forever by a sporting phenomenon that is challenging the way humanity looks at team sports. It is none other than the "jeu sportif extraordinaire" known across the globe as the World Water Bucket Championship™ hosted by the blue wacky waterbucket mascot, Waxy!

The World Water Bucket Game emerged from Nairobi , Kenya in the year 2000. Since then news of this extraordinary new wonder-sport has spread to every corner of the planet. Teams are being formed. Training has been long and tough. By training hard the kids of Kathmandu in Nepal won the first World Water Bucket Championships in 2002.

The question on everyone’s lips is "Who will be the next World Championship team"? Don’t miss out on being a part of history - get involved, form a team and learn the laws of the game. Only one team can win the World Water Bucket trophy. Will it be you?

Types of Matches and Rounds

There are two types of Water Bucket Matches:

1. Official World Championship Events

• Official World Championship Events can only be played at an official KidsGames Closing Ceremony.
• Within an Official World Championship Event there are "qualifying rounds" and "Championship Final rounds". Results from the “Championship Final rounds” are submitted as the official results.

2. Fun Matches

• A Water Bucket "Fun Match" can be played anywhere by anyone.

Number of Players

• Official World Championship events – exactly 10 players per team.
• Fun matches – any number per team.
• As many teams can compete at any one time as long as you have enough space, judges, buckets and water to play.

Equipment

• Each team has two buckets – Bucket A is full of water and bucket B is empty.
• One standard measuring jug per team (or per judge) that can measure milliliters or fluid ounces.

Duration

• Each Championship Final game lasts for exactly 3 minutes.
• Each Qualifying game lasts for a maximum of 90 seconds.

Game Formation – for Championship

• Player formation is [bucket A (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10) bucket B] with Bucket A starting full with water and Bucket B empty.

Playing Rules

• The buckets A and B are placed one at each end of the line exactly 5 meters (or 16 feet and 5 inches) apart.
• The team members stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone in the team facing the same direction from one bucket to the other. Ideally have teams facing each other.
• Each team member must stay in the same place for the duration of the game.
• On the starting signal number (1) player scoops water from bucket A in both hands and passes it on to number (2) player - then (2) to (3) and so on until player (10) empties the water into bucket B.
• The process is repeated until the water in bucket A is finished or time allowed is over.
• The game is stopped and water now in bucket B is measured in the measuring jug to determine the winner. The team with more water in the jug wins.

Championship Teams

• There are three World Championship age limits:
  • 5-9 years
  • 10-12 years
  • 13-14 years
• An award and ranking will be applicable to all three age limits. The results will be placed in the category of the oldest member of the team (for example - if the team has children aged 7 & 8 years and one child who is 10 years old, the results will show in the 10 to 12 year category. Teams can be any mix of boys and girls.
• There are additional non-age related categories that are included in the World Championship Rankings – a parent and community teams; KidsGames leaders teams. Both of these categories must also be part of a KidsGames Closing Ceremony and will show up in the "Open Categories" on the website.
• The standard Water Bucket team is 10 kids. An exception to this rule may be permitted when a "celebrity sports person" or "famous identity" is included in the team. In this case, the team would be made up of no more than one celebrity per team. The name of the celebrity must be submitted with the team name to the World Championship Results Board. In the case of having an adult or teenage celebrity, the results of the team would be submitted under the age of the oldest child. The Celebrities age would not be counted.
• Water must pass through all 10 sets of hands to be legitimate.
• The recommended bucket is a 9-10 liter household plastic bucket.
• The team is disqualified for breaking any rule of the game.

Judging Rules

• There must be a minimum 2 official judges, they cannot be from the same church as each other. It is encouraged that one judge be a "celebrity" or well-known "sports identity". The judges oversee the proceedings, while the referees are hands-on in the midst of the game.
• A team is disqualified for breaking any rule of the game.

Registration

• The overall winning team for a KidsGames Closing Ceremony in any or all of the categories (including the name of the church/group, the names of the children in the team and the winning score) should be submitted with the World Water Bucket Federation via the website, fax or mail within 10 days of the game.

Standard Water Measurements

• The acceptable measurements for the WWBC are: Milliliters, liters or fluid ounces. For any other measurement of liquid do an Internet search for "measurement conversion" and convert your measurements to milliliters. At the time of writing, a good website was www.convertit.com and click "measurement").

Results and Scoring

• Each Grand Final winning team should attempt to submit a photo of the game in action and a video if possible.
• The World Championship Bucket will be awarded every two years.