Editing Buzkashi (section)

==Rules and variations==
[[File:Kyrgyz festival Kok-boru. Ulan-Ude, Buryatia.jpg|thumb|Kyrgyz festival Kok-boru. [[Ulan-Ude]], [[Buryatia]]]]
Competition is typically fierce. Prior to the establishment of official rules by the [[Afghanistan National Olympic Committee|Afghan Olympic Federation]], the sport was mainly conducted based upon rules such as not whipping a fellow rider intentionally or deliberately knocking him off his horse.  Riders usually wear heavy clothing and head protection to protect themselves against other players' [[whip]]s and [[boot]]s. For example, riders in the former [[Soviet Union]] often wear salvaged Soviet tank helmets for protection. The boots usually have high heels that lock into the saddle of the horse to help the rider lean on the side of the horse while trying to pick up the goat.  Games can last for several days, and the winning team receives a prize, not necessarily money, as a reward for their win. Top players, such as [[Aziz Ahmad (buzkashi)|Aziz Ahmad]], are often sponsored by wealthy [[Afghans]].<ref name=twsj>{{cite news|last1=Abi-Habib|first1=Maria|last2=Fazly|first2=Walid|title=In Afghanistan's National Pastime, It's Better to Be a Hero Than a Goat|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703841904576256632384932122|access-date=13 April 2011|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=13 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526095017/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703841904576256632384932122|archive-date=2015-05-26|url-status=live}}</ref>

A buzkashi player is called a ''chapandaz'' ({{Langx|ps|چپنداز}}); it is mainly believed in Afghanistan that a skilful chapandaz is usually in his forties. This is based on the fact that the nature of the game requires its player to undergo severe physical practice and observation.  Similarly, horses used in buzkashi also undergo severe training and due attention. A player does not necessarily own the horse. Horses are usually owned by landlords and highly rich people wealthy enough to look after and provide training facilities for such horses. However, a master chapandaz can choose to select any horse and the owner of the horse usually wants his horse to be ridden by a master Chapandaz as a winning horse also brings pride to the owner.

The game consists of two main forms: Tudabarai ({{lit|emerging from a mass}}) and Qarajai ({{Lit|black place}}).<ref>Jones, A. (2007:77). ''Kabul in Winter: Life Without Peace in Afghanistan''. United States: Henry Holt and Company.</ref><ref>''South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia''. (2020:88). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.</ref> Tudabarai is considered to be the simpler form of the game. In this version, the goal is simply to grab the carcass and move in any direction until clear of the other players.  In Qarajai, players must carry the carcass around a flag or marker at one end of the field, then throw it into a scoring circle (the "Circle of Justice") at the other end. The riders will carry a whip to fend off opposing horses and riders. When the rider's hands are occupied, the whip is typically carried in the teeth.  

The calf in a buzkashi game is normally beheaded and disembowelled and has two limbs cut off. It is then soaked in cold water for 24 hours before play to toughen it.  Occasionally sand is packed into the carcass to give it extra weight. Though a goat is used when no calf is available, a calf is less likely to disintegrate during the game. While players may not strap the calf to their bodies or [[horse tack|saddle]]s, it is acceptable—and common practice—to wedge the calf under one leg in order to free up the hands.

[[File:The carcass of a headless goat used in Buzkashi..jpg|thumb|right|The headless carcass of a goat used in buzkashi]]

=== Afghanistan ===
These rules are strictly observed only for contests in [[Kabul]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Buzkashi: The National Game of Afghanis|url=http://www.afghanembassy.net/cultural/buzkashi|publisher=Embassy of Afghanistan in Australia|access-date=30 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930234340/http://www.afghanembassy.net/cultural/buzkashi|archive-date=2014-09-30|url-status=live}}</ref>
# The ground has a square layout with each sidelong.
# Each team consists of 10 riders.
# Only five riders from each team can play in a half.
# The total duration of each half is 45 minutes.
# There is only one 15 minute break between the two halves.
# The game is supervised by a referee.

===Kyrgyzstan===
[[File:Поле игры Кок-Бору.svg|thumb|right|upright=2|Kokboru field and two football (soccer) fields]]

[[File:Тай казан Кок-Бору.svg|thumb|Kazan]]
Rules of kokboru have undergone several changes throughout history. Modernized rules of kokboru are:
# There are two teams with 12 participants each.
# Only 4 players a team are allowed to play on the field at any given time.
# Teams are allowed to substitute players or their horses.
# The game is played on a field 200 meters long and 70 meters wide.
# Two ''kazans'' – big goals with a 4.4 meters in diameter and 1.2 meters high are placed on opposite sides of a field.
# The total duration of three periods is 60 minutes.
# There is a 10-minute break between each period.
# A goal is scored each time a ulak (goat carcass) is placed in an opponent's kazan.
# A kokboru is brought to centre of the field after scoring a goal.

It is also prohibited to ride towards the spectators or receive spectators' assistance or to start a kokboru game without giving an oath to play justly.

===Tajikistan===
In Tajikistan, buzkashi is played in a variety of ways. The most common iteration is a free-form game, often played in a mountain valley or other natural arena, in which each player competes individually to seize the buz and carry it to a goal. Forming unofficial teams or alliances does occur, but is discouraged in favor of individual play. Often, dozens of riders will compete against one another simultaneously, making the scrum to retrieve a fallen buz a chaotic affair. Tajik buzkashi games typically consist of many short matches, with a prize being awarded to each player who successfully scores a point.