The Ba' Game is a version of medieval football played in Scotland, primarily in Orkney and the Scottish Borders, around Christmas and New Year. Ba' is essentially mob football, or village football, where two parts of a town have to get a ball to goals on their respective sides. 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. The game moves through the town, at times going up alleyways, into yards and through streets. Shops and houses board up their windows to prevent damage. Unlike traditional mob football, people are generally not hurt from play. 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.

Surviving games

Ba' Games are still played in: