Pro-bending



Pro-bending is a popular sport in Republic City involving two teams of three benders, one from each of the three main existing bending arts. The objective of the sport is to gain as much territory within the ring as possible within a set amount of time, or, alternatively, to push the opposing team over the back of the ring.

Playing field


The playing field is hexagonal, split into two sides, one red and one blue, with each side split into three zones. On each side of the playing field are twenty-one holes that dispense miniature rock discs, similar to earth coins, for the earthbending competitors. Grates run along the lines between the zones, allowing waterbenders to access water from troughs under the ring. There are flexible, bouncy ropes (such as those in real-world boxing) on the peripheral sides of the ring, but the two opposing ends of the ring are open to a long drop to the water below. Referees look over the ring from raised stands by its sides.

The rock discs dispensed from the arena are circular, and slightly larger than half a foot in diameter. They are made of hard clay that, while not being particularly soft, will still break if the disc hits a player hard enough. Under each disc is a second that will rise up to become flush with the ground when the first is dispensed. These discs are mainly used as weapons in the match.

Gaining territory
At the start of the match, each team must remain within the first zone nearest to the center of the arena. Once a competitor is knocked into zone two by someone from the opposing team, he or she must stay there and cannot return to zone one. The same rules apply if he or she crosses over to zone three. A player that is completely knocked off the ring cannot return that round.

If all three members from one team are knocked back into zone two, a green light appears in the center line and the opposing team can advance into zone one on the other side; if they do this, they cannot move backwards into their own zone. If they then manage to knock all of the opposing team members into zone three, another green light appears between zones one and two, and they can advance again into zone two. However, if a team that has been pushed back manages to push the other team back a zone, they can advance forward one zone. The main aim for both teams is to push the other team back, thereby gaining territory.



Each round lasts three minutes, and there are three rounds. The team that has managed to gain the most territory within the time frame wins the round. This means that even if two players from one team have been knocked out, that team can still win if the remaining player manages to gain the most territory by the end of the round. If both sides haven't gained any territory, the team with the most players left wins. Otherwise, the match is a draw.

An alternative method to win is to complete a knockout, where all three players of the opposing team are knocked out of the ring during the same round. A knockout results in an automatic win of the match, regardless of whether or not the opponents won more rounds. Game play only continues if any given player manages to return to the playing field before contacting the water pit, either by hanging onto the edge of the arena and returning to the surface or by helping another team member return to the arena.

In the case of a tie, a tie-breaker is issued in which the referee flips a coin. Each side of the coin corresponds to one team. The team that wins the coin toss decides the element that is challenged. If the winning team chooses "fire" for instance, the firebenders fight it out; the winner of the one-on-one wins the round.

Waterbending rules
Each water blast cannot exceed one second in duration, meaning that waterbenders may not use any form of a constant hose-like stream of water against their opponents. Water must be used in its liquid state, not as a gas or a solid, meaning that steam, fog and ice are prohibited in game play. Water is the only element allowed for head strikes.

Waterbenders can only access water within their zone, specifically from the metal grates directly in front and behind the zone that the player is currently occupying. Water may only be pulled up from the zone lines, and not from any outside sources, such as the water below the ring.

Earthbending rules
Unlike waterbending, no direct earth strikes can be aimed toward an opponent's head. Though the ring is comprised mostly of canvas-covered metal, no metalbending is permitted. Earthbenders may only bend earth in its raw form, and not as sand or dust.

Earthbenders are restricted to bend regulation rock disks supplied through the floor of the ring, and may only bend discs from their own zone. Rock discs may not be broken down intentionally into smaller pieces, though bending of several discs at one time is allowed. Players may ricochet or deflect discs off the side ropes, like air hockey.

Firebending rules
Each fire blast must not exceed one second in duration, meaning that firebenders may not use constant flamethrower-like streams of fire against their opponents. No direct fire strikes toward an opponent's head are permitted. Unlike water and earthbenders, firebending pro-benders are not restricted with how they produce their own flames.

Injuries
If any given player sustains an injury during a match, play is halted and the player is removed from the ring; however, injured participants may be permitted to continue if they are still capable. Players who are injured while being knocked off the brink will be rescued by gaming officials.

In both cases, the team must continue the match without a replacement.

Tournament rules
No member of any team in the running for the championship may get into a physical altercation with another player of an opposing team. If this occurs, the team that instigated the fight will be ejected from the tournament, and the team they were to battle against will move forward. In addition, a competitor may only compete on one team.

Penalties


There are several rule violations that will result in a penalty. Stepping over a line when the proper conditions haven't been met, knocking a player off the arena from the sides, the use of "unnecessary roughness", such as holding a continuous blast of an element against a fighter, will cost the offender a one-zone penalty. In the case of Avatars, a penalty may be issued if they bend anything other than their designated element.

In addition, intentionally hitting the referee, the referee stand or the audience stands with an element is considered a violation. Though unlikely, pro-benders are not permitted to hit the roof of the arena with bending.

Players who intentionally break a rule may be shown a yellow fan as a warning. Repeat offenders may receive a red fan after receiving a yellow fan, ejecting them from the match. The team with the ejected player must continue without a replacement.

Winning rounds
A round is won by gaining territory before time runs out. If no team has secured opposing territory by the end of the round, the team with the most number of players remaining wins the round. However, if the team with fewer players has gained more territory by the end of the round, then they are declared as the winners of that round.

Winning matches
Matches are won by either winning the most rounds or by executing "knockouts". Knockouts are accomplished when all members of an opposing team are knocked off the back of the ring within one round.

Even if a team has won two rounds, they must still play a third round, as a match can end in a knockout at any point.

Tiebreakers


If a round ends in a deadlock, with neither team gaining territory and having an equal number of players on the field, the winner is decided in a tiebreaker "face off". In a face off, the referee tosses a coin, and the team that wins the coin toss can decide which player and which element will go into the face off. Players always face their same element.

The face off takes place on a raised circular platform in the center of the ring. The tiebreaker platform includes a total of four earth dispensers placed on both sides. In the case of water-based tiebreaker, water grates that run along the perimeter as well as the center are raised along with the platform. Players may use their respective elements, along with grappling, so long as there are no "empty hand strikes", particularly punches to the face or kicks to the stomach. The objective is to knock the opposing pro-bender off the circle. The player who falls off first loses the tiebreaker, and the opposing team wins that given round. If both players fall off the circle simultaneously, the player who lands first (hitting either the ring, ropes or the drink) loses the tiebreaker.

If the referee cannot determine who landed first in the above scenario, a second tiebreaker is held between two other members, using a different element. When each team has won a round and the third ends in a deadlock, a tiebreaker face off is used to determine the team who wins the match.

Scoreboard


The scoreboard is a set of four nixie tubes. From right to left, they read:


 * 第一囬合: Round 1
 * 第二囬合: Round 2
 * 擊倒: Knockout
 * 優勝者: Winner

The tubes light up either red or blue to indicate which team won a round, got a knockout, or won the match. The red team is the one that starts on the red half of the field.

Uniforms
Each contestant must wear a uniform to identify his or her team. Known uniform colors include red, white and gold; blue, black, and orange; and green, brown, and orange. In addition, each combatant's helmet and belt have colors identifying him or her as a firebender (red), waterbender (blue), or earthbender (green).

Location


Official pro-bending matches are held in Republic City's Bending Arena, a large glass-domed building located at the end of a pier extending into Yue Bay. As a testament to the sport's popularity, this building's exterior has a golden appearance and is lit at night, making it a prominent city landmark. The arena is spacious enough to hold the pro-bending ring on which the combatants compete, a large pool of water far below the ring, and great numbers of spectators. Somewhere in the building, Toza's gym is located as well. The attic of the arena is home to the brothers Mako and Bolin, who pay their rent by doing odd jobs. The Bending Arena is considered as one of the Avatar World's jewels, and was the first ever established to host pro-bending matches.

Pro-bending Tournament
The Pro-bending Championship Tournament is an annual sporting event that features the sixteen best teams in the entire league. Played during a week in the last month of the year, the teams compete in elimination-style matches, with the winning team receiving the jackpot prize following the championship tournament. Each tournament team must ante up 30,000 yuans for the championship pot in order to participate.

The tournament follows an eight-match elimination round consisting of the sixteen best teams. A quarterfinal made up of four rounds is then conducted consisting of the eight winning teams from the previous leg of the tournament. The four teams that win their respective matches advance to battle each other in a semifinal round, consisting of two different matches. Finally, in the finals, the two winning teams at the end of the tournament face off in the championship match. The winners receive the jackpot and the title of being that year's pro-bending champions.

Notable teams

 * Future Industries Fire Ferrets: Mako, Bolin, Korra, Hasook (formerly)
 * Ba Sing Se Badgermoles
 * Black Quarry Boarcupines: Chang
 * Bau Ling Buzzard Wasps
 * Capital City Catgators
 * Ember Island Eel Hounds
 * Golden Temple (Tu Zin) Tigerdillos: Yomo, Han
 * Harbor Town Hog Monkeys
 * Kolau Komodo Rhinos
 * Laogai Lion Vultures
 * Mo Ce Mongoose Lizards
 * Makapu Moose Lions
 * Orchid Gardens Ostrich Horses
 * Pinnacle Palace Platypus Bears
 * Red Sands Rabaroos: Adi, Ula, Umi
 * White Falls Wolfbats (formerly) : Tahno, Ming, Shaozu
 * Xiao Yao Zebra Frogs

Trivia

 * Pro-bending originated in Republic City.
 * The name is reminiscent of the real-life pro-wrestling sport.
 * Pro-bending resembles the real-life boxing craze of the 1920s, but is also based on mixed martial arts (MMA). For example, the boundaries of the playing field are lined with ropes like the ones seen around boxing rings. Also, the different styles of bending correspond to MMA.
 * The concept of advancing into the opposing team's territory and gaining zones is much like advancing down a field and gaining yards in American football.
 * The idea for pro-bending developed before the creators came up with the character of Korra.
 * Outside of the central playing field, a wide and deep chasm with a pool of water, called "the drink" by radio broadcaster Shiro Shinobi, separates the spectators from the arena. This gap may be to protect the audience and/or to prevent interference with the pro-bending match.
 * Pro-bending is similar in objective to Earth Rumble VI.
 * The yellow and red fans, used for warning and ejecting a player from the match respectively, are very similar to the yellow and red cards used in real-world soccer (association football), where they have the same function.
 * The referees of Pro-bending are positioned like those of a tennis match, high above, on the side of the playing field where they can spot and call out infractions.
 * All team names and mascots have been named after various hybridized fauna of the Avatar World.
 * The building of the pro-bending arena seems to have been modeled on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.
 * The Pro-bending Tournament bears a resemblance to the NCAA March Madness Men's and Women's Tournaments in the regards of elimination-round style of play. More specifically, the sixteen team, four-round tournament is the same format used by the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association in their respective playoffs.
 * During one of the broadcasts of the tournament, Shiro Shinobi said, "Speaking of noodles, this match is sponsored by Flamey-Os Instant Noodles." This is a reference to the The Flamey-Os, the band from the Fire Nation school in "The Headband".
 * The Boarcupines were the longest reigning champions of the pro-bending championships, with a winning streak of four years in a row.