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Panzerkraft

From Encyclowiki, the free encyclopedia

"Tanks are war-winners. On the battlefield, they represent the strength, resilience, and pride of a nation. All of these qualities must be called forth from within ourselves to get the most out of our machines."

    - Tom Southerland, captain of St. Arios College's varsity Panzerkraft team, 2022

Panzerkraft (lit. "Armor Strength") is a team sport which is played in grade schools, universities, and professional leagues around the world. A typical game involves two or more teams of players, operating surplus armored fighting vehicles that have been modified for less-than-lethal use. Panzerkraft games are akin to mock battles, where the vehicles of one team need to shoot at their opposing counterparts without getting hit in return. When a vehicle is hit and can no longer fight, it is considered disabled; the vehicle will be highlighted in red in both allied and enemy optical sights, showing that it is out of the match. The main objective in order to win depends on the type of game being played; there are three main types, although variations of each exist:

  • Annihilation: One team must eliminate all of the vehicles on the opposing team(s) in order to win the match. Since this game mode is essentially a battle of attrition, usually the team(s) with the superior number of vehicles wins.

  • Panzer Biathlon: The teams drive a three-lap route around a designated course, firing on targets positioned at various distances while attempting to complete the course with the fastest time. Shooting at vehicles of the opposing team(s) is not only allowed, but encouraged as a viable strategy. Fire-control systems are banned in this game mode, with all vehicle crews being forced to aim purely with traditional optical sights. Inspired by the winter sport of biathlon, this game mode emphasizes the complex training required of AFV crews, including their rough terrain passing skills and the ability to provide accurate and rapid fire while performing challenging maneuvers.

  • Protect the Flag: The most common type of match seen in official tournaments, and the only game mode that is restricted to two teams (one on one). Each team designates a single vehicle to be the "flag bearer", which is then marked with a small triangular flag that is hung from the highest point on the vehicle's roof. Each team must eliminate the other team's flag bearer in order to win the match, while preventing its own flag bearer from being knocked out in return. This game mode gives the best chance for an outnumbered and/or outgunned team to win, since they only need to eliminate the opposing team's flag bearer and not every single enemy vehicle; these underdog teams often win through the use of superior strategies and tactics, despite the odds being stacked against them.

Panzerkraft was created in Belka, in the interwar period following the conclusion of the Osean War in 1910. The first Panzerkraft match was played on November 6, 1911, between two college teams, St. Arios College and the University of Dinsmark. A set of rule changes drawn up in 1950 by Wenkel Chaucer, the "Father of Panzerkraft", established the allowance of wheeled armored vehicles, clarified weight restrictions, banned the usage of IFVs and APCs, and addressed the legality of intercepting enemy radio communications. Later rule changes legalized the usage of self-propelled guns (with strict regulations), created computerized scoring systems, and completely lifted any existing weight restrictions.

Panzerkraft is the most popular sport in Belka, the third-most popular sport in the Osean Federation, and one of the two national sports of Ellbonnia. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college Panzerkraft, with the other major levels being high school and youth Panzerkraft. As of 2016, nearly 1.1 million high school students and 70,000 college students play the sport in Osea annually. The Belkaner Panzerkraft-Bund, the most popular professional Panzerkraft league, has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world. Its championship game, the Eisenseele-Pokal, ranks among the most-watched club sporting events in the world. The league has an annual revenue of around Ƶ15 billion, making it one of the most valuable sports leagues in the world. Other professional leagues exist worldwide, particularly in Norusea.

History
Before and after the Osean War
The very first armed, gas-powered vehicle was invented by a Nordennavic engineer in 1889, with Louis Richmond unveiling his rudimentary Motorized Scouter. Richmond soon created the first armed and armored self-propelled vehicle, the Richmond Motorized War Wagon, in 1893. The further development of armored warfare, including the creation of the first complete tank prototype in 1906, continued throughout the five-year-long Osean War, during which these early armored vehicles quickly revealed many design flaws on the battlefield. The war ended in a defeat for the then-Federation of Belka, after which the nation was compelled to disarm most of its standing military and cease any further development of domestic military hardware by the terms of the Treaty of Farbanti.

A policy of clandestine rearmament began at the time of the Mund Republic almost immediately following the signing of the Treaty, when the Chancellor of Belka Jakob Feuerbach passed cabinet laws that allowed the illegal practice to proceed. During its early years (1910–1925), rearmament efforts were relatively small, secret, and supported by a cross-section of Belkans motivated by a mixture of patriotism-based nationalism and economics-based nationalism.

An example of the Mund Republic's clandestine rearmament measures was the training and equipping of police forces in a way that made them not just paramilitary in organizational culture, but also well-prepared to rapidly augment the military as reserve forces, which the treaty did not allow. Another example was that the government tolerated various Belkan paramilitary groups arming themselves to a dangerous degree. These forces grew enough to potentially threaten the state itself, but this was tolerated because the government hoped to use such militias as military reserve forces with which to rearm the Föderationswehr in the future. Thus various Freikorps, Der Pickelhaube, the Föderationsbanner, and the Blue Gebiet Army grew from street gangs into private armies. For example, by 1922, Edward Fritz was using the BGA for border defense purposes in East Belka.

Another aspect of Mund-era rearmament were massive investments in dual-use technologies and fields of military technology which had not been mentioned in the treaty, such as rocketry. Robert von Stig was tasked with developing liquid fuel rockets for military purposes in 1921, and would become involved in the future W87 nuclear warhead program. The Belkane Luft Kaufmänn, Belka's flag carrier airline, was never anywhere near profitability, and its aircraft played only a minuscule role in the transportation of civilian passengers and cargo. However, the planes it employed were very similar to then-current military models, and its existence allowed the growth of the domestic aircraft manufacturing industry and the training of pilots; both of which could be converted to military uses, thus circumventing the treaty's prohibition of Belka maintaining an air force.

Panzerkraft was born under similarly shady circumstances as other rearmament programs, taking the form of an educational activity that made use of the many decommissioned and disarmed fighting vehicles left abandoned across Belka. To international observers, the Mund Republic promoted this new sport as teaching young Belkans valuable life skills, such as teamwork, sportsmanship, mechanical skills, and honorable professionalism; government representatives made a point in emphasizing the wholesome intentions behind turning old weapons of war into beneficial tools for peaceful uses.

The first Panzerkraft games used completely stock vehicles, which all lacked guns and any additional protection for their occupants; students had to deal with unreliable engines, harsh suspension systems, and sweltering interiors, while relying on rudimentary paintball cannons and guns to register hits on opponents. To add credibility to this new sport, Belka reached out to neutral nations with offers to play exhibition games, and the Holy Kingdom of Ellbonnia was the first of these countries to accept. Using tanks brought overseas from Belka, representatives from the prestigious St. Arios College in Ellbonnia faced off in a classic annihilation match against students from the University of Dinsmark on November 6, 1911; the Belkan students narrowly won the game, with their lead tank being the last surviving vehicle. Afterwards, Ellbonnia not only agreed to continue hosting Panzerkraft matches between its own schools and Belkan institutions, but also provided funding with which to modify old armored vehicles to better suit the game. Thus, Panzerkraft received validation in the eyes of most of the world, resulting in further exhibition games being played in several more countries; even the Osean Federation, Belka's enemy from the previous war, began to show marked interest in the sport.

A photograph of Wenkel Chaucer, the "Father of
Panzerkraft", taken in 1930.

The Bloody Autumn War
The Mund Republic did not survive long enough to see the consequences of its actions. In 1925, the Belkan government was overthrown in a coup d'état by Julius Ludwig, a Kapitän zur See in the Föderationsmarine. After the Enablement Act of 1925 officially transformed Belka into a one-party dictatorship under Ludwig's control, Panzerkraft games continued for the next six years, growing more popular as the Belkan economy rapidly recovered from the previous war.

Despite this period of solid growth, Panzerkraft games were indefinitely postponed following the opening shots of the Bloody Autumn War in 1931. With the advent of the unprovoked Belkan offensive, the original purpose of the sport was rendered redundant in the eyes of the Belkan military; most Panzerkraft vehicles were requisitioned and recommissioned by their respective countries' militaries, as the conflict devolved into attritional warfare for the next eleven years. Thousands of armored vehicles were lost during the war, as well as many aspiring players; in the chaos, destruction, and suffering of the global conflict, Panzerkraft became little more than a distant memory in the eyes of the world.

1960 lithograph, highlighting the negative reputation
that was initially associated with the sport.

Contemporary era
The Bloody Autumn War ended on 2 September 1942, with Belka surrendering to a mixed coalition of Osean, Usean, and Verusan nations. As the Osean Federation and Yuktobania began to quarrel over their respective post-war activities, other nations began the slow process of rebuilding their devastated infrastructure. The only exceptions were nations who stayed neutral over the course of the war, including Ellbonnia, Nordennavik, and Wellow, among others. These countries remained relatively intact, and were all eager to do their part to help the world return to a sense of normalcy.

By 1947, Ellbonnia was still in the process of categorizing hundreds of foreign vehicles that were interned over the course of the war; most of these were given up voluntarily by soldiers attempting to seek asylum in the neutral country, but a few more were captured when their crews inadvertently strayed within Ellbonnia's borders. Since the Ellbonnian Defense Force was in no need of more military hardware at the time, King Abel IV made the decision to begin the slow, laborious process of disarming and scrapping these obsolete armored vehicles. However, these battle-worn machines would be saved through the tireless efforts of Wenkel Chaucer, a Belkan tanker who would almost single-handedly revive Panzerkraft as a professional sport.

Chaucer was no stranger to armored warfare, having witnessed the very first Belkan tanks roll off the production line from the factories close to his Dinsmark apartment. After undergoing training in 1926, he served with distinction in the 8th Armored Division of the Belkan Army during the Bloody Autumn War, accumulating 11 kills in a Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H against Osean forces in Wesson. After the war, Chaucer fled with his crew to Ellbonnia, fearing reprisals from vengeful Osean soldiers for his participation in Belka's war of aggression. When he found out about Abel IV's decision, Chaucer arranged a meeting with the Ellbonnian king, during which he tried to persuade him to put these spare tanks to good use in the civilian market. Chaucer pointed out Ellbonnia's previous role in promoting Panzerkraft before the outbreak of the Bloody Autumn War, and asked the monarch to sponsor a revival of the popular sport. In exchange, Chaucer promised to return to his homeland and advocate for renewed relations between Belka and Ellbonnia, through the promotion of cultural and economic exchange programs.

Chaucer knew very well that he would need Abel IV's support in this endeavor, since the charismatic and popular king would be able to distract people from the sport's unsavory past and awkward connections with a nation that recently kicked off the deadliest conflict in human history. Fortunately, Abel IV was eager to promote diplomatic outreach and tourism in his country, and decided that the cost of restarting Panzerkraft games would be much lower than attempting to scrap every unnecessary vehicle in the EDF's possession. In 1950, King Abel Ellbonnia IV revealed to the world that Ellbonnia would be hosting Panzerkraft games for the first time in 19 years, in conjunction with Belka. Soon, the sport found an enthusiastic global audience, and began a surge of success and popularity that has lasted all the way to the present day.

Wenkel Chaucer died of a heart attack in 1951, mere months after unveiling a comprehensive, updated set of rules concerning Panzerkraft. He is now remembered as the "Father of Panzerkraft", for his perseverance and hard work in preserving and promoting such a unique, history-laden sport.

A team from the University of Dinsmark, 1912. Joseph
Vollmer is standing on the right.

Rules

The rules and regulations of Panzerkraft are set by the Belkaner Panzerkraft-Bund - the Belkan Panzerkraft Union, and they cover various topics, from the number of vehicles that can be used during matches, to compensation rates for damage to private property. The Union is also responsible for player safety, and among its many duties, it must provide teams with ammunition designed specifically to have low-penetration impacts on vehicles. The Union must also verify that vehicles used during matches respect the regulations of the game, and that all vehicles are covered internally with special materials that offer extra protection to its occupants.

To determine whether or not a shot knocks out a vehicle, each shell has an internal microchip that detects when the projectile hits a vehicle, upon which it sends data to a black box located inside said vehicle. This black box calculates various factors, such as distance, trajectory, shell caliber, velocity, armor thickness of the vehicle, and so on, to calculate the likelihood of a penetration or a ricochet.

Field and equipment
The boundaries of a Panzerkraft game vary wildly, and are always determined on a case-by-case basis by a Union representative. These may be stadiums purpose-built for hosting Panzerkraft games, or even small towns whose inhabitants have agreed to allow vehicles to move around and fight in. In the latter case, these inhabitants temporarily evacuate their homes and businesses until the game has ended, and are compensated financially for any damages incurred over the course of the game. During these kinds of games, designated "no-fire" zones are marked out around schools, shopping malls, and other such areas, in which competing vehicles are forbidden from moving through or fighting in these zones.

Armored vehicles built or developed before, during, or shortly after the Bloody Autumn War are eligible to compete in Panzerkraft games; also, in most circumstances, competing vehicles must possess fully-enclosed fighting compartments around the crew. Some exceptions to these rules are still allowed to compete, but only after receiving approval from the Union. Without exception, all competing vehicles must be fitted with Union-sanctioned equipment, which assists referees in analyzing individual vehicle performances during games, or provides additional protection for competing players. Furthermore, all ammunition used during these games must be approved by the Union beforehand.

A Kawasaki Ki-78 judge aircraft of the BPB.

Officials and fouls
Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials wear black uniforms and silver metal gorgets, while aerial judges also wear leather aviation helmets with goggles. Ground-based officials each carry two circular signal flags; one is raised to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will also raise their second flag as a secondary signal. The 15 officials (of a standard 15-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities:
  • The head judge is positioned where they can best see the overall field, which is normally a nearby hill or tall building. The head judge is charged with oversight and control of the game, and is the ultimate authority on the score and any rule interpretations in discussions among the other officials. The head judge announces all penalties, and discusses the infraction with the offending team's captain, monitors for illegal hits against vehicles, and notifies the head coach of a team whenever a vehicle of theirs is ejected.

  • The b-judge is positioned on the opposite end of the field from the head judge, except in the Eisenseele-Pokal, where they are positioned lateral to the head judge with a commanding view of one of the two teams. The b-judge monitors contact between opposing teams, and calls most penalties. The b-judge also records the number of timeouts taken, the winners of coin tosses, and the game score, assists the head judge in situations involving potential no-fire zone infractions, and determines whether the equipment of specific vehicles is legal. The b-judge is tasked with firing a ceremonial shot from a Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun that marks the beginning of the game.

  • The c-judge is positioned in the same spot as the b-judge, except in the Eisenseele-Pokal, where they are positioned lateral to the head judge with a commanding view of the second of the two teams, opposite from the b-judge's side. The c-judge mainly duplicates the functions of the b-judge. While the b-judge fires the opening game shot, it is the c-judge who gives the actual order.

  • The aerial judges are 12 officials tasked with surveying the entire field from the air, and fly surplus military aircraft for this purpose. Four of these judges fly in single-seat Kawasaki Ki-78 high-speed planes to perform overall surveillance of both teams. Six other judges fly in two converted Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokkō night fighters; these planes carry powerful radars and additional observation equipment, in order to intercept illegal radio transmissions and detect other potential rule violations from the sky. Finally, the remaining two judges fly a Mitsubishi Ki-46-III, and are tasked with coordinating between the three ground judges and the other aerial judges to provide consistent coverage of the game.

A Panzerkraft team, wearing Union-approved overalls
and protective headgear.

Safety
Panzerkraft is an inherently dangerous sport, but comprehensive measures are in place to ensure the safety of participating players. For instance, most open-topped vehicles lack sufficient armor for their crews, and are therefore banned from play; these machines are only allowed to participate in games if special modifications are made, such as enclosed crew compartments or automated loading systems.

The Union manufactures reinforced carbon fiber-infused armor plates, that all participating vehicles are required to equip before games. These work in conjunction with special low-impact ammunition to diminish the actual damage sustained during engagements. The interiors of Panzerkraft vehicles are also treated with special shock-absorbing materials for the safety of the crew; this is to minimize the chance of injuries from striking objects within the vehicle, such as periscopes or the main gun's breech. Given the extremely cramped conditions of many armored vehicles, crews are required to wear protective headgear at all times. Nonetheless, injuries during games are common, though rarely life-threatening.

The most common types of injuries are bruises and concussions, although fractures are also worryingly prevalent; loaders in particular are at constant risk of crushing their hands within the breech block as they quickly shove rounds into the gun barrel. Most vehicle commanders fight while buttoned-up (all hatches on the vehicle are sealed from the outside), although an increasing amount of commanders choose to expose themselves to fire, whether sticking their heads out of the turret for better fields of view, or simply leaving the hatch open while battling to circulate air through the vehicle's interior. The Union has considered revising the rules to prohibit these activities, especially after several commanders have lost eyes or fingers to stray shell splinters.

Despite the likelihood of injuries while playing in Panzerkraft matches, no deaths have been recorded in the sport since the 62nd Eisenseele-Pokal in 2012, when the entire five-man crew of a Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J drowned after their tank fell into a raging river during the semifinals round. After the Union banned games near bodies of water, not a single player has died, as of 2013.

Two Sherman tanks during a typical Panzerkraft game
in Ellbonnia, circa 2021.

Leagues and tournaments
The Belkaner Panzerkraft-Bund (BPB) and the Osean Collegiate Panzerkraft Association (OCPA) are the most popular Panzerkraft leagues in the world. The BPB was founded in 1911, and has since become the largest and most popular sport in the Principality of Belka. The BPB has the highest average attendance of any sporting league in the world, with an average attendance of 66,960 during the 2014 BPB season. The BPB championship game is called the Eisenseele-Pokal, and is among the biggest events in club sports worldwide. It is played between the champions of the National Panzerkraft Liga (NPL) and the Belkaner Panzerkraft Liga (BPL), and its winner is awarded the Joseph Vollmer Trophy.

College Panzerkraft is the third-most popular sport in the Osean Federation, behind professional surfing and professional baseball. The OCPA, the largest collegiate organization, is divided into three Divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III. Division I Panzerkraft is further divided into two subdivisions: the Panzerkraft Tournament Subdivision (PTS) and the Panzerkraft Championship Subdivision (PCS). The champions of each level of play are determined through OCPA-sanctioned playoff systems; while the champion of Division I-PTS was historically determined by various polls and ranking systems, the subdivision adopted a four-team playoff system in 2017.

High school Panzerkraft is the most popular sport in Osea played by students; over 1.1 million boys and girls participated in the sport from 2010 to 2011, according to a survey by the National High School Associations Federation (NHSAF). The NHSAF is the largest organization for high school Panzerkraft, with member associations across the Federation.

Other professional leagues
Several professional Panzerkraft leagues have been formed outside the auspices of the BPD.

Rival leagues
The most successful league to directly compete with the BPB was the Belkaner Panzerkraft-Föderation (BPF), which existed from 1963 to 1972. The BPF became a significant rival in 1967 before signing a five-year, Ƶ36 million television deal with NCPB. BPF teams began signing BPB players to contracts, and the league's popularity grew to challenge that of the BPB. The two leagues merged in the 1973 season, and all the BPF teams joined the BPB. An earlier league, the Belkaner Panzerkraft-Verband (BPV), was in play from 1951 to 1954. After it had dissolved, two BPV teams, the Dinsmark Dragons and the Anfang Arrows, became members of the BPF; another member, the Hoffnung Hammers, joined the league, but folded after just a year in the BPB.

Other attempts to start rival leagues since the BPF/BPB merger have been far less successful, as professional Panzerkraft salaries and the BPB's television contracts began to escalate out of the reach of competitors. The World Panzerkraft League (WPL) played for two seasons, in 1977 and 1978, but faced such severe monetary issues that it could not pay its own players. In its second and final season, the WPL attempted to establish a stable credit rating, but the league disbanded before the season could be completed. The Pan-Osean Panzerkraft League (POPL) operated for three seasons from 1983 to 1985. Originally not intended as a rival league, the entry of owners who sought marquee talent and to challenge the BPB led to an escalation in salaries and ensuing financial losses. A subsequent Ƶ1.5 billion antitrust lawsuit against the BPB was successful in court, but the league was awarded only Ƶ1 in damages, which was automatically tripled to Ƶ3 under antitrust laws.

A Sherman fitted out for play in the original PBX, with
bags of low-explosive polytechnics strapped onto its
exterior. These proved to be too dangerous and were
quickly dropped.

Complementary national leagues
The original PBX was created by football promoter Walter Kennedy, and lasted for only one season. Despite television contracts with OBC and UGN, and high expectations, the PBX suffered from poor reception and unpopularity with players for its use of confusing gimmicks and over-reliance on flashy explosions and injuries, which caused initially high ratings and attendance to collapse. The PBX was rebooted in 2023, under a new owner.

The United Panzerkraft League (UPL) began in 2012, but folded after suspending its 2015 season amid declining interest and lack of major television coverage. The 2018 Allianz von Belkaner Panzerkraft (ABP) lasted less than one season, after being unable to keep investors.

International play
Panzerkraft leagues exist throughout the world. In Ellbonnia, the Ellbonnian Panzerkraft League (EPL) has 16 teams, and has operated for over 40 seasons, with the league's championship game, the Ellbonnian Cup, closing out each season. The league operates in a promotion and relegation structure with Ellbonnian Panzerkraft League 2 (EPL2), which also has 16 teams. The BIG-6 Usean Panzerkraft League functions as a continental championship for Usea. The competition is contested between the top six Usean teams.

Nordennavik also operated several teams within BPB Usea during the League's tenure between 2000-2007. The resulting rise in popularity of the sport brought the BPB back to the country in 2010, where they now hold the BPB International Series in Osmac, currently consisting of four regular season games. The continuing interest and growth in both the sport and the series has led to the possible formation of a potential BPB franchise in Osmac. In 2010, the Nordennavic Universities Panzerkraft League was formed. From 2011, the NUPL was officially associated with the BPB, through its partner organization BPB Nordennavik. Over a period between 2010 and 2017, the NUPL grew from 42 teams and 2,460 participants to 75 teams and over 4,100 people involved.

Panzerkraft federations are present in Anea, Osea, Usea, Wellow, and Verusa; a total of 64 national Panzerkraft federations exist as of July 2015. The International Federation of Panzerkraft (IFP), an international governing body composed of continental federations, runs tournaments such as the IFP World Championship and the IFP U-19 World Championship. The IFP also organizes the annual International Cup game.

Popularity and cultural influence

Principality of Belka

"Jousting is still called the national pastime, but Panzerkraft is by far the more popular sport in Belkan society", according to SNN.com's Sean Adams. In a 2017 poll conducted by Louis Interactive, professional Panzerkraft ranked as the most popular sport, and college Panzerkraft ranked third, behind only professional soccer and jousting; 46% of participants ranked some form of the game as their favorite sport. Professional Panzerkraft has ranked as the most popular sport in the poll since 1985, when it surpassed jousting for the first time. Professional Panzerkraft is most popular among those who live in North Belka and rural areas, while college Panzerkraft is most popular in South Belka and among people with graduate and post-graduate degrees. The Eisenseele-Pokal is the most popular single-day sporting event in Belka, and is among the biggest club sporting events in the world in terms of TV viewership. The BPB makes approximately Ƶ10 billion annually. Eisenseele-Pokal games account for seven of the top eight most-watched broadcasts in Belkan history; the 68th Eisenseele-Pokal, played on February 1, 2018, was watched by a record 114.4 million Belkans.

Panzerkraft also plays a significant role in Belkan culture. The day on which the Eisenseele-Pokal is held is considered a de facto national holiday, and in parts of the country like Sudentor, the sport has been compared to a religion. Panzerkraft is also linked to other holidays; New Year's Day is traditionally the date for several college Panzerkraft tournaments, including the National Collegiate Panzerkraft Tournament. However, if New Year's Day is on a Sunday, the bowl games are moved to another date so as not to conflict with the typical BPB Sunday schedule. Dacia McKing of Belka Today wrote that Belkans are passionate about Panzerkraft "because it embodies everything we love about Belkan exceptionalism. Merit is rewarded, not punished. Raw strength is celebrated, not belittled. People of various beliefs and backgrounds – a melting pot, if you will – must unify for a common goal for the team to be successful". Implicit rules, such as playing through adverse conditions and making sacrifices for the better of the team, are highly promoted in Panzerkraft culture.

The safety of the sport has also sparked national controversy in Belkan popular culture. It is often received as "overly aggressive", and defamiliarized in popular culture. The 2018 film Tank Shock aimed to shed light on the sport's shortcomings in player safety, specifically in the BPB.

Other countries
In the Osean Federation, the game has a significant following. According to a 2016 poll, 21% of respondents said they followed the BPB "very closely" or "fairly closely", making it the third-most followed league behind the National Surfing League (NSL) and Osean Baseball League (OBL). Panzerkraft also has a long history in Ellbonnia, which was introduced to the sport in 1911. It was the second-most popular sport in Ellbonnia in the 1950s, with the game being particularly popular in colleges. The Ptolemaeus Sentinel notes that the BPB claims over 160 million fans in Ellbonnia, which places the country third behind Belka and the Osean Federation. Panzerkraft is played in Ellbonnia both professionally and as part of the college sports system; a professional league, the Ellbonnian Professional Panzerkraft League (EPPL), was founded in 1969.

Erusea was introduced to the sport in 1924 by Rufus Frederick, a teacher and veteran from the Osean War, who helped to establish Panzerkraft teams at three universities in Farbanti. Play was halted during the Bloody Autumn War, but the sport began growing in popularity again after the war. As of 2013, there are more than 400 high school Panzerkraft teams in Erusea, with over 15,000 participants, and over 100 teams play in the Anchorhead Collegiate Panzerkraft Association (ACPA). The college champion plays the champion of the Erusea-Osea Panzerkraft League (a semi-professional league where teams are financed by corporations) in the New Anchor Point Cup to determine Erusea's national champion.

Anea is a major target for the expansion of the game by Panzerkraft organizers. In Nordennavik in the 1980s, the sport was exceedingly popular, with the 1989 Eisenseele-Pokal being watched by over four million people (about 1 out of every 14 Nords). The sport is also played in the other Anean countries, like Emmeria, which has Panzerkraft clubs in every major city, and Estovakia, where the sport has around 45,000 registered amateur players.

In San Salvacion, Panzerkraft is a growing sport. It was generally unknown there until the 1980s when a small group of players began playing on the outskirts of their capital city. The sport grew gradually, with 700 amateur players registering within 20 years. Games were played in the desert, with modified rules and without traditional Union-sanctioned equipment due to its lack of availability in San Salvacion. Eventually, a tournament, the Caracal Cup, was founded, and the nation saw its first "legitimate" game of Panzerkraft in October 2011. According to The San Salvacion Post, the sport is currently one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

Panzerkraft in San Salvacion is governed by the Confederação Salvacion de Panzerkraft (CSP), which had over 5,000 registered players as of November 2016. The sport's increase in popularity has been attributed to games aired on UGN, which began airing in San Salvacion in 1995 with Sapinish commentary. The popularity and "easy accessibility" of the sport in San Salvacion has led to a rise in participation by female players. According to UGN, the Panzerkraft audience in San Salvacion increased as much as 800% between 2016 and 2019. The network, along with ENT Sports, airs games in the country on cable television. The BPB has expressed interest in hosting games in the country, and the Eisenseele-Pokal has become a widely watched event in San Salvacion at bars and movie theaters.

See also

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