Section 8: Safety Considerations
Calcio Storico Fiorentino is one of the most physically dangerous traditional sports actively played — injuries during the annual tournament typically include broken noses, dental damage, fractures, dislocations, and concussions. Pre-event medical clearance required. Comune di Firenze mandates: full medical team on-site (multiple physicians + paramedics + ambulances staged at piazza), pre-match medical screening, on-the-field stretcher and medical extraction protocol, on-call hospital (Santa Maria Nuova) advised of tournament dates. Players sign waivers acknowledging the historic-combat nature of the sport. Modern rule restrictions (no ganging-up, no head-kicks, no hits on downed opponents) were introduced to reduce mortality + serious injury rates — but Calcio Storico remains a high-injury-rate sport even relative to professional combat sports.