Buzkashi: the national game of Afghanistan

Picture rugby on horseback, with a headless goat for a ball and almost no rulebook. That is buzkashi, the national sport of Afghanistan, played across the northern plains for centuries. It is chaotic, fierce and hypnotic, and watching a real match is one of the great travel experiences in the country.

What buzkashi is

In buzkashi, riders compete to seize a goat or calf carcass, the boz, and carry it clear of the pack. The game grew up among the Turkic peoples of northern Afghanistan and Central Asia, and it has come to stand for the whole country's horsemanship and grit.

The rules, or the lack of them

For most of its history buzkashi has had almost no formal rules. The one hard line is that you cannot fasten the carcass to your saddle, and custom bars biting and weapons. In 2016 the national committee added official rules, with teams of ten and timed halves on a marked field, but away from Kabul the old free-for-all still rules.

Tudabarai and Qarajai

There are two main forms. In tudabarai, the simpler one, a rider just has to break free of the scrum with the carcass and carry it clear in any direction. In qarajai, he must carry it around a marker and drop it in a scoring circle, which asks for even more control.

The chapandaz and their horses

The star riders are the chapandaz, often men in their forties and fifties who have spent a lifetime in the saddle. Their horses are trained for years and prized above almost anything, and wealthy patrons back the best of them. Watch closely and the chaos starts to look like skill.

Where and when to see a match

Buzkashi is a winter game. Matches run on Fridays through the cold months on the northern plains, above all around Mazar-e-Sharif, and in Kabul. The biggest of all fall at Nowruz, the new year in March, when whole towns turn out to watch.

See it with us

When the timing lines up, we build a match into a northern trip so you can stand at the edge of the field and feel the ground shake. It fits naturally into a group tours in winter or a tailor-made trip built around the season.

What travellers ask us about buzkashi

What is buzkashi?

A traditional Afghan game played on horseback, where riders compete to grab and carry a goat or calf carcass. It is the national sport of Afghanistan.

What are the rules of buzkashi?

Historically very few. Riders may not tie the carcass to the saddle, and biting or weapons are off limits. Since 2016 there are official rules with teams and timed halves, but outside Kabul they are rarely enforced.

When is buzkashi played?

Mainly in winter and around Nowruz, the new year in March, when matches draw big crowds in the north.

Where can I watch a buzkashi match?

On the northern plains, above all around Mazar-e-Sharif, and in Kabul. We time northern trips to catch a match in season.

Buzkashi riders competing for the carcass