Rough game, rougher players

July 27, 2005

"Murderball" is not for the faint of heart. The documentary's main characters, Mark Zupan (left) and Joe Soares (right), are two of the most aggressive athletes you can find. Here, in his own words, are Soares' most common dirty plays in wheelchair rugby:

1. Grabbing a chair. If the ref doesn't see it, it's not a foul. But if I see another player do it, he might end up with a broken hand.

2. Slamming someone from behind with full force, causing him to flip over backward.

3. Deliberately hitting someone in the face so both of you get thrown out of the game. If I'm a goon and he's the team's best player, that's a heck of a tradeoff.

4. Spitting on another player to take a punch.