A Chengdu-based sports development company has unveiled a new competitive hybrid sport that strips away the ball from American football and merges its spatial advancement structure with ancient Chinese wrestling techniques. Developed by Chengdu Qizhiwan Sports, the discipline relies on IoT-enabled smart helmets to solve the visual tracking challenges inherent in ball-free competition.
Bridging Cultural Gaps Through Ball-Free Rules
American football draws massive audiences across North America, but promoters face steep adoption hurdles in China due to complex rules and unfamiliar athletic traditions. Founder Zhang Zhongyi identified these barriers and designed a format that removes the football entirely while retaining 70% of the tactical framework of American football’s regional territorial advance. The remaining 30% incorporates the standing grappling maneuvers of traditional Chinese wrestling.
Under the competition rules, an attacking player’s progress dictates the phase of play. When defenders halt the primary rusher, the contest transitions into a wrestling phase worth three points. If the attacker bypasses the defensive line and enters the designated target zone, the play yields six points. To overcome the absence of a ball as a focal point for spectators, the organization designed a visual tracking system using intelligent helmets. An Internet of Things control system automatically illuminates LED markers on the primary rusher’s helmet, allowing viewers to identify the core of the attack instantly.
Monetizing Live Streams on Douyin
Rather than pursuing traditional athletic infrastructure with high capital costs and extended scheduling cycles, the project targets the short-form video and live-streaming platform Douyin. Organizers aim at general entertainment consumers rather than traditional sports purists. The competitive broadcasts blend athletic grappling with vocal performance, structuring events as 60% wrestling combat and 40% singing.
The format incorporates a dual-incentive engagement mechanism where online participants send digital gifts either to support traditional cultural wrestling displays or to protect participating musical performers. The commercial model draws revenue from multiple streams, including micro-transactions for voting priced at 0.1 yuan, major user contributions, merchandise sales, and hardware sales of the smart helmet systems to future event organizers.
Football Wrestling Secures Intellectual Property and Plans Regional Derby
The project has registered its intellectual property under the official title “Competition Rules for the Sport of Football Wrestling” with registration number Chuan-Zuo-Deng-Zi-2025-A-00181550, securing protection under the Berner Convention. Zhang Zhongyi handles rule development and hardware engineering, supported by partners Zhou Rong managing financial compliance and He Guantian overseeing competition operations, media, and public relations.
Organizers plan to launch the inaugural competition as a Chengdu-Chongqing regional derby via Douyin group live streaming to capture local rivalries in Sichuan and Chongqing. Long-term projections include a 12-plus-12 city touring league spanning eastern and western regions, culminating in an annual Chinese Wrestling Bowl timed for the Spring Festival gala. For international expansion, the organization scheduled the first World Wrestling Grand Prix in Chengdu for July through August 2027, intending to recruit international student participants and license the format for the United States market.
Enterprise Seeks 5 Million RMB for Rollout and Technology
The enterprise is currently seeking 5 million RMB in angel financing in exchange for a 15% equity stake. The capital injection is earmarked for the initial lightweight rollout—covering venue setup, live-streaming infrastructure, twelve-month salaries for a 21-person staff, and competition prize pools—alongside the execution of the Chengdu Grand Prix and industrial design work for mass-producing the smart helmet technology.
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