Section 3: Playing Area
Bo-taoshi is played on the NDA's outdoor grounds at its Yokosuka campus. Two poles are erected at opposite ends of the playing field, one for each team. Both poles and their surrounding zones are active simultaneously — there is no halfway boundary preventing either team from crossing to the opponent's pole zone.
- Pole zones: each pole's base is the focal point of that team's defense; no fixed perimeter is marked, as the defense is formed by the bodies of the defending players themselves
- Surface: natural grass or compacted earth; the NDA grounds are used as-is for the festival
- Crowd clearance: spectators are kept behind a perimeter; the active field accommodates 300 players in motion simultaneously and requires substantial clearance for safety