I wouldn't play soccer against elephants

At first I thought this was just a story about elephant soccer. But it's not. It really is Thai prisoners playing soccer against elephants:

Sunday's game was a reward for some inmates from the Ayuthaya prison, which houses about 1,500 men. More than 200 spectators watched the prisoners take to the muddy field with the elephants ridden by drivers from the nearby Ayuthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal.

The prisoners cut through a forest of elephant legs to score the first goal. But without clear rules against "trunkball," the elephants, guided by their riders, moved the oversized ball easily. The game ended in a 5-5 tie.

Considering that an adult Asian elephant weighs several tons, I wouldn't want to be on the field with them in a semi-contact sport. . . .