11

A game like football

Material

• Game board (the football field)
• 2 × 10 football players (red and white)
• 2 goalies (orange for the red team and yellow for the white team)
• 1 ball
• 1 dice (normal, six-sided)
• a clock or egg-timer (not included)

The playing field.

Objective

The game is played a certain amount of time (2 × 20 minutes are recommended). After the first half players change sides. The player scoring the most goals wins the game.

Preparation

The board is placed in the middle of the table. Players decide which side they play and take the football players of one of the teams.

First, players place the goalies on their goal spaces.

Then a start player is chosen. He takes the dice and places one of his football players (with the ball on top) on the kick-off space in the center of the board. Then players take turns placing one football player on any free space on their side of the board (both leaving out the center area (7 dark spaces)).

Exemplary setup at the beginning of the game.

After the setup is done players take turns, beginning with the start player.

Play

On each turn, firstly, a player throws the dice. The number thrown represents moving and attacking points, which can be distributed freely among the football players (and/or the goalie) of the own team. Points can be used as moves or attacks.

Move

Football players and goalies move (with or without the ball) from space to space along the lines. They may not change direction where the lines cross. A team’s goal space can only be entered by the goalie of that team.

Dice points can be distributed freely.

Attack

Football players may only attack if they do not control the ball.

Attacking means, a football player enters the space of an opponent and moves him away to an adjacent space. There is always a free adjacent space, because at least the space where the attack came from should be vacant.

Each movement and taking the ball costs one point:

• entering the opponent football player’s space = 1 point
• taking over the ball (if the opponent controlled it) = 1 point
• moving the opponent football player away = 1 point

So, if a football player is attacking an adjacent football player, 2 points are necessary, plus a third point if the attacked football player controlled the ball. In the situation where the ball is not controlled by a football player (this is possible!) entering the space with the ball costs only 1 point for the movement (no fight necessary).

The white football player moves two spaces (2 points) attacking the red player, moving him away (1 point) and taking the ball (1 point) which costs a total of 4 dice points.

A move is not possible if there are not enough points available. Note that points can be discarded.

Goalies

Goalies when located in their own penalty area (4 dark spaces) are special:

• They may not be attacked.
• However, they may attack other players, take up the free ball or get the ball from a friendly football player or when parrying a goal shot. But they may not keep it! They must shoot the ball in the same turn to another football player or vacant space (see below, chapter “Shooting”). This implies, that a goalie may not attack if a shot is already made in the current turn.

Note that goalies outside their own penalty area behave like normal football players. They can keep the ball and may be attacked. However, if they return to their penalty area, the rules for goalies apply again. This could mean that a goalie may not return because he controls the ball which has been already shot in the current turn.

Shooting

Only once per turn the ball may be shot. No dice points are needed for this action.

The football player controlling the ball can shoot the ball 1 or 2 spaces (note that these hi-tech balls sometimes fly in strange curves). The ball may not be passed over a space controlled by an opponent football player or goalie (this would end the shot, as the opponent football player takes the ball).

The ball may also be shot to a vacant space.

Shots in series

If the ball lands on the space controlled by a football player of the own team, then it is allowed to immediately shoot again (1 or 2 spaces) as long as the ball is still under control of the own team. The last shot of such a series may be directed to the opponent’s goal (but only 1 space, see below, chapter “Scoring”).

It’s not possible to shoot, move, and then shoot again, but you can move, shoot and then continue to move.

The red team plays the ball. After 4 passes, a goal can be shot.

Scoring

To score a goal the football player controlling the ball must shoot to the opponent’s goal space from one of the three dark spaces inside the penalty area.

If the goalie is not on the goal space, a goal is scored immediately.

However, if the goalie is in the goal, he can try to parry the shot: to decide whether a goal is scored, the attacking player takes the dice (now all remaining moving/attacking points are discarded) and places it secretly (covering with the hand) showing a certain number (1 to 6). The attacked player then answers with “lo!”, “mid!”, or “hi!”.

The goalkeeper catches the ball if his response is right:

• “lo!” numbers 1 or 2
• “mid!” numbers 3 or 4
• “hi!” numbers 5 or 6

Examples

Goalie says: “hi!”   +     =   Shot is parried

Goalie says: “lo!”   +     =   Goooooooal!

If the ball is parried, the goalie gets the ball and his player gets the dice for the next turn. Remember that in this turn the goalie may not keep the ball.

Otherwise a goal is scored! All football players who are

• in the opponent’s half or
• in the central area (7 dark spaces)

are taken off the board. Then, firstly, players put back their goalies to the goal spaces if necessary. Then the player, who suffered the goal, gets the dice and places a football player from outside the board (or from the playing field if no football player is available) with the ball on the kick-off space. And finally, starting with the player, who scored the last goal, football players from outside the board are placed one by one alternately in their own side (again leaving out the center area). If one player has placed all of his football players the other player simply continues until all the football players are in position again.

End of the game

After 20 minutes players continue to play until an ace (i.e. 1) is thrown. This throw is discarded, all football players are taken off the board and the game is setup like in the beginning only with changed sides. The player who started the first half now goes second.

After another 20 minute run (and – again – the throw of an ace) the game is finished. The winner is the one who scored the most goals. Games may end in a draw. If you don’t like that, you can play an extra time of 2 × 5 minutes, and after that, you can play a penalty shoot-out.

Penalty shoot-out

Every player has 5 shots, which are performed alternately. The players each select 5 of their football players and place the first who is going to shoot at the penalty space (in front of the goal). As usual, decide on a number between 1 and 6 and let your opponent (the goalie) respond with “lo!”, “mid!”, or “hi!”. Whoever scored the most goals after these 10 shots is the winner. If the result is still tied, continue to shoot! Now, whoever gets ahead 2 goals is declared the winner.

Have fun!