Football U

Football U Rulebook

Table of Contents

Winning the Game

The games you win each season improve your ranking on the National Ranking Track. The player with the best national ranking at the end of the third season wins!

Components

1 Game Board
4 Team Boards
2 Schedule Boards
52 Player Cards
5 Doubled-Sided Opponent Cards
16 Walk-On Cards
6 Coach Cards
3 Player Markers
25 Team Chemistry Cards
16 Gameplan Tokens
40 Wooden Football Tokens
90 Game Dice

Setup

Place the game board in the center of the table.
Place the Schedule Board that corresponds to the number of players near the board. This will tell you when teams play, who the home team is, and who the visiting team is.
Each player chooses a team and takes a player mat.
Randomly deal each player a Head Coach card and place it with its "Joe Default" side up.
Give each player 10 football tokens in their team color.
Place a "Walk-On" card with the appropriate side up on each of the "Walk-On" spaces on your player mat.
On the game board, each player places a football token of their team color next to the beginning of the National Ranking and the Wins tracks.
Shuffle the Player Cards to make the Player Deck and place it near the board.
Place the Team Chemistry Cards, Gameplan tokens, dice, and Walk-On cards near the board.
Determine who goes first. The player who most recently held a football goes first. (In a 2 or 3 player game, give out the helmet-shaped player markers. This is only used to remind you which team is which when using the season schedule. The next player clockwise is Player 2, and the next is player 3.)
Beginning with the player on the first player's right, move counter-clockwise to stack one token per team on the football icon next to the time track so that the start player's token is now on top.
Make up a name and a mascot for your college and share it with the group.
The game is now ready to begin. Move to the Offseason phase.

Key Concept: The Time Track

The offseason is broken up into 15 weeks. Each action you take in the offseason costs time. Weeks are tracked on the main board on the Time Track.

Time costs are denoted with the hourglass icon.
To "pay" a time cost, move your token that many spaces on the Time Track.
The team with its token on the lowest number of the time track is the Active Team.
- If multiple tokens are on the same space, the team with the topmost token is the active team.

The Offseason

The game begins in the Off-Season, and each subsequent year starts with the Off-Season. Proceed through the Offseason phase in the following order:

Shuffle the player deck. Draw twelve players from it and place them on the board - one on each open space. Make sure they all have the Base side facing up (the side with their recruiting cost and the field background).
In time-track order, teams may acquire new players, upgrade players, and acquire gameplan tokens.
- a. Recruiting Players: To acquire a player, pay their recruiting time cost (move your token that many spaces in the time track), and add them to your player mat. (We also recommend grabbing the die or dice that the player will contribute and placing them on the card for easy access later.)
- b. Walk-Ons: Walk-ons are generic players you can use to fill out your roster. To add a Walk-On, move your token 1 week on the time track, flip the Walk-On card to the appropriate offense or defense side, and add it to your player mat.
  - Note: Walk-Ons will be discarded at the end of the season.
- c. Upgrading a Player: To upgrade a player, pay the time-cost designated on your Head Coach Card, and flip that player card to its Upgraded side (the side with the star burst background). The cost for offensive players is listed next to the football icon, and the cost for defensive players is next to the fence icon.
  - Note: Upgraded players revert to their Base side at the end of the season. (Replace any dice previously collected for this player with the new dice they contribute this season.)
- d. Gameplan Tokens: Gameplan tokens are used to reroll dice during games. To acquire a Gameplan token, move your token 1 week on the Time Track.
- e. Abilities: Some abilities on Coaches and Chemistry cards have the calendar OFFSEASON icon. These coach abilities take effect during the Offseason, and these chemistry cards can be used during any of your turns during the offseason.

Note: When a player card is drafted, it is not replaced. Only 12 players are available during an offseason.

Players

The players on your player mat represent your most influential players. Players provide dice that are used to play games in the Season phase, and many players have abilities that can be used once per season.

The player card shows the following: the player's name; the time cost (the hourglass icon and number); the playstyle icon; the dice contributed; the offense/defense icon; the position; and the abilities.

You may only have ONE player active in each position slot on your player mat.

There are 6 position types in the game: QB (Quarterback), RB (Runningback), WR (Wide Receiver), DL (Defensive Lineman), LB (Linebacker), and DB (Defensive Back).
If you acquire a player that plays a position you already have, you must slide one of the cards under the other so that only the play style icon and any ability are showing. You'll still get the team chemistry bonus from whatever icons are showing (see below) and may still use the covered player's ability, but will only get the dice of the player on top.
Flex Slot: You may place an RB or a WR in your FLEX slot. You may move non-walk-on players around your roster at any time during the offseason as long as each player ends up in a legal spot and each spot only has one active player.

Team Chemistry

When you acquire a player that matches the "Play Style" of a player already on your roster (indicated by the icon on the card and the player's uniform color), draw a card from the Team Chemistry deck.

This symbol on your team mat acts as a reminder.

Team Chemistry Cards are one-time-use cards that provide OFFSEASON, HELMET, and WHISTLE abilities like those found on player cards and are subject to the same rules. OFFSEASON icon abilities can be used during any of your turns during the Offseason. After a Chemistry card is used, return it to the bottom of the Chemistry card pile.

Playstyles

Offense	Defense
Smashmouth	Fundamental
Spread	Big Play
Option	Speed
Run 'n' Gun	Power

Recruiting in Your Region

When recruiting a player from your Home Region (the name shown on your player mat) you use 1 fewer week to recruit that player. A reminder is found at the top of each region on the main board.

Head Coaches

Your Head Coach card provides the following information:

Offensive and Defensive Player Upgrade time costs
Overtime dice

Head Coach cards start with their "Joe Default" side up. These are all identical. If your team wins 0 or 1 game in a season, "fire your coach" at the end of the season by flipping your Head Coach card to its "New Hire" side. You may look at the back of your Coach card at any time. The new hire side may do one or more of the following:

Improve Gameplan and Upgrade costs
Improve overtime dice
Add effects

The printed example shows the New Hire coach "Kyle Savior," whose card reads "Don't reset Upgraded players."

The Season

Each season consists of the Regular Season and a Bowl Game. During the season you will play games by rolling the dice produced by your players.

At the start of each season, collect a number of dice of the corresponding colors that equal the number of dice found on your player cards. It may be helpful to place the dice that each player contributes on their cards.

The Regular Season

Each team plays 3 games in the regular season. When you win a game, move your token up one space on the Season Wins Track.

How the season plays out is determined by the number of teams playing Football U. You will always play one game against each other human player, and the rest against AI opponents that are listed on the Schedule Board. Each AI opponent has a corresponding Opponent Card that lists the dice they use.

The order games are played is dictated by the Season card. AI Opponent cards do not have abilities or gameplans.
The player to the left of the active team acts on the AI Opponent's behalf (rolls and assigns dice for them).

The Bowl Game

At the conclusion of the Regular Season, the two teams with the best season records play a fourth "Bowl" game which provides an opportunity to earn one last win for the season.

When determining who will play in the bowl game, if two or more teams are tied, use head-to-head season record to decide who goes to the Bowl Game.
- If a tie persists, choose the team with the highest National Rank.
- If a tie persists, choose the team with greater team chemistry.
- If a tie persists, choose the player closest to the 1st player, looking to the first player's left.
In a two-player game, both human teams automatically play in the Bowl Game.
- In a Solo game, play the Opponent listed on the Season Card.
The team with the better regular season record is the home team. Use the above tie-breakers to determine home team if needed.

How a Game Is Played

In Football U, each game is decided in one roll of the dice. Each game between human players has a visiting team (listed first) and a home team (listed after the "@" symbol) which are indicated on the Season card:

Only if you are playing as an AI team, draw the top player card off the Player Deck and flip it to its upgraded side. You will use any HELMET or WHISTLE Abilities found on that card.
HELMET Abilities: Starting with the visiting team, you may declare the use of any HELMET abilities found on player cards or Team Chemistry cards at this time. Place a football token on a player card after using its ability, and discard any Team Chemistry cards after they are used.
Roll: Both teams now take all of their dice into their hands and roll them. (Be careful not to roll the dice into each other as it makes it difficult to tell who owns which dice!)
WHISTLE Abilities and Gameplans: Starting with the visiting team, you may declare the use of one or more gameplan tokens and WHISTLE abilities from your player or Chemistry cards. Place a football token on a player card after using its ability, and discard any Team Chemistry cards after they are used.
- Gameplans: Gameplan tokens allow you to re-roll dice. Discard gameplan tokens at this time to reroll dice. Re-roll one die for each gameplan spent.
- Note: Dice that have been targeted by a WHISTLE Ability CAN be targeted by subsequent abilities. However, only the last ability to target a specific die is resolved.
Resolve Gameplans and WHISTLE Abilities: After both players have declared the abilities they intend to use, change die results and reroll dice as dictated by the abilities activated.
Assign: Match up defensive dice from each team with offensive dice from the other. An X cancels out an opponent's Offense die. The player that rolled the X chooses which die to cancel. Note: Xs cannot cancel points scored by white Defense dice.

Player Abilities

The ability on a player's card can only be used ONCE PER SEASON.

HELMET abilities can be used at the beginning of any football game but must be declared before rolling.
WHISTLE abilities are declared after the initial football game roll. Once dice are rerolled, they cannot be rerolled again by another effect.
Player abilities may only be used ONCE PER SEASON. Once a player ability is used, place a football token over it to remind you it's no longer available. Player abilities refresh after the season.
Players with the "Potential" ability will improve even more when they are upgraded.

Home Field Advantage

For Gameplans, HELMET effects, and WHISTLE effects, the Visiting team declares first, giving the home team an opportunity to react.

Overtime

If a game ends in a tie, the players roll two dice to decide the winner.

The dice you roll are shown in the overtime section of your Head Coach card.
Opponent card teams always roll a GREEN offense die and PURPLE defense die.
After the initial overtime roll, you may use any unused gameplan tokens and/or any available WHISTLE abilities. (The visiting team acts first.)
If teams are tied after an overtime roll, each team adds an ORANGE DIE to their Overtime dice pool and rolls again. Repeat until one team wins. If a tie persists after all orange dice are used up, the home team wins.

After the Season

Once all games have been played, the season is over.

National Ranking: Move your token on the National Ranking track based on what season you've just completed and how many games you won (see below). If you've just completed the 3rd season skip the steps below and move on to "Ending the Game".
Fire Head Coaches: Teams that won 0 games or 1 game during the season flip their Head Coach card over to its "New Hire" side if they haven't already.
Reset: Remove the football tokens from your players. Reset all tokens on the SEASON WINS track to zero.
Downgrade and Remove: Flip all Upgraded players back to their starting side and remove Walk-Ons from your player mat. Discard any unused Gameplan tokens.
New Turn Order: Determine the new turn order (see below).
Next Season: Begin the next Offseason Phase.

National Ranking

How many spaces you move up the National Ranking track is determined by your number of season wins and what season you've just completed. Each season is worth more than the previous. This represents the mounting pressure as your tenure at your college goes on and your footprint on the team grows.

After Season 1, move your marker 1 space on the National Ranking Track for each Season win.
After Season 2, move your marker 2 spaces on the National Ranking Track for each Season win.
After Season 3, move your marker 3 spaces on the National Ranking Track for each Season win.

Determining New Turn Order

After the first and second seasons, turn order is determined by National Ranking.

Place the player tokens on the starting time space so that the player with the best ranking is on bottom, and the player with the worst ranking is on top.
- If there is a tie, the player with the fewest wins during the previous season goes on top.
- If a tie persists, the team who lost the Regular Season head-to-head matchup the previous season goes on top.
Note: For Season schedule purposes the First player, Second Player etc. DOES NOT CHANGE.

Ending the Game

At the end of the third season OR if a team reaches a #1 National Rank, the game ends.

If a team reaches #1 National Rank, the game ends and that team wins! Otherwise:

At the end of the third Season the team that has traveled the farthest on the National Rankings track wins!

In case of a tie between 2 teams:
- The tied teams play one game to determine the champion.
In case of a tie between 3 or more teams:
- The team with the most team chemistry wins (the most cards that share a style of play with at least one other card on the roster).
- If a tie persists, there are multiple winners, congratulations!

Solo Play

The 1-player game is identical to the multiplayer version with a couple exceptions. Obviously, you'll have to roll for your opponents, but also:

The Player Pool: Only set up players in your region and in the Transfer Portal. (Your regional discount still applies.)
Recruiting outside your territory: During the Offseason, you may spend 1 Week to put a player off the bottom of the player deck into an unoccupied player slot in one of the other regions.
AI Defensive Dice: X's rolled by the AI opponents always cancel out the highest scoring Offensive dice possible.
Winning the Game: Earn a "Top 5" National Ranking to win the game!

Dice Strength

Dice are ranked within each type, from strongest to weakest:

Offense dice: blue > red > green > orange
Defense dice: black > grey > white > purple

Abilities and Effects

OFFSEASON abilities and effects can be used whenever it's your turn during the Offseason.
HELMET abilities can be used at the beginning of any football game but must be declared before rolling.
WHISTLE abilities are declared after the initial football game roll. Once dice are re-rolled, they cannot be rerolled again by another effect.