FUBA
FUBA Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Game Basics
1.1 Playing pieces
- Game board: The game board represents a football field.
- Two teams: Both teams have 10 outfield players and a goalkeeper. In the advanced rules both teams also use 3 substitute players and 10 condition point markers.
- Cards: 16+1 cards. Both teams have 8 formation cards that are used to choose a formation for the team. The backside of these cards is yellow for use as yellow cards. The red card is only for fun, and can be shown to the opponent if a red card occurs.
- Ball die: The ball is a round die with numbers from 1 to 6.
- Three referees: One to mark game time and two to keep track of the scores.
- Dice: Ordinary six-sided dice are used for all dice rolls. Each team requires two dice to play.
1.2 Player and team
In these rules "player" refers to a player piece on the game board. A goalkeeper counts as a player unless the rules state otherwise. "Team" is used when referring to the person playing the game.
1.3 Controlling and defending team
The team controlling the ball is referred to as the "controlling team" (CT) and the opposing team as the "defending team" (DT). These roles and terms are reversed immediately when a team loses ball control to the opponent. The new team in control of the ball immediately becomes the "controlling team".
1.3.1 Ball control
The value on top of the ball shows how well the controlling team has the control of the ball. The lower the number, the better the ball control: 1 is excellent, 6 is poor.
1.4 Playing area
The game board is divided into 13 areas, 4 on each side and 5 in the middle. Each area has a slightly different colour. The centre area with the centre circle counts as one large area, despite the half way line. The penalty area also counts as one area including the goal area.
1.4.1 Player pieces in the areas
The player pieces are positioned in the areas. There is no limit to how many player pieces can be in any area, but if a team has more than six players in an area, a maximum of six players are taken into account when determining the number of the team's players in that area.
1.4.2 Half way line
The half way line is the line that goes through the centre circle and splits the pitch into two halves. The line does not cut the centre area into two different playing areas.
1.4.3 Goal lines
The goal lines are the edge lines at the shorter edges of the pitch from corner to corner (not just the line inside the goal).
1.5 Playing zones
The playing area is divided into three zones: midfield, defence and attack. Each zone contains several areas.
- Midfield zone: The midfield zone contains the five areas touching the halfway line.
- Defence zone: The defence zone contains the four areas that are on the team's own side of the pitch and do not touch the halfway line. The defence zone is also the opponent's attack zone.
- Attack zone: The attack zone contains the four areas that are on the opponent's side of the pitch and do not touch the halfway line. The attack zone is also the opponent's defence zone.
2 Teams Preparation
Before the match begins both teams must choose a formation for the game. The formations are basic three line formations (defence - midfield - forwards). Teams can also choose to use optional rules for advanced formations.
2.1 Selecting formations
The formation consists of three numbers. These indicate how many defenders, midfielders and forwards the team has.
Both teams choose their formation for the game by secretly selecting a formation card. After both teams have selected their formation, the cards are revealed.
Teams can use any formation they want, but the ones defined in formation cards are recommended. If a team wants to use some other formation, you should secretly write this formation down on a piece of paper. The total number of outfield players must still be 10.
Typical formations (DEFENCE - MIDFIELD - FORWARD): 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 5-3-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 5-4-1.
Example: Formation. Otto selects a 3-5-2 formation for his team. He now has 3 defenders, 5 midfielders and 2 forwards.
2.2 Formation change during half time
During half time teams can change the position of one player in their formation.
3 Match Preparation
Before play begins the gaming mat has to be set up. The referees and ball are placed on the pitch. The teams roll a die to determine who will start with the ball. After that the players are set up.
3.1 Referee placement
One referee is placed on the "1st half" square of the time track as a time marker (and on the "2nd half" square in the second half). The two other referees are placed on the goal tracks as goal markers, on square "0" of each track.
3.2 Determining who kicks off
Both teams roll a die. The team with the higher result chooses which team will start with the ball. The team starting with the ball is the controlling team.
3.3 Team setup process
The teams are set up in the following order:
- The controlling team sets up its players.
- The defending team sets up its players.
- After the defending team has set up its players, the controlling team is allowed to adjust their starting position by moving up to two players one area from their initial starting area (i.e. they can be moved to any area adjacent to that they are currently in). The player's new position must still fulfil the setup rules (see next chapter).
The teams' selected formations (4-4-2 etc.) do not affect the way the teams have to set up their players for a kick-off.
Example: Match preparations. First the referees are placed in their positions: one for each goal track to mark the number of goals. The third referee is placed on the time track. Santeri and Otto begin the game. Both roll a die. Santeri gets a 5 and Otto 3. Santeri won the dice roll and chooses which team will start with the ball as the controlling team. He chooses to start as a controlling team and thus Otto's team start as the defending team. In the second half Otto will start as the controlling team.
- Santeri must set up his team's players first. He places four players into the middle area, which is more than the required minimum of two. Then he places two players into each of the side areas adjacent to the middle area and the last two players into the area in front of his team's penalty area. A goalkeeper is placed in the penalty area.
- Santeri announces he is ready and Otto can start to set up his team.
- After Otto's setup is ready, Santeri can choose to react to Otto's setup by moving up to two of his players. He chooses to move two players from the centre to strengthen the left side, because his plan is to start the game by playing the ball to that side area.
3.3.1 Kick-off setup rules
A kick-off takes place at the beginning of each half and after each goal. The ball is placed at the centre of the centre circle with 2 as the initial ball value.
The kick-off setup is done according to the team setup process (chapter 3.3.) with the following additions:
The controlling team must place two players in the middle area (the centre circle). Other outfield players can be set up in any area that is at least partly in the team's half of the playing field. The goalkeeper is placed in the team's penalty area.
The defending team's players can be placed in any area that is at least partly in that team's half of the field. The goalkeeper is placed in the team's penalty area.
3.4 Substitute players and condition points
Depending on whether advanced rules are used, both teams setup the required markers as substitute players and condition points.
4 Game Turn
Just like a real football match, the game is divided into two halves. Each half contains approximately 17 turns, although the exact number varies. Each turn represents 1 to 6 minutes of game time. Each half lasts for a minimum of 45 minutes.
The game is played in turns. One turn includes actions by both teams. Each turn is divided into three stages to simulate the activities of a football match. First, the team with the ball chooses where the ball is played. Second, a new situation in that area is generated. Third, both teams can choose their tactic to react to that situation. A turn contains three stages, which must be completed in the order shown below:
Turn order table in 3 stages
- Target area and ball value modification stage
- Game situation progress stage: Time adjustment; Special event; Control check; New ball value; Order of actions
- Action stage
After the turn is completed, a new turn starts unless the half ends as defined in chapter 4.2.1.2 "Stoppage time".
4.1 Target area and ball value modification stage
In this stage the controlling team makes the decision about where it wants to play the ball. The ball is moved to the new area and its value is modified in certain situations.
4.1.1 Controlling team chooses target area
The controlling team chooses an area to play the ball into. The chosen area can be any area where the team has a player or an area adjacent to such an area.
The chosen area is called the "target area" and the area where the ball begins is called the "start area".
After the controlling team has chosen a legal area to play the ball, the ball is moved into that area. The team can also play the ball within the same area the ball is currently located.
Example: Choosing target area. Otto's blue team is the controlling team. He can choose area A as a target area, because he has a player there. He can also choose area B for the target area because area B is adjacent to an area where he has a player. He cannot choose area C because he has no players there or on any area adjacent to it.
4.1.1.1 Offside
The controlling team cannot choose a target area where it has a player in an offside position or where it has no players and all its players in adjacent areas are in offside positions. See offside rules in chapter 5.1.
4.1.2 Ball value modification
The ball value is modified to take account of how easy or difficult it is to keep the ball under control in the chosen target area. After the ball has been moved to the new area its value is modified in the following cases. The controlling team cannot choose a target area where the ball value would be modified to over 6 after all modifications. If the ball value drops below 1 the value will be 1.
4.1.2.1 Start area without a defending team's player
One is reduced from the ball value if the defending team has no players in the start area. This reduction is not used when a free kick, corner kick or a goal kick is taken.
4.1.2.2 Long pass
The ball value is increased by one for each area between the start area and the target area.
The ball value is increased one additional step if both teams have 6 or more players in the target area.
Example: Long Pass. Otto's blue team is the controlling team. At the beginning of the turn he has chosen to play the ball into the opponent's penalty area. There are two areas between the start and the target area. Thus the ball value is adjusted from 4 to 6.
4.1.2.3 Target area situation
The ball value is reduced by one if the controlling team has more players than the defending team in the target area. The ball value is increased by one if the defending team has more players in the target area.
4.1.2.4 Offside risk
See advanced rule A7.
4.2 Game situation progress stage
In this stage a new situation in the target area is determined by rolling dice and the game time advances. The controlling team rolls two dice. These dice results are used to resolve the following issues in the following order:
- Time adjustment
- Check if a special event occurs
- Determine ball control
- Determine new ball value
- Determine the order of actions in the action stage
4.2.1 Time adjustment
The time marker is moved as many squares (minutes) forward as the difference between the dice scores.
If the dice difference is zero, the time marker is moved an equal amount to the die score (one die, not both) and a special event occurs. See advanced rule A13 for special events.
Example: Time. Santeri (the controlling team) rolls 4 and 1 at the game situation progress stage. The value difference is 3 so the time marker is moved 3 minutes forward.
Example 2: Time - special event. Santeri rolls 4 and 4. The value difference is zero so the time marker is moved 4 minutes forward and a special event occurs.
4.2.1.1 Additional time adjustments
The time marker is moved one square forward at the beginning of each goal kick, free kick, corner kick, and after each goal scored. This rule has no affect during stoppage time.
See advanced rule A8 for slow playing.
4.2.1.2 Stoppage time
Stoppage time begins when the time marker reaches the first stoppage time square. The marker stops there even if it should continue further according to the dice difference.
During stoppage time the time marker is moved only one square per turn instead of the dice difference. However, if the difference is smaller than the current stoppage time minute (the yellow number in the square where the time marker stands), the half ends instead. The rest of the turn is not played, unless the ball is in either of the penalty areas in which case the half ends at the end of that turn.
When the time marker reaches the "+5" square the half is finished at the end of that turn (if it has not finished earlier).
Example: Stoppage time. The time marker is on the +2 square. Santeri rolls 3 and 2 at the game situation progress stage so the difference of dice scores is 1. This is less than the current stoppage time (+2), so the half ends immediately.
4.2.1.3 End of the half
When the first half has finished, the second half starts. The team that started the first half as the defending team now starts as the controlling team and vice versa. Move the time marker referee to the "2nd half" square. Repeat the team setup for kick-off (in chapter 3.3.1).
When the second half has finished, the game is over.
4.2.2 Control check
The control check determines whether the controlling team retains ball control or loses it to the defending team. To check for ball control the controlling team's dice values are compared to the current ball value.
If either of the dice are higher or equal to the ball value, the controlling team retains the control of the ball. Otherwise the defending team gains control of the ball and immediately becomes the controlling team and vice versa.
4.2.2.1 Target area without a controlling team player
After the control check, if the team with control of the ball does not have a player in the target area, it must move its closest player (one of them) to the target area.
The player movement at this stage does not affect to the number and types of moves the team is allowed to make during the action stage.
4.2.2.2 Easy situation
If the control check failed, but the defending team does not have a player in the target area or any adjacent area, ball control does not change. Instead the defending team can move one player to an adjacent area.
4.2.3 New ball value
The ball value is changed after the control check irrespective of the control check result. The new ball value is the value of the lowest dice value if the target area is adjacent to the start area AND the controlling team had a player in the target area at the beginning of the turn.
Otherwise the new ball value is determined according the die with the highest value.
Example: Control check + new ball value. Otto's blue team is the controlling team. At the beginning of the turn he has chosen area A as the target area. Otto has rolled 5 and 2. The ball value is 3. One of Otto's dice values is higher than the ball value and thus Otto's team retains the ball control. The value will be changed to match the lower die result, two, as the ball was played to an area adjacent to an area where Otto had a player.
4.2.4 Order of actions
The order of actions is determined in the previous stage according to the dice thrown by the controlling team.
If both dice values are equal to or higher than the ball value, the controlling team takes the first action in the action stage [4.5]. Otherwise the opponent takes the first action.
Example: Order of actions.
- The blue team (the controlling team) will play an action first, because both dice results are higher than or equal to the ball value.
- The yellow team (defending team) will play an action first, because only one die result is higher than or equal to the ball value.
- The yellow team gets control of the ball and plays an action first, because both dice results are lower than the ball value.
4.3 Action stage
In the action stage both teams perform one or two actions, in which the team can try to score a goal, move players, position to adjust the ball value and try pressing to take ball control from the opponent.
A chosen action simulates team tactics and how they react in different situations. Does a team try to win the ball back quickly, focus more carefully on blocking opponent passing routes or rely on their legs by running more than their opponents?
The order of actions is determined in the previous stage according to the dice thrown by the controlling team. See chapter 4.2.4.
The team that plays first chooses an action and performs it. After the first team has finished the action, then the second team chooses and plays an action.
Actions to choose from are:
- Goal attempt (only the controlling team)
- Player movement
- Positioning
- Pressing (only the defending team)
4.3.1 Free movements
Free movements simulate unguarded players' better ability to react to game situations.
At the beginning of its first action a team can choose to move players, even if the chosen action was not player movement.
- If a team has more players than the opponent in an area at the beginning of an action, the team can move one player from that area to an adjacent area. The number is counted at the beginning of the action before any free movements are made.
- A player, except a goalkeeper, that is in an area touching either goal line, can be moved straight forwards/backwards one area away from the goal line.
- A goalkeeper adjacent to their own penalty area can be moved into their penalty area.
Example: Free player movements. Otto's blue team is performing its first action and can make free moves at the beginning of that action. Four of its players can make a free movement to an adjacent area. The blue team outnumbers the opponent in three areas and can thus move one player from each of these areas. Player A in the corner area can make a free move even though the number of players is equal in that area (because it is in an area touching the goal line). But that move must be directly away from the goal line.
4.3.2 Second actions
If a team with the ball is not in a dangerous situation it can play more slowly, for example, to give more time for its players to move to better positions.
After both teams have played one action, the team that has control of the ball after the actions can choose either to start a new turn or to play second actions.
If the defending team has more players in the area where the ball is located no second actions can be chosen.
If second actions are played, they are played in the same order as the first actions. After the second actions are played a new turn starts. A second action must be a different type of an action to the team's first action.
4.4 Goal attempt
A goal attempt simulates situations where a team tries to score, either by a direct shot from the area where the ball is located or by an attempt starting from that area, but with a final touch by a player closer to the goal.
The controlling team can make a goal attempt if it has control of the ball in any area located entirely in the defending team's half of the pitch.
If a goalkeeper is not in the penalty area, a goal attempt can also be made from three additional areas, see chapter 4.4.4.
If the controlling team decides to make a goal attempt, the team rolls a die and adds the modifiers defined in the Goal Attempt Modifiers Table.
If the modified die value exceeds the current ball value, the team scores a goal. Then, new team setups for a kick-off are carried out according to the rules in chapter 3.3.1. The scoring team becomes the defending team.
If the modified die value equals the current ball value, a corner kick occurs. See chapter 5.3.
If the modified die value is one less than the current ball value, and the controlling team has at least one player in the penalty area, a rebound occurs as defined in chapter 4.4.1.
Otherwise, the shot is a miss. The game continues with a goal kick as defined in chapter 5.4. The defending team becomes the controlling team and vice versa.
Goal attempt modifiers table
| Modifier | Condition |
|---|---|
| +1 | If the controlling team has more players than the passive team in the area from where the attempt is made. (1) |
| -1 | If the passive team has more players than the controlling team in the area from where the attempt is made. (1) |
| +1 | If the controlling team has more players than the passive team in the passive team's penalty area. (2) |
| -1 | If the passive team has more players than the controlling team in the passive team's penalty area. |
| +4 | If the passive team's goalkeeper is not in the penalty area. |
| 0/-2/-4/-5/-6 | Area modifier depending on the area where the goal attempt is made from (see below). |
Area modifiers (shown on the pitch diagram, from the shooting team's point of view): penalty area 0; the area directly in front of the penalty area -2; the two attack-zone corner areas beside the penalty area -4; the two midfield side areas on the attacking side of the halfway line -5; the centre circle area -6*; the two midfield side areas on the shooting team's own side of the halfway line -6*.
* A goal attempt can only be made from these areas if the goalkeeper is not in the penalty area. (1) The modifier is not counted if the goal attempt is made from the penalty area or a free kick. (2) Players in offside positions are not counted.
Result by die value (modified result compared to ball value): higher = Goal; equal = Corner kick; one less = Rebound; otherwise Miss.
Example: Goal attempt. Santeri's yellow team has control of the ball and has chosen a goal attempt as its action. Santeri must roll a die and the score after modifiers must be higher than the ball value, which is 3, to score a goal. The area gives a -2 modifier. His team has more players in the shooting area, which gives a +1 modifier. Otto's team has more players in the penalty area, which gives a -1 modifier. Overall a -2 modifier is added to the die score. Thus Santeri must roll a 6 to score a goal (6-2=4 > 3). A 5 would cause a corner kick and 4 a rebound. 1-3 will be a miss.
4.4.1 Rebound
When a rebound occurs both teams roll a die and add the score to the number of their players in the penalty area. The defending team's goalkeeper is not counted towards the number of players. If the controlling team's result is higher the team scores a goal. If the result is equal, a corner kick occurs. If the defending team's result is higher, then the defending team regains control of the ball and immediately becomes the new controlling team. The new ball value is the die score that the new defending team rolled for its rebound roll.
4.4.2 Difficult goal attempt
A team can make a goal attempt even if the die result required to score is more than six.
The team rolls a die according to the goal attempt rules. If the result is 6, the team rolls again. The team scores a goal if the second die roll is higher than the area modifier (ignore the minus sign) for the goal attempt. If the second die result equals the area modifier, then a corner kick occurs. Otherwise, the shot is a miss and a goal kick occurs.
4.4.3 Goalkeeper not in the penalty area
If the defending team's goalkeeper is not in the penalty area a goal attempt can also be made from any of the areas touching the halfway line.
4.5 Player movements
A movement action simulates longer moves or runs on the pitch. Short moves inside a single area are covered by positioning actions.
At the beginning of a movement action, the team rolls two dice and discards the higher die result. The team can perform an equal number of moves to the die result. Regardless of the die result, a team can always move up to the minimum number of players as determined according to its formation:
- The number of midfielders in the formation if the ball is in the midfield zone.
- The number of forwards in the formation if the ball is in the attack zone.
- The number of defenders in the formation if the ball is in the defence zone.
In a player movement a player (piece) is moved to an adjacent area. The same player (piece) can be moved twice in the movement action only if the first move was a free movement at the beginning of the action.
If a team formation contains zero players in a particular position, one is reduced from each die result rolled for a movement action in that zone.
Example: Player movements. Otto is playing a movement action. He is using the 4-4-2 formation. He rolls 5 and 2, which allows him to move only two players (according to the lower die result). The ball is located in the midfield zone, so Otto can move at least the number of midfielders as in his formation regardless of the dice result. This means he can move up to four players.
4.5.1 Movement restrictions for offside
A player cannot be moved into an offside position as defined in chapter 5.1. This restriction does not apply if the player is moved straight backwards.
4.5.2 Dribbling
A single area in FUBA covers a large area of a football pitch, so dribbling on this scale simulates quite a long run with the ball, which can be easily blocked by an opponent.
The ball can be moved (dribbled) with a moving player from one area to an adjacent area once in the movement action, but only if this move starts from an area where there are no defending team players and the dribbling player has not yet moved earlier in the same turn (for example, a free move or after a control check at chapter 4.2.2.1).
Example: Dribbling. Santeri's yellow team is performing a movement action. There are no opponent players in the area where the yellow player piece starts the move. Thus the ball can be moved together with the player piece (dribble).
4.5.3 Ball controlling player
The controlling team must have at least one player in the same area as the ball.
4.6 Positioning
A positioning action simulates a situation where players make short moves to make their positions better to receive passes or block the opponent's passing routes. Either the controlling team can improve its position (and the ball value drops) or space is reduced for further options (the ball value goes higher).
At the beginning of a positioning action the team rolls two dice. If the team is a defending team, the ball value is increased by one for each die value that is higher than the ball value.
If the team is a controlling team the ball value is reduced by one for each die value that is lower than the ball value.
If the team has more players in the area it can adjust the ball value by one more step, unless it has already adjusted two steps.
If the team has no players in the area where the ball is located, the ball value is adjusted one step less than the result of the dice.
Example 1: Positioning action. Otto's blue controlling team makes a positioning action. He rolls 4 and 2. The ball value is dropped two steps (from 5 to 3) due to both dice results being lower than the ball value. Otto has more players in the area, which would allow him to adjust the ball value one more step, but the maximum adjustment is two.
Example 2. Santeri's yellow defending team chooses to perform a positioning action after Otto's positioning action. He rolls 3 and 4. One die result is higher than the ball value, so the ball value is increased by one (from 3 to 4).
4.7 Pressing
A pressing action simulates a situation where the defending team tries to get control of the ball from the opponent.
The defending team may perform a pressing action if it has at least an equal number of players to the controlling team in the area where the ball is located.
The pressing team rolls two dice. If either of the dice values are lower than the ball value, the team gets control of the ball and becomes the controlling team. If both dice values are lower than the ball value, the lower pressing die value becomes the new ball value. If only one die was lower, the higher pressing die value becomes the new ball value.
Otherwise, the pressing action fails, and the ball value is reduced by one.
For aggressive pressing, see advanced rule A6.
Example: Pressing. Santeri's yellow passive team makes a pressing action. A pressing action is possible because the team has at least an equal number of players as the opponent in the area where the ball is located. He rolls two dice and gets 2 and 5. The pressing is successful, because one of the dice results is lower than the ball value (2). But because only one die result was lower than the ball value, Santeri gets the ball with the value of the higher die result, 5.
5 Special Situations
5.1 Offside
A controlling team's player is in an offside position if it is in an area that is entirely in the defending team's half of the field and that area is closer to the defending team's goal line than the area in which the defending team's second closest player is located. When defining the defending team's second closest player, the goalkeeper is also taken into account.
A controlling team's player is not in an offside position if it is in an area that is at least partly at the same level as the area in which the defending team's second closest player (including the goalkeeper) is located.
A player in the centre area with the centre circle is never in an offside position.
A player is also not in an offside position if it is in an area that is at least partly at the same level as, or closer to, their team's own goal line than the area where the ball is located.
Offside has no effect when passing backwards towards your own goal line.
The offside rule does not apply when a goal kick or a corner kick is taken.
Example: Offside. Otto's blue team is the controlling team. He can choose area A as the target area because the opponent's second lowest player is in an area partly at the same level with area A. The player in area B is in an offside position, thus Otto cannot choose area B as the target area.
5.2 Free kick
A free kick takes place in the target area of the current turn. A team awarded a free kick immediately becomes the controlling team (if not already) and the ball value is set to 2. If the target area was the defending team's penalty area a penalty kick is taken instead (see chapter 5.5).
5.2.1 Free kick setup
The teams carry out a new setup procedure according to chapter 3.3. In addition, at least one player from the controlling team must be placed in the area from where the free kick is awarded. All other players can be set up without restriction.
5.2.2 Taking a free kick
The controlling team may choose to make a direct goal attempt, in which case the turn continues from the action stage. The goal attempt is the first action.
If the team decides not to attempt a goal a new turn starts from stage 1 (by choosing a target area).
The controlling team taking the free kick can choose the start area as a target area only if there are at least two of its players in that area.
5.2.3 Quick free kick
If a free kick is awarded in an area that is at least partly on the controlling team's side of the pitch, then it is counted as a "quick free kick" and no new setup is made.
The controlling team may immediately move as many players as wanted into areas adjacent to them. Then, the defending team can move up to as many players as the controlling team. After the player movements, a new turn starts with a free kick.
A free kick in the centre area with the centre circle is always taken as a "quick free kick".
5.3 Corner kick
When a corner kick is awarded the teams carry out a new setup procedure (chapter 3.3.) taking into account the specific corner kick setup rules in chapter 5.3.1.
The corner kick is taken from the corner of the pitch, which, for the purposes of corner kicks only, is counted as a separate area adjacent to the corner area.
For example, there is one area between the penalty area and the corner of the pitch where the corner kick is taken.
5.3.1 Corner kick setup
A controlling team player and the ball are placed in the corner for the corner kick. All other players can be setup without restriction. The ball value is set to 2.
5.3.2 Taking a corner kick
After the setup, a new turn starts from stage 1.
Once the corner kick is taken the player who took the corner is no longer considered to be in the separate corner kick area after the game situation progress stage. The player then continues the game normally at the beginning of the action stage.
5.4 Goal kick
When a goal kick occurs the rest of the turn is skipped. A goal kick takes place from the penalty area and the ball value is set to 2.
All players in that penalty area, except the new controlling team's goalkeeper, are moved one area towards the centre circle.
After the previous moves, the controlling team may move as many players as wanted into areas adjacent to them. Then, the defending team may move up to as many players as the controlling team moved with a minimum of four players.
After these movements, a new turn begins from stage 1 (by choosing a target area for the goal kick).
5.5 Penalty kick
When a penalty kick is awarded, the teams carry out a new setup procedure in accordance with the setup rules in chapter 3.3 also taking into account the specific penalty kick setup rules in the next chapter.
5.5.1 Penalty kick setup
The team awarded a penalty kick (the controlling team) sets up the ball and a player on the penalty spot. The defending team sets up the goalkeeper on the goal line.
No other players can be placed or moved into the defending team's penalty area.
5.5.2 Taking a penalty kick
The defending team hides a goalkeeper behind their hand and secretly chooses their option for the goalkeeper's reaction:
- Goalkeeper will guess and dive to the left. Turn the goalkeeper to lie on its left side.
- No guess. Leave goalkeeper in a standing position in the middle of the goal.
- Goalkeeper will guess and dive to the right. Turn the goalkeeper to lie on its right side.
After the defending team (goalkeeper) has made its decision, the controlling (shooting) team chooses the shooting spot: left, middle or right.
The defending team then reveals the hidden goalkeeper. The shooting team rolls a die to check whether the kick is successful. A goal is scored if the die result is the same or higher than the value shown in the following table.
Requires die result for a goal
| Shooting player | Goalkeeper guess to left | No guess | Guess to right |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kick to left | 2+ | 2+ | 6 |
| Kick to middle | 1+ | 6 | 1+ |
| Kick to right | 6 | 2+ | 2+ |
If the penalty kick fails, the defending team immediately becomes the controlling team and the game continues with a goal kick (defined in chapter 5.4).
5.6 Yellow and red cards
5.6.1 Yellow card test
A team rolling for a yellow card must roll a die to determine the result:
- 1-2: No card
- 3: Yellow card if the target area is at least partly on that team's side of the pitch.
- 4-5: Yellow card
- 6: Yellow card and a red card test with +1 yellow card modifier; opponent suffers an injury [advanced rule A4]
If a team gets a yellow card and already has at least one yellow card or if the yellow card test result was a 6, the team must also roll for a red card.
5.6.2 Red card test
The team rolls a die. If the die roll result is lower than the number of yellow cards the team currently has (including the latest one), the team receives a red card and must immediately remove one player from the game.
If a team receives a red card, two of the yellow cards will be changed (discarded) into a red card (meaning a 2nd yellow card to the same player), unless the die result was a 1, in which case only one yellow card is discarded (meaning a direct red card to a player).
Red cards and player removals have no effect on formations (as selected in chapter 2.1.)
Example: Yellow & Red cards. Otto's team got a yellow card as the result of a special event. His team already has two yellow cards and this card will be the third yellow card. He rolls a die for a red card and gets a 2. The result is less than the number of yellow cards. Thus the team will get a red card (this simulates a situation where the same player gets a second yellow card). Two of the yellow cards are changed for a red card. Otto continues the game with one yellow card and one red card.
Advanced Rules
A1 Team condition and tiredness
Condition points are used to mark the physical condition of the team's different parts: defence, midfield and forwards. These points can be used during a match to increase the team's ability to act. Condition points can also be lost as a team gets more tired during the course of the game. A team can increase their number of condition points by performing player substitutions.
Condition points
Both teams have a set number of condition points allocated to each part of the formation: defence, midfield and forwards. At the beginning of the match, each team has the following number of condition points, which should be marked on the condition point tracks:
- Defence condition points = number of defenders
- Midfield condition points = number of midfielders
- Forward condition points = number of forwards
Example: Condition points. Santeri has the 4-4-2 formation and thus his team has four defence condition points, four midfield condition points and two forward condition points. Otto's 4-5-1 would have four defence condition points, five midfield condition points and one forward condition point, but as he specified (see chapter A2) three attacking midfielders, three points are moved from midfield to forward condition. Thus, his team has four defence, two midfield and four forward condition points.
Using a condition point
A team performing an action can choose to use condition points. A condition point can be used for the following purposes to boost an action:
- Move action: Choose the higher die result instead of the lower die result when determining the number of moves. The decision to use a condition point can be made after the dice are rolled.
- Positioning: Ball value is increased/reduced one additional step. The maximum adjustment limit +/- still applies. The decision to use a condition point can be made after the dice are rolled.
- Pressing: Make an aggressive pressing action according to advanced rule A6.
The condition point must be used from the same zone that the ball is located in. If there are no condition points available in the corresponding zone, the team can instead use two points from an adjacent zone.
Tiredness test
If during a time adjustment the time marker is moved 5 or more squares, then both teams must make a tiredness check to see if their players become fatigued. Each team makes its own tiredness test.
If stoppage time starts before the time marker is moved 5 squares, tiredness will not take place.
Each team rolls two dice and multiplies the result by 10. If the result is lower than the current game time, including the time adjustment for the current turn, the team loses one condition point.
The point lost must be reduced from the zone (defence, midfield or forward) in which the ball is located, unless there are no points available in that zone, in which case two points are reduced from other zones.
If a team has no condition points left after a tiredness test, then that team starts to suffer tiredness, which will affect the rest of the match, even if the team recovers some condition points later. For the effects of tiredness, see the following chapter.
Tiredness
Tiredness affects a team's ability to move. One player is deducted from each position of the formation (defender, midfielder and forwards) when the team performs movements. The reduction also affects the number of defenders in the formation available during advanced offside.
Tiredness does not affect the number of player pieces on the field.
Example: Tiredness. If a team with a 4-4-2 starting formation suffers tiredness, then the effective formation in terms of the maximum number of players that could be moved would be reduced to 3-3-1.
A2 Advanced formations - player roles
Teams can use formations that are more advanced by using the special player roles outlined in this chapter. Using these changes the condition points available per area (defence, midfield and forwards). Teams can specify their formations by using the following player types:
- Attacking and defending midfielders: Teams can specify their midfielders to be either attacking or defending midfielders. For each attacking midfielder one point is removed from the midfield's condition and added to the forwards' condition. For each defending midfielder one point is removed from the midfield's condition and one point is added to the defence's condition.
- Attacking centre-back: Teams can specify one defender as an attacking centre-back. One point is removed from the defence's condition and added to the midfield's condition.
- Withdrawn striker: Teams can specify one forward as a withdrawn striker. One point is removed from the forwards' condition and added to the midfield's condition.
- Offensive wing backs: Teams can specify up to two defenders as offensive wing backs. One point is removed from the defence's condition and added to the forwards' condition for each designated offensive wing back.
Example: Selecting advanced formations. Otto selects a 4-5-1 formation, but wants to strengthen the forwards, so he chooses to use advanced formations and specifies 3 midfielders as attacking midfielders. Otto's midfield condition points are decreased and forward condition points are increased by three.
A3 Player substitutions
A team can perform a player substitution up to three times during a game. The controlling team may choose to perform substitutions at the end of the turn if the ball is in the midfield zone. The defending team can choose to make substitutions only if the controlling team made substitutions. At the same time a team can perform several player substitutions, but the number of substitutions must be announced before any dice are rolled for a substitution.
Instead at the end of a turn both players can choose to make player substitutions when a new setup occurs (due a kick-off, a goal kick, a corner kick or a free kick). The controlling team makes the decision first.
When a team makes a substitution, it can choose one of the following options for each substitution it performs:
Formation change
A team can change the position of one player in its formation. These changes take effect at the beginning of the next turn. A formation change does not affect the available number of condition points. If the change is done in the second half of the game, then one condition point is added to the area where the formation is strengthened.
Substitution of a player with a yellow card
One of the players with a yellow card is substituted in order to avoid a red card. Remove one yellow card.
If the change is done in the second half of the game, then one condition point is added to any zone.
Fresh player introduced onto the field
The team rolls two dice and multiplies the result by 10. If the result is higher than the current game time, the team gets one condition point, otherwise the team gets two condition points. Player substitutions cannot increase condition points above six in any zone or increase the team's total number of condition points above 10.
A4 Injuries
If a team suffers an injury, it must immediately remove one player from the game and must make an injury roll. The team rolls a die with the following effects:
- 1-4: The player is removed temporarily from the field for 1-4 minutes according to the die result rolled for the injury. After the time has advanced for at least the injury time the player returns to the game at the end of the turn in the area containing the centre circle.
- 5-6: The player cannot return to the game. The team can choose immediately to make a player substitution after the injury roll unless the team has already made all three of their allowed substitutions. If the substitution is made in the second half the team gets one condition point, otherwise the substitution has no other effects.
The injured player must be removed from the area where the ball is located or an adjacent area. If there are no players in these areas, the closest player must be removed. If a goalkeeper is injured, another player piece is removed instead of the goalkeeper, but the opponent gets a +1 die roll modifier for all upcoming goal attempts.
A5 Goalkeeper charge
A charge out from the goal allows the goalkeeper to react to passes and crosses into the box. It increases the goalkeeper's chances of winning the ball before the opponent can take control, but it also increases the opponent's chances of scoring if the charge fails.
When the controlling team has chosen the defending team's penalty area as a target area, the defending goalkeeper in that area can choose to charge out from the goal. The defending team makes the decision to rush out (or not) at the end of stage 1, after the ball value is modified.
A goalkeeper cannot charge if the ball was played from the same penalty area.
The decision to use a charge has the following effects:
- The ball value is increased by one immediately.
- The opponent gets a +1 die roll modifier for goal attempts in the current turn.
A charge cannot adjust the ball value above 6 (i.e. it cannot force the opponent to change the target area).
Example: Goalkeeper Charge. Santeri plays the ball to Otto's penalty area. At the end of the first stage Otto chooses to make a goalkeeper's charge. The ball value is increased one step.
A6 Aggressive pressing
In aggressive pressing, the defending team plays hard, usually close or beyond the boundaries of the rules, when it tries to get the ball under control, for example by harrying opponents, and attempting hard or early tackles.
An aggressive pressing action can be used instead of ordinary pressing by using a condition point (defined in A1.2). Unlike ordinary pressing, aggressive pressing can also be used if the defending team has one player less than the controlling team in the area with the ball.
Aggressive pressing is made according to the same rules as ordinary pressing. In addition, aggressive pressing is successful if the die result equals the ball value.
If aggressive pressing fails, the opponent is awarded a free kick and the pressing team must roll for a yellow card. See chapters 5.2 and 5.6.
A7 Advanced offside / offside risk
The offside risk rule makes the defence line's role more important in the game. It does not always simulate situations where an offside offence occurs, but it also simulates defenders' ability to cut out passes or block advances.
Offside risk applies when the target area contains the controlling team's player, and that area is entirely in the defending team's half of the field and is closer to the defending team's goal line than the area in which the defending team's second lowest player is located.
The ball value is increased in stage 1 by the number of defenders in the area where the second lowest player of the defending team is located. The maximum number of defending team players taken into account is the number of defenders in the formation.
The offside risk rule does not apply if the player is in an area that is exactly at the same level as, or closer to, the team's own goal line than the start area.
The offside risk rule does not apply when a goal kick or a corner kick is taken. Neither does the offside risk rule apply if the defending team's second lowest player is in a side area.
If the defending team plays with a 3-4-3 formation and has four players in such an area, only three players are counted for advanced offside rule.
Example: Offside risk. Santeri has chosen to play the ball to a player in an offside risk area. First the ball value is adjusted down one due to there being no opponent players in the target area (chapter 4.1). Otto's blue team has four players in the defence line, but only three of those are taken into account as his formation contains only three defenders. Thus the ball value is increased by three and the new ball value is four at the end of stage 1.
A8 Slowing down game play
This advanced rule gives a team the chance to purposely slow their actions on the field.
When the time marker is moved one square forward at the beginning of a goal kick, free kick, corner kick or a penalty kick [chapter 4.2.1.1], the controlling team may choose to purposely slow down game play.
The time marker is moved one square forward. The team rolls two dice and multiplies the sum by 10. If the result is lower than current game time the team gets a yellow card for deliberately delaying the restart, see chapter 5.6. The team must also then make a red card test.
A9 Weather
This advanced rule simulates the weather's effects on the match.
At the beginning of the match, if the first dice rolled to determine who will kick off the match (chapter 3.2) are equal then the following weather affects the match.
| Dice results | Weather effect |
|---|---|
| 1-1 | Heat |
| 2-2 or 3-3 | Sunshine |
| 4-4 | Wind |
| 5-5 | Rain |
| 6-6 | Cold |
- Heat: All aggressive pressing actions cost two condition points. At the beginning of the second half the controlling team rolls a die. If the result is 1, heat effects end. With a result of 6, heat becomes extreme heat.
- Sunshine: The team that starts the match as the controlling team suffers first half sunshine. The team cannot utilise the "goalkeeper charge" rule. Sunshine effects end after the first half and do not have any effects in the second half.
- Windy: The long pass modifier is +2 instead of +1. At the beginning of the second half, the controlling team rolls a die. If the result is a 1, wind effects end. If the result is a 6, the windy weather becomes a storm.
- Rain: After each control check the new ball value is increased by 1. At the beginning of the second half, the controlling team rolls a die. If the result is a 1, rain effects end. If the result is a 6, the rain becomes a storm.
- Cold: Injury rolls suffer a +1 die roll modifier.
- Storm: Both rain and windy conditions apply. Injury rolls suffer a +1 die roll modifier.
- Extreme heat: Each tiredness test suffers a -2 modifier. All aggressive pressing actions cost two condition points.
A10 V.A.R.
If V.A.R. is used in the tournament a team must roll two dice after a goal is scored. If the result is a double 6, the goal is denied due to offside or another offence by the attacking team. The game continues with a free kick.
In addition, the same test is done after a successful pressing action in the penalty area. If the result is a double 6, the opponent is awarded a free kick or a penalty kick and the team must roll for a yellow card.
A11 Skills
Teams can choose an equal number of skills for a match (recommendation of 1-5 skills).
The use of skills requires that teams spend condition points. The number of required condition points is shown in the skill list.
Condition points are spent in the area where the ball is located when the skill is used. If there are no condition points available in the corresponding zone, the team can instead use two points from an adjacent zone.
Footnotes used in the tables: (1) This skill counts as two skill choices towards the maximum number of skills agreed by the teams. (2) This skill cannot be used if the goalkeeper is the only player of the defending team in the ball area. (3) This skill can be used in World Cup tournaments only if the player took part in the FUBA World Cup 2019 in Milan, Italy.
Team skills
| Skill | CP to use | Effect | When it can be played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trained formation change | 0 | A team can change the position of two players in the formation at the end of the action stage. This can be used only once per game. | At the end of the action stage. |
| Strength in depth | 0 | Each time a team makes a player substitution to bring a fresh player onto the pitch, reduce two from the dice result that determines the number of condition points. | When the team makes a player substitution. |
| Great condition | 0 | When a team makes a movement action and spends a condition point to choose the highest die result the team can make one additional move. | On the team's movement action. |
| Fanatic fans (1) | 1 | When a new ball value is set up the team rolls a die. If the die result equals the ball value the opponent's team is awarded a free kick and your own team must roll for a yellow card. Otherwise the die result is the new ball value. Can be played after a crossing or a stopper skill. | At the end of the game situation progress stage. |
| Trained special event |
Goalkeeper skills
| Skill | CP to use | Effect | When it can be played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweeper keeper | 1 | When the goalkeeper makes a charge the ball value is increased by two steps instead of one. | At the end of stage 1 when the ball value is modified. |
| Creative goalkeeper | 1 | If the team controls the ball at the beginning of the turn in its own penalty area the team can move one player before choosing the target area. | At the beginning of a turn. |
| Shot stopper (1) | 1 | The opponent must roll two dice instead of one for a goal attempt. The highest result is discarded. In the case of a difficult goal attempt the two dice are used for the first roll. This skill cannot be used if the goalkeeper made a charge in the same turn. | When the opponent announces a goal attempt, but before the die roll. |
| Penalty saver | 0 | The opponent must roll two dice instead of one for a penalty shot. The highest result is discarded. | At the beginning of a penalty shot. |
| Leading goalkeeper | 1 |
Defender skills
| Skill | CP to use | Effect | When it can be played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tackler (2) | 0 | When the defending team fails in an aggressive pressing action in its defence zone the opponent is awarded a free kick only if the pressing dice results are equal, in which case the pressing team must also roll for a yellow card. The ball value is not reduced if the pressing fails. | At the beginning of the team's pressing action. |
| Stopper (2) | 1 | If the target area is in the defending team's defence zone the new ball value after a successful control check is determined according the highest die result instead of the lowest die result. | At the game situation progress stage when the new ball value is applied. |
| Skilled full back | 1 | When determining offside risk and the number of players in the defence line, the defending team can add one player from each side area touching the area containing the defence line to the number of players in the defence line. The maximum number of defenders is still limited by the formation. | In stage 1 when the ball value modifiers are applied. |
| Doubling up (2) | 0 | When a defending team uses a condition point for a positioning action in its defence zone the maximum increase limit of +2 does not apply. | During the team's positioning action. |
Midfielder skills
| Skill | CP to use | Effect | When it can be played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midfield general | 1 | If the target area is in the midfield zone, the order in which teams perform actions is changed. If the opponent also has a midfield general, the skill can be used only by the defending team. | At the beginning of the action stage before any actions are performed. |
| Creative midfielder | 1 | If the start area was in the midfield zone, the ball value can be reduced by one when a new ball value is set up after a successful control check. The skill cannot be played after a long pass. | At the end of the game situation progress stage. |
| Midfield pressing | 1 | If the ball is in the midfield zone, the pressing action is successful even if the die result equals the ball value. If the pressing fails, there is no effect on the ball value. | At the beginning of the team's pressing action. |
| Crossing | 1 | When the controlling team plays a long pass from a midfield side area or from a corner kick, one area is ignored when applying the long pass ball value modification. | At the stage 1 when the ball value is modified. |
Forward skills
| Skill | CP to use | Effect | When it can be played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target man | 1 | A player of the controlling team is counted as three players in a target area in an attacking zone, except during a goal attempt. A target man does not affect free movements. | At the beginning of the action stage. |
| Clinical finisher (1) | 1 | +1 die roll modifier to a goal attempt made from the penalty area. | When the team announces the goal attempt, but before the die is rolled. |
| Aggressive striker | 1 | +1 die roll modifier to a goal attempt made from the penalty area. With a die result of 1 or 2 (without modifiers) the goal attempt results is ignored, the team gets a yellow card and the defending team is awarded a free kick. | When the team announces the goal attempt, but before the die is rolled. |
| Goal poacher | 1 | If the target area is the opponent's penalty area and only one die succeeds in the control check the team can roll a die. If that die is higher than or equal to the ball value the team plays an action first. The additional die does not affect anything else. The first action must be a goal attempt. | At the beginning of action stage before any actions are performed. |
A13 Special events
Special events create more detail in the game and add more narrative to the match.
When a special event occurs, due to the dice rolls in stage 3 being equal, both players roll a die. The first number is the controlling team's die result and the second number the defending team's die result. The special event occurs immediately after time adjustment unless otherwise noted.
The Easy situation rule 4.2.2.2 does not block a special event. If the event requires, a closest player can be moved to the target area further than from an adjacent area.
(In the table, "CT dice" is the controlling team's die and "PT dice" is the other team's die.)
| CT dice | PT dice | Event | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1, 2 | Excellent attack move | The controlling team (after the control check) can move one player into an adjacent area after the control check. |
| 1 | 3, 4 | Excellent defence move | The defending team (after the control check) can move one player into an adjacent area after the control check. |
| 1 | 5 | Fast situation (DT) | At the end of the game situation progress stage the defending team (after the control check) can move one player into an adjacent area (no dribbling). The action stage is skipped. |
| 1 | 6 | Fast situation (CT) | At the end of the game situation progress stage the controlling team (after the control check) can move one player into an adjacent area (no dribbling). The action stage is skipped. |
| 2 | 1, 2 | Ball bounces (DT) | +2 ball value modifier for the new ball value (4.2.3) |
Turn Order Summary
Target area and ball value modifications: Controlling team chooses target area; ball value modifications: start area without a defending team's player; long pass; target area situation; offside risk (advanced rule); goalkeeper charge (advanced rule).
Game situation progress: Time adjustment; special event; control check; new ball value; order of actions.
Actions: Both teams perform one action. Free movements at the beginning of the first actions. Controlling team chooses if both teams play second actions.
Action options: Controlling team: movement, positioning, goal attempt. Defending team: movement, positioning, pressing.