Playball
Playball Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Content
- Playballers team A
- Playballers team B
- Balls
- Field
Setup
The game is played on a field of hexagons. Each player controls a team of 3 playballers and has 3 end zones on their side of the field.
At the start of the game, each player places its 3 playballers on the 3 hexagons just in front of their end zones. A ball is placed on the central hexagon.
The youngest player starts the game, and players take turns thereafter.
Goal
The first team to score 3 goals wins.
A goal is scored when a player moves a playballer carrying the ball into one of the 3 opposing end zones.
When a player scores a goal, they set aside this ball to keep track of the score.
After a goal, a new set starts. Reset the board by placing playballers back to their starting positions, and place a new ball on the central hexagon.
The team that conceded the goal begins the set.
To control the duration of competitive games, you can use a chess clock (physical or via a mobile app).
Expert Mode
This mode is for experienced players who want a perfectly even strategic challenge. But be careful, matches can sometimes last longer.
In this mode, the victory conditions are different: to win, instead of 3 goals, you must score 2 consecutive goals.
Ball
A playballer automatically takes the ball when they move on the hexagon where the ball is located.
The ball is moved on the playballer carrying it.
A playballer takes the ball from another playballer (on either team) when jumping over them, including when bouncing back (see Movements).
Movements
Each turn, a player may perform 1 to 3 moves with their playballers.
Moves can be split across playballers. The same playballer can make multiple moves.
Each move allows a playballer to:
- Move to an adjacent hexagon (if it's unoccupied).
Or
- Jump over one or more adjacent and aligned playballers (either their own or the opponent's). A jump lands the playballer on the first free hexagon in the chosen direction. If there is no free hexagon in that direction, the playballer bounces back and returns to the hexagon they jumped from. A jump counts as a single move, regardless of the number of hexagons jumped.
Kick-off
On the first turn of each set, the starting player is limited to 2 moves.
Constraints
- A playballer can move over but cannot end their turn on a hexagon marked with a dot.
- A playballer moving to one of their own end zones with the ball does not score against their side, but they cannot end the turn on such a hexagon since there is a dot.
- A playballer may only move into an opponent's end zone if they are carrying the ball to score a goal.
- A player must make at least one meaningful movement during their turn. The ball and all playballers cannot remain in the exact same positions as at the start of the turn.
Passes
Players may make unlimited passes during their turn. To pass, the ball can be transferred between two playballers on the same line of hexagons, as long as there are no opposing playballers blocking the path.
A pass does not count as a move.
A pass cannot be made to a playballer in an opponent's end zone.