DM's Blood Bowl Rules


[Field]
The Blood Bowl field, showing grid reference system.
[Pass Ranges]
Passing ranges. From square A1.
Thrower: Catcher:
Normally Blood Bowl is a face-to-face board game. This is an Internet competition, so there are a few necessary rule modifications.

Basic Rules
The basic rules are as published in Games Workshop's Blood Bowl Living Rulebook, Version 1.2, available as a PDF file.
Squares
The field squares are referenced using an alphanumeric grid system as illustrated.
Passing
The passing range ruler can be slightly subjective, and is not used. Passing ranges are determined by how many squares away the thrower and catcher are, as shown in the figure. (These are accurately measured ranges with the range ruler.)
Interceptions
Interceptions are determined by drawing a (mathematically open) line interval from the centre of the thrower's square to the centre of the catcher's square. A player on any square whose centre is less than or equal to one square-width away from a point on that line may attempt an interception. Use the JavaScript calculator to confirm.
Wizards
No wizards! Wizards are too wussy - use your fists! (Alchemists, Master Chefs, Necromancers, and Apothecaries are allowed.)
Penalty Shoot-outs
If a game is tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out occurs. Rolling best of 1 die is wimpy, so use the following rules:

The coach who wins a coin toss chooses who takes the first penalty. The coach not taking the penalty selects a player and places him prone on one of the two centre squares of the pitch. The coach taking the penalty selects a player and places him (standing up) on the other centre square. The standing player must then commit a foul on the prone player. Roll to see if the referee notices as normal. If the foul is noticed, the fouling team loses the match on penalties. If the referee misses the foul, the fouling coach selects another player and places him prone on the pitch in any square adjacent to another player. The other coach selects another player and places him standing next to the new prone player, and commits a foul on him.

Continue this process, adding new players and committing fouls, until the referee notices a foul and awards the game to the other team. On its turn, each team must take a foul action, which may include movement, and may not take any other action - prone players may not stand up. Fouls may be assisted if any players are in a position to do so. Injured players are removed from the field as normal. If a team cannot take a foul action at any point, it loses the match.

Note that it is not necessary for the teams to have taken equal numbers of fouls. The first one to be noticed loses, so choose carefully if you win the toss!

Game Logs

Games are recorded in a game log text file. Everything that happens needs to be recorded. Each player's move is recorded on a separate line, using the notation as follows:
Dice Rolls
Where needed, show any dice rolls with the result in parentheses. Blocking dice results are coded:
Moves
Indicate the starting square of the player, then each square moved into, separated by spaces. If a Dodge roll is needed to move to a given square, indicate with a z followed by the number of tackle zones being Dodged into (i.e. the penalty to the Dodge roll) and the die roll. Going For It is indicated with + and the die roll.
e.g. F8 E9 D10z1(5) C11z0(3) C12 C13+(2)
Player at F8 moves to E9, then to D10 dodging into one zone and rolling a 5, then to C11 dodging into clear space and rolling 3, then to C12, then pushes it one square to C13 rolling a 2.
Blocks
Record the square of the blocking player, followed by # then the square of the player being blocked. Attacking assists are each noted with an a followed by the square of the assisting player, then defensive assists are similarly shown with a d. Then show the results of the blocking dice; if multiple dice are rolled, show the chosen result first. If a push back occurs, indicate the square pushed to after the blocking dice results. If the push back is followed up by the blocker, add the code f.
If an armour value roll is needed, leave a space and then v and the roll. If the player is injured, record i and the injury roll. If the player suffers a casualty, record c and the casualty roll.
e.g. F8#G8 aF7aF9 (DP)H9f v(9)i(10)c(6)
Player at F8 blocks the player at G8, with assists from F7 and F9, blocking dice come up "Defender down" and "Push back", with the first result chosen; the defender is pushed back to H9 and knocked down, with the attacker following up (to G8). The attacker rolls a 9, which beats the defender's armour; the injury roll is 10, and the casualty roll is 6! The defender is dead!
Blitzes
Blitzes use a combination of the notations for moving and blocking. Since the square the blitzer is in is known at each point, the initial square in the block notation is omitted.
e.g. F8 E9 D10z1(5) #C11 dC10 (!)C12f v(5) B11+(3)z0(4)
Player at F8 moves to E9, then to D10 dodging into one zone and rolling a 5, then blitzes the defender at C11, who has a defensive assist from C10. The blocking die result is "!" and the defender is pushed back to C12, with the blitzer following up (to C11). The armour roll is a 5, not beating the defender's armour. The blitzer Goes For It, rolling a 3, moving to B11, dodging (out of the zone of C10) into clear space, rolling a 4 for the dodge.
Passes
At the end of a player's move, indicate a pass with a space followed by a pass code depending on range: qp for quick pass, sp for short pass, lp for long pass, lb for long bomb - and the target square. Indicate any tackle zone penalty with a z and the number. If there is an interception attempt, show % following by the square of the intercepting player, any tackle zone penalty on the intercept, and the interception die roll. Assuming no successful interception show the passing die result. Leave a space. If the pass scatters, show the three scatter dice rolls in sequence, followed by the square the ball actually lands in. If someone is in the landing aquare, show any tackle zone penalty with a z and the number, then the catching die roll. If the catch fails, show further scatter and catching attempts as necessary.
e.g. C5 D5 E5 spK8%H7(1)(5) z1(2) (4)L9
Player at C5 moves to D5, then E5, then throws a short pass to K8. A player at H7 attempts an intercept, but rolls a 1, failing. The passing player rolls a 5, an accurate pass. Player at K8 is in one tackle zone, and rolls a 2, dropping the pass. It scatters once (roll of 4) landing in L9.
Hand-offs
Use an h and the square of the player handed the ball. Record the "catching" of the ball as for passes.
Rerolls
Indicate any player rerolls with an r and the new die rolls in the same set of parentheses. Team rerolls use a t.
Turnovers
Indicate a turnover with a *.
Other
Other unusual circumstances should be noted with a brief freeform text comment enclosed in {braces}.

Code Reference


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