Playtest Packet 4.

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Game Terms
In DreadBall, the real people playing the game
are known as the team’s Coaches. This
distinguishes them from the Players who are
the individual model playing pieces that make
up the teams themselves.
The game is played in a series of turns, called
Rushes. Within each Rush a Coach takes Actions
with his Players in an effort to take control of
the ball and score points by making a Strike. The
Player with the most points at the end of 14
Rushes, or the first to 7 points at any time, wins
the match.
Components
In the DreadBall game box you’ll find all the
models, dice and other pieces that you need to
play the game.
Before you start going through the rules, it’s
worth quickly looking at each component and
finding out what the different colours, markings
and poses mean. This will make it much easier
to understand the rules later.
Between the board and counters you will notice
a red and white theme. This distinguishes things
that belong to the Home team (in white) from
the Visiting team (in red). Once you know this
it’s much easier to see at a glance which team
each element belongs to.
Roster Pad
Before you play you will need to fill out a roster
sheet for your chosen team. You might also
want to think of a name for your team, and
perhaps even names for the individual Players.
During a game it’s sometimes important to
know which Player is which, so each one must
be allocated a number from 1-14. You will need
to mark the models so you can tell which one
corresponds to each line of your roster. Many
models have a space on their backs for you to
paint on a number or apply a transfer if you
want. Shoulder pads or the base of the
miniature can also be good places to apply the
pg. 1
Player’s number. If you haven’t gotten around
to painting your models yet then you might
want to write the Player’s number underneath
his base instead.
Counters
DreadBall uses a small number of counters to
keep track of things during play.
Each Coach has 5 Team Action Tokens. These
enable you to keep track of how much you’ve
done so far in your Rush. These counters are
colour-coded for the Home team (white) and
the Visitors (red).
The two game tracks on the pitch also need a
counter each to keep track of what Rush it is
and who is winning.
Some events affect a specific Player for a time,
and these counters are used to show which
Player this is.
Dice
There are three different colours of standard
six-sided dice in DreadBall. The Home team uses
the white dice – this matches the colour of their
sub’s bench, score tracker and so on. Similarly,
the Visitors use the red dice.
The blue dice are used by both Players and are
called Coaching Dice.
Usually, you will be rolling these dice in tests to
determine if a Player’s Actions are a success or
failure. The rules will also ask you to roll one or
more of these dice to determine the bounce of
the ball, or the results of a chance event. Be
sure to read the rules for each test carefully, as
dice can be used differently depending on the
test or reason for rolling.
Note that the word “dice” is used for any
number of the unpredictable little cubes.
Normally the singular would be “die” but in a
game where people get killed as well, this can
be a little confusing in places…
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The Board
The board represents a typical modern
DreadBall pitch in one of the specially-built
arenas of the central planets.
The pitch is divided into hexagons, each formed
from a high-impact neodurium compound that
is sometimes shaped into a tread or grip to
provide sure footing for moving Players. The
basic colour of the pitch is black, but many
hexes are coloured or marked differently to
signify special zones.
The most important of these zones are the
Strike Zones. There are 6 Strike Zones on the
pitch, 3 red and 3 white, corresponding with the
Home team and the Visitor team. Each is made
up of 8 hexes attached to a single Strike Hex.
The red and white hexes that make up these
zones are all marked with concentric circles, like
bulls’ eyes. The target you try to hit to make a
Strike is the Strike Hex, which is marked in a
solid version of that zone’s colour.
A Player can only Throw a Strike (and score
points) if he is standing in the Strike Zone that is
attached to the Strike Hex he is aiming at, and if
the Strike Hex is in his front arc.
Each Player defends the Strike Zones/Hexes in
his own colour and tries to score in the Strike
Hexes in his opponent’s colour. Of the three
Strike Hexes you can score in, the two nearer
ones are worth 1 point each per Strike, and the
further one is worth 3 points per Strike because
it’s harder to get to.
In addition, you can gain an extra point per
Strike if you make it from the bonus hex,
because it is a harder throw. This is the hex in
the Strike Zone that is furthest from the Strike
Hex and is marked in an intermediate shade of
red or white for clarity. A bonus Strike is
therefore worth either 2 or 4 points depending
on which Strike Hex you target.
As well as the Strike Zones and Strike Hexes,
there are some other markings on the board.
pg. 2
The hex in which the Referee begins each match
is marked with a line of black and white checks.
Simply place the model here at the start of a
game.
At each end of the pitch is a bright white or red
hex, with 4 adjacent hexes shaded a light white
or red. These are the entry points for Players
moving onto the pitch from the Subs' Bench, or
off the pitch into it.
The bright hex is the Entry Hex. You can only
move onto or off the pitch from this hex, and
only if it is not blocked by a Player from either
team. When you move on you count this bright
hex as the first hex in your move, and the Player
may choose any facing when moving into this
hex.
Players standing on their opponent’s Entry Hex
or on any of the 4 adjacent hexes are
committing a Stall foul.
Note that you only need to move Players off in
this way if you choose to retire them from play
yourself. If they are injured or sent off for
fouling then they are immediately placed in the
appropriate area of the Sin Bin - they do not
need to move off as described.
In the centre of the pitch are a series of five
hexes containing a blue DB logo. These mark
the path of the ball when it is launched into
play.
The two dashed lines along the hex edges
across the centre of the pitch mark the forward
starting line for each team, with a small area
between them in which no Player from either
side may set up. These only matter during the
initial Face Off set up before a match starts.
Once the match is underway the action never
pauses!
Placing and Moving Models on the Board
Each Player model occupies one hex and you
should position each one so that it is clear
which hex they are in and which of the six edges
they are facing. If a model is knocked down
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 then it still occupies a single hex though it no
longer has a facing.
The ball is the only model that can share a hex
with another model (and only when it has been
picked up and is being carried). A ball may also
be thrown over a model that is lying on the
floor. No other model may move through a hex
with another model in it, whether it is friendly
or opposing, standing or on the floor. This
restriction also stops a model from being
pushed back into a hex containing another
model.
When a ball hits the edge of the pitch it will bounce off the wall.
Depending on which wall it hits, the undulating surface will cause it
to bounce in one of two ways. The following examples look at the
direction the ball will bounce in (ignoring the distance it will go for
now).
The most common situation is when a ball hits an angled part of
the wall, shown here as moving from hex B to C. This works both
ways round, so a ball moving from the direction of hex C would
bounce back towards B. Most of the edge of the pitch is like this.
The other possible situation only happens from 6 specific directions
on the pitch and is illustrated here by directions A & D. In these
cases the ball comes straight back in the direction it went.
pg. 3
The unusual shape of the sides can make the
ball bounce dramatically. When a ball scatters
into the edge of the pitch and hits the wall it
will ricochet one of two ways, depending on
which bit of wall it hits.
Measuring distance is very simple. You don’t
count the hex you start in, but you do count the
hex you end in.
Measuring distances is easy. Simply count the number
of hexes from the model to the target. Do not count
the hex that the model starts in, but do include the
target hex.
For example, in this diagram the Goblin in hex A is 3
hexes away from the Strike Hex B. A is 7 hexes away
from his teammate in hex C who is 2 hexes away from
D.
When you count distance for any reason you must
take the shortest route possible. However, you will
notice that there is almost always more than one
route that is equally short, so which one do you take?
The choice is made by the Coach controlling the active
Player. Many times the exact route is not important,
but it can be crucial, for example during a Throw. The
diagram shows two possible routes between A and B
(blue and green) that are both 3 hexes long. There is a
third 3-hex route that is not marked – can you spot it?
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Ends of the Pitch
Off the hexagonal grid we have two more vital
areas of the board, one at each end: the Subs’
Benches and Sin Bins. Again, these are colour-
coded with the white end belonging to the
Home team and the red to the Visitors.
The Subs’ Bench is simply a holding area for
healthy Players to wait in. With an 8 Player
roster and 6 Players allowed to start on the
pitch, a starting team will begin each game with
2 Players on their Subs’ Bench.
The Sin Bins are where Players get sent when
they have fouled and been spotted, and is also
used for Players who are injured and need
medical attention before they can come back
into play. The Sin Bin is a collective term for the
areas marked 1, 2 & 3 – together they make up
the whole Sin Bin.
When a Player is sent off for fouling, or because
he is injured, he is placed in that team’s Sin Bin.
The area he is placed in (1-3) denotes the
number of his own team’s Rushes he is out of
the match for. At the end of each of your team’s
Rushes, move everyone in the Sin Bin into the
next lowest numbered section. Start with those
in section 1 and move them into the Subs’
Bench, ready for your next Rush. Then move
those in section 2 down into section 1, and
those in section 3 into section 2.
Note that a Player can never move onto the
pitch if they are still in the Sin Bin.
Keeping Track
The board has spaces to track two values: Rush
and score.
Along one edge of the board you can see
numbers 0-14 to keep track of which Rush is
currently being played. Remember that a Rush
is DreadBall’s term for one side’s “turn” and
usually consists of several Actions. The Home
team always takes the first Rush, which is why it
is in white as are all its other Rushes. The
Visitors Rushes are all in red.
pg. 4
The opposite side of the board has the scoring
track. This is unusual because you track the
difference in scores instead of what each team
has scored in total. The score marker starts on
the 0 space and moves towards the Player that
scored by the number of points each Strike they
make is worth. For example, if Anne has scored
a 2 point Strike and Bob has scored a 4 point
Strike then the track would show 2 in Bob’s
favour. This is why there is only one counter for
this track.
Again, note that a Player’s score is in their own
colour – white for the Home team and red for
the Visitors. So, a red 2 on the score track
means that the Visitors are 2 points in the lead.
Last Man Standing
DreadBall is a violent game, and it is possible for
a team to end up with no Players left on the
pitch. In this case, the team still takes its Rushes
as normal, hoping its injured Players recover
before the opposition scores too many Strikes.
Of course, in the bizarre history of the game it
has been known for teams to win games with
nobody left alive to collect the trophy if they
racked up a big enough lead in advance.
Winning the Game
If a match ever reaches 7 points in one team’s
favour then they win by a landslide
immediately. The other team is clearly
outclassed and there is no point in continuing
their embarrassment.
If the game reaches the end of the 14th Rush
without either side gaining a 7 point lead then
the team with the higher score wins.
If the score difference is 0 at the end of 14
Rushes then things are clearly well-matched.
However, the DreadBall Governing Body
doesn’t like a draw so you now have a Sudden
Death playoff. Carry on the game from where
you are at the end of the 14th Rush, moving the
marker back to Rush 1 so you can keep track.
In Sudden Death you continue to play as normal
with the following exceptions:
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  No Player may come onto the pitch. It
doesn’t matter if they were sent off for
a foul, an injury, or moved off through
choice. Nobody comes back on.
 At the end of any Visiting team’s Rush,
if one team has more points than the
other, that team wins.
 At the end of any Visiting team’s Rush
the scores are tied but only one team
still has Players left on the pitch who
can Throw the ball (and therefore make
a Strike), then they win.
 In the rare event of both teams losing
their last Jack or Striker at the same
point, or neither team having any when
Sudden Death is called, while the scores
are still tied, the game actually is a
draw. Both teams get a single point if
this is a league game, but no Man of the
Match is awarded as the fans are
disappointed.

pg. 5 Playtest Packet 4.0

Player Roles
There are three Player positions in the game of
Dreadball: Guard, Jack, and Striker. Some teams
use all three while others specialise on only one
or two of the standard roles.
Over time a Player who survives enough games
will learn new tricks and skills, making him ever
more deadly on the pitch, and ever larger a
target for the opposing Guards. Regardless of
any additional skills he may gain, a Player is
always known by their core role.
Guard
The biggest and strongest Players take to the
pitch as Guards. These are the most heavily-
armoured, and they need every bit of that
protection because their role is both to flatten
the opposing Strikers and protect their own
lightly-armoured Strikers from the opposing
Guards doing the same to them.
Guards rarely wear DreadBall gloves and
therefore cannot typically Pick up or Throw the
ball. They’re too busy cracking heads!
The brute simplicity of the Guard’s role appeals
to many fans who love to see their favourites
crashing through the opposition lines.
Guards gain a bonus die on Strength and
Armour tests.
Fans love the Jacks for their willingness to try
anything, and many a desperate gamble by a
Jack has saved a team from certain defeat.
Striker
Often seen as the golden boys of the game, the
Strikers are typically the ones who score the
most points. However, without the protection
of their teammates they are quickly taken out
of the game as they are only lightly protected,
sacrificing armour for speed and
manoeuvrability.
Strikers have been described as simply a means
of getting a DreadBall glove into the right place
at the right time to make a Strike. This is a little
harsh, but contains an element of truth. It is
certainly their signature piece of equipment.
Everyone loves a winner, and scoring points is
the easiest way to capture the attention of the
adoring fans. It is also the riskiest position to
play as the opposing Guards will be only too
happy to crush any opposing Striker they can
reach.
Strikers gain a bonus die on Agility, Speed and
Skill tests.

Jack
The “jack of all trades”, or Jack for short, is the
all-rounder of the game. They are able to fill any
role, whether that is holding the line against the
opposing Guards, or passing the ball about like
a Striker. Naturally they sacrifice the finesse of
the specialists, but they allow a team to adapt
quickly to the rapidly changing nature of the
game.
Their armour is a compromise between the
protection needed by the Guards and the
lightness needed by the Strikers. They also wear
DreadBall gloves and can throw Strikes with the
best of them (on a good day).

pg. 6 Playtest Packet 4.0

Rules of DreadBall Standing Player models (not the Ref or the ball)
also have 3 Threat Hexes in front of them.
The rules for playing DreadBall are simple,
These are important as opponents in these
though there is a great deal of tactical depth to
hexes risk being tripped, grabbed or otherwise
be found by combining them cleverly. Don’t
hindered. Threat Hexes allow a Player to exert
worry about that for now though, just begin
some influence on the area of the pitch around
with the basics. Once you start rolling dice and
him. The fact that fallen Players do not have
moving the models around the board it all clicks
Threat Hexes only encourages the Guards to
into place very quickly, and you’ll be throwing
knock them down.
your first Strike in no time.

Facing and Threat Hexes

In the game, all Player models (not the Ref or
ball) have a facing as long as they are standing
up. This simply means that the Player they
represent is looking in a particular direction.
Models that have fallen over do not have a
facing. Facing is very important in the game.

The Player is facing in the direction of the arrow.

The three adjacent hexes in a Player’s front arc are called Threat
Hexes (shown here in red). When an opposing Player is standing in
one of these hexes they may suffer penalties to their dice rolls. See
the later rules for details.

The Player is facing in the direction of the arrow.

A Player has a front and a rear arc, divided as shown here by

drawing an imaginary line through the model at right angles
to the direction he is facing. This imaginary line extends to the
edges of the board. Each hex on the pitch counts as being in
either the front or rear arc of a Player. If a hex is divided by this
imaginary line (such as hexes A and B here) it always counts as
part of the front arc.

pg. 7 Playtest Packet 4.0

Dice Rolls and Tests
With only a few exceptions (explained in their
own sections) all dice rolls are resolved the
same way. Normal tests are written in a
standard format that describes:
1. The name of the test to be performed
2. The type of test to be performed.
3. The target number (in brackets) of
successful dice rolls to achieve the aim
of the dice roll.
a. If the target number is (1), you
only need a single successful
dice roll to pass the check.
Likewise, a target number of (2)
requires two successful dice, a
(3) three successful dice, and so
on.
b. If the target number is an (X),
the result is compared to your
opponent’s score to see who
has won.
c. If the target number is (123)
then the first attempt in a
Player’s Action needs a 1, and
each subsequent attempt in the
same Action needs 1 more; the
second attempt needs 2, the
third needs 3, the fourth 4, and
so on. This is true even if the
attempts are not in consecutive
hexes, as long as they are
within the same Action.
To make a normal test, take 3 dice and roll
them. Compare the values on the dice to the
value listed for the given stat. For each dice roll
that equals or exceeds the value listed, one
success is scored. The number of successes
scored determine the result of the roll.
For example, a Throw: Skill test (1) is the test
made to Throw a Strike. To make this test you
roll 3 dice (plus/minus any modifiers) and each
dice that equals or beats the Player’s Skill value
pg. 8
is a success. If you get at least one success then
you have passed the test.
To give another example, a Player can attempt
to get extra movement by making a Dash:
Speed test (123). This means that you roll 3 dice
and each one that equals or beats the Player’s
Speed value is a success. If this is the first time
you have made this test in this Player’s Action
then you need only 1 success to pass the test; if
this is the second time in this Player’s Action he
has attempted to Dash then you will need 2
successes; and so on.
If a test has a difficulty given as (X), this means
that this is an opposed test, where both
Coaches roll simultaneously and the number of
successes in each roll is compared. Whoever
rolls the most successes wins the test. If an
Action offers a choice between two or more
stats to roll against for a test, Coaches must
decide which one to use before rolling any dice.
Game values, also known as ‘stats’ or statistics,
vary from Player to Player. Most Players will
only roll three dice when making tests, but
some Players – usually Guards or Strikers – are
more proficient, and will roll an extra dice when
testing against certain stats. Additionally,
certain modifiers will make a test more or less
difficult, this will further affect the number of
dice rolled in a test. These bonuses and
penalties are collectively known as “modifiers”.
Dice Rolling Sequence
If a rule says a dice roll is resolved “as normal”,
it means in the following manner:
 Determine how many dice to roll. This is
usually 3 dice per test, but may vary.
o Apply any modifiers to the roll.
These are listed with the
explanation of the test.
o Important! Modifiers always
add or subtract from the
number of dice to be rolled.
They never modify the target
number of successes.
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 o If the modifiers reduce the
number of dice to zero or less
then count this as no dice, and
therefore no successes on the
test. All tests must be
attempted on at least one dice,
and so you cannot make this
roll without using Coaching
Dice.
 Roll all the dice at once.
o Each dice is read separately.
o A result of anything other than
a 6 is compared to your value. If
you have equaled or beaten the
value you needed then you
have scored a success. If not
then that dice is a failure.
o Each dice that shows a 6 counts
as one success and you may roll
an extra dice. If you roll a 6 on
this dice too then it is another
success and you get another
extra dice. Keep rolling again
until you roll something other
than a 6. For this reason a 6 is
sometimes called a Roll Up or
an Exploding Success.
 Add up the number of successes to find
your total score.
o Important! Some abilities will
add to or subtract from the
total number of successes after
all dice have been rolled. These
are called bonuses or penalties
and are distinct from modifiers
described above.
For example: “Brawling” Bob Flash, a Neo-Bot
Jack with an Speed of 4+ attempts a Dash. This
is a Speed test (123), so he rolls 3 dice and gets
1, 2, and 4. The 1 and 2 is less than his Speed
value and so these dice are not successes.
However, the 4 is equal to his value and so it’s a
success. As this is his first Dash this Action, he
only needs 1 success, so he has passed the test.
pg. 9
If the Coach decides that the Jack needs to Dash
another hex then he have to roll again. The dice
roll will be the same: 3 dice with each one
needing to equal or beat the Jack’s Speed value.
However, as it is a (123) test, the second
attempt in the same turn will need 2 successes
to pass.
Let’s say he rolls 2, 3, and 6. So far he has only 1
success, so it has failed. But wait! He also rolled
a 6 which counts as the success and also allows
him to roll an extra dice. He does so and rolls a
4, so he gets 2 successes in total and makes the
Dash safely. If he had rolled a 6 again with the
extra dice he would have rolled yet another
dice, and so on until the dice was not a 6. In this
way a lucky Player can roll more successes than
they had dice!
Check Your Modifiers
It’s always worth checking the exact wording of
the modifiers before you roll. The one to watch
for is when you are being penalised for enemy
threat hexes. In tests where you have a clear
opponent against whom you are rolling directly
you will usually not count their threat hex, for
example, in a Slam. However, if you are not
rolling an opposed test then it is usual for all the
threat hexes to count, for example in a Dash.
It’s a subtle, but important difference.
Doubling
In some instances, doubling the target number
or doubling your opponent’s total causes an
improved effect. These are listed where they
apply.
So, a result of 2 or more successes when you
need (1) is doubling; as is 4 to (2) 6 to (3) and so
on. For the purposes of this game, if your
opponent scores zero successes then all you
need to double them is 1.
For example, a Human Guard and a Marauder
Guard are facing off, and the Marauder Slams
the Human. The Human chooses a Slamback
Action, which is described later. Basically it’s a
bit of a fight. Slam and Slamback are both
Strength test (X) rolls. The Human has a
Playtest Packet 4.0
Strength of 4+, and the Marauder has 3+. Both Once a Coaching Dice has been rolled it is
Players are Guards, and Guards get a bonus die removed from the game. It is possible however,
on Strength tests. Therefore, both Players roll to earn more Coaching Dice later in the match.
four dice, and let’s assume that no other
modifiers apply. The Marauder Guard rolls 2, 3,
3, 4 for a total of 3 successes.
The Human rolls 2, 3, 6, 6 for a total of 2
successes, but he has rolled two exploding
successes, and so rolls 2 more dice. These come
up as 5 and 6 so he rolls one more dice for yet
another exploding success. This final roll is a 2,
and so his total number of successes is 4.
Since this is an (X) test, you compare the total
numbers of successes. The Human wins, 4 to 3.
If the results of the dice rolls had been the
other way round then the Marauder would
have won 5 to 1 and would have doubled the
Human’s score, gaining a more powerful effect.

Coaching Dice
Teams may start each match with the number
of Coaching Dice listed on their roster. Each
Coaching Dice can be used once per game.
Coaching Dice can be added to any Player’s
normal test during your turn or your
opponent’s. This can be any test that uses the
normal dice mechanic as explained above. For
example, a Slam, Dodge, Evade, Dash, Throw,
etc. They cannot be used for Ref checks or
scattering the ball, for example, as these are not
normal tests.
Coaching Dice are added after all other
modifiers have been applied. Note that
modifiers cannot reduce the number of dice
below zero. If negative modifiers had reduced
the number of dice you could roll for a test to
zero then Coaching Dice may be used to make
this otherwise “impossible” roll.
Simply choose as many Coaching Dice as you
want from those available to you, and add them
to the pool of dice before you roll any. They are
treated just like your other dice and may roll up
if they score a 6 and so on.

pg. 10 Playtest Packet 4.0

Starting a Game
Getting ready to play is quick and easy – just
follow these steps.
1. Separate the two Fan Support cards
from the deck and shuffle them face
down. Each Coach takes one and places
it beside them, face up. This determines
which team is Visiting and which team
is playing at Home.
2. Place the pitch between the Coaches,
with the Home and Visitor’s ends next
to their respective teams.
3. Shuffle the rest of the DreadBall card
deck and place it face down next to the
board. Put the event counter next to it.
4. Deal each Coach the number of cards
shown on their roster. The Coaches get
a single chance to discard some or all of
these cards and take replacements. This
option to swap cards only applies once
and only at the start of the game.
5. Put the score counter on the zero, and
the Rush track counter on Rush 0.
6. Place the Referee on the chequered hex
near the centerline.
7. Give each Coach the 5 Team Action
Tokens of their colour.
8. The Home team Coach then places up
to 6 Players anywhere he wants on his
side of the starting line. The remainder
of his team are placed on their Subs’
bench. Note that 6 Players is the legal
maximum on the pitch at any one time.
9. The Visiting team Coach places up to 6
of his Players anywhere he wants on his
side of the starting line. The remainder
of his team are placed on their Subs’
Bench. Note that 6 Players is the legal
maximum on the pitch at any one time.
10. The ball is launched onto the pitch and
the Home team Coach starts the game
by moving the Rush counter onto the
number 1, and taking the first Rush.
pg. 11
Launching the Ball
At the start of the match and after every
successful Strike, a new ball is launched onto
the pitch. This is done in the following way:
1. The ball is launched along the
centreline of the pitch from the left
hand side of the Coach who is starting
their Rush. Roll 1 dice to see how far it
goes. Only count the hexes containing a
green DB logo. One of three things will
happen:
a. The ball will move 1-5 hexes
without hitting anything. It will
then stop. Go to step 2.
b. The ball will move 5 hexes
without hitting anything, but
will have rolled a 6. This means
that it hits the opposite wall
and then ricochets. Roll a
second dice. On a 1-3 it is
deflected towards the Rushing
Coach; on a 4-6 it is deflected
away. The final hex of
movement is taken in that
direction.
c. There will be a Player on one of
the hexes into which the ball
needs to travel (this cannot
happen during the first ball
launch of the game, but could
happen on subsequent
launches). The ball hits the
Player regardless of their role
and facing. Treat this as if the
ball had been Thrown at the
Player. The direction of launch
relative to the Player’s front arc
determines whether they can
attempt to Dodge or not. The
number of dice rolled for Throw
depends on the distance it has
travelled: 6 dice if the ball
struck a Player in its first hex of
movement, then 5, 4, 3, 2, and
1 dice as it moves across the
board. The launched ball is
treated as having a 4+ Skill
Playtest Packet 4.0
 for the purposes of this
test.The ball can be caught by
another Player only after it has
bounced off the unfortunate
Player that has been struck.
Being struck by a launched ball
does not end the Rush.
2. Unless a Player from the Rushing team
failed in an attempt to catch the ball,
the Rush continues as normal.
Scattering the Ball
Much of the time the ball will be safely
controlled by a Player. However, this is not
always the case, and whether because of a
missed Strike or because it is knocked from a
Player’s grasp by a Slam, it scatters in the same
way.
1. Declare which is direction 1. This
depends on whether the ball is
scattering from a standing Player or
not.
a. If scattering from a standing
Player then direction 1 is the
way the model is facing.
b. If scattering from a fallen Player
or from an empty hex then
direction 1 is always straight
down the pitch, directly away
from the Coach rolling the dice.
2. Roll a dice for direction. Starting at
direction 1, count clockwise around the
hex the ball is scattering from until you
get to the number you rolled. This is the
direction the ball scatters in.
3. Roll a dice for distance. The ball scatters
this far (in hexes).
4. If the ball hits a standing Player before
it goes its full distance then either:
a. The Player must try to Catch
the ball if they would normally
be allowed to. This counts as an
inaccurate pass. When working
out if the Player can see the ball
coming to catch it, count the
hex the ball originally scattered
from as if it was the Thrower. A
pg. 12
Player can double the Catch for
a scattered ball, with the
normal benefits, even during
the opponent’s Rush. If this
happens, then your opponent
will resume his interrupted
Rush once all your Free
Action(s) have been resolved.
b. The Player cannot try to Catch
the ball because they are a
Guard or are facing the wrong
way. Scatter the ball again from
that hex.
c. Fallen Players do not stop a
ball scattering straight over
them, but if the ball finishes
on top of one it will scatter
again.
d. Note that if the Player
holding the ball is sent off or
leaves the pitch while holding
the ball, the ball will scatter
as above from the hex they
were occupying.
Playing a Rush
A Rush consists of the following steps:
1. Move the Rush marker one step along
the track.
2. Spend a Team Action Token or Special
Move card on a Player.
3. Resolve the Action.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your Rush
ends.
5. End of Rush:
a. Move your models one step
along in the Sin Bin, towards
the Subs’ Bench.
b. Take back your 5 Team Action
Tokens
c. Turn over the top card of the
draw deck and move the Ref
accordingly
Playtest Packet 4.0
Ending a Rush Important: in all variations of case (3), if a
scattering ball is caught by a member of the
A Rush can end in one of three ways:
team that dropped it (even the same Player)
1. The team makes a successful Strike. then the Rush is not ended after all.
2. The Coach runs out of Players he can
Also, note the distinction between falling over
act with or Actions he can or wishes to
with the ball in your hands, and onto the ball on
spend.
the floor.
 Each Player can potentially act
more than once, but the Falling over into a hex that already contains a
maximum for a single Player is 2 ball lying on the floor will scatter it but will not
Team Actions and 1 Special end your Rush. The same is true for a Guard
Move in each Rush. that moves onto a hex containing a ball.
 There is no set order to playing
Falling over when you are carrying the ball will
Special Move cards and Team
make you drop it, which will also scatter the ball
Action Tokens. A Rush may
and will end the Rush.
continue as long as a Coach can
play either.
3. The team loses the ball. This can be by:
 Failing to Pick up the Ball
 Failing to make a Catch
 Missing a Strike
 Throwing the ball at another
Player
 Falling over while carrying the
ball
In all of these cases the ball will scatter.
As soon as one of these is true, the current Rush
ends. Complete any remaining parts of the
current Action (scattering the ball, etc.) and
then resolve the End of Rush step. The opposing
Coach then starts their next Rush by moving the
marker along the Rush track.

pg. 13 Playtest Packet 4.0

Stats
Each Player is represented on the table by a set
of stats as shown on the Team’s Roster. These
stats are Move, Strength, Agility, Speed, Skill,
and Armour. The Team Roster also outlines the
Player’s Cost, Starting Number, and Notes as
well. Each of these is outlined below to explain
what they represent and how they are used.
Move
This represents the distance the model can
move on the pitch during a standard Run action.
The larger the Player’s move, the more distance
he can cover during an Action.
Strength
Strength represents a Player’s physical brawn or
his knowledge of how to best leverage his
power. This is typically used by Players
performing violent actions such as Slam,
Slamback, and Run Interference.
Agility
Agility represents a Player’s grace, nimbleness
and sure-footedness. Agile Players are good at
Evading through a press of bodies, Jumping,
Stealing and Standing Up after being knocked to
the ground.
protected he will be from injury by the ball or
other Players.
Cost
This indicates the cost (in MC, or megacredits)
of purchasing a particular Player for a team.
This is used in Exhibition matches, where
Coaches purchase their starting teams, and in
Leagues, where Coaches purchase their starting
teams and upkeep them over many games. For
pick-up games this number is disregarded.
Starting Number
This number specifies how many of a given
model are included with a team automatically
in a pick-up game. As an example, the Trontek
29ers Jack has a Starting number of x3, meaning
that the Coach starts with 3 such Jacks if he
chooses to play the 29ers team. In Exhibition
Matches and Leagues Players build their own
teams, so these numbers are ignored.
Notes
This gives a list of abilities the Players start with,
along with any other important information
that Coaches should keep in mind.

Speed
Speed represents a Player’s quickness and
reflexes in reaction. A Player with a high Speed
can Dash around the pitch more quickly, Dodge
their opponent’s attacks, and sometimes even
Feint their opponents into going the wrong way.

Skill
Skill represents a Player’s ability to handle the
ball. A Player with a higher skill will be better
able to manipulate the ball on the pitch,
whether it’s through Stealing, Throwing,
Catching, or simply Picking Up the ball.

Armour
Players are outfitted with armour to protect
them while playing the game. The type of
armour a Player wears depends on his role and
training. The better a Player’s armour the more

pg. 14 Playtest Packet 4.0

Actions
During a Rush you can spend your 5 Team
Action Tokens and as many Special Move cards
as you have and want to. Each Team Action
Token and Special Move card you spend “buys”
an Action for a Player. At the end of your Rush
you take your Team Action Tokens (not cards)
back for the next Rush.
In a single Rush, each Player may have a
maximum of 2 Actions from Team Action
Tokens, and 1 from a Special Move card. Free
Actions do not count towards this limit.
Once you have spent your Team Action Token
or Special Move card then nominate a Player
and declare what type of Action he will make
from the list below. Note that many Actions are
restricted to one or two Player roles (listed in
brackets after the Action’s name). In no
circumstance may a Player who is not of the
correct role perform that Action.
Note also that although a Player can act more
than once in a Rush, these Actions do not have
to be consecutive. A Coach may therefore select
Player A and act with him, then select Player B
and use an Action on him before returning to
Player A. However, any Free Actions must be
taken immediately by the Player that earned
them, otherwise they are lost.
Free Actions
In some cases, when a Player does an Action
particularly well he will be given a Free Action.
This is just what it sounds like: an Action that
doesn’t cost a Team Action Token or Special
Move card.
Clever use of this can allow an individual Player
to do far more than his normal limit of 3 Actions
per Rush (2 from Team Action Tokens and 1
from a Special Move card). In fact, it is even
possible to score without buying any Actions at
all!
Remember! Modifiers always add or subtract
from the number of dice to be rolled. They
never modify the target number of successes.
pg. 15
Run (Any Player)
The Player moves a number of hexes up to a
maximum equal to their movement value. They
may only move further than this if they choose
to risk a Dash.
In a Run Action a Player can turn freely, and
turning does not count towards the distance
moved.
Moving Onto the Pitch
In order to move onto the board, a model must
be in the Subs’ Bench (not the Sin Bin) and have
an Action played on them that allows them to
move at least 1 hex. This first hex must be one
of the yellow entry hexes adjacent to their Subs’
Bench. This costs a movement point to enter,
just like any other hex. The rest of their Action
is resolved as normal. Note that a Player can
only Slam, etc. when they are actually standing
on the board – this is not possible whilst they
are still standing in the Subs’ Bench.
Moving off the pitch is like entering the pitch in
reverse. You must move off through the yellow
entry hex, and must have enough movement to
continue into the Subs’ Bench as if it was a
separate hex. You may only move onto your
own Subs’ Bench, never your opponent’s.
Note that you only have to move off in this way
if you are spending an Action to move a Player
off by choice. Players sent off for fouls or
through injury are immediately removed and
placed in the appropriate section of the Sin Bin.
If any Players from the opposing team are
standing in their opponent’s entry hex, or in
one of the 4 hexes adjacent to it, then that
Player is committing a Stall foul.
Sprint (Any Player)
The Player moves a number of hexes up to a
maximum equal to double their movement
value. They may only move further than this if
they choose to risk a Dash.
In a Sprint Action, a Player must move into the
hex directly in front of him (i.e. the center hex
in his front arc). Each 60 degree turn (one side
Playtest Packet 4.0
of a hex) a Player makes counts as one hex
towards his movement. A Sprint Action must
pay for turning so is best at moving in a straight
line.
Slam (Jack or Guard)
A Slam is a brutal attempt to move an opponent
out of the way, or take him out of the game for
good!
A Guard or a Jack can make a full Run Action as
part of a Slam. This counts as a single Slam
Action for purposes of modifiers, opponents
Running Interference, etc. The Player can Dash
and may need to Evade as normal during this
Run Action.
When you have finished moving, nominate a
target. This must be a single standing opponent
in one of the Slamming Player’s 3 threat hexes.
The target can choose to Dodge or Slamback.
Dodge is available to any Player. Slamback is
available if the target Player is a Jack or Guard,
and the Slamming Player is in one of their
Threat Hexes.
The Player initiating the Slam rolls:
Slam: Strength test (X).
 +1 if the Player did not start adjacent to
the target, but moved adjacent during
this Action.
 -1 per opposing Player threatening the
hex you are in. (Ignoring your target,
maximum of -2).
If the target of the Slam is a Jack or a Guard,
they may choose to fight back (known as a
Slamback), and roll:
Slamback: Strength test (X).
 -1 per opposing Player threating the hex
you are in. (Ignoring the Player initiating
the Slam, maximum of -2.
Any Player may choose to Dodge:
Dodge: Speed test (X).
pg. 16
 -1 per opposing Player threatening the
hex you are in (ignoring the Player who
initiated the Slam, maximum of -2).
Compare the total numbers of successes to find
the outcome:
Draw: the Players both turn to face directly at
each other.
Slam/Slamback wins: the losing Player is
pushed into one of the 3 hexes directly away
from the winner. The winning Player chooses
which one and may choose whether or not to
follow up into the vacated hex himself. The
losing Player is turned to face directly at the hex
he just vacated. The winning Player is turned to
face the target (if he followed up) or the hex the
target was in (if he didn’t follow up).
Slam/Slamback doubles opponent: the losing
Player is pushed back as above, then they are
knocked down and must make an Armour
Check. The difference in successes between the
winning Slam/Slamback and the losing Player’s
roll is the amount of potential damage.
Dodge wins: the Dodging Player may turn to
face any direction. The Slamming Player turns
to face directly at the Dodging Player.
Dodge doubles opponent: the Dodging Player
may move 1 hex in any direction and does not
need to Evade to do so. They may choose to
face any direction. The Slamming Player turns
to face directly at the hex the Dodging Player
just vacated.
Pushing Back
Sometimes one or more of the hexes behind an
opponent are already occupied. In these cases
you cannot push a model into a hex it couldn’t
move into normally. If all 3 hexes behind an
opponent are already occupied, then they
cannot be pushed back. If you double them
then they will fall down in the hex they started
in. If a Player is pushed onto a hex containing
the ball, they must try to Catch it, if they can.
This Catch test occurs after any follow up by the
Playtest Packet 4.0
Slammer. If they can’t Catch or fail their Catch,
or fall onto the ball, it scatters as normal.
Fighting Dirty
If a Player wishes to kick an opponent while
they are down, or starts an activation in an
opponent’s front arc and uses a single
activation to Run behind them and Slam them
in the back, then these are Stomp and Sucker
Punch fouls respectively.
Armour Checks
In DreadBall, Players are subjected to a huge
amount of physical punishment, whether from
the 200mph weapons-grade titanium ball itself
or the gentle ministrations of their fellow
Players. To prevent their star attractions from
becoming a smear on the neodurium five
minutes into a match, all teams invest large
sums of money into personal armour for their
Players.
The armour that Players wear is a function of
their role on the pitch, and the DGB sets out
regulations for the maximum levels of
protection available.
Whenever a Player might suffer damage, such
as being on the receiving end of a vicious Slam,
the Player must make an Armour Check. All
Armour Checks are resolved the same way:
The Player suffering potential damage rolls a:
Armour Check: Armour test (X).
Each success on this roll cancels out one point
of potential damage. If the total number of
successes equals or beats the amount of
potential damage then the Player is unharmed.
If not all damage has been deflected then the
Player is sent off the pitch to recover. The
number of turns he needs to recover (and the
part of the Sin Bin in which he is placed) is equal
to the number of unsaved potential damage. If
this is 4 or more then the Player has been
seriously injured and is removed from the
game.
pg. 17
Steal (Jack or Striker)
A Steal is a sneaky way to turn the game around
by grabbing the ball from an opponent before
they can score.
A Striker or Jack can make a full Run Action as
part of a Steal. This counts as a single Steal
Action for purposes of opponents Running
Interference, etc. The Player can Dash and may
need to Evade as normal during this Run Action.
When you have finished moving, nominate a
target. This must be a single standing opponent
who is carrying the ball and is in one of the
Stealing Player’s threat hexes.
The target can choose to Dodge, or Slamback.
Dodge is available to any Player. Slamback is
only available if the target Player is a Jack, or a
Guard with the Keeper ability, and only if the
Stealing Player is in one of their Threat Hexes.
Depending on what each Player chooses, they
roll different tests.
Steal: Agility test (X)
 -1 per opposing Player threating the hex
you are in. (Ignoring the target Player,
maximum of -2).
Slamback: Strength test (X)
 -1 per opposing Player threating the hex
you are in. (Ignoring the target Player,
maximum of -2).
Dodge: Speed test (X)
 -1 per opposing Player threating the hex
you are in. (Ignoring the Player initiating
the Steal, maximum of -2).
Compare the number of successes to find the
outcome.
Steal wins: The ball is knocked out of the hands
of the losing Player. Scatter the ball from the
target Player’s hex.
Steal doubles opponent: the winning Player
takes the ball from the losing Player.
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Slamback wins: As per rules for
Slam/Slamback.
Slamback doubles opponent: As per rules for
Slam/Slamback.
Dodge wins: the Dodging Player may turn to
face any direction. The Stealing Player turns to
face directly at the Dodging Player.
Dodge doubles opponent: the Dodging Player
may move 1 hex in any direction and does not
need to Evade to do so. They may choose to
face any direction. The Stealing Player turns to
face directly at the hex the Dodging Player just
vacated.
Throw (Jack or Striker)
The acting Player tries to Throw the ball to a
teammate, at the Strike Hex to score, or at an
opponent to injure them.
A Striker or a Jack can make a full Run Action as
part of a Throw. This counts as a single Throw
Action for purposes of modifiers, opponents
Running Interference, etc. The Player can Dash
and may need to Evade as normal during this
Run Action.
When you have finished moving, nominate a
target. This must be a teammate or an
opponent; or, if you are attempting to Throw a
Strike, your target is the Strike Hex attached to
the Strike Zone you are standing in. You can
target a Strike Hex even if it has an opposing
Player in, but not if the Throwing Player is
standing on it themselves.
Note that if an opposing Player is standing in
the Strike Hex you will resolve the Strike
attempt first, and then if you fail to score
resolve it as if it had been a Throw at the
opposing Player all along (rolling the dice again
with the appropriate modifiers).
So how do you know if you can see your target?
First, regardless of whether it is a Player or a
Strike Hex, it must lie in your front arc.
Secondly, you must have a clear route between
you and your target. Remember that you must
pg. 18
always measure distance by the shortest route,
but that there will often be a choice of routes. If
all of the possible shortest routes must cross a
standing Player or the Ref then the Throw is
blocked. If at least one of the shortest routes
passes only over empty hexes or fallen Players
then the target can be seen and the Throw
attempted. The route must also stay within the
Thrower’s front arc, if it leaves this arc at any
point then the route is also invalid.
If the Throw is to a teammate, then they must
be able to see the Throwing Player, and cannot
be a Guard, unless they also have the Keeper
ability. You cannot Throw to a teammate who
cannot try to catch the ball. This is completely
against the Player’s training as it would lose
control of the ball for nothing.
Throw test Modifiers
The Throwing Player rolls a Skill test, with
modifiers based on the distance between the
Throwing Player, and the target hex as follows:
 1-3 hexes: No modifier
 4-6 hexes: -1 Dice
 7-9 hexes: -2 Dice
The maximum distance a Player can Throw a
ball is 9 hexes.
This test can also be modified by:
 -1 dice if the target is a Strike Hex
 -1 dice if the Player moved or turned
during this Throw Action
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (maximum of –2).
A Throw that gets no successes is called
“inaccurate”.
Throwing a Strike (Jack or Striker)
Throwing a Strike is a
Throw: Skill test (1)
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Throw scores no successes: scatter the ball
from the Strike Hex. If the team has lost control
of the ball, end the current Rush.
Throw scores one success: Strike! Mark the
points on the score track, and end the current
Rush. Your opponent will launch a new ball at
the start of their Rush.
Throw doubles: Strike! Mark the points on the
score track, end the current Rush and launch a
new ball as above. In addition, the Throwing
Player manages to score with such style that
they immediately get to make a Fan check for
showboating. This is in addition to any they get
for making a 3 or 4 point Strike.
Note that if a Player is standing on a Strike hex
and you wish to Throw a Strike at that hex, you
must explicitly state that you are not Throwing
to or Throwing at that Player. If you score then
all is well and the game continues as normal. If
you miss then an opponent or a teammate
without the Throwing player in his front arc
standing on the hex is hit as if the ball was
Thrown at them.
Also note that there is nothing to stop you from
scoring a Strike in your opponent's Rush should
you gain enough free actions. If you do, the
original Coach only loses the Rush if he would
have done so anyway (by losing the ball etc).
Passing to Teammates (Jack or Striker)
If your target was a teammate, then Throwing
the ball is not enough. The other Player must
try to Catch it.
This is easier said than done: Remember that
the ball is a titanium projectile hurtling through
the air at speeds over 200mph propelled by
starship-grade anti-gravity tech. There’s a
reason why the most common career-ending
ailment for Strikers is repetitive head injury
syndrome (known as “Fumblemitt’s Disease” in
the less-kind corners of DreadBall journalism).
Catching the ball is a:
Catch: Skill test (1).
pg. 19
Modifiers are:
 -3 Moving Target: For the sheer speed
and unpredictability of the ball
 -1 per opposing Player threatening the
hex you are in.
 +1 per success scored on the Throw
test.
Catch scores no successes: Scatter the ball from
the Catching Player’s hex. If the team has lost
control of the ball, end the current Rush.
Catch succeeds: The Catching Player now has
the ball. The Rush continues if the Coach has
any more Team Action Tokens or Special Move
cards to spend.
Catch doubles: The Catching Player now has the
ball and gets an immediate Free Action. This
may be either a Run or Throw.
Note that Strikers will have at least four dice for
their Skill tests and as such will usually be able
to attempt to Catch even an inaccurate pass
(one in which the Thrower scored no successes).
You can also use Coaching Dice to try to catch
inaccurate Throws with any Striker, Jack or
Keeper. A Guard that has not been trained as a
Keeper can never Catch a ball.
Throwing the Ball at Opposing Players (Jack
or Striker)
Sometimes, a desperate situation calls for
desperate measures, and this is one of them.
Throwing the ball at an opponent is not a foul,
but it will end your Rush, so it’s not to be tried
lightly. Still, there are times when using the ball
as a weapon is the only sane thing to do.
The Throw is worked out as above. If the target
Player has the Thrower in their front arc, then
the target may try to Dodge the incoming ball. If
the target cannot Dodge then they count as
rolling zero successes.
Dodge: Speed test (X)
Playtest Packet 4.0
  -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (ignoring the
Throwing Player, maximum of -2).
Throw wins: the losing Player is pushed into
one of the 3 hexes directly away from the
winner. The winning Player chooses which one.
The losing Player is turned to face directly at the
hex he just vacated. Scatter the ball from the
target’s original hex. The Rush ends.
Throw doubles opponent: the losing Player is
pushed back as above, plus they are knocked
down and must make an Armour Check. The
potential damage for the Armour Check is equal
to the difference in total successes between the
winning Throw and the losing Player’s roll.
Scatter the ball from the target’s original hex.
The Rush ends.
Draw or Dodge wins: the ball hits the target,
but it’s only a glancing blow and the target
Player is unhurt. Scatter the ball from the
target’s hex. The Rush ends.
Dodge doubles opponent: the Dodging Player
may move 1 hex in any direction without
needing to Evade. They may choose to face any
direction. Scatter the ball from the original
target hex. The Rush ends.
Note that you can Throw at an opponent who is
on the floor and they will be unable to Dodge as
they have no front arc.
Note also that should a Player injure an
opponent for 3 or more turns or kill them by
Throwing the ball at them, this will generate
Fan checks and player experience exactly as if
they had done so by Slamming.
Stand Up (Any Player)
A Player that has been knocked down can try to
recover and Stand Up as an Action. This is a
Stand Up: Agility test (1).
This is modified by:
pg. 20
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (maximum of –2).
Stand Up fails: the Player is still groggy from the
fall. They remain on the floor where they were.
Stand Up succeeds: The Player stands up in the
hex they were in, facing the direction their
Coach chooses.
Stand Up doubles: The Player stands up in the
hex they were in, facing the direction their
Coach chooses. They get an immediate Free
Action. This may be any Action available to the
Player except for a Sprint.
Running Interference (Jacks)
Jacks may not be as strong as Guards or as
nimble as Strikers, but they do have a knack for
being in the right place at the right time. (Or the
wrong place at the wrong time, depending on
which team you’re betting on).
Running Interference is not a normal Action and
cannot normally be chosen. The only time a
Player may choose Running Interference is
when he has the appropriate Special Move card
played on him, or if he has the Ability. The
Ability allows him to Run Interference once per
game in addition to any allowed by Special
Move cards.
Running Interference is something you do in
your opponent’s Rush, to interrupt one of their
Player’s Actions.
At any point during an opposing Player’s Action
you may declare you are Running Interference.
The opposing Coach stops what he’s doing
while you perform your Action, and then
continues with his declared Action once you
have finished.
Each Action may only be interrupted by a single
attempt of Running Interference. Each attempt
to Run Interference is done by a single Jack and
that Player cannot be carrying the ball.
Running Interference is similar to a Slam from
the Jack and follows many of the same rules,
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however the Jack may only move 1 hex whilst
Running Interference. He may need to Evade as
normal. The Jack may not Dash as part of this
Action.
Note: The Jack may choose to make the one-
hex move without rolling the Running
Interference test against another Player. Also,
because the Running Interference test is not a
Slam it is not modified by abilities that modify
Slam tests.
The target can choose to Dodge or Slamback.
Dodge is available to any Player. Slamback is
available if the target Player is a Jack or Guard,
and the Interfering Player is in one of their
Threat Hexes.
Depending on what each Player chooses, they
roll different tests.
Running Interference: Strength test (X).
 +1 if the Player did not start adjacent to
the target, but moved adjacent during
this Action.
 -1 per opposing Player threatening the
hex you are in. (Ignoring your target,
maximum of -2).
If the target of the Running Interference is a
Jack or a Guard, they may choose to fight back
(known as a Slamback), and roll:
Slamback: Strength test (X).
 -1 per opposing Player threating the hex
you are in (ignoring the Player Running
Interference, maximum of -2).
Any Player may choose to Dodge:
Dodge: Speed test (X).
 -1 per opposing Player threatening the
hex you are in (ignoring the Player
Running Interference, maximum of -2).
Compare the total numbers of successes to find
the outcome:
Draw: the Players both turn to face directly at
each other.
pg. 21
Running Interference/Slamback wins: the
losing Player is pushed into one of the 3 hexes
directly away from the winner. The winning
Player chooses which one and may choose
whether or not to follow up into the vacated
hex himself. The losing Player is turned to face
directly at the hex he just vacated. The winning
Player is turned to face the target (if he
followed up) or the hex the target was in (if he
didn’t follow up).
Running Interference/Slamback doubles
opponent: the losing Player is pushed back as
above, then they are knocked down and must
finally make an Armour Check. The difference in
successes between the winning Running
Interference/Slamback and the losing Player’s
roll is the amount of potential damage.
Dodge wins: the Dodging Player may turn to
face any direction. The other Player turns to
face directly at the Dodging Player.
Dodge doubles opponent: the Dodging Player
may move 1 hex in any direction and does not
need to Evade to do so. They may choose to
face any direction. The other Player turns to
face directly at the hex the Dodging Player just
vacated.
The Player Running Interference need not target
the Player taking the current action.
Note that the interrupted Player’s action ends if
the Run Interference test wins or doubles the
target Player. Additionally, the opposing team’s
Rush is over if any of their Players loses the ball
as the result of Running Interference.
Also note that should an Interfering Player
move to block the path of a Strike attempt, the
active Player will then continue their action
(including any remaining movement) but may
be unable to Throw a Strike if they cannot find a
clear path to the Strike hex.
Also note that a Player with this ability can use
it with an “Any Action” Card, even if they have
already used the ability this game.
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Buy a Card
A Coach can spend a Team Action Token to buy
the top card of the draw deck. This may be kept
secret from their opponent until it is played.
Each team can buy up to the number of cards
they have written on their roster in a single
Rush. For example, a starting Human team
would be able to buy 2 cards per Rush; for a
Marauder team the starting limit is 1. This
number can be increased during league play.
There is no hand size limit.
Extra Actions
Extra Actions are not Actions in their own right,
but instead modify or add to other Actions.
Dash
A Dash modifies a Run or a Sprint Action. This
includes Run Actions that are part of Slams or
Throws. Dash works the same way in both
cases. Move as far as you can with the normal
movement allowance for the chosen Action.
Then declare that the Player will Dash. You
must state out loud which hex you are
intending to move into (or if the extra
movement is for a turn and in which direction)
before you roll to see if you have done it safely.
Dash: Speed test (123). Roll for each hex/ turn
separately.
This is modified by:
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are moving FROM
(maximum of –2).
Dash fails: the Player falls over in the hex he
was moving to. If a loose ball is in that hex then
it scatters. The Action ends, but the Rush does
not. If the Player was carrying the ball when
they fell then the Rush ends.
Dash succeeds: The Player gets one extra hex
worth of movement. If this is extending a Sprint
Action then it could alternatively be spent on
turning a single hex side, as normal. If the
Player wants to they can roll to Dash again (with
pg. 22
a target number one higher) to move another
hex or turn again depending on the Action.
A Player can Dash to get on the Subs
Bench, and this would mean that their final
hex Dash to get off the pitch onto the Subs
Bench would be without penalty as they'd
already be off the pitch when they fell over.
Note that a Player falling over as a result of a
failed Dash test does not make an Armour
Check and will not be injured.
Evade
A model must Evade whenever they move out
of a hex that is threatened by an opposing
Player. Turning within a single hex does not
require an Evade test. You must state out loud
which hex you are intending to move into
before you roll to see if you have got there
safely.
Evade: Agility test (123). Roll each time you
need to Evade separately.
This is modified by:
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are moving FROM
(maximum of –2).
Evade fails: the Player falls over in the hex they
were moving to. If a loose ball is in that hex
then it scatters. The Action ends, but the Rush
does not. If the Player was carrying the ball
when they fell then the Rush ends.
Evade succeeds: The Player moves into the new
hex safely. If they want to then they can roll to
Evade again later on in the same Action (with a
target number one higher).
Note that a Player falling over as a result of a
failed Evade test does not have to make and
Armour Check and will not be injured.
Also note that it is possible that a Player will
need to both Dash and Evade to move to a new
hex. In this case, both tests must succeed in
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order for the move to be made. Roll each Holding the ball has no effect on a Player’s
separately. game values or tests other than allowing them
to Throw it.
Pick Up the Ball (Jack, Striker, Keeper)
Picking up the Ball must be part of the Action of
any Jack, Striker or Guard with the Keeper
ability that involves moving onto a new hex that
contains a loose ball.

If you Sprint onto the hex containing the ball

then you stop in the hex with the ball,
maintaining your current facing, and try to Pick
Up the Ball. If you Run onto the hex with the
ball then you should decide on your facing
before you roll to Pick Up the Ball.

The Player attempting to Pick up rolls a:

Pick Up: Skill test (1).

This is modified by:

 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening

the hex you are in (maximum of -2).
 -1 dice if the Action you are doing is a
Sprint.

Pick Up fails: the Player bobbles the ball and it

scatters. The Rush ends.

Pick Up succeeds: The Player gains control of

the ball. Their Action ends.

Pick Up doubles: The Player gains control of the

ball and gets an immediate Free Action. This
may be either Run or Throw.

Note that if a Guard without the Keeper ability

moves onto a hex containing the ball then it
scatters immediately without ending that
Player’s Action or that team’s Rush.

A model will keep the ball until they choose to

Throw it, the ball is Stolen, or they are knocked
(or fall) down. If a model is knocked or falls
down then the ball scatters from the hex they
land in.

pg. 23 Playtest Packet 4.0

The Art of the Foul
DreadBall is an amazingly fast and brutal sport,
but even DreadBall has rules. Each game is
overseen by two match officials: the Eye and
the Ref. It is the job of these two to ensure that
the game is played fairly, or at least that those
who break the rules are punished.
The “Eye in the Sky”, or Eye for short, is a
floating surveillance pod that hovers out of
harm’s way above the pitch. It can see the
whole pitch at once and there is no hiding from
its gaze.
The Ref, on the other hand, is on the pitch with
the Players, and can’t be everywhere at once.
Although they sometimes literally have eyes in
the back of their heads, they can be distracted,
and if their attention is focussed elsewhere it’s
possible to sneak a foul past them.
A Ref may never be the target of any Action
except Distract the Ref.
A foul is the term for an illegal action –
something that breaks the rules of sporting
conduct. This is a game term and refers to the
Players on the pitch, not to Coaches palming
cards and other real-world cheating. In the real
world Coaches should play entirely fairly. What
their Players get up to on the pitch is another
matter…
Referees and Fouls
Fouls are Actions and are described below in
the same format. But before we look at the
possible fouls your Players can commit, we
need to understand Ref checks.
Calling Foul
In the hurly-burly of the game, it’s easy to miss
a foul. To keep the game moving (and because
it’s fun) a Coach has to call Foul! when one of
his opponent’s Players breaks the rules. The
description of the individual fouls tells you
when to roll the Ref check to see if anyone was
sent off. However, this check is not automatic:
you must call for it.
pg. 24
A Coach can call Foul! at any point during the
Action, before or at the point when the Ref
check is indicated. If you miss it and a Player has
been nominated for the next Action (of either
side), then you are out of luck. The foul has
been missed and play continues. You’ll just have
to find another way to get your own back…
For example, Bob is playing his Rush and
decides to Stomp one of Anne’s fallen Strikers.
As he declares the Action and picks up his dice,
Anne shouts “Foul!” This doesn’t stop the
Action, but they will now roll a Ref check
afterwards.
Anne could have called Foul! at any point during
the Action with the same result. However, if she
had not been paying attention then it would
have gone unpunished. You’ll be surprised how
easy it is to miss fouls.
Ref Checks
A Ref check is called for when a Player commits
a foul. See the foul description for the point at
which this should be made. All Ref checks work
the same way, but note that Ref checks do not
work the same way as normal tests.
1. Determine the number of dice to roll:
 Roll 1d6 for the Eye
 Roll 1d6 for the Refbot if she is
within 7 hexes of the Player
committing the foul. In the case
of Sneak, this is any Player on
the Sneaking team. Note that
the Ref has a 360o facing and
can see in every direction
 This number may be further
modified by event cards.
2. Roll all the dice at once. The dice are
rolled by the Coach who called Foul!
3. Each dice is read separately:
 1 is a 1 turn penalty
 2 is a 2 turn penalty
 3 is a 3 turn penalty
 4-6 means no penalty
4. Add together all the dice that rolled 1-3.
The Player is sent to the Sin Bin for that
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 many turns. If this adds up to 4 or more
then the Player is sent off for the rest of
the match.
If more than one foul needs to be checked at
the same time, then resolve them in the order
they are listed here. For example, if a Player
Stomps an opponent, but the team is also
Sneaking, resolve the Stomp first.
Foul: Sucker Punch (Jack or Guard)
Sucker Punch is a type of Slam. The only
difference from a normal Slam is where the
Player starts their Action relative to their target.
Running around behind someone to Slam them
in the back is considered unsporting and is a
foul. So, if a Player begins their Action in their
target’s front arc and Slams the target from
their back arc, then the Slam is a foul and is
called a Sucker Punch.
Any abilities that modify a Slam also apply when
making a Sucker Punch.
Note that moving behind someone with one
Action, then Slamming them from behind with a
second Action is not a foul, nor is Slamming
someone from behind if they just happen to be
facing away from you. It is only a foul when a
Player starts in their target’s front and moves
behind them to Slam in a single Action.
Roll a Ref check after the Sucker Punch has been
resolved.
Foul: Stomp (Jack or Guard)
Stomp is a type of Slam. Some Players just find
the sight of an opponent on the floor in front of
them too tempting, and they put the boot in to
ensure that their opponents stay down.
Any abilities that modify a Slam also apply when
making a Stomp.
The Stomping Player may not move at all, and
the target must be in one of his threat hexes.
The only response the target can make is to
Dodge.
Stomp: Strength test (X):
pg. 25
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (maximum of –2).
Dodge: Speed test (X):
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (ignoring the
Stomping Player, maximum of -2).
 -1 dice for being on the floor
Compare the total numbers of successes to find
the outcome:
Stomp doubles opponent: the losing Player
must make an Armour Check. The target
number for the Armour Check is equal to the
difference in total successes between the
Stomp and the losing Player’s Dodge.
Dodge doubles opponent: the Dodging Player
may move 1 hex in any direction and does not
need to Evade to do so. They remain on the
floor. The Stomping Player turns to face directly
at the hex the Dodging Player just vacated.
Any other result: the Stomping Player turns to
face directly at his victim.
Roll a Ref check after the Stomp has been
resolved
Foul: Stall (Any Player)
The gate by the Subs’ Bench opens onto the
bright red or yellow hex, and an unscrupulous
Player can deliberately block this so that the
opposing Coach can’t reinforce his team.
At the end of any Action by the opposing team,
if one of their Players is on the red or yellow
hex next to your Subs’ Bench, or any of the
immediately adjacent 4 hexes.
(blocking/threatening your route on and off the
pitch) then it is a Stall foul. This is true even if
the Player has fallen over.
Stall is any type of Action that allows a Player to
move one or more hexes. It continues to be a
foul (and may be called as such) until the Player
is no longer committing it.
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Make a Ref check at the end of every Action by
the opposing team that any of these hexes are
blocked by one of their Players, whether the
Action was spent on that Player or not.
Foul: Sneak (Any Player)
The legal maximum number of Players on the
pitch at any one time is 6. However, this isn’t
always enough for a desperate Coach.
At the end of any Action by the opposing team,
if they have more than 6 Players on the pitch
then it is a Sneaking foul.
Sneak is initially any type of Action that allows a
Player to move one or more hexes and
therefore move onto the pitch. After that, it
continues to be a foul until the team is no
longer committing it. This means that as long as
you have 7 or more Players on the pitch every
Action is a foul (and may be called as such).
Make a Ref check at the end of every Action by
the opposing team if they end the Action with
more than 6 Players on the pitch. Add the Ref
dice if any Player of the offending is within 7
hexes of the Ref. If the Ref check results in a
Player being sent off then choose the Player at
random from those on the pitch by drawing a
card.
Foul: Distract the Ref (Any Player)
Distract the Ref is a type of Run or Sprint. The
Player harangues the Ref with threats, bribes,
promises and anything else he can think of to
distract her from the fouls his teammates are
about to commit.
The Distracting Player must move adjacent to
the Ref using the normal rules, and then
attempt to Distract them while the Ref tries to
Remain Calm. This is done as a normal opposed
test, but instead of being on one of the usual
game values it is done on a fixed 4+ for
everyone. Guards get a bonus dice because they
are more intimidating.
Distract: 4+ test (X).
pg. 26
 +1 if the Player is a Guard.
Remain Calm: 4+ test (X)
 -1 per Player from the distracting
Player’s team threatening the hex the
Ref is in (ignoring the Distracting Player,
maximum of -2).
Compare the total numbers of successes to find
the outcome:
Draw or Distract wins: the Ref ignores the rest
of both teams for the moment and focuses on
the Player in front of him. For the rest of this
Rush the Ref will only roll dice in a Ref check
against the Distracting Player. After this Rush
the Ref returns to normal. Roll a Ref check
against the Distracting Player immediately, but
do not add a dice for the Eye.
Distract doubles opponent: as above, but the
Distracting Player is so convincing that you do
not make an immediate Ref check against him.
Remain Calm wins: the Ref is unimpressed. Roll
a normal Ref check against the Distracting
Player immediately.
Remain Calm doubles opponent: the
Distracting Player is sent off for the rest of the
match.
Foul: Ball Hog (Any Player)
There are a number of dubious strategies that
slow down the game and are dull and
frustrating for the opponent and crowds alike.
The DGB is dedicated to keeping the game fast
and fun and so these are strategies it would like
to see removed from everyone’s playbooks.
This foul is part of that deterrent.
It is possible for a team to completely block
access to the ball by the other side. This slows
down play and reduces a normally fluid game to
a stalemate.
At the end of any Action by the opposing team,
you may call the Ball Hog foul if no clear route
exists between any of your Players and the ball
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or opposing ball carrier. You cannot call this foul
if one of your own Players is holding the ball or
if you have no Players on the pitch at the time.

A clear route is defined as an unbroken path of

empty hexes between any of your Players and
the hex containing the ball or the opposing
team’s Player who is carrying the ball. It is not a
foul if such a route is longer than a Player can
move in a single Action – only if such a route is
not available at all.

Make a Ref check at the end of every Action by

the opposing team in which the route to the
ball is blocked in this manner, whether the
Action causes this situation or not.

If the Ref check results in a Player being sent off

then choose him at random from those on the
pitch.

pg. 27 Playtest Packet 4.0

DreadBall Cards
These are a 54 card deck consisting of four
types of card: Fan Support cards, Special cards,
Event cards, and Special Move cards. The card
type is clearly marked at the top.
At the start of the match, separate out the two
fan support cards and shuffle all the remaining
cards together. These will form a face-down
draw deck for Coaches to take cards from
during the match. Any cards that have been
used are placed next to the draw deck in a face-
up discard pile. If the draw deck ever runs out
then shuffle the discard pile to make a new
draw deck.
Your Hand of Cards
Each Coach starts each match with the number
of cards written on their roster, drawn at
random from the top of the draw deck. During
each one of their Rushes they may buy
additional cards. Each card drawn costs one
Team Action Token. A Coach can buy a
maximum of the card number on their roster
per Rush.
There is no limit to the number of cards a Coach
may have at one time.
The Cards in Play
The cards are used in a number of ways, and it
is important to understand the differences.
Cards can be used to:
 Make Special Moves
 Trigger Events
 Make Fan Checks
 Move the Ref
 Select a Player at Random
Make Special Moves
If a Coach has a Special Move card in his hand
then he can play it as he would a Team Action
Token. Most Special Move cards allow a defined
type(s) of Player to make a defined type(s) of
Action. Each Player may have a maximum of 1
Special Move card played on them in each Rush.
pg. 28
This is in addition to the limit of 2 Team Action
Tokens per Rush.
Trigger Events
If a Coach buys a DreadBall card that turns out
to be an event then this goes into his hand as
normal. He may play it whenever he wishes to
put that event into effect. This can be during
either Coach’s turn and it takes effect as soon
as the current Action and all associated dice
rolls and card draws have been completed.
If an event card is turned over as part of a Fan
check, Ref move or random Player selection
then it takes effect as soon as the Fan check,
Ref move or random Player selection has been
completed.
With the sole exception of The Ball Shatters, all
events remain in play until another event is
played. When a new event is drawn or played
the old card is discarded. The Ball Shatters is an
instant event. It is resolved and then discarded.
Any event that was in play before it was drawn
remains in play.
Note that if a card says “your team” or
“opposing Player” then this is from the point of
view of the Coach that drew or played the card.
If a Player who is the subject of an event is
removed from the pitch due to injury or fouling,
they remain the subject of the event.
Make Fan Checks
The fans like to see their teams trying their
hardest, and the Players like to hear the roar of
approval from the crowd. Each feeds off the
other. When a Player does something dramatic
you make a Fan check. Each Coach has a Fan
Support card to track the level of support he
has from his team’s fans.
Make a Fan check each time one of your
Players:
 Scores a 3 or 4 point Strike.
 Injures an opponent for 3 or more
turns.
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  Struts his stuff in a display of
Showboating.
Fan Checks are also made the first time during
the game that any Player succeeds at any of the
following:
 Throwing a 9 hex pass that is caught by
the intended target.
 Dashing through 3 consecutive hexes in
the same Action without falling.
 Evading through 3 consecutive hexes in
the same Action without falling.
 Triples the number of successes of his
opponent in a Slam.
 Triples the number of successes of his
opponent in a Steal
 Catches a scattering ball with a result of
3 or more successes.
A Fan check simply means turning over the top
card of the draw pile and looking at the number
of Fan “Cheers” (red dots) on the bottom. This
card is placed underneath the team’s Fan
Support card with the cheers sticking out from
underneath
However, if the card you have just drawn takes
the total number of cheers visible to 3 or more
then all the visible cards are turned over and
placed face down under the Fan Support card
instead. In return, your team is so inspired by
the crowd’s support that you gain an extra
Coaching Dice.
If you are playing a DreadBall League then the
total number of cheers (including face-down
cheers) you have at the end of the match is
important.
Note that some Actions can result in more than
one Fan check being due. In these cases, simply
make each Fan check in turn, taking Coaching
Dice as they are earned.
pg. 29
Move the Ref
The Ref moves at the end of each Rush. The
Coach who has just finished his Rush takes the
top card from the draw deck and places it in
front of him, face up.
He may move the Ref up to the number of
hexes shown on the red panel at the top left of
the card. There is no minimum move required.
However, because the Ref is trying not to get in
the way she can only end her move on a plain
black hex or her starting chequered hex – not
any other colour. Moving through coloured
hexes is fine, just not ending her move on one.
In addition, she will never move onto the ball.
As the Ref is a neutral party they never need to
roll to Evade and can move freely. A Ref cannot
Dash.
Note also that the Ref does her best to stay out
of the way and will never try to catch the ball. If
it scatters onto her then scatter it again.
If the card is an event then this is now resolved.
If the card is a Special or Special Move then it is
discarded.
Select a Player at Random
Several different events and other rules require
you to select a Player at random. The process is
the same every time. There are 4 steps:
1. Agree on which Players are eligible to
be selected. This is not always the same
group of Players. For example, it could
be anyone currently on the pitch (if
being sent off for Sneak), or anyone
who played in that match (for Man of
the Match). The Player selected for
Events MUST be presently on the pitch
to qualify. If there are no Players that
qualify, then ignore the event.
2. Turn over the top card of the draw
deck.
3. Starting at the top, go down the
random sequence of Player numbers on
the right, one at a time, until the
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 number matches one of the eligible
Players.
4. Apply the effect to that Player and if the
effect is ongoing, mark them with the
counter provided.
If you are resolving an event and the card you
turn over to determine a random Player is a
new event card, then use the random number
as normal and complete the first event before
resolving the second.
Card Commentary
The cards are usually self-explanatory.
However, a small number can give rise to odd
situations and it’s worthwhile explaining how to
deal with them.
Bored Fans: the card lost can be face down
under the Fan Support card (i.e. already used to
claim a Coaching Dice). It’s a random choice
from all the cards that team has.
The Ego has Landed: it is the opposing Coach’s
responsibility to ensure that his opponent
follows this rule, just as it is with fouls. If
someone tries to move the Ego second or later,
then they should be reminded that they cannot
do this. If both Coaches miss this then that’s
tough – you can’t rewind the game. You should
be paying more attention! Also, if the Ego takes
the first Action, then they can take further
Actions later. These do not all have to be done
at the start of the Rush, just the first one.
Fan Support & “Cheers”: The Fan Support cards
are laid out as shown here, with “unspent”
cheers showing from underneath. When you
get a Coaching Dice for 3 cheers then the cards
that “bought” it are flipped face down and are
placed completely under the Fan Support card,
out of sight. They are used at the end of League
games to see which side fielded the Man of the
Match.
Note that you don’t get to choose which cards
and when they are traded in – they just get
swapped for a Coaching Dice automatically as
soon as you get a card that brings your total of
“unspent” cheers to 3 or greater. This could
pg. 30
mean that you “waste” some cheers as you
might draw a 3 cheer card when you already
have 2 showing. This is just the luck of the draw.
Team Captains
Team Captains are gifted Players, and are often
the marketing ‘face’ of their team, adorning
posters, lunch boxes, billboards, and magazine
covers across the galaxy.
Each team may hire one Team Captain at a
time. The Team Captain has their own stat line
in the team’s profile, and will have a cost in MC
listed there.
Depending on the team, a Captain might be a
Player type that the team might not ordinarily
be able to take, or have improved stats or an
ability not ordinarily available to that team’s
Players. Apart from this, a Team Captain
behaves like and is treated by the rules as an
ordinary Player with a standard role (Jack Guard
or Striker), and is not considered an MVP.
When a Team Captain is on the field, they add a
+1 modifier to tests for Coaching Plays made on
behalf of their team – see the rules for Coaching
Plays for more details.
In a League, Team Captains earn experience and
can qualify for advances just like any other
Player with the exception that a Captain starts
their career at Rank 2 with 0 experience –
meaning that they must earn 3XP before their
first advance.
Oh Captain My Captain
The team captain models represent the most
famous captain of that team – for example,
N’Huatl, the captain of the Ninth Moon Tree
Sharks, is the most recognizable Yndij Player in
the galaxy and winner of Total DreadBall’s
“Cockiest Player” poll six years running, but
when creating your own team you should feel
free to choose your own name, personality and
history for your Captain, and chart their own
story through the trials and tribulations of your
personalized team.
Playtest Packet 4.0
Coaching Staff Game On (Using Coaching Staff in Game)
Coaches are busy people. Before a game they If your team has 1 or more Coaching Staff to
are arranging the advertising, tasting the help out the Head Coach, then you get an
canapés, scheduling training, counting additional phase at the start of each of your
equipment, booking transport, arranging Rushes.
interviews, approving merchandising and a
After you have moved the marker to show the
thousand other details. They have to schmooze
new Rush, but before you do anything else, one
with the sponsors, argue with the arena staff
of your Coaching Staff may choose to Call a Play
and deal with the many divas among their
to try to influence the Rush. This would come
highly-strung Players. It seems that nothing can
between steps 1 and 2 in playing a Rush.
be done without them, and everyone feels free
to demand a little of their time. There are 3 types of Plays to choose from –
Offensive, Defensive and Support, and two
To make all this possible, the bigger teams hire
options for each type of Play. Coaching staff can
assistants to help the Coach out. Their jobs and
only choose to Call a Play that matches their
titles vary from team to team, but their overall
role - Offensive, Defensive, and Support.
aim is to make things a little easier for the
Declare which Coaching Play you are calling
Coach. To differentiate between these
before rolling the dice. You may only Call one
individuals, the Coach (the person represented
play per Rush regardless of the number of
by the real world gamer) is usually called the
Coaching Staff available.
Head Coach. Their assistants are known
collectively as Coaching Staff. You may want to Calling a Play is a normal test that uses a fixed
make up more interesting titles for your own value of 5+.
teams to reflect their history, luck and exact
duties. Coaching Play: 5+ test (1)

Hiring Coaching Staff  +1 dice if a Team Captain is on the pitch

All teams have a Head Coach but few teams
Consult the relevant play below for the
start with Coaching Staff. In a league, a Head
outcome of the test.
Coach may add Coaching Staff to his team when
they are considering other purchases such as
extra Players, more Coaching Dice, etc. Each
Coaching Staff model costs 8mc, and each team
can have up to 3 in total: one each of Offensive,
Defensive and Support. Each member of the
Coaching Staff only needs to be paid for once.

You must clearly state which role the Coaching

Staff you are hiring fills when they are bought
into the team. They may not change role later.

Setting up Coaching Staff

At the start of a match, as part of setting up
your Players on the pitch, you should place all
of your Coaching Staff in your Subs’ Bench.

pg. 31 Playtest Packet 4.0

Offensive Plays Blitz succeeds: choose one of your Jacks on the
pitch. Treat them as having Run Interference
Hustle!:
until the start of your next Rush.
Come on team! Move it move it move it!
Hustle! Play fails: no effect
Support Plays

Hustle! Play succeeds: for this Rush a single Entertain:

Player may have 3 Team Action Tokens played Looks like we’re about to score – get ready to
on them instead of the normal maximum of 2. wow me!

Note in all cases that while the number of Team
Action Tokens playable on a single Player may
be changed, any rules covering the sequence in
which Actions must be done remains
unchanged.
Playbook:
Cydonia Megalith play, on three! 1-2-HUT!
Playbook fails: no effect
Entertain fails: no effect
Entertain succeeds: you may place 1
Cheerleader into play from those remaining on
your Subs’ Bench, or move one Cheerleader
already in play to a new position. Normal rules
for placing Cheerleaders apply.
Entertain doubles: as above, but you may place
and/or move up to 2 Cheerleader models.

Playbook succeeds: discard any number of Physio:

DreadBall cards from your hand to draw the It’s just a scratch – let me get some nerve
same number of new ones. staples on that thing…

Defensive Plays Physio fails: no effect

Prevent: Physio succeeds: move one Player in your own
We’re getting clobbered out there! Keep your Sin Bin one space toward your Subs’ Bench. If
head up! that puts them back on the bench, they are
good to go!
Prevent fails: no effect
Prevent succeeds: in your opponent’s next Rush
you get 1 Defence Dice. A Defence Dice is a
Coaching Dice that may only be used in the
opponent’s next Rush, and may only be used to
boost Slambacks and Dodges. If the dice is not
used then it is discarded at the end of the
opposing Coach’s next Rush.
Prevent doubles: in your opponent’s next Rush
you get 2 Defence Dice. See above.
It’s best to keep Defense dice separate from
normal Coaching Dice, to avoid confusion.

Blitz:
They’re making a break for it! Get ready…
Blitz fails: no effect

pg. 32 Playtest Packet 4.0

Cheerleaders
Sometimes, it just isn’t your day on the pitch. A
team may find itself missing every shot,
fumbling every pass and coming off worst in
every slam. On days like these, the
Cheerleaders really come into their own, their
routines and cheering rousing the crowd and
keeping them happy when the action on the
pitch isn’t. If the match is going well, the
Cheerleaders are an asset, helping to excite the
crowd further and generate the buzz. When the
match is going poorly, they become a lifeline,
essential to the survival of the team and the
Players (sometimes in a literal as well as a
metaphorical sense)
Acquiring Cheerleaders
Teams do not start with Cheerleaders. In a
league, a Coach may add Cheerleaders to his
team when he is considering other purchases
such as extra Players, more Coaching Dice, etc.
Each Cheerleader model costs 4mc, and each
team can have up to 4 in their troupe. Each
Cheerleader only needs to be paid for once.
Placing Cheerleaders
At the start of a match, as part of setting up
your Players on the pitch, you may place a
maximum of 1 or 2 Cheerleaders from your
team’s troupe into play. This number depends
on your respective team rankings and how
many you have available in your team. The
underdog may place up to 2 and his opponent
up to 1. In the case of equal rankings, both
Players may place just 1. Cheerleaders that are
not currently in play wait in the Subs’ Bench.
pg. 33
Cheerleaders that are “in play” do not go onto
the pitch itself. Instead they are placed on the
scoring track, with up to one model per space.
Cheerleaders from opposing teams cannot
occupy the same space. You can place a
Cheerleader on any free space on either side of
the scoring track. You may also choose to place
up to one Cheerleader behind one of the
numbered sections in the opposing team’s Sin
Bin.
Cheerleaders may be put into play from the
Sub’s Bench by spending a Team Action token.
However, a Coach has a lot to take care of
during a match, so often times this is left to
Support Staff to take care of--allowing the Head
Coach to focus on winning the game.
Go Team!
Cheerleaders respond to the Actions of the
team on the pitch and cheer on the crowd
accordingly.
When a Strike is scored, in addition to the
normal fan checks, the Cheerleaders may
inspire another. Move the score marker as
normal. If it ends on a space with a Cheerleader
on it then the Cheerleader is removed and
replaced in its own Subs’ Bench. If the model
was from the side that scored the Strike then
that team makes an immediate fan check in
addition to any other fan check(s) associated
with that Strike. If the model was from the
opposing team then there is no further effect. If
the Strike is worth more than 1 point then the
scoring marker may move over other models to
reach the space it needs to. These models
remain in place. Cheerleaders are only removed
when the score marker stops exactly on their
space.
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Likewise, if a member from the opposing team
is placed into a space in the Sin Bin where you
have placed a Cheerleader, make an immediate
Fan Check and place the Cheerleader back on
your Subs' Bench. Note, this effect only occurs
when a model is removed from the pitch and
placed in the Sin Bin--not as a result of moving
through the Sin Bin later.

However, there are times when Cheerleaders

take the initiative to try and rally their team.
This is called "Working the Crowd" and
represents the efforts of the Cheerleaders to
boost the enthusiasm of the fans and gain
momentum for their team. During their Rush, a
Coach may remove any number of Cheerleaders
from play and place them back on the Subs'
Bench. For each Cheerleader removed in this
fashion, roll 1d6: Each result of 5 or more
generates a Fan Check.

Lastly, the team with the most cheerleaders in

play gets an additional benefit from having such
a strong cheering section. Whenever this team
gets a Fan Check, they draw two cards and
choose which to apply. The other is discarded.
An event revealed in this manner only occurs if
it is the card selected.

pg. 34 Playtest Packet 4.0

Exhibition Matches
Sometimes you don’t have time or the
inclination to play a whole League, but you still
want to try out an MVP or a Free Agent, have a
game with lots of well-trained and highly skilled
players. Maybe you simply want to try a
different configuration of starting Players than a
team normally starts with, or try playing with
Support Staff or Cheerleaders. In this situation
you want to be playing a special kind of one-off
game called an Exhibition Match.
Exhibition Matches are games that the
DreadBall Governing Body arranges to
showcase all that is exciting about the sport.
They are often widely broadcast and range from
stage-managed posturing to real grudge
matches between old rivals. In all cases they are
characterised by high quality presentation,
state-of-the-art equipment and highly
motivated, handpicked teams. In game terms,
the differences are simple. You play a one-off
game as normal, but instead of taking a basic
100mc starter team, you agree beforehand on a
budget of 120, 130 or more mc. There are a
number of ways you can spend this money,
depending on what kind of game you want.
Have a chat with your opposing Coach to decide
what kind of value and limits you want to set.
One option is to take a normal starting team
and then spend the extra money on MVPs and
Free Agents. Decide which MVPs are available
and bid for them as normal. This is likely to
bring some cheap MVPs into the game, so be
careful not to let them overpower the rest of
the Players. Similarly if both Coaches agree, the
extra money can also be used to buy more
Players, including a Captain from the team’s
Roster.
Alternatively, you can use Exhibition matches to
purchase different configurations of standard
teams. Maybe you’d like to try a 100mc Brokkr
team trading one Striker for an extra Jack, or
you want to try using a Support coach and some
cheerleaders.
pg. 35
Another option for Exhibition matches is to
allow Coaches to purchase more experienced
Players. Each advancement for a Player costs
5mc. Work out these advancements, one at a
time, as normal.
The important thing is that you and your
opponent agree on a team value, and what
options are available for purchase before
beginning the game.
We don’t recommend using these rules to build
a League team. If you want to play in a League
then use the League rules and develop your
team and hone your Coaching skills on the
pitch. Exhibition Matches are intended to allow
you to play with the full range of models and
abilities in a one-off game, not to get an
experienced team for a League without any
effort!
Keep in mind the following limitations when
you are purchasing your teams:
 Teams are only allowed 1 Captain.
 A Team may have a maximum of 14
players at a time, including MVPs and
Free Agents.
 A Team is limited to a maximum of
double its standard starting number of
Players of any given role (e.g. a Trontek
29ers team may not have more than 6
Jacks).
 DreadBall Cards cost 10mc each, and
Coaching Dice cost 6mc each. A team
may have a maximum of 7 DreadBall
Cards and 7 Coaching Dice
 Support Staff costs 8mc each and each
Cheerleader costs 4mc. A Team may
have only one of each Support Staff,
and up to 4 Cheerleaders.
The Corporation being what it is, much of the
League organization revolves around money –
lots of money. DreadBall uses millions of credits
(mc) for all transactions, as anything smaller is
too tiny for the big leagues to notice.
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DreadBall Leagues
Early in the development of DreadBall as a
professional sport, it quickly became apparent
that the galaxy was so big – and the sport so
popular – that trying to manage every planet’s
conference from a central office would be
impossible.
The answer was simple, and characteristic of
the essential human spirit that drives the
Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere: Franchising.
For a very large fee and a percentage of the
revenue, any sufficiently well-connected
individual or Corporation can sponsor their very
own DreadBall League. Some conferences are
set up to service a single planet or system, while
the largest hold games in stadiums on dozens of
worlds. Games are broadcast over the
InfoSphere and the biggest Leagues are
household names, while the smaller Leagues
serve as a developmental programme for the
talent of tomorrow.
With the trillions of credits that can be made in
DreadBall, there is no shortage of Leagues for
teams to play in. These rules will show you how
to create a League of your very own.
In a DreadBall League the Players gain
experience and the teams become more
powerful. This is because you keep the same
Players in the same team over many games
instead of starting each new match with a set of
fresh Players.
It’s not just the extra abilities though. What’s
even more fun is the stories that a team gains
as it wins and loses, plays easy matches and
hard-fought losses, and rises to the top or
struggles valiantly against fickle luck. Everyone
remembers the highly-trained Striker that
always misses, or the Orx Guard that loses 4
Slams in a row against a human Jack. In a
League the Players and the teams take on a life
of their own and the game comes alive in a
whole new way.
pg. 36
Setting Up a League
In order to play a DreadBall League, you need a
few simple things. First, each Coach needs a
team of models, preferably painted in their
chosen team colours. These teams can consist
of the standard team setups, or can be drafted
according to the Exhibition rules if all Coaches
agree. You will also need enough sets of
DreadBall to be able to play several games at
once so everyone can join in. The final
ingredient is also important: you need a League
Sponsor to organize everything.
The Co-Prosperity Sphere encompasses a vast
area and is made up of innumerable races and
cultures. The ways in which DreadBall Leagues
are run are equally varied. From amateur clubs,
to collegiate or company conferences, setup
and organization depends upon the needs of
the Players and the Sponsors. Naturally, the
larger the organizations running the League, the
more intricate the DreadBall association is. The
rules for League play presented here are simply
one option for League Sponsors to use in their
local gaming clubs.
Round-Robins
A round-robin is a League setup where each
team plays each other team in the League.
Similarly, a double round-robin is a round-robin
in which each team plays each other team
twice, once as a home team, and once as a
visitor. This helps eliminate home team
advantage from the results of the League, but
also doubles the number of games that must be
completed. The results of these games earn
participating teams League Points which are
used to determine standings, and can also be
used in the final championship. Ties in League
Points are broken first by total points scored,
and then further ties are broken by Team
Ranking. Have the winner of each game fill out a
game result card after each game and turn it in
to the League Sponsor.
Unlike real-life sports leagues, Dreadball
schedules need not be run with exact
mechanical precision. Rather than setting
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specific dates for different teams to play against
each other, simply set a League end deadline.
Coaches will have until this deadline to
complete all of their League games. They can
work out amongst themselves when to play
their required games. Any uncompleted games
are simply forfeit: neither Coach earns anything
from a forfeit game. Since game results
determine League Points, and League Points
determine League standing, it is in each Coach’s
own interests to complete as many games as
possible. This also allows for additional teams to
come in part-way through the League, though
they will have a lot of games to catch up on if
they want to move up in the table! Only the
first game (or first two games in a double
round-robin) played against a particular team
will count towards the team’s League standing.
At the League Sponsor’s discretion, additional
exhibition matches may be played between
teams that have already finished their League
games. Exhibition matches allow teams to gain
extra experience and revenue as well as to
increase their Team Ranking. However, League
Points and total points scored are determined
only from League games, never from exhibition
matches.
Once the League end deadline is reached, or all
teams have completed their Round Robin
circuits, the final standings can be calculated
and a League winner announced. Additionally,
to add further spectacle, a Championship can
be played at the end of the league. This ruleset
uses a seeded single-elimination tournament. A
seeded tournament is one in which a Team’s
“seed” determines which team he will play
against during each championship round. The
seed used in this league is simply the team’s
League standing. The highest-seeded team is
pitted against the lowest-seeded team, second
highest with second lowest, and so on. Note
that “byes” may be necessary for
championships with a certain number of Teams.
Tournament brackets are easy to find for free
online. Simply print one out (make sure it is set
up for the correct number of teams!) and fill it
in according to each Team’s standing.
pg. 37
It can be disappointing to be eliminated from a
championship in one of the early rounds, so it is
recommended to match eliminated players
together so that they can continue to play.
Results of such games can still count towards
secondary prizes, giving eliminated players a
reason to want to continue the championship!
Possible secondary prizes could include: Most
violent (most total kills), Highest Team Ranking,
Richest (most remaining mc), Best Offensive
Team (highest total points scored) or any other
metric the League Sponsor decides to use.
Recordkeeping
There is a lot of information to keep track of
during a League. Coaches must track their
team’s ranking, experience and team roster,
and the League Sponsor needs to track the
different team’s standings as well as various
performance metrics. This section describes the
major performance metrics used in this league
format. Feel free to add metrics you want to
track for awarding additional prizes.
League Points
League Points are the foremost decider in
determining a Team’s standing in the League.
The Team with the most points is the leader.
After each game, depending on the results of
the match, a team will earn between 0 and 4
League Points. The possible results are listed
below, along with their corresponding League
Point values.
 Landslide Victory = 4
 Win = 3
 Draw = 2
 Loss = 1
 Landslide Loss = 0
Add the League Points earned from the game to
any earned previously to determine the team’s
total League Points. For example, if the
Valhallan Valiants thrash the Greenmoon
Smackers in their first game of the League,
succeeding in securing a Landslide Victory, they
would gain 4 points. As this is the first match of
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the league, 4 is now their total League Points. If
they lost their second league game (though
prevented a landslide) we would add 1 point to
their League Points, taking them to total of 5.
Points Scored
In addition to tracking League Points, the total
points scored are tracked for use as a tie-
breaker. Simply sum the total number of points
scored by each team during the match with that
team’s current total points scored. Note that a
team adds its total number of points scored
during the game, not the final score of the
game. Continuing the previous example, if at
the end of the hard-fought second league
game, the Valhallan Valiants lost even after
managing to score 4 points, the Valiants would
still add 4 points to their total points scored.
Assuming their previous total points scored was
7, their new score would be 11. A team’s total
points scored will never decrease, and will
never be negative.
Team Ranking
Sometimes even total points scored is not
enough to determine a clear leader. In this case,
Team Ranking is used as a secondary tie-
breaker (but only amongst teams that are equal
in both League Points and total points scored).
Team Ranking is also used in determining any
applicable Underdog Bonus. As DreadBall is
primarily a Corporation-based sport, it is
unsurprising that DreadBall teams are ranked
simply by their value in mc. This is equal to the
total of a team’s:
 Players (basic cost plus 5mc per Player
rank gained)
 DreadBall cards (10mc each)
 Coaching dice (6mc each)
 Assistant coaches (8mc each)
 Cheerleaders (4mc each)
 Spare (unspent) cash
Simply add these together to determine Team
Ranking. Make sure to add each team’s new
ranking to the game result card before turning
it in to the League Sponsor.
pg. 38
Note that MVPs and Free Agents do not count
towards a team’s ranking, because they are not
a regular part of the team.
League Tables
Every League needs a table that shows the
team’s rankings and standings. This changes as
games are played, players die or gain abilities
and new teams join the fun.
A League table should keep a tally of the team
rankings, the League Points from wins and
losses, and the total points scored for that
team. This means you can see who has the
overall toughest team, who wins the most
matches and who gets the highest scores. It’s
not always the same team.
The table itself can be done on computer and
printed out, it could be on a club website, or
just written out on a piece of paper. There is no
right or wrong way to do it. All that is important
is that the Sponsor keeps it up to date and that
everyone can see it when they want to.
If you have a regular club you might want to put
the table up on the wall. Perhaps you always
play at your local games store or in the garage
at a particular friend’s house. Alternatively,
your club might have its own website, in which
case you could put it on that. Or you could
email the Coaches once a week once you’ve got
the results of that round’s matches. Pick the
system that suits your gaming group.
Keeping Track of Games
This is perhaps the hardest part. It’s not that
there is really a lot to do, it’s just that people
tend to forget to tell you.
In order for you to keep track of team rankings
and League standing, you need to find out the
results from the Coaches involved (team
rankings, match result and total points scored).
There are many ways to do this. If your club
meets regularly, it is very convenient to have
Coaches give you the results immediately
following each game. Otherwise it might be
better to have Coaches fill out match result
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cards together and turn those into you when
they can. Whatever method you choose, make
sure that all Coaches are aware of how the
process works.

Experience
Players in a League are ranked as well. All
Players start at rank 1 and earn experience
points for doing certain things during games.
Once they gain enough experience they
increase in rank and gain bonuses. A Player
gains 1 experience anytime they generate a Fan
check during a game. Each Player may gain a
maximum of 3 experience per game (not
including Man of the Match and Underdog
bonuses)
MVPs and Free Agents never gain experience.

All Players that performed at least one Action

during a game in which their team received an
Underdog bonus of 10mc or more gain one
additional experience.

pg. 39 Playtest Packet 4.0

League Games
Because Leagues are so much more complex
than normal games there are a number of steps
that need to be carried out both before and
after a match in order to keep things running
smoothly. The following rules describe how to
set up a League match as well as how to take
care of the after-match bookkeeping.
Pre-Match Sequence
Before a League game begins, each Coach
performs a few additional steps. First, any
Underdog bonus is calculated and applied, and
then Coaches may opt to pay for Free Agents or
MVPs to assist them in the game.
1. Underdog Bonus
 Calculate if either Coach gains
an underdog bonus for the
match.
2. MVPs
 Both Coaches may spend
money from their team’s Cash
(and Underdog bonus, if
applicable) to hire MVPs for the
listed cost.
3. Free Agents
 Both Coaches may spend
money from the team’s Cash
(and Underdog bonus, if
applicable) to hire Free Agents
(10mc each).
Underdog Bonus
When two teams of different rankings meet,
the lower rated team is known as the underdog.
In order to keep things entertaining for the
crowds, the DGB organises a handicap system
that gives a temporary boost to the underdog
by means of Free Agents and easier access to
MVPs. This is the Underdog Bonus.
The Underdog Bonus is measured in mc and is
simply the higher team’s ranking minus the
lower team’s. So, for example, if the
Skittersneak Stealers are ranked at 134mc and
play the Ronton Rooks who are only ranked at
pg. 40
112mc, then the Ronton Rooks have an
Underdog Bonus of 22mc (134-112).
The Underdog Bonus can be spent in two ways:
MVPs and Free Agents. You might as well spend
it too as you cannot save it. Any Underdog
Bonus that is not spent at the start of a game is
lost.
MVPs
In addition to the normal Players you start the
game with, you can also buy the services of the
famous names in DreadBall. These legendary
figures are known as Most Valuable Players, or
just MVPs. They hire themselves out like
mercenaries happy to play for anyone willing to
pay their exorbitant prices.
Unlike normal players who only need to be paid
for once, MVPs need to be paid for every
match. This pays for them to play the next
match, but doesn’t guarantee their loyalty after
that. Their only loyalty is to a fat paycheck.
The League Sponsor determines which MVPs
are available in the League. The League Sponsor
can choose to use as many or as few MVPs as
he likes, but must make sure everyone is aware
of which ones are available.
There are many Players that have reached MVP
status, and many of them share similar
playstyles and abilities. Because of this, the
same MVP may be hired by more than one
team at a time, sometimes even by two teams
facing off against each other. These are
obviously different Players, or perhaps one is an
imposter, the only way to be sure which is
which is by playing the game! A team may hire
as many MVPs at once as it can afford, though
each MVP takes up one slot on the team roster.
Remember that each team may only have up to
14 Players.
The cost to hire an MVP is listed on his entry. All
MVP fees are per match and must be paid up
front. After each match, the MVP is removed
from the Team roster.
Playtest Packet 4.0
 Free Agents (Roll 1d6)

At the League Sponsor’s discretion, MVPs may 1 – Kalyshi Jack

be available to the team that hired them for the 2 – Corp. (2) Jack
whole round, rather than just the League 3 – Sphyr Striker
match. This usually means that Coaches which
4 – Yndij Reaver
purchase the services of powerful MVPs will be
really keen to play as many games as they can 5 – Nameless (Sticky) Guard
organise that round, but their opponents will 6 – Marauder Guard
not be so sure!

MVPs never gain experience, and never gain Free Agents (Roll 1d6)
advances. 1 – Brokkr Jack
Free Agents 2 – Z’zor Jack
Free Agents are paid for by Digby (via your 3 – Yndij Striker
Underdog Bonus) to play for a team on a single 4 – Corp. (1) Striker
match basis. This gives the team another Player 5 – Teraton Guard
or two and makes the whole match that much
more exciting. However, their experience is lost 6 – Neo-bot Guard
to the team, so you have to balance letting
them take the lead with getting your own Free Agents (Roll 1d6)
Players to gain experience. Note that even if 1 – Tsudochan Jack
you play two matches in a row with the same
type of Free Agent they never gain experience. 2 – Koris Jack
In reality, they are different individuals as Digby 3 – Z’zor Striker
makes a point of rotating all their Free Agents 4 – Convict Striker
to keep as many as possible at game fitness.
5 – Rin Guard
Make one dice roll on any of the Free Agents 6 – Matsudan Guard
tables below for every whole 10mc you have
left of your Underdog Bonus. Anything less than
10mc is lost. Like every other team member, Free Agents (Roll 1d6)
they are included in the team limit of 14 1 – Robot Jack
Players. Add them to your roster temporarily. A
2 – Zee Jacks (x2)
Free Agent will only ever play for a team for a
single match. If you need another Free Agent 3 – Vlorox Spinpede
for your next match, you must purchase them 4 – Veer-myn Striker
again and roll again.
5 – Forge Father Guard
Free Agent Tables: 6 – Jetari Brawler

Free Agents (Roll 1d6) Free Agents (Roll 1d6)

1 – Nameless Bloodsucker 1 – Hobgoblin Jack
2 – Avaran Treebeast 2 – Zee Buccaneers (x2)
3 – Judwan Striker 3 – Jetari Thrower
4 – Asterian Striker 4 – Ada-Lorana Striker
5 – Pusk Rampager 5 – Crystallan Guard
6 – Convict Guard 6 – Cyborg Guard

pg. 41 Playtest Packet 4.0

Post-Match Sequence
There is some record keeping that must be
performed between matches when playing in a
League. This should be done immediately after
the match whenever possible. Doing so allows
Coaches to witness each other’s rolls, and
ensures that nothing is misremembered. If you
are using the League rules included here, feel
free to copy and distribute the sample game
result card, otherwise feel free to make your
own to track whatever metrics are important to
your League. The sequence between matches
follows these steps:
4. Man of the Match
 Determine the Man of the
Match, and allocate extra
experience to him.
5. Results
 Fill in the relevant results on
the game result card.
6. Player Advancement
 Dead Players
 Cut Players
 Player Advancements
7. Team Revenue
 Calculate earnings
 Purchases
8. Team Ranking
 Calculate new Team Ranking
 Turn in game result card to
League Sponsor
Home Coach Name:
Result LV
(Circle One) 4 3
Total Points Scored:
New Team Ranking:
Visitor Coach Name:
Result LV
(Circle One) 4 3
Total Points Scored:
New Team Ranking:
pg. 42
Man of the Match
Count up the total number of cheers each team
has had during the match. This includes “spent”
cheers as well as cheers that did not generate
coaching dice.
A random player from team with the greatest
number of cheers gets an extra point of
experience.
Do not count any players that were removed
due to injury or were never on the pitch during
the game.
If neither team has earned any cheers at all
then the Man of the Match is not awarded.
If both teams have drawn an even number of
cheers, greater than zero, then both teams get
a Man of the Match award, as above.
Results
Coaches should fill in the Winner, and the
Strikes Scored sections of the game result card.
The card still needs updated team rankings, so
should not be turned it yet.
Team Name:
W D L LL
2 1 0
Team Name:
W D L LL
2 1 0
Playtest Packet 4.0
Dead Players
The first thing that must be checked is the
status of any Players sent off the pitch due to
injury. These Players have been seriously
injured and only immediate and extensive
medical care is likely to keep them breathing for
another game. Roll once on the following table
for each Player that was removed from the
game due to injuries. Before any dice are rolled,
the Coach may opt to spend up to 8mc per
Player from the team’s cash reserves. For each
4mc paid, the Coach may reroll one of a Player’s
injury dice (each dice may only be rerolled
once). Sum the dice to determine the result:
2-3 – Fatal: Despite best efforts, the Player
could not be saved, remove them from the
Team roster.
4 – Vestibular Damage: -1 Agility
5 – Spinal Misalignment: -1 Speed
6-8 – Full Recovery: The Player recovers fully in
time for the Team’s next game.
9 – Brain Trauma: -1 Skill
10 – Muscle Wasting: -1 Strength
11-12 – Blank Spots: Player loses 1 random
ability gained from an advancement. If no such
ability exists, treat this as a Full Recovery, as
above.
If a Player suffers a penalty to a stat, increase
the number of the stat by one. For example, a
Goblin that lost one point in Skill would go from
a Skill of 4+ to 5+ (thus becoming worse). If a
Player gains a penalty in a stat that was already
at 6+, the Player dies and is removed as if they
had rolled the Fatal result above.
Cut Players
Additionally, before calculating advances, the
Coach has the opportunity to cut Players from
his team. Simply select any Players you would
like to fire, and remove them from your Roster.
pg. 43
Player Advancements
Any remaining Players add experience gained to
their total experience. If their total experience
equals their current Rank plus 1, the Player has
earned enough experience to advance in rank.
Deduct their current rank plus 1 from their total
experience, and then increase their rank by 1.
When a Player goes up in rank they make a
single roll on one o fhe advancement tables.
Roll 1 dice and look up your result on the
chosen table. There are no modifiers for this
roll.
If the Player cannot have the result rolled then
they may choose any result from that table.
Note that a Player may only ever gain one point
on each game value (Strength, Speed, Agility
and Skill) to a maximum value of 3+. Players
that start with a 3+ or better on a given stat
may not further increase that stat. Additionally,
a Player may not gain the same ability more
than once, with the exception of Lucky. When
obtained a second time, Lucky is replaced with
Really Lucky.
Finally, increase the Player’s cost by 5mc.
A Player may only advance a single rank
between each game.
Skill Tables
Under Construction
Team Revenue
Revenue and all expenses are measured in
millions of credits (mc). The money available to
Head Coaches for team development is only a
fraction of the total amount of money flowing
around the team – Sponsors, owners,
shareholders, all take a slice of the action, and
the various demands on a team’s balance sheet
mean that the amount of money a coach can
use to build the team might vary for any
number of reasons.
Team revenue for a match is somewhat
unpredictable as it depends on merchandise
sales, re-broadcast contracts as well as simple
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attendance numbers. Most venues offer a flat
attendance fee for competing teams,
amounting to 3mc. Additionally, each Coach
gains a number of dice to roll, earning them 1-
6mc each. When determining the number of
dice rolled, each team starts with the following:
Win: 2 dice for revenue
Any other result: 1 dice for revenue
Underdogs are also granted an additional
commission from Digby for playing in games
where they are outmatched. When a team’s
ranking is 10mc or more under their opponent’s
they receive a bonus revenue die.
Roll all your dice, sum the scores and add 3. This
is how many mc you have earned for that
match. Add it to your team’s cash.

Purchases
With an account full of additional funds,
Coaches may now outfit their teams with new
Players, Coaching Staff, Cheerleaders, or
purchase up to one additional DreadBall card
and one additional Coaching Dice between each
match. This is done just as it would be done in
an Exhibition Match, paying all the same costs
and changing the Team roster accordingly.
Make sure to save some money for hiring Free
Agents and MVPs for your next game!

Team Ranking
Now that all of your purchases have been
completed, it is time to recalculate your Team
Ranking. This is described earlier, simply
recalculate it according to your new Player
costs, Coaching Staff, Cheerleaders, number of
DreadBall cards and Coaching dice, and unspent
cash. Mark this down on your Team roster as
well as on the results card. The card should be
fully filled in at this point, so can be turned over
to the League Sponsor.

pg. 44 Playtest Packet 4.0

Abilities
360 Vision (Any Player)
The Player has no rear arc. Every direction
counts as being in their front arc. In effect it
does not matter which direction the model
faces, though it usually looks better to turn the
model as appropriate. The model has 6 Threat
Hexes instead of 3. For the purposes of
Sprinting, use the model’s facing, as if it did not
have this ability.
A Safe Pair of Hands (Striker or Jack)
A Player with this ability gets +1 dice to Catch
inaccurate passes, (a scattering ball or a Throw
with no successes). He gets no bonus to Catch
accurate passes.
Backflip (Any Player)
A Player with this ability who tries to Stand Up
will automatically do so as if he doubled the
test. Note that no test is actually rolled. In
effect, knocking down a Player with this ability
merely stops them using Sprint as their next
action.
Backstab (Guard or Jack)
The Player is adept at causing maximum
damage to vulnerable areas. When the Player
makes a Slam against an opponent that does
not project a Threat Hex onto the Slamming
Player, then add +1 dice in addition to any other
modifiers.
Brush Aside (Any Player)
This is an action, completed as part of moving a
Player in a similar way to Evade, and is done as
and when necessary during the move. It may be
done as many times as is required in a single
action. Roll separately each time you need to
use Brush Aside.
If a Player with this ability wants to move into a
hex that is occupied by a standing, opposing
non-GIANT Player they may try to Brush Aside
rather than Slamming them. This will allow
pg. 45
them to carry on moving rather than ending
their action.
You can only use Brush Aside if there is a space
you can push that Player into. You cannot use
Brush Aside on the Referee, or the ball.
Brush Aside: Strength test (2)
This is modified by:
 -1 if the target Player is a Guard.
 +1 Dice if the Player using Brush Aside is
a Guard
Brush Aside fails: The Player’s action ends. Turn
the target model to face the Player.
Brush Aside succeeds: The target Player is
pushed into a hex of the Player’s choosing
directly away from him, and he then moves to
occupy the hex himself. This move is not
optional. He may then continue his action.
Brush Aside doubles: : The target Player is
pushed into a hex of the Player’s choosing
directly away from him, and he then moves to
occupy the hex himself. This move is not
optional. The target Player is knocked over. Do
not make an Armour check for the fallen Player.
The Player using Brush Aside may then continue
his action as normal.
Can’t Feel a Thing (any Player)
A Player with this ability gets 1 additional
automatic success whenever they make an
Armour Check, in effect ignoring one extra
injury each time.
Charge! (Gaelians or Jacks)
If the Player makes a Slam and would normally
gain the +1 modifier for moving adjacent during
this action, they instead gain a +2 modifier.
Dirty Tricks (Any Player)
Off pitch and on, this Player is renowned for
playing a dirty game.
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Once per match, whilst this player is on the
pitch, they may call Foul! against a single
opposing Player of their choice who is also on
the pitch, and within 7 hexes of the Player using
Dirty Tricks. This is a ruse. The other Player has
done nothing wrong and has not committed a
foul at all, but Dirty Tricks can make it look
otherwise.
Make a Ref check exactly as if the opposing
Player were guilty of a foul, and if they are
spotted they are sent off as normal. Whilst the
post-match analysis may exonerate the Player,
that won’t help them now.
Does This Hurt? (Jack or Guard)
The Player treats Stomp as if it were a Slam,
being able to make a full Run before making the
attack. If the Player did not start adjacent to the
target, but moved adjacent during this action
then they add 1 dice to their Stomp roll. Note
that in the eyes of the Ref this is still a Stomp
and is still a foul.
Duck and Weave (Any Player)
This Player gets +1 dice on any attempts to
Dodge.
Driller (Robot/Guard & Jack)
A Player with this ability attacks with their drill
as part of a normal Slam. When a Player with
this ability doubles a Slam, their opponent
makes any resultant Armour Check with a -1
modifier to their roll.
Feint (Striker or Jack)
Sometimes, getting out of a tight corner is more
a matter of balance and poise than bluster and
noise. Some Players have developed the skill of
wrong-footing their opponents just long enough
to slip past unmolested.
On the pitch, a Player with this ability has the
option to attempt a new type of action called
Feint.
A Feint works as follows:
pg. 46
A Jack or Striker can make a full Run action as
part of a Feint. This counts as a single Feint
action for purposes of modifiers, opponents
Running Interference, etc. The Player can Dash
and may need to Evade as normal during this
Run action.
When you have finished moving, nominate a
target. This must be a single standing opponent
in one of the Feinting Player’s Threat Hexes.
The target can choose to Dodge or Slamback.
Dodge is available to any Player. Slamback is
available if the target Player is a Jack or Guard,
and the Feinting Player is in one of their Threat
Hexes.
Depending on what each Player chooses, they
roll different tests:
Feint: Speed test (X).
 +1 Dice if the Player is Judwan
 +1 Dice if the Player started adjacent to
the target.
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (ignoring your target,
maximum of -2).
Slamback: Strength test (X):
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (ignoring your target,
maximum of -2).
Dodge: Speed Test (X):
 -1 dice per opposing Player threatening
the hex you are in (ignoring the Feinting
Player, maximum of -2).
Compare the total number of successes to find
the outcome:
Draw: the Players both turn to face directly at
each other.
Playtest Packet 4.0
Feint wins: the winning Coach chooses the
direction of facing for both Players. This may be
the same or different as he decides.
Feint doubles opponent: as above. In addition,
the target Player is moved 1 hex in any direction
and does not need to Evade to do so. The
Feinting Player’s Coach chooses the hex the
target Player moves to. Note that the Feinting
Player does not move (other than to change
facing).
Treat all other results as if the target Player had
been reacting to a Slam action.
Fragile (Any Player)
The Player counts as rolling 1 fewer successes
on each Armour check. Work out the check as
normal and then reduce the final total of
successes by 1, to a minimum of zero.
Gotcha! (Any Player)
Some Players are very tricky to get away from.
This ability has two game effects. Firstly,
whenever a Player with this ability would cause
a -1 penalty for an opponent being in their
Threat Hex, this is doubled to a -2 penalty
instead. The maximum penalty for Threat
Hexes is still -2.
Secondly, if an opposing Player fails to Evade
out of a Threat Hex of a Player with this ability,
then they do not move at all and their action
ends.
Grizzled (Any Player)
A Player with this ability is a particularly tough
veteran who takes little notice of physical pain.
Any opponent making a Slam against this Player
loses 1 dice in addition to any other modifiers.
Harmonics (Crystallan/any Player)
The Player is more powerful if he has other
members of his race nearby.
pg. 47
Count the number of other Players (from either
team) with this ability within 3 hexes. Look up
this number on the following list to find the
benefit to the player.
1 Harmonic nearby: +1 Move, +1 dice to any
Speed or Agility based test.
2 Harmonics nearby: +1 Move, +1 dice to any
Strength, Speed or Agility based test.
3+ Harmonics nearby: +1 Move, +1 dice to any
Strength, Speed, Agility, or Skill based test.
This benefit is calculated afresh at the start of
each action and applies for that whole action.
A Player with this ability moving onto the pitch
counts as having 1 Harmonics nearby for that
particular action.
Honorable (Matsudan/Any Player)
Whether it is a Warrior Code, religious teaching
or just that they are too nice, Players with this
skill will not perform Sucker Punches or Stomps.
It Wasn’t Me (Zee/Any Player)
This ability does a number of things.
1. The Player cannot Distract the Ref. In
effect they are doing this all the time
and the Ref simply wouldn’t notice a
special attempt to catch their attention.
2. Only one Foul! may be called per Team
Action Token spent on Players with this
ability. If more than one foul is being
perpetrated by the team then the
Coach calling the foul decides which
one to bring to the Ref’s attention.
Foul! cannot be called against Players
with this ability when they take actions
from other sources such as free actions
or cards. However, this limit does not
stop an opposing Coach from also
calling Foul! using Dirty Tricks or Take a
Dive. Note that even though Runaround
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 allows two actions only one Foul! may
be called. Do this at the end of either
action (at the discretion of the Coach
calling the foul).
3. When a Ref check is made, if a specific
Player is accused of the foul (i.e. the
foul is not Sneak or Ball Hog) that
Player’s Coach may decide if that Player
or another Player with this ability within
3 hexes is the target of the Ref check.
Roll the Ref check as normal, but
subtract 2 from the number of turns the
Player is sent off the pitch for, to a
minimum of 0.
Jump (Striker or Jack)
The most agile Players can leap over their
friends or opponents in dramatic displays of
acrobatic skill.
A Jump is a 2 hex move (and costs 2 hexes of
movement) and can be part of either a Run or
Sprint action. The first hex you jump over must
be occupied by a Player (either standing or on
the floor). Roll each time you need to Jump
separately.
Jump: Agility test (123).
 -1 Dice for each Threat Hex you are in at
the start of your Jump.
Jump fails: the Player falls over in the hex he
was moving to. If a loose ball is in that hex then
it scatters. The action ends, but the Rush does
not. Note that a Player falling over as a result of
a failed Jump test does not have to check his
armour and will not be injured. However, if he
is carrying the ball then he will drop it and end
the Rush.
It is also possible that a Player will need to Dash
in order to gain the extra movement to Jump
into a new hex. In this case, all Dash tests must
succeed in order for the Jump to be successful.
Roll each separately. If the Player fails any Dash
attempts that are required for the Jump, the
test fails, as above.
pg. 48
Jump succeeds: The Player moves into the new
hex safely and may face any direction he wants
(even if Jumping whilst Sprinting). If he wants to
then he can roll to Jump again later on in the
same action (with a target number one higher).
A Player making a Jump does not need to roll to
Evade for that part of their movement, though
they are subject to those rules as normal both
before and after the Jump.
Keeper (Guard)
A Keeper is a type of Guard, and unless a rule
specifically differentiates between the two, or is
overridden here, the Player should still be
treated as a Guard.
The Player is issued a DreadBall glove.
Unfortunately, he is not really trained in its
proper use and simply uses it to cannon the ball
downfield.
Unlike regular Guards who cannot Pick up the
Ball or Catch, a Keeper can (at -1 dice). A Keeper
cannot Throw the ball like a Jack or a Striker,
but they do have a unique action called Punt.
If a Keeper wishes to Punt the ball, he simply
places it wherever he wants on the pitch. This is
a hugely inaccurate means of getting rid of the
ball. The ball is scattered once, and then once
more from its new position before coming to
rest. A Punt can never be used to make a Strike,
and does not end a Rush, unless the ball
scatters onto a friendly Player that fails to Catch
the ball.
Keepers are also trained in interfering with
Strike attempts. To do this, the Keeper must be
both inside the Strike Zone, and have the
Throwing Player in their line of sight. If these
criteria are met, then the Keeper applies a -1
dice penalty to the Strike attempt, as if they
were threatening the opposing Player. Note
that this DOES count towards the maximum
threat penalty of -2.
In order to better protect the added investment
of a Keeper, teams outfit Keepers with
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additional armour protection. A model with
this ability gains an Armour value of 3+.
Linked (Neo-Bots/Player)
Players with this ability have an uncanny knack
of being able to predict what their teammates
might do.
Once per turn, when a Player with this skill
generates a free action they may forfeit it and
allow another Player of their type to take the
free action instead. The Player taking the free
action is still limited by the free actions
available from the initial test. This free action
can generate additional free actions as normal,
which are used by the Player that generated
them. This ability can only affect a Player once
per Rush and cannot be generated off of cards,
only when dice are rolled.
Long Arms (Judwan or Mechanites, Any Player)
Some Players have extremely long arms
allowing them to Throw further, providing a
distinct advantage on the pitch.
Players with this ability have a maximum range
of 12 hexes rather than 9 when Throwing the
ball. Any Throws performed at a range of 10-12
hexes are made at a -3 dice modifier (meaning
that unless they are a Striker they will need
Coaching dice to be able to succeed).
Apart from the additional range band, a Throw
from a Player with Long Arms is worked out as
normal.
Lucky (Any Player)
Once per Rush the Player may re-roll any one
dice that they have rolled for a normal test.
Declare that you will do this after you and any
opponent have both rolled your dice, but
before you apply any results. If you both have
the Lucky or Really Lucky ability then the active
Player chooses first whether to re-roll or not.
Re-rolling the dice means just that: pick up the
dice you want to roll again and roll it again!
pg. 49
Whatever result it rolled initially is ignored.
Only the result of the re-roll counts. If the re-
rolled dice is a 6, then it counts as a success and
generates an extra dice as normal.
Mighty (any Player)
A Player with this ability rolls an additional dice
for Armour Checks, Slams and Slambacks
against non-GIANT opponents.
Pacifist (Judwan or Any Player)
The Player will not intentionally harm another.
They will not commit Sucker Punch or Stomp
fouls. They will not Slam, Slamback, or
deliberately Throw the ball at another Player,
though they can inadvertently harm another
Player if they Throw and miss a Strike while a
Player is standing on a Strike Hex.
Phaser (Ada-Lorana/Any Player)
A Player with this ability may become ghost-like
and insubstantial and move through other
Players as if they were not there. Even when
they are trying to remain solid they have a
slightly translucent, misty appearance, like
solidified fog.
A Player with Phaser can exist in two distinct
states: solid and insubstantial.
Solid. When a solid Phaser is involved in a Slam,
Slamback or Stomp, both players are at -1 dice
for Strength tests.
Insubstantial. When a Player with this ability
takes an action they may choose to become
insubstantial. If they become insubstantial then
it must be for their entire action. A Player
cannot become insubstantial if they are already
carrying the ball. An insubstantial Player returns
to solidity at their end of their action.
An insubstantial Player has partly Phased into
another dimension and retains only the most
tenuous connection to the normal three
dimensions.
They cannot interact with the ball or another
Player or the Ref in any way while insubstantial.
They may only take Run, Sprint or Stand Up
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actions, though they may Dash if they choose
to. They ignore threat hexes. They may not end
an action in the same hex as another Player.
They may move through the ball without it
scattering. However, if they end their action in
the same hex as the ball then they must
attempt to Pick it up at -1 Dice as they become
solid again.
Pile-Driver (Any Player)
When a Player with this ability beats an
opponent with a Slam then they may choose to
use the following Pile-Driver result instead.
Pile-Driver wins: the losing Player is smashed to
the ground in the hex they are in. The winning
Player is turned to face the target.
Pile-Driver doubles: the losing Player is
smashed to the ground in the hex they are in.
The winning Player is turned to face the target.
The losing Player must then make their armour
check with a -1 Dice penalty.
Portal (Koris/Any Player)
A Coach that has any Players with this ability in
his team may place a single portal counter on
the pitch before the match starts. Place this on
your half of the pitch, behind the starting line.
Portals may only be placed on any empty
regular hex (i.e. any that the ref can enter, not
the Strike Zones, Entry Hexes or Ball Launch
hexes).
During a match, a Player with this ability may
place an additional portal counter on the pitch
as one of his actions. This must be placed
adjacent to the model spending the action, and
on an empty regular hex. A maximum of three
portals may be on the pitch at any one time
(even if more than one team can place them).
Portal counters may not be moved. If a Player
with this ability wants to place a portal and
there are already three on the pitch, then he
must remove one of the existing ones and place
it in a new location following the rules above.
When only one portal is on the pitch then it
leads nowhere and is said to be inactive. If a
pg. 50
portal has no empty hexes adjacent to it then it
cannot be used as a destination and is also
considered to be inactive. No player may move
onto the hex containing an inactive portal, and
the ball will simply bounce off of it.
Any model that is not a single hex player treats
all portals as inactive. For example, this includes
the ball, GIANTs, and the Ref.
A portal is Active if it has at least one empty hex
adjacent to it, and there is at least one other
portal on the pitch that also has at least one
empty hex adjacent to it.
A portal blocks lines of sight in the same way as
a player.
Active portals are linked by invisible, inter-
dimensional tunnels that allow instantaneous
movement between them. A Player moves onto
an active portal hex as if it was an empty hex.
Calculate any Evades or Dashes required to get
to the first portal hex as normal. If the Dash or
Evade test to enter the portal hex is failed then
the player will fall down in the hex they emerge
into. When working out the number of hexes
moved by the Player in that action, count the
hex adjacent to the second portal as the same
hex as the first portal. Movement through a
portal does not automatically end an action,
though it may. This depends on the result of a
Confusion test (below).
A Player may be pushed into an active portal.
This will transport him in the same way as an
intentional movement. They will need to make
a Confusion test as normal.
A player that moves onto a hex containing a
portal immediately disappears. Where he ends
up depends on his training, experience and luck.
This is determined by making a confusion test.
Confusion Test: 4+ test (2)
Confusion test passed: the Player reappears in
an empty hex adjacent to another portal of his
choice, facing in the direction of his choice. The
Player may continue their action from that
point.
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Confusion test failed: the opposing Coach may
place the confused player in any empty hex that
is adjacent to another active portal, facing in a
random direction (use the scatter rules to
determine facing). The confused Player’s action
ends and that Player cannot act again in the
current Rush.
Portal Master (Koris/Any Player)
This ability works the same way as Portal with
the following modification:
A Player with this ability may place one portal
counter per Rush at no cost in Team Action
Tokens.
Prognostic (Neo-bot/Any Player)
This Player is never caught off-guard by their
opponent’s actions.
Whenever an opposing Player performs a Slam,
Steal, Stomp or Sucker Punch against this Player
they are able to predict that it is coming and
prepare for it. This means that this Player’s dice
pool starts as the same as the opposing Player’s
before any deductions are taken into account.
So if a Guard were to perform a running Slam
against a Jack with Prognostic, the Guard would
initially generate 5 dice for this action. The Jack
would copy this before both parties would take
into account any other factors. In this instance,
if the Slamming Guard had no negative
modifiers then he would retain all 5 dice. If the
Jack is threatened by two opposing Players then
his dice pool would be reduced from 5 to 3 dice.
Pummel (Rin Nomad or Guard)
If a Player with this ability fails to knock down
an opponent with a Slam action and ends that
action with the target Player still in a Threat
Hex, they may immediately make a free Slam
action against the same target as before. If they
gained +1 for moving adjacent during their first
Slam action they gain the same +1 during this
free Slam action.
Push (Tsudochan/Any Player)
pg. 51
A Player with this ability is able to move other
Players without touching them.
When a Player with this ability takes any action
other than Sprint, they may use some or all of
their own movement to pay to attempt to move
other non-GIANT Players from either team, that
are currently on the pitch. Each attempt to
move another Player costs 2 movement from
the Player using Push.
For example, a Player with Push and a Move of
5 takes a Run action. They move 1 hex, move an
opposing Player 1 hex (at a cost of 2
movement), and then move one of their
teammates 1 hex (at a cost of 2 movement).
This uses all 5 of their Move for the Run.
The target Player must be in line of sight of the
Player using Push. Work this out as if you were
Throwing the ball at the target Player.
Push: Strength (1) (against opposing Players)
Push: Skill (1) (against Players on the same
team as the player using Push)
Push has a maximum range of 9 hexes. First,
depending on range, apply to following
penalties:
 1-3 Hexes: No Modifier
 4-6 Hexes: -1 Dice
 7-9 Hexes: -2 Dice
Once range is determined, roll the test with the
following modifiers:
 +1 Dice if the Player using Push is a
Tsudochan
 -1 Dice per opposing Player’s threat hex
the Player using Push is in (Up to a
maximum of -2)
 -1 Dice if the Player being Pushed is a
Guard
It is not possible to Dodge or Slamback against a
Push attempt.
When a Player with this ability moves another
Player into a new hex they may choose its
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direction of facing. Players that are moved by
Push do not need to make Evade tests.
A Player can only Dash to move themselves into
new hexes, not to increase the distance they
can move other players.
You cannot Push the Ref or the ball.
Quick Recovery (Any Player)
A Player with Quick Recovery is never placed in
the 2 or 3 turn Sin Bin locations due to failing an
Armour check. If a Player with this ability suffers
2 or 3 unsaved damage treat them as if they
suffered only 1 unsaved damage. A Player with
this ability that suffers 4 or more unsaved
damage is removed from the game as normal.
Rule of Law (Any Player)
The Player is carefully law-abiding and follows
the rules to the letter. If the Player commits a
Foul then they voluntarily leave the match
permanently without needing to roll for the Ref.
This includes being part of a team that commits
a Sneak Foul.
Run Around (Any Player)
A single Team Action Token can buy a Run
action for two Players with this ability instead of
the normal one. Both Players must have this
ability and they must take their actions
immediately one after the other. This action
counts towards both the Players’ total actions
for that Rush.
Running Interference (Jack Only)
A Player with this ability may use the action of
the same name once per match.
Shove (Any Player)
If a Player with this ability takes a Slam or
Slamback option against an opposing Player in
one of their Threat Hexes then they may choose
to Shove them instead of rolling the test as
normal. Both Players roll their test as normal,
with the Shoving Player getting an additional +2
modifier.
pg. 52
If the opposing Player wins or the result is a
draw then follow the normal rules. If the
Shoving Player wins by any amount then their
opponent is automatically pushed back as
described in the rules for Slamming, but will not
be knocked over, or take injury. The Shoving
Player must turn to face the hex the opponent
has just vacated, but may not follow up.
Slippery Customer (Any Player)
A Player with this ability is either physically hard
to grab hold of, or simply too agile to easily pin
down.
If the player Dodges as his response to a Slam,
and neither Player doubles the other, then the
following applies. The Slippery Customer may
move 1 hex in any direction and does not need
to Evade to do so. They may choose to face any
direction. The Slamming Player does not move.
Resolve this movement after the normal result
of the Slam.
Spinner (Koris/Any Player)
A Player with this ability gains a +2 modifier to
Confusion tests.
Steady (Guard or Jack)
A Steady Player cannot be knocked down as a
result of a Slam. They can be pushed back and
they can be injured, but they cannot be
knocked down. This means that a Steady Player
who is doubled by a Slam will be pushed back
and must make an Armour check as normal. If
this fails then they will be removed from the
pitch to recover from their injuries as normal.
However, if their armour protects them then
they will remain standing in the hex to which
they were pushed.
Note that a Steady Player can fall down on their
own, for example if they fail a Dash test or an
Evade test.
Stench (Hobgoblin/Any Player)
Playtest Packet 4.0
The Player counts as projecting a Threat Hex
into every adjacent hex, not just those to their
front arc.
The player still has a front and rear arc, unlike
players with the 360 Degrees ability; it’s just
that their overwhelming odour makes it difficult
for nearby Players to focus on the job at hand.
In addition, the Player’s Threat Hexes always
modify a test (up to the maximum for that test)
if the modifier is listed at all.
Stretch (Any Player)
The Player is either exceptionally long-limbed or
has explosive reserves of energy with sprinting.
The Player gets +1 dice on any attempts to
Dash.
Stubborn (Any Player)
A Player with this ability ignores a single threat
hex when involved in a Slam, or having Running
Interference used against them.
For example, if the Player with Stubborn was
under 2 threat hexes, (whether from a single
opposing Player with Gotcha, or two opposing
Players), then they would only suffer -1 to their
dice pools rather than -2. If the Player was
under 3 threat hexes, then they would suffer
the maximum of -2 from threat hexes.
Tail (Sphyr or Any Player)
The Player with this ability can use their tail to
fend off attacks from behind.
Tail only affects an opponent who is standing in
the Player’s rear arc. A Slam or Steal attempt
against the Player with Tail is at an additional -1
dice modifier.
Taking a Dive (Jack or Striker)
Each player with this ability may use it once per
match, and each team may use it a maximum of
once per Rush (of either side).
pg. 53
Whilst taking any action that involves
movement, the Player may decide to Take a
Dive. The Player chooses to deliberately fall to
the ground either in the hex he begins the
action in, or as he moves into a new hex. If this
hex is adjacent to one or more opposing
Players, then the falling Player’s Coach may call
Foul! against one of those Players. Resolve this
Ref check as normal. As with Dirty Tricks, the
opposing player hasn’t actually committed a
foul (this time), they are just made to look as if
they have.
The Player may choose to Take a Dive while
Running Interference, as this is an action that
involves movement. The Player may not choose
to Take a Dive if he has fallen over for any other
reason, such as failing a Dash or being
Slammed. He could, however, declare that he is
Taking a Dive instead of making a Dash attempt
whilst moving to a hex that would normally
require one. If so, he must decide to do so
before any dice are rolled for the Dash.
If the Player falls over in a hex containing a
loose ball then it scatters. This does not end the
current Rush. If the Player was carrying the ball
when he Takes a Dive then the ball scatters and
the Rush ends.
Teleport (Teraton/Any Player)
This is used in two ways. In either case, Teleport
is considered a type of movement for purposes
of interacting with other rules.
1) If a Player with this ability could make a Run
action then they may choose to use Teleport
instead. The Player immediately disappears and
reappears up to 4 hexes away facing any
direction. Count the distance for this move as
normal, but ignoring any Players or other
obstructions on the pitch (effectively allowing
you to Teleport “through” other Players). Note
that Players may Teleport as part of an action
that includes a “full Run action” and Teleport
may be used in place of a Run.
A Player may choose to Teleport onto the pitch
from the Subs’ Bench. Measure this as normal
Playtest Packet 4.0
for a Player moving back on, counting the
yellow entry hex as the first space of the move.
Teleport is an instant move that does not
require any Evade tests and cannot be
interrupted by Running Interference. Simply
pick up the model from its starting hex and
place it in a different empty hex (or hexes if the
Player is a GIANT) at least one and up to a
maximum of four away. The Teleporting Player
may choose to end up facing in any direction. If
the Teleporting Player has the ball when they
Teleport then it goes with them. A Player that
Teleports cannot Dash as part of that action.
The second use of this ability is defensive.
When the Player is Slammed in his rear arc he
automatically Teleports instead of making a
normal Dodge roll. The Slam is not resolved.
Immediately move the Teleporting player to a
new hex as described above. The Slam action is
ended as soon as the Teleport move is
complete, though the Coach of the Slamming
Player may then continue with the rest of his
Rush if he has remaining actions to perform.
Note that if a player has both the Teleport and
360 Vision abilities then this second function
does not work. If a Player has no rear arc they
cannot be Slammed in it! Also note that you
cannot commit a Sucker Punch foul against a
player with the Teleport ability.
Toxic (Guard or Jack)
When a Player with this ability doubles a Slam,
their opponent makes the resulting Armour
check as normal. If any damage is not saved by
the Armour then Toxic adds +1 to the final total
suffered.
For example, if a Player loses a Slam with only 2
successes to 5, then they have been doubled
and must make an Armour check to reduce the
potential 3 damage. If they roll 2 successes they
would normally take just a single point of
damage. However, if the Slam was by a Player
with Toxic they would suffer +1 damage for a
total of 2 as the Armour has not stopped it all. If
they had rolled 3 successes on their Armour
pg. 54
check then the Toxic effect would not apply and
they would suffer no damage.
Transform (Robot/any Player)
The robot has been designed to modify its
appearance and refocus its energies to best suit
the task at hand.
During the game Players with this ability change
their role by using the Transform action below.
Once they have changed to another role they
remain in that role until they perform another
successful Transform. A single Player can
change as many times as they like during a
match.
During a game a Player with the Transform
ability is counted as being the role they are
currently in for purposes of all game rules. For
example, the Player may only use the actions
and abilities that are appropriate to the role he
is currently in. A Player that is currently a Guard
cannot Throw the ball, but he can Slam. If the
same Player in the same game later became a
Jack then he could also both Throw and Run
Interference. However, if he continued to
change and took on the role of a Striker then he
could no longer neither Slam nor Run
Interference, but he could still Throw the ball.
In a league, a Player with the Transform ability
earns and records experience just like any other
Player, based on whichever role he is in at that
moment. When it comes to making
advancement rolls, he may advance as though
he were any of the roles. This means that he
may end up with abilities that are exclusive to
several different Player roles. However, he can
only use the abilities that apply to the role he is
in at the time, and the options available to the
Player will change with his role.
When the Player with the Transform ability
wants to change role, make a test as defined
below. This is done as a normal test, but instead
of being on one of the usual game values it is
done on a fixed 4+ everyone.
Transform: 4+ test (1)
Playtest Packet 4.0
Transform fails: the Player has problems and
cannot change roles. This is probably temporary
and they may try again in a subsequent Action if
they wish.
Transform succeeds: The Player immediately
changes roles by one step: from Jack to Guard
or Striker, or back from Guard or Striker to Jack.
Transform doubles: The Player immediately
changes one step as above, and gains a free
Run, Throw, Transform or Slam action, if the
role would allow such (So no Throw for Guards,
no Slam for Strikers). If a Player is carrying the
ball when he Transforms into a Guard, and he
does not have the Keeper ability, then the ball
scatters immediately, ending the Rush.
Otherwise, a Player with the ball retains it
whilst they Transform.
A Player may Transform whilst they are on the
ground. This is an exception to the normal rule
that limits a Player on the ground to only Stand
Up actions.
Actions spent Transforming a Player to a new
role do not allow any other movement
(including turning). It is entirely used up in the
change of role.

pg. 55 Playtest Packet 4.0

Teams
Trontek 29ers

Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 8 x3
Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 10 x3
Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 x2
Captain (Jack) 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 - Lucky
Extras: 1 Coaching Die, 2 DreadBall cards

Greenmoon Smackers

Jack 5 5+ 3+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 9 x5
Guard 5 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 13 x3
Captain (Striker) 5 5+ 3+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 11 - A Safe Pair of Hands
Extras: 1 Coaching Dice, 1 DreadBall card

Skittersneak Stealers

Striker 7 4+ 3+ 3+ 5+ 5+ 11 x6
Guard 7 4+ 3+ 3+ 5+ 4+ 12 x2
Captain (Guard) 7 3+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 14 - Can't Feel a Thing
Extra: 1 DreadBall card

Midgard Delvers

Jack 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 9 x3 Stubborn
Striker 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 9 x2 Stubborn
Guard 4 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 13 x3 Stubborn
Captain (Striker) 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 11 - Stubborn, Grizzled
Extras: 1 Coaching Dice, 1 DreadBall card

pg. 56 Playtest Packet 4.0

Chromium Chargers

Jack 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 14 x6 Transform
Striker 5 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ - - Transform
Guard 5 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 4+ - - Transform
Captain (Guard) 5 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 3+ 12 - Steady, Keeper
Extras: 1 Coaching Dice, 1 Dreadball card

Pelgar Mystics

Striker 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 15 x6 Pacifist, Long Arms, Feint

Captain (Striker) 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 16 - Pacifist, Long Arms, Feint,
360 Vision
Extras: 1 DreadBall Card

Nemion Oceanics

Jack 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 9 x2 Tail
Striker 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 12 x4 Tail
Guard 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 12 x2 Tail
Captain (Jack) 5 4+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 12 - Toxic, Gotcha!
Extras: 1 DreadBall card

Rotatek Rockslides

Jack 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 9 x2 Steady
Striker 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 9 x2 Steady, Grizzled
Guard 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 12 x4 Steady
Captain (Guard) 4 3+ 5+ 5+ 6+ 4+ 13 - Driller, Can't Feel a Thing
Extras: 1 Coaching Dice, 1 DreadBall card

pg. 57 Playtest Packet 4.0

Bremlin Nebulas

Jack 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 11 x4 Shove, Backstab

Striker 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 14 x4 Jump
Captain (Guard) 6 4+ 4+ 3+ 5+ 4+ 15 - Shove, Backstab, Does
this Hurt?
Extras: None

Draconis All-Stars

Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 11 x2 Prognostic
Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 13 x3 Prognostic
Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 13 x3 Prognostic
Captain (Jack) 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ - Prognostic, Linked
Extras: None

Tenth Moon Tree-Sharks

Jack 6 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 x3 Duck and Weave

Striker 6 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 12 x4 Duck and Weave
Guard 6 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 12 x1 Duck and Weave
Captain (Striker) 6 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 14 - Duck and Weave, Backflip
Extras: 1 DreadBall card

Locust City Chiefs

Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 9 x5 Stretch, Can't Feel a Thing

Striker 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 11 x2 Can't Feel a Thing
Guard 5 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 17 x1 Steady, Can't Feel a Thing
Captain (Jack) 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 11 - Jump, Stretch, Can't Feel
a Thing
Extras: 1 DreadBall card, 1 Coaching Dice

pg. 58 Playtest Packet 4.0

Void Sirens

Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 8 x4 Running Interference

Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 10 x3
Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 x1
Captain (Jack) 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 11 - Even the Odds
Extras: 4 Coaching Dice

Shan-Meeg Starhawks

Jack 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 10 x3 Fragile, Taking a Dive

Striker 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 13 x4 Fragile
Guard 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 10 x1 Dirty Tricks
Captain (Jack) 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 12 - Stretch, Fragile, Taking a
Dive
Extras: Defensive Coach

Koeputki Kolossals

Jack 5 5+ 3+ 3+ 5+ 4+ 9 x10 It Wasn't Me, Runaround

Captain (Jack) 5 5+ 3+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 11 - It Wasn't Me, Runaround
Extras: 1 DreadBall card
Monkey Business: At the start of any of their own Rushes, this team's Coach rolls 1 dice.
On a roll of 1-3, gain that many Coaching dice for this Rush only (any unused are lost).
The team may never buy extra coaching dice, though may gain them through cheers.

The Unincorporated

Sorak Jack 5 4+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 10 x2 Safe Pair of Hands

Gaelian Jack 7 4+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 13 x2 Charge!
Ralarat Striker 6 5+ 4+ 4+ 3+ 5+ 15 x2 Jump, Slippery Customer
Rin Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 12 x2 Pummel
Captain (Jack) 6 5+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 12 - Stubborn, Quick Recovery
Extras: None

pg. 59 Playtest Packet 4.0

Wu-Ling Wanderers

Jack 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 11 x5 Spinner, Portal

Striker 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 11 x1 Spinner
Guard 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 12 x2 Spinner, Gotcha!
Captain (Jack) 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 13 - Spinner, Portal Master
Extras: 1 DreadBall Card

Sulentic Shards

Jack 4 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 10 x3 Harmonics
Guard 4 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 12 x5 Harmonics
Captain (Guard) 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 15 - Harmonics
Extras: 1 DreadBall Card

Rallion Roses

Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 9 x4 Stench
Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 11 x2 Stench
Guard 5 3+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 20 x1 Mighty,Brush Aside
Captain (Jack) 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 14 - Stench, Toxic, Backstab
Extras: 1 DreadBall Card, 2 Coaching Dice

Fran-Taar Philosophers

Jack 5 5+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 x8 Push
Captain (Jack) 6 5+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ 13 - Push, Grizzled
Extras: 2 DreadBall cards

pg. 60 Playtest Packet 4.0

Glambek Ghosts

Jack 5 4+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 12 x2 Phaser
Striker 5 4+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 15 x3 Phaser
Guard 5 4+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 15 x1 Phaser
Captain (Jack) 6 3+ 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 15 - Phaser, Rule of Law
Extras: 1 DreadBall Card, 1 Coaching Dice

Ukomo Avalanchers

Jack 5 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 9 x4 Teleport
Guard 5 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 14 x4 Teleport
Captain (Guard) 4 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 3+ 18 - Teleport, Keeper
Pile Driver
Extras: Defensive Coach

Matsudo Tectonics

Jack 5 2+ 5+ 6+ 4+ 4+ 15 x3 Steady, Honorable

Guard 5 2+ 5+ 6+ 4+ 4+ 18 x3 Shove, Honorable
Captain (Jack) 5 2+ 5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ 20 - Steady, Honorable
Extras: None

pg. 61 Playtest Packet 4.0