From Erik Arneson,
Your Guide to Board / Card Games.
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For 2 players

Overview

A football game for two players played on a checkerboard.

Each player has three pieces to represent his team. There is a ball. A goal is scored when a team successfully lands a piece carrying the ball in its opponent's end zone. The game ends when one team has successfully scored five goals.

Each turn, pieces of the team with the ball -- the offensive team -- can either move or pass the ball. The defensive team's pieces can only move in an attempt to take possession of the ball. If the defensive team takes the ball, it becomes the offensive team.

Moves and passes are declared in secret and then simultaneously revealed. Pieces move simultaneously.

Equipment

• The playing field ­-- a checkerboard.
• Team 1 --­ three poker chips, one red, one white, and one blue.
• Team 2 --­ three poker chips, red/white/blue, but marked to distinguish them from Team 1. I blacked out the center of these chips with a permanent ink pen.
• The Ball --­ a game piece that sits well on a poker chip. I used a tortellini noodle (dry).
• Movement Markers --­ Each player gets a set of movement markers which consists of a red, a white, and a blue chip. Each chip is marked with an arrow across its middle on one side, and the letter "P" on the other. Marking the chips is easily accomplished using a permanent ink marker.
• Screens --­ Each player gets a screen behind which he can place his movement markers out of sight of the other player. I used macaroni and chess boxes.

Setting Up

To begin the game, the players flip a coin to determine who starts with the ball in the first round. The player with the ball controls the offensive team.

A round begins with the offensive player placing a piece on the board in a square on the row closest to him (home row). The ball is placed on this piece. The defensive player then places a piece on his home row. Players take turns placing pieces on their home rows until all six pieces are placed.

Turn

A turn consists of two phases: 1) Planning, and 2) Movement. Turns are repeated until a goal is scored.

Planning

Behind their screens, both players place their movement markers to indicate what their pieces will do during the movement phase. A player's red marker indicates the action of his red piece. Ditto for the blue and white markers.

A piece can move into any adjacent square, horizontally, vertically or on the diagonal. If a player intends to move a chip, he indicates this by placing that chip's marker, arrow side up, with the arrow indicating which direction the chip will move in.

The offensive team player may choose to pass the ball. Passes can only be made between pieces aligned on a direct horizontal, vertical or diagonal line. A pass is indicated by placing the movement markers for the passing and receiving pieces "P" side up.

All pieces not involved in a pass must move.

Movement

After both players are done planning, the screens are removed to reveal the movement markers. All pieces then perform the action indicated by their individual markers.

Moving pieces move one square in the direction indicated. Passing pieces remain where they are and attempt to pass the ball between them. The pass is successful if there are no defensive team pieces on the line of squares between the passer and the receiver. Multiple pieces can be on the same square.

Movement off the board is not permitted.

Turnovers

A turnover occurs when:

• A defensive team piece lands on the same square as that of the piece carrying the ball. The ball is transferred to the defensive player's piece.
• A defensive team piece is on the line of squares between the offensive team's passer and receiver. The ball is intercepted and is placed on the defensive piece. If multiple defensive pieces are on the line of a pass, then the ball is placed on the defensive piece closest to the receiver.

When a turnover occurs, the defensive team becomes the offensive team and visa versa.

Goal

A goal is scored if a player succeeds in ending a turn with a piece carrying the ball in his opponent's end zone (home row). The goal scoring player gives the ball to his opponent, all pieces are cleared, and a new round begins.

Winning

The game is won by the first player who scores five goals.

Tortellini Football is © 2003 Tom Ono.