Welcome to the September edition of the Tournament Director Blog, where we keep you informed about what’s happening behind the scenes, showcase interesting tournament-related content, provide a preview of upcoming events, and, most importantly, share reports of recent tournaments. This month’s edition focuses mainly on the biggest event of the last four years: the World Cup V in Alicante.
As always, if you want to contribute any content to this blog (e.g. a report of a recent tournament you visited or ran), reach out! Contact info are available on our NAF staff site.
Content
- World Cup Special
1.1 Thanks to the Organizers
1.2 Results
1.3 World Cup Survey
1.4 Outlook World Cup 2027 - Release of New Vampire Team
- NAF Annual Review
- FUMBBL Eurobowl Trial
- New Tournament Series Coordinator
- Outlook
1. World Cup Special
1.1. Thanks to the Organizers
The fifth NAF World Cup is in the books, and what a success it was! Scores of Blood Bowl coaches made their journey to the Iberian peninsula, lots of them participating for the first time in a larger tournament, or even a tournament at all! Sitting in the huge hall on Friday morning, many participants were anxious. Would the software hold? It did. Would the chairs hold? Many of them did. The sheer mass of Bloodbowlness was overwhelming. More than 2200 coaches gathered, celebrating their common hobby. The overall spirit was fantastic and, despite the obvious competitive nature, dominated by the sheer joy of sharing this experience.
It is very hard to comprehend that all of this is due to the devotion and engagement of a few unpaid volunteers that willingly sacrificed a huge amount of their spare time (and arguably sanity), to make all of this happen, and I would like to again thank Ako, Ulvardar and their team, as well as all other people like refs and staff members for the incredible effort they have put in, and the fantastic results it produced. It was an amazing event that has set very high standards for future events. This is also very well reflected in the survey feedback we received.
If you missed out, or just want to dwell in memories, visit the World Cup section of the NAF Discord and check out the Photo-Sharing channel for lots of visual impressions. Many Blood Bowl podcast hosts (as listed on our site) were present at the World Cup and are reporting their experiences. Both Down and Three Die Block again came together for a whole World Cup Report series. And personal blog reports are popping up everywhere in various social media or e.g. on FUMBBL.
Below are a few impressions from Alicante.
The WC staff at the opening ceremony 
A hopeless attempt to capture the size 
Illegal sideline coaching. No ref in sight. 
Not part of the job description 
President Gaixo blessing block dice 
Average loot (courtesy of KidRichard) 
One of 180 squad matches per round 
NAF committee members 
Azes aced it
1.2 Results
For the longest time it looked like Cocoripow, chaining themselves to top table from round 4 on, might be bringing the cup home to France. The cup still went to France, but in the hands of Les Azes. Undefeated with 8 wins and one draw (a total of 17 points) they claimed the fifth World Cup for themselves! Four teams came in with 16 points, with Cocoripow and Predatori Atlantide coming in 2nd and 3rd due to tiebreakers.
I personally appreciate the fact that first place was not defined by tiebreakers. A quick math tells us that with 9 rounds, 9 wins will always lead to a clear winner with up to 512 participating squads. But nine straight wins, although strongly advisable, are obviously not an easy task.
All results are available on the World Cup site under Rounds and Ranking.
Here is a direct link to the PDF file with all squad results.
While the World Cup is a squad event, it is of course also interesting to see how the individual coaches performed. Unimpressed by the waves of Dark Elves and Skaven and the predicted death of Blood Bowl due to swarming masses of Underworld teams, the best performing individual coach with 17 points (8 wins and 1 draw) was Zedd with his Lizardmen, followed by multiple coaches with 16 points, of which Shirokov (Khorne) and Fonso (Undead) had the best tiebreakers.
These results are also available on the World Cup site under Rounds and Ranking, as well as a direct link to the PDF file with all individual results.
The organizers are still working on putting together all match results for upload to the NAF database. Reconstructing the matches performed by replacement coaches or last-minute fill-ins requires extra time. Also, I was told there were unexpectedly many vowels in coach names, which always results in performance issues, as anybody only slightly familiar with databases will confirm.
Once the results are finalized, I’d like to make them available on the NAF site, together with the final standings of the previous World Cups. Stay tuned for more info.
1.3 World Cup Survey
Shortly after the end of World Cup, a survey designed and setup with great help from Volkajo went out to all 2230 participants. More than 1100 of them completed all questions. I am not a market research analyst, but I know a fantastic response rate when I see one – which by itself speaks for the success of the event.
This was also reflected in the arguably most important question, how much the coaches enjoyed the event. 90% rated it 8 or higher, with more than a third of the coaches giving it a straight 10!
Given the large number of participants, it might not come unexpected that this was the first World Cup for the majority of attendants.
Volkajo: Everybody who has been there know what I’m talking about when I say, it was an absolute blast, which is backed up by these numbers. The organizing team around Ako and Ulva did an outstanding job setting this up for all of us. I don’t want to know about the hours and energy they have invested, because that would just make me sad, but this was brilliant work – especially and we should always remind ourselves – nobody gets paid for this, it’s all dedication to the community. Which brings me to the second part of the analysis, which we did not cover in the survey: the community. The atmosphere was open, friendly and it was just a giant party. I have played tournaments in Spain before and it feels like the local community deserves some extra credit. It almost felt like all the coaches agreed on welcoming the Blood Bowl world in the best way possible. Everybody tried to be helpful, speak English and just be nice hosts. It also felt like everybody “behaved”. Hardly anybody got stupid wasted and I did not encounter a lot of arguments. Well done, organizers. Well done, community!
The gift pack was a great success. Overall, people were quite happy with the transport situation and the bussing services, and the majority believes that this is an essential part of the tournament organization. Asked for possible improvements, tables and chairs came up on top – besides food, which was covered a lot in the free text section and further related questions. As some people have put it, when the only thing people are complaining about is the food, it speaks for the success of the whole endeavor. But how to feed 2200 people in an hour or two will surely be a question the next organizers will have to ask themselves repeatedly.
Volkajo: While a lot of people who went for “other” talked about food (which we were covering later) , comfort and security was an issue for our coaches. It looks like our demographic is at an age where we prefer things secure and neat, rather than cheap and improvised. While the answers in other questions suggested that attendees prefer the “full package”, i.e. transportation, swag, lunch for a tournament, one of our later questions also (at least in my interpretation) shows that people would be okay paying a little bit more for extra comfort. Obviously this can’t be generalized since every tournament has their own style, local pricing etc. but it feels like – even though we always prefer the cheap option – a few things could be improved by adding more budget and professionalization. A tough balance and this is always an ongoing discussion, because on the other hand we want to be as open and inclusive as possible.
Entering results correctly and producing the next match-ups in the quickest time possible is and will always be one of the major challenges of large tournaments. Also here the feedback is very positive, people had few issues.
The free-form text boxes resulted in a lot of responses that focused on the long queues for food and the perceived poor quality and portion size of tortilla and paella. The ham sandwiches came away better, but this might be because they were cut lovingly by the main organizer himself.
Volkajo: The food situation was a bit of a let down at an otherwise great event. The organizers hired a caterer who obviously underestimated the situation and efficiency suffered as well as quality as a result. People appreciated the option of food stalls being there, while quality and prices seemed to vary quite a lot. The boring option of “sandwich, piece of fruit, cake/snack” still seems like the most efficient way of feeding a lot of Blood Bowl coaches in a small window. There are great tournaments out there which focus on food, but it seems like at this scale the level of quality we all enjoy is impossible to achieve.
On the other hand, people were happy about the serving speed and availability of beverages and the beer prices.
For non-food aspects, difficulties with understanding the announcements was the most brought up comment, as well as lack of communication regarding the bus transport system and early bus schedules. The requirement for better online communication was also mentioned.
In general, there was a desire for more information, throughout the event and during the award ceremony.
Volkajo: Going through the specifics in the free text fields, professionalization was mentioned a lot in one way or the other. Better speakers, better use of the screens for standings, better notifications from the website, just to name a few. While there are multiple initiatives to build the perfect tournament software out there (including the team at this world cup, who has done a great job), nothing has actually 100% succeeded, but it feels like this is something the NAF could maybe at least piece together with all the talent and effort already present in the community. This could help future tournament organizers with time-keeping and communications – and both are crucial for an event of this magnitude.
Overall, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. While there were areas for improvement, especially concerning food and certain logistical aspects, the NAF World Cup was largely viewed as a success. Many attendees expressed a desire to return for future tournaments and shared their love for Blood Bowl and the community. The organizers received heartfelt thanks for their efforts, and many attendees looked forward to the next World Cup.
Despite the challenges faced, the event was a huge success in the eyes of most attendees, who cherished the experience and felt it added significantly to the Blood Bowl community and history.
Volkajo: As a summary I think it is fair to say that this World Cup was a massive success. A lot of the things that could have been better were things the organizers had no direct control over. The Alicante event set new standards in event size and fun being had for sure, while also illustrating what we should consider moving forward.
You can see the all the results of the survey on this website. If you would like more information or are interested in performing similar surveys yourself, reach out to volkajo@gmail.com.
1.4 Outlook World Cup 2027
We are still in the process of digesting Alicante, but of course the hype that came with it is ongoing, and many are wondering where the next World Cup will take place. If the trend continues, we can expect an even bigger event – with all the caveats that come with it. A giant pizza, crêpe or bratwurst to feed all attendees might be out of the picture then.
Given the potential size and the planning time required for such an event, we want to open the submission for the next bids rather early, possibly at the beginning of 2024. The tentative time line is a deadline in summer, followed by Q&As and the voting, both concluded around September. That would give the winning entry three years time for planning.
2. Report: Release of New Vampire Team
It’s been a year since the last release of an updated legacy team, and while many were expecting Chaos Dwarves or Tomb Kings to be next, it is the Vampires that received a complete overhaul. The team now features positionals such as Blitzers, Throwers and Runners, and a Big Guy, which is ready to tear your heart out with Bloodlust and Loner. The new Spike also introduces old and new star players such as beloved Count Luthor von Drakenborg, Ivan “Animal” Deathshroud, and newcomer Captain Karina von Riesz, all available to Sylvanian Spotlight races.
The times of vampire nobles giving in to Animal Savagery are finally over, as Bloodlust makes a glorious return, with a reinterpretation of the old rule. It is still a possible turnover, but no vampires are running off the pitch to feast on willing maidens in the crowd. Some questions remains regarding its interaction with skills such as Wrestle, Foul Appearance or Jump Up, as evidenced by a very intense discussion in the NAF Discord rules-chat channel. These will hopefully be clarified in upcoming FAQ issues.
This is also a good time to remind everybody of the official NAF approval process whenever Games Workshop releases an updated roster. As soon as the new team is published (and we are not talking about shaky webcam images circulating on Facebook), tournament organizers have the option to allow either the old or new roster for the remainder of the year. Which roster participants have to use should be clearly stated in the the tournament rules. After the NAF review at the end of the year, only the new roster will be allowed.
3. Report: NAF Annual Review
It’s this special time of the year again. The days are getting shorter (or longer, depending on your hemisphere – I am just trying to set a mood), Christmas themed Blood Bowl tournaments are being already announced, when it hasn’t been even Halloween yet. And the NAF Annual Review is upon us.
Each year around this time we are inviting all Coordinators and other NAF staff to participate in an open discussion about tournaments, approval guidelines and any other NAF related businesses. The outcome is then discussed in the NAF committee and will influence next year’s guidelines, or any other possible changes. This happens in an old-school forum, which lacks lots of shiny features, but ensures that one can actually find things again.
One of last year’s big topics was the influence of Star Players, which resulted in changes to the Sanctioning guidelines that gave organizers more options to mitigate their impact. The results of the previous reviews are published on the NAF Annual Review site.
If there are any items you would like to be discussed, get in touch with your local representative and ask them to forward your input.
4. Report: FUMBBL Eurobowl Trial
After the World Cup is before the World Cup. And before the Eurobowl – the second largest event series in the Blood Bowl tournament scene. Malta’s 2022 Eurobowl was a great success with more than 420 coaches combined between the Eurobowl and Europen tournaments. The 2024 edition will be held in Greece, likely in Athens at the beginning of October, and we expect even more participants from all over the world.
The organizers decided to step a bit away from the previous Eurobowl and similar World Cup rulesets and take an approach that puts the the squad element more into the foreground. While the exact details are not fixed yet, the current ruleset version is now being playtested in various tournaments, including the ongoing Fumbbl NAF event, with 288 coaches participating in squads of four.
Expect more info and a website showing up in the coming weeks and months. Until then, you can already join the Eurobowl Discord server and share your thoughts on tiers and Greek food and drinks.
5. New NAF Tournament Series Coordinator
At the beginning of 2023, we resurrected the dormant NAF Tournament Series program with updated guidelines, and a whopping 30 series are now ongoing all over the world. You can find them listed in the respective section of the NAF forum. While the anticipation builds for the debut of the winners’ badges, rest assured that they’re in the final stages of design and are set to be unveiled at the start of 2024.
On the organizational front, I am pleased to announce that Topas has stepped up as the Tournament Series Coordinator. Wearing this hat means he’ll be overseeing the tournament’s proceedings, acting as a primary contact for series organizers, managing the distribution of awards, and keeping our guidelines up to date in sync with the tournament director. So if you’re part of the series and need insights or guidance, or if you just like to chat to somebody friendly, reach out to Topas. Like many staff members, he is available at nafname@thenaf.net. Where you have to replace nafname with Topas. But I know you knew that.
6. Outlook
Coaches returning from Alicante surely displayed a wide spectrum of emotions. Some might have sworn to never touch dice again. A lot can’t wait to attend another tournament. The latter will be pleased to hear that there are a total of 90 tournaments awaiting them in October, a 50% uptick from September! Events are held in 22 different countries, including the new Blood Bowl hotspot Andorra – a nation, little known to many, with one of the highest percentages of Blood Bowl coaches world-wide.
Clearly, summer is over, and we are now looking into the short but sweet season of Halloween themed tournaments, with many spooky and pumpkin related names. And the odd Pouring Rain Open, which makes me not want to spend my annual leave in Norway in October. I am slightly surprised by the complete lack of previously abundant Oktoberfest associations. Filth-tober Fest in the UK comes to mind, but that is quite the stretch, and Loynster will not be granted pun status.
Coming month will also witness Canada’s famous Major, the Spike! Magazine, and another iteration of Flyingdingle’s Underworld Cup in the ghettos of Detroit. The Baden Basho in Southern Germany is happening for the 18th time. Hard to imagine that babies conceived when it was held the first time are now allowed to drink, drive and vote (not simultaneously, and obviously also not in all countries).