Welcome to the November edition of the Tournament Director Blog! Here, we delve into behind-the-scenes updates, share intriguing NAF and tournament-related insights, highlight upcoming events, and, most importantly, recap the excitement of recent tournaments.
In this month’s edition, we cover Slowenian Dragon Bowl, Chaos Cup, and Samhain Showdown in the UK. Also, we are continuing our section featuring thoughts and suggestions from the Ethics Board.
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
- NAF Chatter
1.1 Bids for World Cup 2027
1.2 Membership Growth – NAF 40K
1.3 BBTournaments.es - Ethics Board Spotlight: Timekeeping
- Report: Dragon Bowl (by RedDragon)
- Report: Chaos Cup (by Kilowoggy)
- Report: Samhain Showdown (by Thulean)
- Outlook
1. NAF Chatter
1.1. Bids for World Cup 2027
As the December 15th deadline for World Cup 2027 bid submissions approaches, we are finalizing the composition of the Selection Committee. This committee, comprising 100 members, will evaluate and vote on the submitted bids to determine the next World Cup host. To ensure fair representation across our diverse global community, seats have been allocated using a system of degressive proportionality. This approach grants larger communities more seats while providing smaller communities with proportionally higher representation per capita, ensuring inclusivity and balance.
The number of representatives is as follows:
United Kingdom: 11
United States of America: 10
Spain: 9
France: 6
Germany: 5
Italy: 4
Canada: 4
Australia: 4
Sweden: 3
Poland: 3
Denmark: 3
Finland: 3
New Zealand: 3
Belgium: 3
Netherlands: 2
Ireland: 2
Hungary: 2
Austria: 2
Norway: 2
Portugal: 2
Czech Republic: 2
Mexico: 2
Switzerland: 2
Greece: 2
Chile: 2
Colombia: 2
Malta: 2
Uruguay: 1
South Africa: 1
Bulgaria: 1
The voting process will employ ranked-choice voting, a method that captures a broad consensus by allowing each representative to rank all applications in order of preference. The system is designed to be secure and anonymous; while we can verify who has participated in the vote, individual choices remain confidential, maintaining the integrity and privacy of the process.
All National Coordinators have been asked to submit their nominations for committee representatives by December 1st. Nominees should be proficient in English, committed to thoroughly reviewing all bid documents, and capable of engaging in discussions within the dedicated forum. Experience in international tournaments and participation in (or even organization of) large events is a big plus.
For more detailed information on the World Cup bid process visit the NAF World Cup VI Bids page.
1.2 Membership Growth – NAF 40K
This week marks a remarkable milestone: NAF ID 40,000 has officially been surpassed! While the actual number of currently registered members is lower, with around 32,000 (as duplicate and orphan entries are routinely removed), this achievement is a testament to the enduring popularity of Blood Bowl and the community that supports it.
When the first members signed up back in 2002, reaching such heights likely seemed like a distant dream. Membership growth, initially steady and linear, has since transitioned into textbook exponential expansion. In 2024 alone, we are on track to welcome more than 3,100 new members!
If this growth continues, we can look forward to hitting some exciting future milestones. At our current pace, the 50,000th registered member could be added as early as 2029. By 2031, we might double our current membership, and by 2036, we could even break the 100,000-member mark!
By then, it might be time for the NAF to declare independence from the global nation-state system and establish its own sovereign territory and headquarters, e.g. on a decommissioned drill platform in the Atlantic.
1.3 BBTournaments.es
In our last issue, I introduced the web-based Blood Bowl Team Manager (BBTM), originally programmed by seanh1986 for the 2024 Amorical Cup. Here, I would like to highlight another tournament software, bbtournaments.es.
Developed by Eu4rico from the Spanish Blood Bowl community, bbtournaments.es is a web-based application designed to streamline tournament organization. The platform allows you to create tournaments, manage participant registrations, move players to reserve lists, track payments, and verify submitted rosters. Players can register and upload their rosters directly, with a built-in roster builder and a comment section for added interactivity.
bbtournaments.es also offers export functionality to Score! and generation of XML files for upload to the NAF, making it a versatile option for tournament directors. Similar in functionality to BBTM, this app is currently free to use.
I have updated our list of tournament software accordingly.
2. Ethics Board Spotlight: Timekeeping
This is the third installment of a recurring section where the Board of Ethics addresses frequently asked topics and, in coordination with the NAF Committee, offers suggestions to coaches and organizers on various matters.
One of the worst feelings in tournaments is having a match end by running out of time. There is always the question of what would have happened, and we get frustrated because our opponent has been very slow or there was not enough time to play the round. In this segment, we will try to give practical advice to organizers and players to avoid these uncomfortable situations – and we will touch upon one of the evils that is unfortunately seen most frequently: intentional waste of time to affect the match result.
As an organizer, time management is one of the biggest headaches and causes a lot of frustration among players. To help avoid this, we recommend:
- Announce the schedule in advance. Make sure players are aware of it and notify them of any changes immediately.
- Keep players informed of the remaining time of the round through screens or by voice or, ideally, both. Let them know there is one hour left, 30 minutes left and so on.
- Inform the players of how you are going to handle the end of rounds (will you allow TD options or not, will you close matches table by table, etc.), and be consistent in their application. Do not modify this criteria on the fly in the middle of a tournament. Again, be consistent.
- If a particular round (right before lunch or the last one of the day) is going to be more flexible about time, remind all coaches before that round begins.
As for the players, the main objective in the application of any time rule should be to finish the game. Having both coaches each play all of their 16 regulation turns should be the ultimate goal, not manipulating the time rules to affect the match result. Therefore, use of the time rule should be flexible in order to finish the game while maintaining cordiality and sportsmanship.
An example of this would be if Coach A has consumed his allotted time while Coach B still has 20 minutes left and two turns left to play. The reasonable thing for Coach B to do is lend part of their time to Coach A so that both coaches get 16 turns. No attempt should be made to penalize the slower player unnecessarily.
- The use of a chess clock from the start of the match is strongly and generally recommended. There are mobile applications, or you can buy a specific one.
- The best option is to subtract 5 minutes from the total time and distribute the remaining time equally between the two players. If the round lasts 2:15, 65 minutes are allocated per player and 5 minutes are left for unforeseen events (like rules discussions, bathroom breaks while setting up).
- It is suggested to not use a clock only for the second half as this inevitably gives one player an advantage because they likely got more time in the first half. Use a clock for the entire match.
- A sometimes applied rule of 4 minutes per turn produces unnecessary stress and does not adapt to the true needs of the game. The first turns are usually automatic, and on other occasions turns with just one roll will end suddenly, while other more complex turns may take more than 4 minutes to finish.
- If Coach B has to make decisions while Coach A is playing their turn (e.g. use of Sidestep, Stand Firm, apothecary) Coach A may hit the clock for the time of the decision, but it is suggested to not do this if these steps take less than five seconds.
Finally, and above all, using the time rules deliberately to achieve a result is cheating and in direct violation of the NAF Code of Conduct. Delaying decision-making (milking the clock) to prevent both players from playing their full 16 turns shows a lack of respect for the opponent, the organizer, the game, and the cheater themselves. This sort of cheating betrays both our competitive spirit and the social event that a Blood Bowl match is meant to be. Some players travel across countries, even around the world, and invest their hard-earned money and time to attend Blood Bowl tournaments. Robbing them of the satisfaction of a complete and honorably fought match is extremely selfish. Do not waste your time or theirs, just play the game!
3. Report: Dragon Bowl (by RedDragon)
This year’s Dragon Bowl (formerly Aemona Bowl, not to be mistaken with the French namesake) was held in Ljubljana, the charming capital of Slovenia. With 28 coaches, it surpassed all our expectations and turned out to be the biggest Blood Bowl tournament in Slovenia to date, almost surpassing 40K events in the country. Of course, this would not have been possible without a strong showing from our wonderful neighbours from Austria, Croatia, but especially Hungary with 13 Coaches!
We played 5 hard-fought rounds over 2 days and in the end, victory belonged to Csaba aka nottobe from Hungary! 2nd place was taken by Denis aka iLLegeL from Slovenia. 3rd went to Zaki (aka Zaki), making it a father and son podium!
Too many words make your head hurt? Check out the video recap below!
4. Report: Chaos Cup (by Kilowoggy)
Chaos Cup 2024 took place November 8-10 in Orlando, Florida. This was the second time the event has been held in Florida, and it was even more amazing than the first. In addition to the United States Major, it also hosted a Sevens event on Friday and a Gutterbowl event on Sunday, giving attendees a packed weekend of fun and competition.
If there’s one thing Chaos Cup is known for, it’s going all out to put on a great event (or three). This year’s Norse theme brought with it a couple of unique star players, along with a custom battle axe trophy for the winner from Black Orc Down. New for this year were trophies for the best performance by each race. All races were represented except for Nurgle—ironically, their coach fell ill and couldn’t make it. True to theme, they were still awarded their trophy for staying in character.
The championship this year was hotly contested and made history with its first-ever Canadian winner. Stephen aka Drakenspear coached Elven Union to a stellar 5-win, 1-draw result, edging out the competition. His win marks a big moment for Canadian coaches, coming on the heels of fellow American Delevus stealing the Spike! Championship. North America’s Blood Bowl scene keeps leveling up, especially after Team America’s impressive second-place finish at Eurobowl.
Huge thanks go to James Luft and all the volunteers for putting on another amazing event. Beyond the games, the annual charity auction raised over $7,000 for Nemours Children’s Health of Orlando, a fantastic cause that added to the weekend’s spirit.
A great time was had by everyone, with plenty of first-timers joining the fun and all of us old-timers catching up as well. There’s no better yearly event in North America, and next year is sure to be even better. Mark your calendars for November 8-9, 2025, and make plans now!
All photos ruthlessly stolen from the Chaos Cup Discord server.
5. Report: Samhain Showdown (by Thulean)
The famous ‘Steel City’ of Sheffield played host to its first (at least as long as I’ve been playing) 2-day Blood Bowl tournament on the 2nd and 3rd of November, the Samhain Showdown. I have run a few single day events in Sheffield to this point, so I thought it time to raise the stakes!
Sheffield is famous not only for its industrial history, but it’s more modern music (home of Pulp, Def Leppard, and The Arctic Monkeys), excellent food, and buzzing nightlife. I do hope this wonderful city will continue to grow into a hotbed of Blood Bowl activity – a centrepoint for all the major surrounding cities and their coaches to come and test their mettle.
26 coaches gathered to form an immensely strong field – probably the most ‘bang for your buck’ in terms of NAF rating density you’re likely to get in the UK! It was really lovely, however, to see a crop of new coaches attend the tournament. Undeterred by the challenges that lay ahead of them each and every one of them took each game in their stride and came away from game 6 having a wealth of new knowledge at their disposal.
The Outpost gaming store, decorated in all its harvest finery, waved goodbye to its gaming hall as it moved on to pastures new; bigger and better things are coming! Players took their seats as they embarked on a journey of what was almost certain to be 6 very tough games of Blood Bowl.
At the end of it all we crowned a champion. A champion who had been waiting a long time to claim their first NAF trophy. To do it in such a stacked field is a real feat of strength; congratulations MisspelledTree!
Despite having to fill in for a dropout and play, I had a great time running this event. When you have such an experienced field it’s rare that any issues arise that can’t be fixed quickly and quietly, so I’d like to extend a big ‘thank you’ to all who attended – you made this weekend the success it was. I hope to make this tournament a staple event every year and I really hope that good folks such as yourselves keep turning up and making it great.
Until next year!
6. Outlook
December tournament numbers tend to dip slightly due to the holidays, but we still have 81 events to look forward to across 21 different countries!
Belgium celebrates the 20th iteration of Brassbowl, while Uruguay continues its tournament streak with Stardraft in Montevideo. A new theme seems to be emerging this season. For the longest time, Santa Claws has dominated the month, but another Christmas anti-hero is now rising in popularity. Krampusbowl in Vienna, along with two similarly named events in Spain and the United States, and a third one in Australia, highlight this trend. Of course, many more Christmas, Santa, and Jingle-themed events are also on the calendar.
As for me, I’ll be attending Germany’s Winter OWL Bowl.
On another note, we’re all eagerly awaiting the official GW November FAQ and Errata update and the changes it might bring!