Clarifications

 

THESE CLARIFICATIONS ARE FOR BLOOD BOWL 2016 AND BEFORE.  GW NOW PUBLISH THEIR OWN ERRATA AND DESIGNER COMMENTARY ON BLOODBOWL.COM.

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There are various parts of the Blood Bowl rules that coaches both old and new find confusing sometimes; hopefully this page will help!

The various rules clarifications listed here have been collected over a number of years and rules-lawyersruled upon by the best sources of information available at that time. They are correct to the very best of our knowledge, however when the rules are revised or clarified by GW as BB2016 is released, the clarifications may change. It is not our intent to make ‘rulings’, this is merely a helpful collection of clarifications intended to help guide coaches through sticky in-game situations.

The clarifications list was initially based upon the FAQ from the old Specialist Games forum, copied over to TFF by Slup (previous NAF webmaster). It was then updated for CRP, brought here and tidied up a bit and made into the form of clarifications rather than an FAQ. During the rules implementation on FUMBBL there were also various questions and rules interactions that required clearing up, they have been incorporated here also.  This page was originally pulled together for CRP by sann0638, but has since been updated as GW have provided clarifications for BB2016.

Note that BB2016 inducements, sideline staff, stadia, etc. are not yet covered.

Inducements Throw-In Tentacles/Shadowing Range Ruler
Team Re-rolls Bribes/Argue the Call Apothecary Actions
Unclear Situations Throw Team-Mate Base Size Stunty
Diving Tackle Diving Catch Ball and Chain Really Stupid
Pass Block Stunned Players Break Tackle Kick-Off
Blood Lust/Gaze Chainsaw Regeneration Journeymen
SPPs Prehensile Tail Dump Off Leaving a Square

If you want to house rule any of these you are free to do so, but these clarifications are designed to help clear provide clear guidelines; for example in NAF tournaments where speed of play is important.


Inducements

The inducement process is best understood via an example. A 1,340,000 TV Human team (the overdog) is playing a 1,200,000 TV Orc team (the underdog). The difference in TV is 140 k.

  • If neither team spends any money, the Orcs get 140 k in inducements.
  • If the Orcs spend money, they get no benefit unless they spend 150 k or more.  If they do this, they become the overdog, and the Humans get the amount they have spent, minus 140 k.
  • If the Human team decides to spend money in order to get inducements, for example 100 k to get an extra Apothecary, the Orc team then gets 240 k in inducements.  Then if the Orc team spends up to 240 k this has NO EFFECT. If the Orc team spend e.g. 300 k, then it gets 300 k in inducements, and the Human team gets 60 k in inducements (300 k – 240 k).
  • In summary, the “free” inducement money that each team gets is equal to the difference in TV after each team has decided how much money to spend.  The overdog chooses first.


The Throw-in Template

The rulebook is actually very clear on this. Place the template with the ball picture on the last square the ball was in on the field and count 2D6 squares. Count the ball picture as the first square.  The only problem corner templateis what happens if the ball bounces diagonally off from the very corner.  This is not covered in the rulebook, so you have a few “house rule” choices:

  1. Always play it that it counts as going off the sideline rather than the back line.
  2. Use the template to the right (French, originally, thanks to ssb).
  3. Use a similar template but with a D8 and the choices or 1-2, 3-6 and 7-8.


Tentacles/Shadowing

The roll for these are very similar, but based on Strength or Movement. Assuming that the player with the skill is stronger/faster. You simply roll 2D6 to escape, and subtract the difference in the characteristic. For Tentacles, the result needs to be 6 or more to escape, for shadowing, the result needs to be 8 or more to escape.  Tentacles happens before the Dodge roll, and Shadowing after the Dodge roll, so Shadowing has an interesting interaction with Diving Tackle.

Also on Tentacles, if a player fails a Tentacles roll their action ends immediately, so the player may not pass, foul, blitz, hypnotic gaze, bite etc.

 

throwing

Using the Range Ruler

An accurate to BB2016 passing template is included to the right. Please note that the ranges have changed slightly between CRP and BB2016, and you may own a pitch or another tool with an old, CRP range chart on it.

The best way to work out whether a player is eligible for an interception is to use the range ruler/passing template. The correct interception eligibility can only be measured by using the BB2016 template on the BB2016 pitch. It has been noted that commonly used interception apps are not all accurate, and caution is advised when using these tools.

 

Using a Team Re-roll

More scenarios to be added!

Scenario Can you use a Team re-roll? Reason
Wizard roll No Re-rolls have to be used by players on the pitch
Catching a kick-off No It is between turns
Armour rolls No No re-roll on armour
During a Blitz Kick-Off Result Yes It is an extra team turn

Bribes/Argue the Call

  • You can use as many Bribes as you want on the same sending off, so if the first one fails you may immediately use another.
  • When using a Bribe to avoid a Secret Weapon sending off, you roll for a Bribe BEFORE you roll for a KO. The Bribe is at the end of a drive and the KO is at the beginning of the next one, technically.
  • You can only be sent off once per foul, so if the Armour and Injury roll are both doubles, that is only one sending off, so only one Bribe is required.  This is because of the and/or in the Foul Action description.
  • Following a sending off, you may choose in which order you Argue the Call or use a Bribe, and if one fails, you may use the other!
  • If a sending off is successfully argued via Argue the Call, the player is sent to the reserves box instead of sent off, but there is a turnover.
  • If a Secret Weapon is sent off following a foul, a successful Argue the Call places the player in the reserves box. This does not protect the player from being sent off again at the end of the drive; following a touchdown or at the end of a half, the player is sent off again as normal because he participated in the drive.

Apothecary (Apo)

  • You have to use the Apo before any Regeneration roll.
  • Teams with players that start with Decay cannot have an Apothecary, so there is no interaction.
  • In a resurrection tournament, the Apothecary works the same way, but as you only care if it is Badly Hurt or worse than that, the use can be simplified slightly.  You roll for the injury.  If this is a Badly Hurt, you can use the Apo to place the player in reserves. If the injury is worse than Badly Hurt, you can use the Apo to re-roll it, and if the second is Badly Hurt then the player is placed in reserves.  If neither roll is Badly Hurt the player is out for the game.

Actions

  • You must declare your action before doing something with that player. In tournaments, you may usually declare an action as long as you have not rolled any dice. This also goes for taking moves back.
  • You may declare a Blitz and then not block as part of the Blitz. This is useful for moving Wild Animals.
  • You may only declare a Block if there is an adjacent standing player.  This one has not been fully clarified but if you want a ruling go with this one.  Once you have declared a Block and rolled any associated dice (Jump Up, Wild Animal) you have a choice about whether to actually do the Block.


Unclear Situations

If a situation comes up that is not explicitly covered in the rules, it is up to you to decide how to deal with it. For example:

  • If there are 12 players on the pitch, you can remove one randomly, choose one to remove, or restart the drive/game. You decide!
  • If the ball is in the corner and goes off the pitch in the corner, you decide how to use the throw-in template (hint: it’s random, so it doesn’t matter!)
  • If there are two possible interpretations of a rule and you want to speed up play, simply roll a dice in game to decide which one is correct then check later.  Remember it’s only a game!

Throw Team-Mate (TTM)

This is a combination of the skills “Throw Team-Mate” and “Right Stuff”.  The process for throwing a Team-Mate is as follows, and is illustrated to the right – click to make bigger:

  1. Declare the Pass Action.  Note that you cannot Pass the ball and TTM in the same turn, and if you fail Bonehead/Really Stupid you lose your Pass Action.
  2. Roll Bonehead/RS/Take Root.
  3. Move next to a player with Right Stuff
  4. Declare where you will throw to. This can be 6 squares forward and 3 to the side for a Short Pass. You may throw directly at a player.
  5. Roll for Always Hungry if using a Troll.
  6. Roll not to fumble. For a Quick Pass or Short Pass with Strong Arm/Accurate this is 2+, for a Short Pass it is 3+.  Disturbing Presence, Very Sunny and tackle zones make these rolls harder.
  7. If you fumble, roll to land.
  8. If you do not fumble, scatter the landing square 3 times. TTM cannot be accurate.  If any of the scatter takes you off the pitch, you are thrown off the pitch.
  9. If you land in an empty square, make a landing roll.
  10. If you land on a player, that player is Knocked Down, and the thrown player is scattered once and then Place Prone and must roll for armour/injury, but this is not a turnover unless the player that was landed on was on your own side (or the thrown player was holding the ball)!  If you land on a second player, he is not affected, continue scattering until you hit an empty square.

NB Agility is not mentioned at all in the above!  It is irrelevant to Throwing a Team-Mate, unless you are the player being thrown, of course…

 

Base Size

Base size has been irrelevant to game play since the 3rd edition.  Often the S5 players with Loner come on 40 mm bases, but as the standard squares of the CRP edition and earlier (still used by many coaches) are 28 mm, lots of coaches use 30 mm or 25 mm bases for these players too.  Alternatively, some leagues (notably Thunderbowl in Canada) use 40 mm squares for their pitches.  BB2016 has 34 mm squares, but base size remains irrelevant.!

Stunty

If for some strange reason you end up with a player that has Stunty and Thick Skull, then the Injury Table becomes:

2-6 Stunned, 7 – KO, 8 – Stunned, 9 – Badly Hurt, 10+ Casualty

Stunty and Thick Skull have no effect on Stab rolls, however.

Diving Tackle

In common with other skills, DT use is decided after the Dodge roll, and has an interesting interaction with shadowing so this is included. The sequence is this:

1. Player is going to dodge and makes a Dodge roll.
2. You decide to use Diving Tackle or not after seeing the Dodge roll
3. The Dodge is re-rolled if applicable
4. If DT was used on the original roll it still applies, if it was not you decide to use DT or not
5. Dodge resolves and player moves out of one of your TZ (either through failure or success)
6. Shadowing is now triggered, as the player has moved out of a TZ
7. If you used Diving Tackle … end the process here as you are Prone and cannot use Shadowing.  Equally, another player cannot use Shadowing as the square is now occupied.
8. If you did not use Diving Tackle, you may now use Shadowing whether the player succeeded or failed at his Dodge roll (this is part of cleaning up outstanding items when a turnover occurs).

Diving Tackle may be used as part of the Pass Block sequence.

Diving Catch (DC)

    • If a player on the kicking team uses DC to catch the kick-off in their own half, this counts as a touchback.
    • If you throw an accurate pass to a square adjacent to a player with DC, that player gets +1 to catch because it is an accurate pass, so e.g. AG3 would catch on a 3+.  If the catch is successful, however, the thrower does not get SPPs.
    • As per the rulebook, if the ball is thrown accurately to a player in the target square, the player in the target square with Diving Catch gets +2 in total, so AG3 catches on 2+.
    • The line about two players using Diving Catch only applies to two players on opposite teams. If the players are on the same team one of them can elect not to use it.

Ball and Chain (B&C)

  • If a B&C moves into a Prone player and pushes them backwards, they may not use Mighty Blow on the Armour/Injury roll.
  • If a B&C hits a player on its own side, blocking works as normal, including assists. Remember, the coach using the B&C may pick the result of the block, regardless of who he hits!
  • If a player on your own side is Prone and the B&C hits them, that is not a turnover.
  • As a B&C player has No Hands, if they move on to the ball it bounces and it is a turnover.
  • If a B&C player has Wrestle used against him, he has to roll for injury.
  • The B&C player has to use all of his movement, and may GFI for extra movement.
  • If a B&C player goes for a GFI you roll direction first, then resolve the block, then roll the GFI.
  • You may use a re-roll on the direction of movement roll.

Really Stupid (RS)

  • Players who have lost their Tackle Zones through Hypnotic Gaze and Bonehead can still help a Really Stupid player to take actions on a 2+.
  • Players with the Really Stupid skill may not give instruction to other RS players.
  • Players who have lost their tackle zones through RS, Bonehead, HG, etc. may not use Tentacles or Shadowing.

Pass Block (PB)

  • A player with Pass Block may use it when the opponent is doing a Hail Mary Pass if the player with Pass Block could get to the target square of the Hail Mary Pass or adjacent to the thrower.
  • Diving Tackle can be used during PB.
  • Shadowing may not be used during PB.

Stunned Players

If a player is Stunned and then gets hit on their own turn e.g. by a Fanatic or Bomb and the player’s armour is not broken, they do not revert to being Prone. They stay Stunned. If the armour is broken and a Stunned result is rolled, the player will not roll over at the end of their turn, but will miss the next turn.

Break Tackle (BT)

  • You choose to use BT after seeing the result of the Dodge roll (in common with MB, DT etc).  Thus an Ogre can dodge, roll a 5, not use BT, then use it later in the turn.
  • Strength 7 is no better than Strength 6 for dodging purposes, as the Agility table only goes up to 6.  Therefore a S7 dodge with BT into 4 TZs would be on a 4+ (Agility makes it 1+, 4TZ makes it 5+, Dodge modifier makes it 4+).

Kick-Off

On a Kick-Off, the following are touchbacks:

  • Perfect weather is rolled, and the ball scatters twice.  If either scatter takes it off the pitch or into the kicking team’s half, this is a touchback.
  • Quick Snap is rolled, and a player with Diving Catch moves into the kicking team’s half then attempts to catch the ball.  The ball may then be given to any player on the receiving team, as per the touchback rules. NB it does not matter if the catch is successful or otherwise.

If a Quick Snap is rolled, skills are ignored, so negatraits are not rolled, and Ball and Chain players choose an empty square to move in to.

If a Pitch Invasion stuns the entire receiving team, the rules do not state what to do. You can place the ball in the centre of the receiving team’s half or give the ball to one of the Stunned players, which causes it to scatter, or place the ball in any square in the half. Roll a dice or use some other method to decide which.

Blood Lust/Hypnotic Gaze

  • If a player suffers a turnover for whatever reason during a Vampire’s move, they may not bite at the end and must therefore leave the pitch.
  • You use Hypnotic Gaze before biting a Thrall, so you may Gaze and then be removed from the pitch.
  • If you end the turn next to a Thrall you must bite the Thrall, you are not allowed to leave the pitch instead.
  • Interestingly, as regards prone use of HG:  p.11 of CRP says a player may do nothing before standing, but p.23 says that Extraordinary skills may be used while prone.  Other Extraordinary skills (TTM, Stab) have stipulations that you must stand up first, but HG does not. You must use a movement point to blitz with the Stab skill.
  • This is therefore a grey area, but there was a ruling during the development of the FUMBBL tool that it is not allowed, which is also common practice.

Chainsaw

  • Chainsaw must be used when fouling.  It can stack with Dirty Player, so DP and Chainsaw fouls on a +4.

Regeneration

  • When a player has Decay, they roll twice on the Casualty table, and make one Regeneration roll (if applicable).  One Regeneration roll cures both results, a failed Regen roll means both results apply.

Journeymen

  • Journeymen are optional. You may choose to go into a game with 10 players or fewer.

Star Player Points

  • If an accurate pass is caught by the intended received in the target square of the pass then the thrower gets 1SPP.  This means:
    • If Diving Catch is used to catch a ball thrown to the side, no SPP
    • If the catch is failed, the ball scatters to another player and then back to the intended receiver, 1SPP.
    • Hail Mary Pass gives no SPP (not accurate).

Prehensile Tail

Tails stack, so if there are two tails affecting a square, it will be -2 and so on.

Dump Off

  • Animosity does not come into effect on Dump-Off as it only affects Pass Actions.
  • A player may not use the Dump Off skill when stabbed or attacked with a Chainsaw.

Leaving a Square

With BB2016, GW clarified the order of dice rolls when leaving a square. This is different to the order in CRP and before:

1) Tentacles
2) GFI
3) Dodge (applying Diving Tackle if applicable)
4) Shadowing

Blocking Etc.

There are a couple of videos explaining blocking, assists etc on sann0638’s YouTube.

Appendix

The maths of the throw-in template in the corner, by cyberedelf:

The quick proof:
Start the template on the sideline.
1/3 down endzone
1/3 diagonal
1/3 swap template direction (this 1/3 is further divided)
1/9 down sideline
1/9 diagonal
1/9 swap template (this 1/9 can be further divided, but we will stop here)

The probabilities of the last 1/9 will be equal to the previous 8 parts of the 9.

This makes the chance of
diagonal (1+3)/8 or 1/2
endzone 3/8
sideline 1/8

If the initial template position is random:
diagonal ((1+3)+(1+3)/8/2 or 1/2
endzone (1+3)/8/2 or 1/4
sideline (1+3)/3/2 or 1/4

The probability of the ball to going along the diagonal equals the probability of it going down one edge PLUS the probability of it going down the other edge.

And the direction the template is initially placed will make one edge three times more likely than the other.

If the example template were to have correct odds for a random starting positions it should be “1-2”, “3-6”, and “7-8”, and roll a D8.

153 thoughts on “Clarifications”

  1. Richard Schaake

    Common practice is not a clarification of the rules. Where I live it’s common practice for cyclists to ignore red traffic lights, but the rules are clear: you have to wait for the green light before crossing the road. A clarification would be how you can make sure that you actually measure correctly.*

    The rules still state that a ruler should be used. Since passes crossing the half-way line are slightly longer it can make a difference. A 6×3 square pass across the half-way line is short when counted according to the chart , while it would be long if you had used the ruler. Counting squares could be considered cheating and is actually unfair if one player uses the chart and the other the ruler.

    * First place the ruler lengthwise on the pitch so that the corners of the squares are at equal distance to the side-bands. Next move ruler along its length so that the red/black blocks are at an equal distance from the edges of the thrower square. Next place a finger firmly on the circle and turn the ruler to pass through the middle of the receiver’s square. Turn back the ruler to make sure you haven’t accidentally moved the ruler. Repeat this a dozen times until you’ve actually managed to keep the ruler in place, put back all the miniatures you’ve had to remove from the board or accidentally knocked over in the process and resume play. Alternatively you can place an extra board next to the one you’re playing on to work out passes or use the template and count. However, I would recommend to account for the width of the half-way line if you don’t want to cheat (especially if your opponent is using the ruler) or agree with your opponent that you replace the ruler with the chart and ignore the half-way line (it doesn’t make that much difference if both players count the same way).

  2. Elyoukey

    “In a resurrection tournament, you roll for the injury. If this is a badly hurt, you can use the apo to place the player in reserves. If the injury is worse than badly hurt, you can use the apo to reroll it, and if either is badly hurt then the player is placed in reserves.”

    This is not specific for resurection tournaments, this is the standard rule for the apo

    1. sann0638

      That’s true, but in leagues it is more complicated than that. In tournaments, where the severity of the injury does not matter, this simplified version can be used.

      1. Cracol

        I’ve been having a quick browse around the new website and I happen to agree with Elyoukey here. The apo works exactly the same in tournament or in leagues and by wording it this way it makes it sound to a new player that the apo works differently in leagues.
        How about:
        “In a game you roll for the injury. If this is a badly hurt, you can use the apo to place the player directly into the reserves box ready to come on next drive the same as any other reserve. If the injury is worse than badly hurt (ie a serious injury or death), you can use the apo to reroll it, and if the new roll is badly hurt then again the player is placed in the reserves box ready to come on next drive.”

  3. Dzerards

    For Shadowing and Tentacles it is higher than a 5 and higher than a 7 respectfully.

  4. Tristan

    I would remove this line “NB Agility is not mentioned at all in the above! It is irrelevant to TTM.”

    I agree it has nothing to do with the TTM skill, but as you are listing the process for throwing a team mate, and that involves a landing roll for the player with Right Stuff, agility is not irrelevant.

    Either that or specify agility has nothing to do with the TTM skill

  5. Randroid

    Here is an odd one I have seen come up a couple times. Maybe it is obvious to others..

    If a Vampire who has failed a Bloodlust roll bites a Thrall who is already Stunned on the pitch do they become un-stunned and Prone at the end of the turn as normal or are they “re-stunned” and do not flip to Prone?

      1. Randroid

        Curious the rules logic on this one? Is there a precedent for players being re-stunned elsewhere?

        Thanks for the help with all these clarifications! Great work!

        1. sann0638

          Just that players may not be turned face up on the turn that they are Stunned. If a player’s armour is broken, they are at least Stunned. Any reason for thinking differently? Thanks for the feedback!

          1. Topper

            So just to be certain I get this… (Taken to extremes I know – but still)
            A thrall is blocked and taken down and becomes stunned as a result.
            A foul then breaks armor and gets another stunned result.
            The unlucky fella then gets hit by a thrown bomb for yet another stun.
            The ball and chain fella then somehow manages to stun him an impressive 5 times more.
            Finally all six vampires fail their Blood Lust, all choose him and all get stuns..
            He is then stunned for the next 14 turns.. (Or until a TD is scored/half etc)

            Is that correctly understood?

            Especially for Bloodlust and fouls on stunned players this can make quite a different game.. And it certainly is a new interpretation to what I´ve seen anywhere in my 20 years of gaming. I also think it goes against the “stunned” result in the rulebook. “Stunned – leave the player on the pitch, but turn him face-down. All face-down players are turned face-up at the end of their teams next turn, even if a turnover takes place. Note that a player may not turn face-up in the turn he is stunned. Once face-up he may stand up on any subsequent turn using the normal rules”

            The important thing being this: All face-down players are turned face-up at the end of their teams next turn, even if a turnover takes place.

            It states nothing of repeated stuns – only that all face-down players revert to face-up after the turn.

          4. Topper

            @Darkson – not accordingly to the rule clarification above 😉
            Which was exactly why I did question it 😉

          7. Topper

            True Sann – but that states nothing about multiple stuns. Only that a player stunned in your own turn lies stunned till his next turn.
            (Ie a failed GFI).

            and super Darkson we agree a lot it seems 😉

          8. sann0638

            Galak just replied on TFF in agreement with what I have written – doesn’t mean everyone in the world has to play it that way, but that is the intention.

          9. poundfist

            Galak did not agree with the multiple stunning, just to be clear: his words were: “if a Stunned player is Stunned again … he would not flip over at the end of the turn.” This is just a simple rehash of the notion that player will not flip over on the same turn in which he is stunned.

            That’s what everyone else here is saying: if a player is Stunned on his coach’s turn, ie from a failed GFI; a Thrall bit by a Vampire; a failed landing from TTM; a bomb scattered badly or fumbled, etc, then he will not turn over at the end of the turn. If a player is Stunned during his opponent’s turn, he will turn over at the end of his own coach’s turn.

            There is nothing in the rules about multiple stuns, a notion that would necessitate counters, something absolutely foreign to the game. So to be clear, if you fail a GFI, and are Stunned during your turn, you don’t flip over. If I then Foul your player and produce a Stun, drop a Bomb on the same player resulting in a Stun, and roll a Ball and Chain into him three times, Stunning each time, he will turn over at the end of your next turn, as if I had not touched him. There are no multiple stun effects.

          10. sann0638

            I still think that the link on TFF concurs with this ruling? Quote from Galak: “If a Stunned player is Stunned again … he would not flip over at the end of the turn.”

          11. Hutchinsfairy

            Sorry to resurrect this one but this has just come in in my league. Nowhere in the rules or the TFF thread can I find mention of the notion of multiple stuns. Galak’s response is in answer to a question about own-turn stuns. Both the rules and Galak’s answer seem to be pretty clear that anyone stunned in their own turn will not turn over until the end of their next turn, even if they were already stunned. This does not suggest that the stuns “stack”, just that they are independent (or that later stuns supersede older ones, which is functionally the same).

            The clarification above however currently states “miss a further turn” rather than “miss their next turn”. This is an entirely new (mis?)interpretation of the rules whereby each successive stun is added to a tally and is not resolved until all previous stuns have completed. This stacking-stuns rule does not seem to be supported by LRB6 nor the TFF thread linked and would (as Poundfist mentions) be a distinct departure from other BB rules in terms of style.

            Could I persuade you to take another look?

  6. FTJUK

    This scenario came up in my recent Cakebowl game with Shortarse. My Ag6 Wardancer was thinking of dodging away from a Slann Blitzer with Diving Tackle. What roll does the Wardancer succeed on? Is it 2+ or 4+?

  7. ChenZhen

    Nice list. One clarification that would be helpful

    Under shadowing it says you can use shadowing during pass block.

    Under pass block it says you can not use shadowing.

    1. sann0638

      You may not use Shadowing as the player being Shadowed is not taking an Action. Couldn’t find the reference to pass block under the shadowing description?

      1. Euphralia

        Given the new Shadowing description lacking requirement for an Action is this no longer the case?

  8. Gregor

    Hello!

    Can anybody explain this rule : Diving Catch “If a player on the Kicking Team uses DC to catch the Kick-Off in their own half, this counts as a Touchback.” Its too short and enigmatic for me.

    with best regards,
    Gregor

    1. sann0638

      If a player on the kicking team is on the LOS and uses DC, it is as though the ball lands in that player’s half, which is not allowed, so it is a touchback. Does that help?

  9. WildManTX

    Apothecary (Apo)

    In a resurrection tournament (and in a game) you can also use APO on a KO that leaves the player on the pitch stunned. Very useful if you don’t think you will get another kickoff in the half or game.

  10. Erik

    Who decides what direction the throw-in template is placed on a throw-in from the corner? It makes a huge difference if it is facing length-wise or width-wise. (On a 3-4, will it be thrown along the side-line or the td-zone?)

    2. Darkson

      Just go with the 1-2 or 5-6 facing down the EZ and the 3-4 facing diagonally into the pitch – saves a lot of time, and the end result is exactly the same.

      1. Erik

        I think that is a good solution, but it’s not in the rules. So I would consider that a house rule until there is an official ruling. I want to know how you decide it in a tournament environment.

        And if sann0638 had actually read my initial posting, he would know that it does actually make a lot of difference.

        1. Darkson

          I do exactly as I said in my post. It makes no difference to the final result, but can save lots of pointless dice rolls which can happen if you use the normal template.

  11. Erik

    Actually, I might have been wrong this entire time. I apologize. The rules might have a much bigger flaw than I imagined.

    Unless the back line of an end zone is considered a side line, the rules don’t cover how to handle it if the ball goes out of bounds on a short side.

    But if the aforementioned lines are considered side lines, my initial question still stands unanswered.

    2. Darkson

      Unless I’m missing something, the rules don’t mention “sidelines” in regards to throw-ins:

      CRP (p.13) says: When a ball scatters or bounces off the pitch it is immediately
      thrown back in by the eager spectators! Use the Throw-in
      template to work out where the ball goes, using the last square
      the ball crossed before going off as a starting point

      Again, using the template with the 3-4 on the diagonal doesn’t affect the probability of the final resting place, it just cuts down on the number of unnecessary dice rolls.

          1. sann0638

            Good point – will pop the important bits of that page on here sometime, and possibly Erik’s point below, though I’m not sure it needs spelling out.

  12. Erik

    Since I’ve already begun being a bother, I would like to have one more clarification added to the rules:

    *You can only place one player on each square.

    This seems to have been omitted in lrb 6. I think it should be added to the list of setup restrictions on page 6.

  13. roante

    I’d like to request a minor extension on the TTM:

    “10. If you land on a player, that player is Knocked Down, and the thrown player is scattered once and then Knocked Down.”

    If the player on which the thrown player was landed on is from the same team, is it a turnover or not?

      1. roante

        Hm…. Then I need some additional help on the wording there then 🙂

        As I interpret the CRP, the thrown player is not Knocked Down (that would mean no cage breaker gobbo! :-)). Moreover, the description of TTM makes me think that after the gobbo landed and injured a player on which it was landed on, it may make a landing roll. Am I wrong about that?

        1. sann0638

          The thrown player is Placed Prone (so no turnover). From the CRP on Right Stuff: If the landing roll is failed or he landed on another player he is placed prone and must make an armour roll. It’s a tricky one because you need to look at the TTM and Right Stuff rules together, but it’s clear if you do.

          1. roante

            Ooooh now that’s crystal clear! So even if my thrown player injured itself by landing on the other player, there’s no turnover. Cool!

            Then just a minor correction: in the rules of TTM above you write this:

            10. If you land on a player, that player is Knocked Down, and the thrown player is scattered once and then Knocked Down.

            Based on the reasoning you gave me, the bolded section should be Placed Prone.

            And thank you again for the help, I really appreciate it!

  14. roante

    A few other questions, if I may about the Ball & Chain guy 🙂

    * You mentioned he cannot use Mighty Blow on players already placed prone. What about Grab? My understanding is that he can, because it is explicitly mentioned in the description of the skill.
    * What if an own player who was already prone is injured, is it a turnover?
    * When blocking an own player, how do assists count (any of my or the opposing players count, or I should just compare the bare strengths)?

    Thx again!

    2. Darkson

      The opponent can’t assist in any way (P.17 “The attacking coach must declare if any of his players will give
      an assist first, then the defending coach must add defensive assists with players from his team.”).
      I believe you can add (or not) assists from your own team as you like,because you’re both the attacker and defender, but as it’s probably going to be a 3-dice block the majority of the time, which is what you want, it’s not going to come up very often.

  15. Hawk

    Had a very interesting situation arise at STABB cup this year and need clarification on the rules?…… My Treeman was knocked prone so next turn I rolled my rooted roll and rolled on a 1 so now he is rooted but on a roll of a 3 he failed to stand up! The following turn I rolled rooted again but my opponent insisted he was already rooted from the previous turn… Rules state a “Take root” roll is made before any action but also says a prone Treeman is not rooted.. What is the correct sequence, stand then rooted? Or rooted then stand?

      1. Erik

        And the rule doesn’t state that a prone player can’t be rooted, it says that the effect of Take Root ends if he is placed prone. So you can be both prone and rooted, as long as you are placed prone before you are rooted.

  16. Jason

    Pass Block Questions:

    1. lets say im throwing a block on a player with dump off (1d block). another player has pass block and moves next to the player with dump off. would the block then become 2d assuming the player with pass block wasnt in any other tackle zones?

    2. Continuing from the example in question 1. Lets say the player that used dump off successfully threw the ball to another player with dump off. If I throw a block on that player triggering dump off will pass block trigger again for the player that previously moved from the previous dump off attempt?

  17. sann0638

    Excellent rules lawyering! Both pretty straightforward, Yes to both, but remember that if you Dodge while Pass Blocking and fail the Dodge it is a turnover.

  18. xnoelx

    A question about stat increase and decreases. The section for stat increases specifies that a stat may not be raised more than 2 points ‘above its starting value’. The injury table for stat decreases doesn’t include that qualification. And, while there is an FAQ about taking one injury and 3 increases, the opposite situation isn’t covered. So: If a player with say, +MA (or any other stat), goes on to take a 3rd -MA, is it ignored, as his stat has been reduced by 2 (from its increased value), or is it applied, because the intention was that it can’t be reduced by more than 2 (below its starting value)?

    1. sann0638

      Good question! You can get 3 (or 4!) stat increases of the same kind if some of these are negated by injuries, but you can only get affected by a maximum of 2 stat decreases of the same kind.

  20. HairyPete

    Love this section and find it really useful. Think it would be much better as a PDF so that it could be added to the standard list of rules that are used in leagues and tournaments. Just a thought. The Official NAF FAQ.

  21. sumbloke

    In Throw Team-mate:
    Point 10 states “but this is not a turnover unless the player that was landed on was on your own side!” Should also have “or the thrown player was holding the ball”

    In Really Stupid:
    “Really Stupid players may not give instruction to other RS players.” Might be worth rewording to clarify if the first reference is to players with the skill (nega-trait) Really Stupid or ones who have failed a Really Stupid roll. Even the CRP is not clear on this point, so it should be clarified.

    2. poundfist

      In the Really Stupid Description, it says “If a Really Stupid player declares a Blitz Action and fails the Really Stupid roll, then the team cannot declare another Blitz Action for the turn.” So the CRP is using the term Really Stupid to indicate the skill as well as the result, and “a Really Stupid player” to indicate a player with the skill. SO: A player with the Really Stupid skill cannot benefit from a 2+ roll to act if he is only standing next to another player from his team with the Really Stupid skill, whether that player is suffering from a failed Really Stupid roll or not.

  22. Northdude

    Can someone explain to me diving catch and not awarding SPP?
    Is this ONLY when the skill is being used or Always, and either way, it makes litte sense to me. If you use catch it also gives SPP< so what is the rationalle here and why should anybody ever take diving catch since it bombs your SPP gains.. and nobody passes (much)_ anyway anymore

    clarification was •If you throw an accurate pass to a square adjacent to a player with DC, that player gets +1 to catch because it is an accurate pass, so e.g. Ag3 would catch on a 3+. If the catch is successful however, the thrower does not get SPPs.

    1. Northdude

      Eh now i think about it. its because its not thrown AT the player so its actually a cheap way to increase the passrange right? if thats the thinking i can see why there should be no SPP awarded.

      1. sann0638

        The rules for SPP say specifically that the ball has to be caught by the player in the target square, basically. Having DC doesn’t stop you getting SPPs as long as the ball is thrown at the player who has it.

  23. Tony Peacock

    This came up in a match I had yesterday, can you blitz and use multi block?

    And during a multi block can the two defenders assist each other?
    Example a ST 5 Mummy multi blocks 2 ST3 linemen bringing them to ST 5. would it mean the Mummy is rolling 2 dice defenders choice because the 2nd target is assisting during the first block made.

  24. James

    Three questions?

    Is a Hail Mary Pass subject to opponents TZ? If not why would Pass Block be able to be used to zone a passer for HMP?

    If MB can be used vs prone players with Piling On why then would it not be able to be used by Fanatics on prone players?

    The last is more of a complaint. Stunty with Thick Skull means 2-6 Stunned, 7 KO, 8 stunned, 9+ CAS. The issue I have is that when a MB player breaks armor vs a Stunty that becomes 2-5 Stunned, 6-7 KO and 8+ CAS. Thick Skull has zero effect and is pointless. I have spoken before with a member of the rules committee who said this is what they intended rather than admitting that they had poorly written the rule for Thick Skull and hadn’t considered a possible Stunty/TS interacting with MB. Any idea why?

    1. sann0638

      Good questions James! These clarifications have all been given by the Blood Bowl Rules Committee on TFF or similar, you can have a look there for reasons etc, this is just to summarise rulings that have been given. Sorry for not having more info!

    2. Darkson

      1. Pass Block just says the PB player can get a TZ on the passing player – it doesn’t say that the TZ has to have any effect. You might want to use it to get the PB player away from a Mighty Blow player (for example).

      2. It’s not so much using MB from prone, it’s allowing you to reroll the AV/Inj roll. And technically, the rule as written allows the reroll than placed prone, so a strict reading of the rule is that the player was on their feet at the time of using MB.

  25. Bakunin

    Hey Sann, you should an under the ball & chain rules, that it moves before rolling for GFI – so a ball & chain can block before the GFI
    (Ball & chain can only move, and you must according to the rules, first choose which Square to move too, before rolling GFI)

  26. Darkson

    Sann, on the range ruler section you might want to point out that the range ruler only works for interceptions if you’re using the 3rd ed pitch (or one with the same size squares). If you’re using a non-standard pitch (40mm, 2nd edition, etc) you’ll need a suitably re-scaled ruler or an interception app.

  27. DukeJan

    Ok, this came up during tonight’s game: can you use dump off when your opponent plays the chop block card?

    1. sann0638

      The discussion on TFF decided no, as no Block action takes place, but I’m not going to get into the vagaries of the cards on this page – too many possibilities!

  28. nanmaniac

    Rules say: “Dodge: […] However, the player may only re-roll one failed Dodge roll per turn.[…]”.
    If a player dodge from a foe and he misses the check, he can use dodge skill. He succees and he goes on. If he keeps moving and needs to dodge from another foe in the same turn, can he use again the dodge skill to reroll a failed dodge check in the same turn?
    Thanks…

  29. Tony Peacock

    If a player with Jump Up and Wrestle who started the turn standing, declares a blitz action blocks a opposing player and uses the wrestle skill, can that player use use Jump Up to continue moving after the block if he has movement left to use?

  30. Tony Peacock

    If I declare a pass and my opponent uses pass block, am I able to use pass block on another player to put a tackle zone on his player?

  31. Eldin

    In the bloodlust/hypnotic gaze section above, I believe that when looking at all 3 places with relevant rules, the question of using hypnotic gaze while prone is in fact not a grey area. To quote sections of the CRP I feel are relevant:

    CRP p.23 (Skills section)
    “Only Extraordinary skills work when a player is Prone or Stunned.”
    Hypnotic gaze is an extraordinary skill, so this rule applies.

    CRP p.65 (from the description of Hypnotic Gaze):
    “The player may use hypnotic gaze at the end of a move action…”
    While hypnotic gaze lacks a specific stipulation that the player must be standing, the only time mentioned that the skill may be used is at the end of a movement action. So hypnotic gaze can be used while prone if (and only if) a prone player can take a movement action without first standing up. It is worth noting that Stab and Throw Team Mate also don’t explicitly state that the player must stand up or be standing (although with TTM, it DOES state that the player who will be thrown must be standing), but rather that they may be used in place of a block or require the player to take a pass action, respectively.

    CRP p.11 (1st paragraph)
    “While prone, … may do nothing before standing up at a cost of 3 squares of his movement when he next takes an action.”
    2 things to note here. First, the “MAY DO NOTHING before standing”. While there is a specific exemption to this rule for extraordinary skills, I was unable to find an exemption for taking a movement action. Second, the wording “cost of 3 squares of movement WHEN HE NEXT TAKES an action.” makes it clear that while standing up counts as moving, it is separate from and occurs prior to the actual movement (or blitz/pass/handoff/foul) action.

    Therefore, it appears to be to be clear that a player can not take a movement action without first standing up, and there is no circumstance in which a player may use hypnotic gaze except at the end of a movement action.

    So unless someone can spot a flaw in my above reasoning, or knows of a relevant rule which I have overlooked, I don’t believe any grey area actually exists here.

    1. sann0638

      Hi Eldin, there has been extensive discussion on TFF by following the link above, maybe have a look there? This is just a summary of findings.

  32. Tony Peacock

    If the opposing coach declares a pass and I have multiple players with Pass Block, can they all move the allowed 3 squares?

    Also is a prone player has jump up and pass block can he stand up and move the 3 squares if a pass is declared?

  33. Mårten Forsmark

    What happens if both teams induces a halfling master chef and a we have the following scenario. Both teams have one reroll, both coaches rolls three sucssess. How many rerolls does thé teams with? One since the chefs cancel each other out? Three since the original reroll is stolen and the three chef rerolls are then added? Some other interpretation? It all comes down to the order of things, but they seem to be simultaneous in the rules.

    This started a bit a bit of a debate on the Swedish blood bowl forum SWEBBA and we find the rules are not really clear on this. Any chance of a interpretation from NAF?

    1. sann0638

      Excellent question! Posted on TFF to look for a definitive answer, but 99% it happens simultaneously, so “chef” rerolls can’t be removed by a chef.

  35. Hazelnutsoup

    Hi, the Bloodlust clarification appears unfinished. The third bullet states:

    If you end the turn next to a thrall you must bite the thrall, you are not allowed not to.

    What aren’t you allowed to do?

  36. Dode

    I think the inducements bit is somewhat confusing. As a suggestion, it’s worth separating out the fact that petty cash occurs for both teams before choosing inducements, and that the order of choice is affected by the final TV after PC is added. For example:
    ——-
    1. Human team can choose to add treasury to Petty Cash. That value is added to his TV to determine his new TV. If he adds 150k in order to be able to buy a Wizard (for example) his TV will be 1490, if he does not it remains 1340.
    2. Orc team can choose to add treasury to Petty Cash. That value is added to his TV to determine his new TV. If he adds 150k in order to be able to buy a Wizard (for example) his TV will be 1350, if he does not it will remain 1200.
    3. The two teams’ new TV is compared to see if any further cash is allocated. Steps 1 and 2 leave us with 4 possible scenarios:
    a. Humans spend 150k, Orcs do not – Human TV is 1490, Orc is 1200. Orc receives 290k to spend and chooses his inducements second.
    b. Humans don’t spend 150k, Orcs don’t either – Human TV is 1340, Orc is 1200. Orc receives 140k to spend and chooses his inducements second (not that the Humans will be choosing inducements!)
    c. Humans don’t spend 150k, Orcs do – Human TV is 1340, Orc is 1350. Human receives 10k to spend and chooses his inducements second (not that there are any 10k inducements!)
    d. Humans spend 150k, Orcs also do – Human TV is 1490, Orc is 1350. Orc receives difference of 140k to add to the 150k he will already spend for a total of 290k. Humans will choose inducements first.
    ——-
    Is that perhaps a little clearer?

  37. Sainthropee

    a Sneaky git player during a foul with 3+3 on armour roll on a player with 7 AV, but with 2 team-mates without tackle zone is an 8, so the skneaky git is setting off?

    thanks

  38. Jump

    One clarify neede:

    “NB Stunty and Thick Skull (and Niggles) do not affect Stab”

    Stab doesn’t take care about a modifier, but referring to +1 or -1 modifier.
    It means that if you have MB or if the enemy has a niglign, stab won’t be helped by that.

    In case of Thick Skull or Stunty we don’t have any modifier, we have a change on the injury table, so in this case Stab work as a normal block.

    Stab on a TS, down, injury roll: 8, TS wins. Stab on a stunty, down, injury rool: 7, Stunty wins (and the enemy goes in K.O.)

    Can anyone confirm this? The rules are very clear here

        1. Jump

          Ok, so you mean that “Change the injury table” is considered a modification.
          So, at the end, when using STAB if I pass the armor, then:

          – on a stunty: with 7 the enemy stays on the pitch
          – on a thick skull: with 8 the enemy goes in K.O.

          Right? That’s the final consideration?

  39. Jump

    Thanks, one more question:

    Use of skill is mandatory, ok, so for example: can I decide to NOT use Disturbing Presence or Foul Appearance in case I need them to switch off?

  40. Rolex

    On page 11 CRP it says regarding Armour Rolls: “If the roll succeeds, then the opposing coach IS ALLOWED to roll on the injury table in the next column to see what injury the player has suffered”
    Does it mean that the injury roll is not mandatory?
    Can the blocking coach choose not to roll for injury?
    If he can and does than the player should be placed PRONE, because to stun a player you have to roll 2-7 on the injury table. No roll no stun.

    Am I right or there is an errata somewhere?

  41. Jump

    One more question: Take Root skill, in the last line pg 68:

    “If a player fails his take root roll as part of a blitz action, he may not block that turn”.
    Why? It means that a Treeman start the action, declare a Blitz, 1 on root dice, than he cannot block? Is it true?

      1. Jump

        Ok, thanks
        And what about the other quesitons?

        1) Injury
        2) Use of Disturbing Presence

        My opinion is: injury can also be NOT rolled, DP is mandatory…I can decide to NOT use…what is the NAF answer?

        1. sann0638

          Well, there is no NAF answer as such – this is a collection of answers given by the writers of the rulebook. Injury roll seems to be optional, DP seems to be mandatory. As ever, it is up to commissioners to decide final rulings!

  43. Neil

    Does a coach fouling a chainsaw player get to add 3 to their Armour roll?

    The rules state that the adjustment is made when a chainsaw player is knocked down, but it’s unclear if it’s the act of being knocked down, or just having been knocked down that is key.

  44. Neil

    If a player throws a bomb to a team-mate and the team-mate catches it, does the thrower earn SPPs as if he’d thrown the ball?

    We’ve discussed this in our League and our commissioner has said that SPPs aren’t earned in this situation, which is fine but the CRP leaves it a little ambiguous.

    Thanks!

      1. Darkson

        Not ambiguous at all:

        “Completions (COMP): A player who makes an accurate pass that is caught by a receiver from his own team in the targeted square of the pass when the ball comes to rest earns 1 Star Player point. This is called a completion.”

        Operative word there is “ball” – a bomb is not a ball.

        No SPP.

        1. Neil

          Thanks – previously I’d made my peace with it because it’s not a PASS action, but this is perfect!

  45. Alex

    I am unclear in regard to what players can assist a block- what players can be involved?
    i.e. what squares surrounding a blocker and defender influence a block?

    what i’m asking is- to give an assist, must you be-
    1. in the attackers (blockers) tackle zone?
    2. in the victims (defenders) tackle zone?
    3. in both the attackers and defenders tackle zone?
    4. in either the attackers or defenders tackle zone?

    1,2,3, or 4?

    (I understand how assists can be cancelled, and I understand how skills impact. and other requirements)

    ABCD
    EF1G
    HJ2K
    LMNP

    So in the above example, 1 blocks 2.
    what letter squares count for assists? (dont worry about tackle zones of assisters cancelling each other out)

      1. Alex

        OK, so-
        Any of the blockers team that exert a tackle zone of the defender can assist the blocker
        and
        Any of the defenders team that exert a tackle zone on the blocker can assist the defender

        (with the caveat of cancellation of assist by opponents tackle zones etc)

        I wish they had written the rules like that, got it! thank you for your help.

  46. dode

    Regarding this:

    You may only declare a Block if there is an adjacent standing player. This one has not been fully clarified but if you want a ruling go with this one. Once you have declared a Block and rolled any associated dice (Jump Up, Wild Animal, Dauntless) you must go through with the Block. Block is in fact the only Action where this is the case, as for example you do not have to Pass after declaring a Pass Action.

    On what basis are you saying a block has to take place after a Block Action is declared? LRB6 page 7 clearly states “The player may make a single block against a player in an adjacent square”. It seems fairly clear that declaring a Block Action allows, but does not require, you to make the block itself.

  47. Mårten Forsmark

    Since the new bb2016 rules has dropped the wording “Mighty Blow cannot be used with the Stab or Chainsaw skills.” in the description of the mighty blow skill, does this mean that these skills now stack?

      1. Joe

        The Mighty Blow skill specifies “knocked down during a block”. Stab and Chainsaw both say “instead of a block”. I don’t think the exclusion sentence was necessary and was just for clarity. It doesn’t seem like there should be any change to functionality.

  48. Zakyrel

    “You must declare your action before doing something with that player. In tournaments, you may usually declare an action as long as you have not rolled any dice. This also goes for taking moves back.”

    Hello there,

    Not being all english speaking natives, we need to clarify this, because the is a room for interpetation. We need to know if this sentence is talking about one player, or several players.

    Several cases to understand what we can or cannot do :
    – Can I move a player and then, if I didn’t roll any dice, choose to rewind this move ?
    – Can I move a player and then, if I didn’t roll any dice, say I want to do a Pass action ?
    – Can I move two players or more and, if I didn’t roll any dice, choose to rewind all those players moves ?
    Please can you answer for each case ?

    My understanding of this game is that when you want to act with a player, you must declare that you will do an action : a move, a block, a blitz, or anything skill-based like Leap, before doing it, and you cannot go back if :
    – you rolled a dice
    – you started any action (move, block, blitz, etc.) with another player
    Am I right ?

    1. sann0638

      The rulebook says you are right. In tournament play (in my experience) says that as long as you have not rolled a dice you can declare an action or take a move back. This could get silly if you take back more than one player though, as it’s harder to remember!

  49. Quizz

    Can you clarify here and about gfi for stab and chainsaw blitz ?
    Thank you for that smart page

    Long life to BB

  50. Kummo

    When you TTM and troll gets hungry when throwing a gobbo – every dice are trolls rolls.. BUT! Which one rolls the escape roll? Troll or goblin? (Since 1 is a fail and would lead goblin to be eaten i believe the goblin does the escape roll since troll would want to eat gobbo.. having 1 being a “fail” for goblin would make sense for that roll to be goblins).

    Why does this matter? Well.. troll is loner and goblin isn’t – so basically i’m asking if you have to roll loner roll when using team rr (in case that roll is trolls roll) or if you can use rr to try and roll better escape dice.

  51. Jesper Rülf Edmark

    Hey Sann0638,
    could you post information on the interaction of Multiple Block and Dauntless? It has come up in our league and we have differing rules interpretations.

    1. sann0638

      Hi Jesper,
      apply multiple block first. Dauntless skill says “after all other modifiers”, which includes Horns and Multiple Block, mostly.

  52. Euphralia

    DZ2 now says “A player with this skill can use it whenever an opposing player voluntarily moves out of a square in their tackle zone for any reason (not counting push backs and other involuntary moves). The opposing coach rolls 2D6, then add their player’s MA and subtracts the MA of the player with this skill. If the total is 7 or less, the player with the Shadowing skill may move into the square that the opposing player vacated – this is a free move, and Dodge rolls are not required while making it. If the total is 8 or more, the opposing player successfully breaks away, and the player with the Shadowing skill stays where they are. A player may use the Shadowing skill any number of times per turn. If a player moves out of the tackle zones of multiple players who have the Shadowing skill, only one of them can attempt to use the skill.” Is this the NAF approved version as it has implications given it now does not include the Action term.

    1. sann0638

      Well spotted! So you could shadow Pass Block, and in fact probably shadow a shadowing player. One for the rules lawyers – you would have to decide what you were playing, and I guess most NAF tournaments would be using BB16 rules.

  53. Clyde T. Coats II

    Is Horatio X. Schottenheim, Master Mage, considered by NAF to be a wizard or a mage? There is a difference between a wizard and a mage. I know some games consider them the same but others don’t (like D & D). Could I get an official ruling, please?

  54. razmus

    Question: Does a hand-off to a player with Diving Catch count as an accurate pass targeting the receivers square and therefore get the Diving Catch +1?

  55. Jean

    Hey ;
    You said for a successful argue the call there is no turnover ; I’m not agree with that ; in the rules it’s written the player is sent in the reserve instead but the turnover still apply

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