Blood Bowl

Overview: Blood Bowl is a fast-paced game that incorporates elements of soccer, football, and Belegarth combat rules.

Objective: The object of the game is to score goals by either carrying or catching the ball in the opponent’s goal. The ball must be in a person’s hand in order to score. You cannot hit or kick the ball into the goal. Teams can play to a certain number of points with the qualification that a team must win by at least two goals. You may also play for a fixed time limit. Overtime to first goal can be used if the teams are tied after regular time has expired.

Marshal requirements: Minimum 2 marshals, located at opposite corners of the field to observe out of bounds and goals. Two additional marshals are helpful for observing players and retrieving balls that go out of bounds. Marshals reserve the right to eject players for unsafe behavior, unsportsmanlike conduct, rhinohiding, or any other violations of Belegarth rules.

Field: The field is 60 paces long (not including goal zones) x 30 paces wide for a 10-person team. The goals will be 15 paces deep. The marshal may resize the field to accommodate the number of players.

Materials:

• a) One Nerf football. The Nerf football may be sculpted to resemble a dog skull.
• b) Fifteen cones can be used:
  • 1) Eight to mark the goals
  • 2) An additional seven are useful to define the playing field, centerline, and center point where the ball is located at the beginning of play.
• c) Safety tape and stakes, rope, chalk, or flour may also be used to mark out the field. If rope or tape is used, make sure that it is flush with the ground to avoid tripping.

Starting locations: The marshal places the ball in the center of the field and each team lines up behind their respective goal lines. When “Lay on!” is called, both teams rush to obtain possession of the ball.

Basic Rules:

• 1. SAFETY FIRST!
• 2. Players will not count armor or use missile weapons.
• 3. Players may use any other Belegarth weapons; Belegarth combat, bashing, and grappling rules apply.
• 4. You may pass the ball in any direction.
• 5. Kicking the ball is NOT allowed. You may NOT swing a weapon at a ball that is either in the air or on the ground. You may, however, block a pass with a shield. The shield may not be thrown or in any way released from the fighter’s hand.
• 6. A ball that is dropped on the playing field is still considered “live”. Anyone not counting for death may pick up the ball.
• 7. You must hold the ball in your hand. The hand holding the ball cannot wield a weapon or shield. The ball must remain visible at all times. If you are in possession of the ball and are struck in that arm, you must immediately drop the ball. You may not switch the ball to your uninjured arm.
• 8. You may use the ball to block attacks. However, the ball does not extend to your elbow!
• 9. If the marshal determines that there is a delay of game due to inactivity (e.g., someone just standing there with the ball), the marshal can declare the ball out of bounds (see below) and will return the ball to play in the center of the field.

Wounds and Death:

• 1. Wounds are taken as normal.
• 2. If you are killed, you must count slowly and loudly, “1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, 4-1000… 10-1000, Alive!!” While dead, you MUST go down to both knees and hold your weapon(s) on your head to distinguish yourself from those that are wounded. After saying, “Alive!” you are immediately restored to life. If you are killed while in possession of the ball, you must immediately drop it. No death throws are allowed.
• 3. If a player goes out of bounds for any reason (steps out, falls, is bashed, etc.), the player will do a death count out of bounds. Once the death count is complete, the player must re-enter the field at the point he or she left the field.
• 4. All counts must be audible within 30 feet of your location.

Out of Bounds and Scoring:

• 1. If the ball goes out of bounds, one of the marshals will retrieve the ball, go to the point where the ball went out of bounds, and throw it in bounds. If the ball went out of bounds close to a goal, then the marshal will return to the mid-field marker before returning the ball to play. The ball will be thrown in with the marshal’s back facing the playing field. Game play and all counts continue while the ball is out of bounds.
• 2. Play continues until a goal is scored.
• 3. A ball carrier that is killed while breaking the plane of the goal DOES NOT score. (See point 2 under Wounds and Death). However, if a teammate can obtain the ball in the goal zone, then that would count as a goal.
• 4. When a goal is scored, the ball is reset to the middle and players return to their respective goals. Play begins again when “Lay on!” is called.

Field Layout: