The Tournament

• If you’re wanting to go to a tournament but aren’t sure where to look, the best place to look is TheNAF.net and their tournament section. I’ll include a link HERE.
  You can also go to the Discord of United States Blood Bowl Hub. Here all the NAF tournaments should be listed and broken down by state and then by date. It’s a great resource and we do our best to keep it updated as much as possible. Find it HERE.
• Now that you’ve found an event, just make sure you look closely at the rules. Each tournament will have its own rules. While the base game will stay the same, you may see different build totals, star restrictions, skill selection process, etc. While tournament organizers do their best to make things easy to understand, even the best will always have questions, so don’t be afraid to ask if anything is unclear.
• Almost every (99.9%) tournament will be what’s known as Resurrection Style. What that means is that the team you create is the team you use each round. No lasting injuries, no gaining Star Player Points.
• Create your roster. There are multiple roster building programs out there and most organizers encourage you to use them in order to make things easier for them when they review all the rosters. One example is Blood Bowl Team Creator found HERE but there are more. We will try to compile a list, but feel free to ask the organizer what they prefer.
• PLEASE register as early as you can and submit your roster as soon as you’re able. Organizers are volunteering their time and often money as well so registering early helps give them funds to put towards dice, awards and giveaways. It is not unusual for an organizer to lose money at an event. They also are tasked with checking every roster (sometimes more than once) and getting yours submitted early helps them a ton.
• When the day comes, check the rules to see when you should arrive. Most rules will state a registration time. Getting there early is always preferred, but sometimes the store/location is not open before the registration, so double checking is good. If for some reason you’ve registered and can’t attend, let the organizer know. Same if you’re running late.

The Games

• It’s time to start the tournament, so first thing to do is know where you’re playing. The organizer should let you know where you’re playing or just have you find your opponent and pick some place. This part is either super easy or annoying for everyone involved. So even if you have no idea who you play or where, don’t fret, just ask the organizer.
• Most events in the USA tend to play from the sidelines due to the size of the tables. Some places will do End Zone to End Zone. If you have a preference, you may be able to play your preferred way by asking your opponent or moving your seat. Ultimately most coaches get used to playing both ways.
• Once you’re sitting across your opponent, hand them a copy of your roster and they should do the same. Some events do everything electronically so it’s not needed to have print outs, some people will still do it to help their opponents and themselves. At larger events it’s not unusual to be given a gift by your opponent. These can be dice, stickers, figures, etc. Sometimes you’ll get this at regular events too, just depends on who you play.
• It’s normal to line up your players and show your opponent which figure is which. This is also when you show how your skills are indicated. If a skill is added, it’s customary to mark the skill somehow. This is often done using colored loom bands. Most organizers or other coach will have them.
• Discuss dice etiquette. It’s best to get this discussion done before dice are rolled instead of it coming up later when it matters. Determine what happens if a die is cocked, if it goes off a table, if it gets eaten by a goblin, the more the better.
• Once introductions are done, then it’s time to start the pre-game rolls. Each coach rolls a D6 for the following in order:
  Weather – Roll a D6 each and combine then refer to the weather chart. Some events may have their own!
  Fan Factor – Roll a D3 (or a D6 with 1/2 being 1, etc) and add that to your dedicated fans. Then keep track.
  This only comes into effect for Pitch Invasion (12) on the Kick Off table, so some people choose to do it only when it matters.
  Kick Off – Roll a D6 and the player with the highest number chooses to kick or receive.
• Play ball! That’s it. Most people will shake hands and wish good luck beforehand, if this bothers you, just do a fist bump.

The Extra Bits

• Most tournaments will want you to bring your own pitch. Some may not. Ask the organizer if you’re unsure. As the years have gone on, a lot of coaches will be using Neoprene pitches like from Squigmire or Maelstrom. These are preferred for ease of setup, ease of play and the softness when it comes to models touching them
• Make sure your players are easy to distinguish. If you don’t have positionally correct figures, make sure they’re numbered and easy to read or have their bases colored based on position or something to make it easy for everyone to know what is what.
• Sportsmanship is a huge factor why so many people play this game. You can destroy every person on the pitch, you can foul to your heart’s content, you can stall 8 turns, but don’t be a jerk while doing it.
• Finish your games and finish the event. Some game systems it doesn’t matter if you quit or leave an event early, Blood Bowl is not one of them. Since there are usually awards for Most TDs or Most Cas or any number of things, if you don’t finish a game, it can mess up your opponent’s chances. Also, leaving a tournament early causes issues with odd numbers and is generally bad form. If it’s an emergency or important, then by all means do so, other than that, please finish.
• What if a question comes up during a match? Look at the rules or ask the organizer. Don’t be afraid to do so.
• What if my opponent is playing slowly or you are? Get a chess clock app and use 4 minute turns. Nobody should be upset if you want to do this and some tournaments may require it.