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Thinking Man's Football
- 2 players
- 90 min
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- BGG rating
- 4.2
Challenge Football
1972
Rules assistance for Challenge Football
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 120 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Challenge Football
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Challenge Football is a board game released in 1972 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Frederick A. Herschler and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
In Challenge Football players are taking the role of coaches in an "American" Football game. As coaches, each is deciding what plays to run in order to win the game. Plays commences with the selection of a play card by the defensive player. He/she installs a cover over this card such that the offensive player can only see the players on the line of scrimmage. A "shift" card must also be selected that gives the option of shifting the defensive line to either side for the play. The offensive player receives the play card and cover and must draw the offensive play on top of the clear holder. This could be a combination of runs, handoffs and passes. With the plays determined, the cover is removed, the shift card revealed and the path of the play is compared to the defensive positions. Where the path crosses a triangle is where the ball is downed. A touchdown is scored when a play is not downed on the field. Players are also attempting to make ten yards in four downs, as in football, to earn a first down. Random events include a roll every play to see if there is a penalty, and dice-rolling punting, kick off and field goal rules. After four quarters of fifteen plays each, the winner is the player with the most points. 3M Bookshelf Series.
Editions
- Challenge Footballen3M1972
- Challenge Footballen3M1972
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- 3M
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
Questions and answers
Challenge Football supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Challenge Football is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Challenge Football for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Challenge Football has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Challenge Football belongs to these categories: Sports. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Challenge Football are: Frederick A. Herschler. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Challenge Football as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.