- BGG rank
- BGG #23,637
- BGG rating
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Blue Line Hockey
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 1968
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,454
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Thinking Man's Football
1966
Rules assistance for Thinking Man's Football
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Thinking Man's Football
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Thinking Man's Football is a board game released in 1966 for 2 players and 90 minutes per game. It was designed by Frederick A. Herschler and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
Originally published as Pro Football and later rebranded Thinking Man’s Football, this strategic head-to-head simulation captures the cerebral side of American football. Released as part of the 3M Sports Games line, it focuses on play selection, tactical prediction, and statistical outcomes. Each turn, the offensive player secretly selects a play—run, pass, or special play—while the defense chooses a formation and one of three areas to guard: left, center, or right. Both choices are revealed simultaneously, and a chart combined with a die roll determines the result of the play: yardage gained or lost. Standard football rules for downs, possession, and scoring apply. The game plays out over two halves, challenging players to outthink one another while balancing risk and field position. Unlike arcade-style football games, Thinking Man’s Football emphasizes play-calling strategy and probability, making it a great fit for fans of sports analytics, gridiron tactics, and old-school simulation.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- 3M
Questions and answers
Thinking Man's 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 Thinking Man's Football is 90 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.
Thinking Man's Football has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Thinking Man's Football belongs to these categories: Sports. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and 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 Thinking Man's 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 Thinking Man's 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.