A game consists of two halves. At the start of each the half the pieces are set out as shown below. The player who attacks in the first half defends in the second. The player who scores the most points wins. In both halves the attacker goes first. (In the diagram the red team is attacking).

In the diagram the ball is represented by a small white circle, the Quarterback by a square, a Single by a large circle, and a Triple by a small circle. A medium sized circle represents a Double.

The attacker tries to score as many points as he can and the defender tries to stop him. The attacker tries to carry or pass the ball up field until either the ball carrier is tackled or a pass is intercepted. E.g. The ball carrier is tackled on a square that lies on row eight and column four. He scores 8 + 4 = 12 points. If a pass is intercepted then no points are scored.

Players flip a coin to see who attacks first.

The line between rows 0 and 1 is called the line of scrimmage.

When pieces are free to move without restriction from opposition pieces they can move as follows.

A Single can move one square in any direction. A Double can move as a Single and then if wanted another square in any direction. A Triple can move as a Double but with the option of moving yet another square in any direction. When a Quarterback moves from a square that is behind the line of scrimmage on row 0 or an unnumbered row it can move only as a Triple.

When a Quarterback is over the line of scrimmage and moves from a square on rows 1 to 12 it can move as a Triple but with the option of moving yet another square in any direction, and this is true even if it moves back behind the line of scrimmage onto row 0 or an unnumbered square - the important thing is where it started from, not where it ended up.

A piece can't move on to a square that is already occupied by another piece except when tackling the ball carrier. A piece can't jump over another piece.

The attacker can either: move two pieces, or move one piece and pass the ball, or pass the ball and then move a piece, or pass the ball and then pass the ball again. (Note well. The only time an attacker can move two pieces, be they Triple, Quarterback or Double, is when he DOESN'T pass the ball.)

A Double,Triple and Quarterback must move their allocated number of squares in an uninterrupted sequence. E.g. A player can't move a Triple two squares, then move another piece, and then move the original Triple its remaining squares. However, making a pass does NOT interrupt the sequence. For example a Triple can move one square, pass, and then move two squares.

A defending Triple is not allowed over the line of scrimmage and must stay on rows 1 to 12. A defending Double or Single is not allowed on rows 2 to 12 unless an attacking Double or Quarterback has already moved over the line of scrimmage.

Once an attacking Double or Quarterback has moved beyond the line of scrimmage, for the rest of the game defending Doubles and Singles can move where they want even if the attacking pieces retreat back again behind the line of scrimmage onto row 0 or an unnumbered row.

A Single has a blocking strength of 3, a Double of two, and a Triple and Quarterback of 1. A piece can't move diagonally past a piece of equal or greater blocking strength. A Triple and Quarterback are not allowed on a square adjacent to a Single.

A piece can push only an opposition piece of weaker blocking strength.

Pushing Triples by Doubles and Doubles by a Single. The piece is pushed off its square in the direction in which the pushing piece moved.

Pushing a Quarterback without the ball (or a Triple) by a Single. The Single moves on to an adjacent square to the Quarterback. An imaginary line is drawn from the Single to the Quarterback. The quarterback is moved one square away from the Single in the direction of the line.

A piece can't be pushed off its square if the square it would be pushed on to is already occupied or if it would be pushed off the board. A Triple or Quarterback can't be pushed on to a square that's adjacent to an opposition Single.

The ball carrier can't push at all.

  

Refer to the above diagrams.

The first two diagrams show a blue Double moving into position and then pushing a Triple in the direction he needed.

The other diagram shows a Single pushing a Triple. If the Single had moved diagonally upwards to the right, then it would have pushed the Triple horizontally sideways.

Triples and Doubles can tackle each other, and Singles and Doubles can tackle each other . They do this in the following way. The defending piece moves on to the ball carrier's square. A Single can tackle a Quarterback (or Triple) by moving on to a square that is adjacent to the Quarterback (or Triple).

A piece carrying the ball can make a pass. Only the Quarterback can make a forward pass. A forward pass can be made only from a square that is behind the line of scrimmage; it cannot be made from a square on rows 1 to 12.

A pass can be any distance

The passing piece stays where it is and the ball is moved in a straight line along a row, a column or a diagonal. The line of pass must be free of both attacking and defending pieces, apart of course, for the piece receiving the pass.

The ball can be placed on a receiver, or on an unoccupied square, in which case, the first piece to reach the square picks it up. If that piece is a defender then the pass has been intercepted.

At the beginning of each half the ball starts with the quarterback, but it is usually left off the board. We know the Quarterback has it. The only time it needs to be placed on the board is if it has been passed.