Blood Bowl is split into two halves of sixteen Turns each (i.e., 8 Turns per coach). At the end of the second half, the team with the most touchdowns is the winner. The game is played using a simple but strict sequence of play, which runs as follows:
Repeat A & B, one after the other, until a touchdown is scored or the half ends.
During a team turn, the team in play may perform one action with each player in the team. A coach is only allowed five minutes to complete his team turn. The other team may do nothing until their own team turn comes round.
Each coach is responsible for keeping track of how many turns his team has used, and must move the turn counter one space along the track provided on his dugout at the start of each and every one of his team turns. If he forgets to move the counter before taking an action with one or more of his players, then the opposing coach is allowed to call for an "Illegal Procedure" penalty as soon as he spots the mistake. An action is considered to be moving one or more squares, or rolling the dice to throw a block, pass the ball or dodge.
A coach who is called for illegal procedure must either use up a Re-Roll or suffer a turnover. Turnovers are explained in more detail below, but basically a coach that suffers a turnover must end his turn immediately – even if partway through a players action. If the coach uses up a Re-Roll, he is not allowed to use anther Re-Roll counter in the same turn. What’s more, if he has already used a Re-Roll when the penalty is called, or if he doesn’t have any Re-Rolls left, then his team turn automatically ends! If a coach forgets to move the turn marker, but can rectify his mistake before the opposing coach spots the error, then he cannot be called for Illegal Procedure.
A coach may also "Argue the Call" on an illegal procedure penalty, if his Head Coach figure is available on the sidelines of the playing field. The coach will roll a D6, and on a result of ‘6’ the penalty is overturned. On a result of 2-5 the penalty stands, and on a result of ‘1’, the penalty stands and the coach himself is ejected as well! A Head Coach who has been ejected may no longer Argue any calls.
In a team turn a coach may perform one of the following actions with each of the players on his team. When all of the players in the team have performed an action then the team turn ends and the opposing coach is allowed to take a turn.
The following are considered 'Actions' in Blood Bowl:
Move: The player moves any number of squares less than or equal to his MA, with two optional Go For Its. Players that have been knocked over may stand up at a cost of 3 squares from their movement.
Block: The player throws a single block on an adjacent opponent. You may not voluntarily block your own players. Players that have been knocked over may not perform this action.
Blitz: The player moves any number of squares less than or equal to his MA (with two optional Go For Its) and may make one block during the move at the cost of 1 MA. May not be used by more than one player per team per turn. Players that have been knocked over may stand up at a cost of 3 squares from their movement.
Pass: The player moves any number of squares less than or equal to his MA (with two optional Go For Its).At the end of the move, the player throws the ball. May not be used by more than one player per team per turn. Players that have been knocked over may stand up at a cost of 3 squares from their movement.
Foul: The player moves any number of squares less than or equal to his MA (with two optional Go For Its). At the end of the move, the player fouls a downed opponent. May not be used by more than one player per team per turn.
Players perform actions one at a time. In other words the coach may perform an action with one player, then perform an action with another player and so on. This carries on until all of the players have performed an action or the coach does not want to perform an action with any more players. Note that a player must finish his action before another player can take one. Each player may perform only one action per team turn. Only one player may make a Blitz, Foul or Pass action per team turn.
Coaches must declare what kind of action each player is making as the player is activated. [JJ]
The Bomber throwing his bombs does not count as your Pass Action for the turn. [JJ]
Blood Bowl teams live in a world governed by a six-sided die. For most player actions, an unmodified roll of "1" is always a failure; an unmodified roll of "6" is always a success. [An exception is Hypnotic Gaze against an AG 6 player, which will never succeed since the target's AG must be EXCEEDED on D6.] [JJ]
Non Treeman players with less than 3 MA roll to get up in the same manner as Treeman players. [JJ] They must roll 4 or higher on a D6 in order to stand up successfully.
Only one skill may be used to modify a dice roll, although any number of other, non-skill related modifiers can also be used. [JJ]
Normally a teams turn ends when all of the players in the team have performed an action. However, certain events cause the team turn to end before all the players have taken an action. These events are called turnovers.
The following will cause a Turn Over: [JJ]
A coach that suffers a turnover must end his turn immediately – even if partway through a players action. The only exception to this is that armour rolls and injury must still be made for players that have been knocked over.