Pro Game Instructions

Updated December, 2022

INTRODUCTION
Fast Drive Football is a solitaire football simulation game designed to produce realistic drive-by-
drive results and a final score in about 20 minutes. Teams are represented by qualities that drive the
narrative of each possession.

These instructions are for the Professional Football version of the game. For instructions on how to
play the College Version of Fast Drive Football, please visit the College Game Downloads section of
the Fast Drive Football website.
Throughout these instructions, important gameplay notes will be called out in a box such as
this one.

Dice
You will need to supply three 6-sided dice of different colors. These instructions will assume the dice
are black, white, and red. Feel free to substitute your own dice of different colors. These instructions
and the game book will refer to rolls of 1d6, 2d6 and 3d6. These refer to 1 die, 2 dice, and 3 dice
respectively.

Team Cards
Season sets with individual team cards are available from www.fastdrivefootball.com. The standard
team cards provide the Offense, Defense, and Special Teams qualities & ratings that drive the game
engine.

Team cards may contain special results for specific drive rolls. These results override the
results found on the game charts.

TEAM QUALITIES
Following is a summary of the team qualities used in Fast Drive Football. A lack of a quality in a
particular category means that the team’s performance was not significantly impacted by that
attribute that season.

PROLIFIC/DULL (Offense) & STAUNCH/INEPT (Defense)

Average points scored (offense) or scored against (defense) per game.

DYNAMIC/ERRATIC (Offense) & STIFF/SOFT (Defense)

Season total yards gained (offense) or allowed (defense).

SOLID/POROUS (Offense) & PUNISHING/MILD (Defense)

Season sacks allowed (offense) or made (defense).

RELIABLE/SHAKY (Offense) & AGGRESSIVE/MEEK (Defense)

Season interceptions allowed (offense) or made (defense).
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SECURE/CLUMSY (Offense) & ACTIVE/PASSIVE (Defense)
Season fumbles lost (offense) or recovered (defense).

DISCIPLINED/UNDISCIPLINED (Offense or Defense)

Season penalties accumulated by the team.

EFFICIENT/INEFFICIENT (Offense only)

Teams that performed better or worse than their “Expected W/L” are given these qualities. They are
activated in the last five minutes of each half, when there are 4 or fewer “ticks” remaining on the
clock. See the “Timing The Game” section of these instructions for more information.

ELECTRIC
Special teams return units who are threats to score a TD whenever they touch the ball are given this
quality.

SEMI (•) Qualities

Qualities with a bullet (•) after them are referred to as SEMI-qualities and require a roll of an
additional 1d6 to determine if they are activated. An odd die roll (1,3,5) activates the quality, an
even die roll (2,4,6) does not. You may also use a “Decider Die” from your PLAAY.com collection
if you have one.

EXAMPLE: You are playing a game with 1981 Atlanta who are SEMI-PROLIFIC (written as
PROLIFIC• on the team card). During gameplay, the Game Book asks if the team is PROLIFIC.
You must roll a 1d6 to determine if Atlanta is PROLIFIC this drive or not.

SEMI qualities are always in flux. Just because you determined a PROLIFIC• team was not
PROLIFIC during a drive, doesn’t mean they can’t be PROLIFIC later in the game. You must
check each time the quality is questioned.

Likewise, if a single drive has multiple “SEMI” checks, you must re-roll a die for each - do not
use the same die roll for more than one quality check.

KEEPING SCORE
The Fast Drive Football game materials include a custom scoresheet for you to track the game clock,
quarter-by-quarter score, and the results of each drive - one row per drive. For each drive, the Field
Position column should be used to note the starting field position of the offense following the kick-
off, as this information may be needed during gameplay, and is also interesting to review after the
game as an indication of which team won the field position battle.
Each drive begins with POOR, AVERAGE, or GREAT starting field position. Starting field position will
impact the probability of a scoring drive. When a drive ends, it doesn’t necessarily mean it ended in
the same field position it started. For example, drives that begin in POOR field position may end
with a Field Goal Attempt. And a drive that began in AVERAGE field position may end with the
offense backed up for a punt inside their 20 yard line. The movement of the ball up and down the
field is abstracted to arrive at a “fast” result.

Here is an example of what the first quarter of a game of Fast Drive Football might look like with
Oakland visiting Philadelphia.

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TIMING THE GAME - GENERAL
When resolving the results of each drive, you will roll 3d6 (white, black, & red). The duration of each
drive is determined by the red die. This die is referred to as the “Timing Die”. The scoresheet
includes a reference diagram showing the amount of time expended depending on the value of the
timing die.
= = =
= = =
The Game Clock is comprised of 12 circles or “ticks” per quarter. Each tick represents 75 seconds
(1m:15s) of game time. Drives of multiple ticks may carry over from the first quarter to the second, or
the third quarter to the fourth. Ticks do not carry over from the first half to the second half. Use the
Drive Time column to record the duration of each drive. There is no time expended for kickoffs or
special teams plays (punts, field goal attempts, extra points, or free-kicks after a safety).

Timing Exception: Some game book results include a red circle (•) after the result of the
drive. In these cases, ignore the Timing Die value, and mark off only one tick on the game
clock.

If there is not enough time remaining on the clock (fewer ticks available on the clock than used by
the drive), then time ran out before the drive result occurred. Ignore the result and replace with “End
of Half” or “End of Game” on your scoresheet. Make sure to pay attention to any end of half timing
adjustments for EFFICIENT or INEFFICIENT teams.

TIMING THE GAME - EFFICIENT & INEFFICIENT TEAMS

There are special timing rules for the end of each half, to reflect the impact of EFFICIENT &
INEFFICIENT teams. These qualities only apply to the team on offense.

EFFICIENT Teams: With 5:00 or less to go in the half, drive times may be REDUCED or
INCREASED by one tick (gamer’s decision) to reflect the team’s strategic use of the clock and time
outs. A drive of zero ticks is possible as a Timing Die result of ‘1’ can be treated as no ticks taken off
the game clock. The EFFICIENT quality may not be invoked if the result of the drive is a turnover on
downs, fumble, interception, or safety.

EXAMPLE: You are playing a game with 2021 Pittsburgh who are EFFICIENT and leading 2021
Denver 7-3. There are 3 ticks left in the first half, and the result of their drive roll is a FGA, with a
timing die value of “3” or two ticks. Their EFFICIENT quality allows them to increase the the
drive time to 3 ticks, ending the first half no matter the outcome of their field goal attempt.

INEFFICIENT Teams: With 5:00 or less to go in the half, drive times for a losing INEFFICIENT
team are INCREASED by one tick to reflect team’s inefficient use of the clock and timeouts. If the
INEFFICIENT team is winning or the game is tied then there is no effect. Note that the winning/
losing/tied qualifier for this rule is determined by the score when the drive began, not the score
after the drive’s conclusion.

EXAMPLE: You are playing a game with 2021 Denver who are INEFFICIENT and losing to 2021
Pittsburgh 17-19. There are 2 ticks left in the second half, and the result of their drive roll is a
FGA, with a timing die value of “2” or two ticks. Their INEFFICIENT quality forces them to
increase the the drive time to 3 ticks, meaning that time expired before they could get into field
goal range and the game is over.

You now have all of the timing information needed to play the game. Refer to the End of Half
Timing Scenarios sections of these instructions for rules on handling drives that end on the last
tick of the clock.
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PLAYING THE GAME
The Kickoff: Roll 2d6 using the black and white dice on the Kickoff chart, reading the black die as
the “tens” die and the white as the “ones” die. For example, a black die ‘6’ and white die ‘3’ would
be read as ‘63’. If there is a Fumble or In The Open result, re-roll as indicated. Write the starting field
position on the score sheet (POOR, AVERAGE, or GREAT). Reminder: there is no time expended
for kick-offs or any special teams plays.

Resolving a Drive: Roll 3d6 on the Drive Results chart, reading the dice in ascending order. (E.g. a
3d6 roll of 3-1-6, would be read as “1-3-6”). Find the row with the matching sequence and read
across from left to right. There are three columns of results. You may be given an immediate result or
you may be asked a question about a team’s qualities, or the starting field position of the drive. If a
quality check is required, refer to the team card to see if the team has that quality.

If the answer to a question in a column is “yes”, then use the result in that column to complete the
drive. If the answer to a question is “no”, then move to the next column and follow the same
procedure. If you reach the third and final column, use that result to complete the drive.

Log the result on the scoresheet, refer to the Timing Die to determine the duration of the drive,
update the game clock, and proceed with the next drive.

Drive Results:

FUMBLE: Roll 1d6 on the Fumble table on the Drive Results chart to determine the final outcome.

INTERCEPTION: Roll 1d6 on the Interception table on the Drive Results chart to determine the
final outcome.

PUNT-BU: The offense is “backed up” deep in their own end of the field. Roll on the Punt-BU table
on the Punts chart, reading the black die as the “tens” value and the white die as the “ones” value.

PUNT: Normal punt situation. Roll on the Punt table on the Punts chart, reading the black die as
the “tens” value and the white die as the “ones” value.

PUNT-CO: “Coffin Corner” punt opportunity. Roll on the Punt-CO table on the Punts chart,
reading the black die as the “tens” value and the white die as the “ones” value.

SAFETY: Defense is awarded 2 points. Offense must perform a free kick from their 20 yard line.
Use the Punt-BU table on the Punts chart for the free kick.

FGA: Offense has a Field Goal Attempt for 3 points. Roll on the FG success range printed on the
team card for the attempt, reading the black die as the “tens” value and the white die as the
“ones” value. If the die roll is outside of the teams success range printed on their card, then the
field goal is missed - otherwise the attempt is good. On a missed field goal, the opponent takes
over with AVERAGE field position.

TD (Run or Pass): The offense has scored a touchdown for 6 points. For the extra point, either roll
against the XP success range printed on the team card or use the 2-Point Conversion table. Note
that “Run” and “Pass” TD results in the game book are included solely for narrative purposes.

UNUSUAL RESULT: Whenever 2-2-2, 3-3-3, 4-4-4, or 5-5-5 is the result of a drive result roll, you
will be directed to one of the two unusual results tables on the Unusual Results chart. Keep the
original timing die result, and re-roll 2d6 on the appropriate table to resolve, reading the dice in
ascending order.

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 End of Half: If the timing die indicates the drive used more than the time remaining in the half,
then the result of the drive is automatically “End of Half” or “End of Game”. Make sure to pay
attention to any end of half timing adjustments for EFFICIENT or INEFFICIENT teams.

There is one special scenario where a drive taking exactly 1 more tick than what is left on the
game clock at the end of the second half will enable a team to convert a TD result into a field
goal attempt as the clock expires. See the Special Situations section for more information.

END OF HALF TIMING SCENARIOS - FIRST HALF

A completed first half drive may use exactly the number of ticks remaining in the first half. In these
cases, complete the scoresheet as follows:

Punt, Interception, or Fumble: Complete the punt, interception, or fumble sequence. If there
is no return for a score, then mark down the next drive for the other team, with the result “End
of Half”. If there is a return for a TD, the clock expired during the return.
TD or FGA: The score (or attempt) occurred as time expired in the half. Proceed with the extra
point on TD results.
Safety: Proceed with the free kick, using the Punt-BU table on the Punts chart. Mark down the
next drive for the receiving team, with the result “EOH” or “End of Half”. In the event of a TD
return on the free kick, time expired during the return.

END OF HALF TIMING SCENARIOS - SECOND HALF / CLOSE GAME

A completed drive in a close game may use exactly the number of ticks remaining in the game.
Refer to the scenarios below for instructions on how to resolve the end of game action. If the game
is not close, then resolve the drive normally.

Punt result for losing team in POOR or AVERAGE field position: In the scenario where a team
losing by a touchdown or less in POOR or AVERAGE field position rolls a Punt result they may
immediately use the Desperation Play. A field goal attempt is not an option.

Punt result for losing team in GREAT field position: In the scenario where a team losing by a
field goal or less in GREAT field position rolls a Punt result, they will first roll 1d6 to determine if
they are in field goal range. On an odd result, they are in range and will have a field goal
attempt. On an even result, they are out of field goal range and will use the Desperation Play.
If the team is losing by more than a field goal, they will instead use the Desperation Play.

Punt, Interception, Fumble, or Missed Field Goal: Complete the punt, interception, or fumble
sequence. If the Punt, Interception, or Fumble resulted in a TD, skip to the "TD or FG" section
below.
If the team with possession after the turnover is trailing by a field goal or less (or tied) and is in
GREAT field position, they will roll 1d6 to determine if they are in field goal range. On an odd
result, they are in range and will have a field goal attempt. On an even result, they are out of
field goal range and may use the Desperation Play.
If the team with possession after the turnover is trailing by more than a field goal, they will
instead immediately use the Desperation Play.

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TD or Successful FGA: Proceed with the extra point on TD results. If the team that just scored is
still losing by one score or less, then there is time for an on-side kick and if they recover the kick,
a Desperation Play to end regulation.
If the team that just scored is winning by one score or less, they must kick the ball away, with the
receiving team having an opportunity to use the Desperation Play to end regulation.

EFFICIENT Exception: If the team that just scored is winning by one score or less (or the
game is tied), and they have the EFFICIENT quality, then the clock expired on their score
and the game is over.

If the game is out of reach for either team, complete the kickoff sequence and then time expires.
If there is a return for a TD, the clock expired on the return.

Safety: Proceed with the free kick, using the Punt-BU table on the Punts chart. If the team that
just surrendered 2 points is still losing by one score or less, then they must execute the free kick
and hope for a FUMBLE. If this happens, they will first roll 1d6 to determine if they are in field
goal range. On an odd result, they are in range and will have a field goal attempt if the score
dictates it. On an even result, they are out of field goal range and will use the Desperation Play.
If the team that just surrendered 2 points is winning by one score or less, they must kick the ball
away, with the receiving team having an opportunity to use the Desperation Play to end
regulation.
If the game is out of reach for either team, complete the free kick sequence and then time
expires. If there is a return for a TD, the clock expired on the return.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Squib & Onside Kicks
Squib kicks and Onside kicks are available to use, but only in the final 5 minutes of the game. Rules
for these options are printed on the Kickoff Chart.

4th Down - Go For It!

With 7:30 or less to go in the game (6 ticks), this special option may be used. If the result of a drive is
any “PUNT” or “FGA”, and the situation requires going for it on fourth down, roll on this table. If
successful, the offense will get another roll on the Drive Results chart - but this time the result is final,
and the second Drive Results roll is one “tick” in length, no matter the value of the red die. On this
second roll, treat any “PUNT” as a turnover-on-downs, with the opponent taking possession in
AVERAGE field position. If the result of the second roll is "FGA", and the offense would not have
settled for a FGA due to the score and time left in the game, then treat "FGA" as a turnover-on-
downs, with the opponent taking possession in AVERAGE field position.

Last Play Desperation

If a fourth quarter drive uses exactly the number of ticks remaining in the game, and it is tied or a
one-score game, there is time for late game drama!

If the drive that used exactly the number of ticks on the clock was a score, then proceed with the
kickoff and then the Desperation Play! In a tied game, the receiving team may also choose to kneel
down to run out the clock.

EFFICIENT Exception: If the scoring team is EFFICIENT, then the clock ran out on their
scoring drive and the second half is over.

If the drive that used exactly the number of ticks on the clock was a punt, fumble, or interception,
then proceed with the Desperation Play!

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Convert TD Result to a FGA as Time Expires in the Game
This is a very specific rule to allow for the occasional last-second FGA to win or tie a game as time
expires. If the result of the last drive of the game is a TD, but the drive uses exactly one more tick
on the clock than is left in the game, a losing or tied team will convert that TD result into a FGA as
time expires. Make sure to apply any EFFICIENT or INEFFICIENT effects prior to using this rule. Note
that if the result of the last drive is a FGA, then the team did NOT make it into field goal range, and
the game is over - this rule can only be used with a TD result.

EXAMPLE: You are playing a game with 2021 Cleveland who are losing to 2021 Dallas 28-30.
There are 2 ticks left in the second half, and the result of their drive roll is a TD PASS, with a
timing die value of “5” or three ticks. They are not EFFICIENT or INEFFICIENT. Since the drive
resulted in a TD, and used exactly one more tick on the clock than what was left, Cleveland can
convert the TD into a FGA as time expires.

End of Game Score for Winning Team

If a team is already ahead by 2 or more scores, and scores with the last possession of the game
(exactly runs out the clock), change the result to “End of Game”, as in this situation the winning team
can be expected to run out the clock for the win.

Kneel Down to End Game

With only 1:15 (one tick) to go in the game, the team with the lead will kneel down and run out the
clock. Ignore any EFFICIENT or INEFFICIENT qualities.

OPTIONAL RULES
7+ Minute Drive
After rolling a ‘6’ on the Timing Die, and after resolving the drive, roll the Timing Die a second time.
If the second roll is also a ‘6’, then the Drive consumes •••••• or 7:30 of game time. We recommend
only using this optional rule for scoring drives that began in POOR or AVERAGE field position. Do
not use this option if there are fewer than 6 ticks left in the half.

Possibility of Blocked FG or XP with 11-66 Kicking Teams

Instead of awarding the score automatically, roll 2d6. If the result of the die roll is “11”, then there is
a chance that the FG or XP is blocked. Roll 1d6 and of the result is odd, the kick is blocked with the
opponent taking over in AVERAGE field position. Otherwise, the ball is tipped but still sails through
the uprights.

Scoring Detail
Some touchdown results have an “[R]”, “[R+]”, “[P]”, or “[P+]” next to the result. If the team scoring
the touchdown has the matching designator on their team card (printed next to the word OFFENSE),
then the result is flipped from TD Run to TD Pass (in the case of a [P]), or from TD Pass to TD Run (in
the case of an [R]). Note that a team with the “[+]” designator flips their results for both the regular
P/R and P+/R+ results.

For touchdowns, the enhanced team cards include “finders” to determine the player that scored the
TD, as well as the passer on passing TD’s. For FG’s and XP’s, the same finders can be used to
determine the kicker. To use the finders you roll 2d6, designating one die as the tens die and one
die as the ones die.

Extreme Weather
The Game Book includes an Optional Extreme Weather Chart. Follow the rules written on the chart
before starting the game to introduce the possibility of game-altering weather effects. To use the
Optional Extreme Weather Chart you roll 2d6, designating one die as the tens die and one die as
the ones die.

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CROSS ERA PLAY
When playing teams from different years, decades, or eras, we recommend the following:

Step 1 - Normalize Turnovers. Use the year of the most recent team for purposes of turnover
results or symbols for BOTH teams. This includes ignoring special results for turnovers that are found
on NFL teams from 1950-1962, and all AFL teams - if the more recent team is from a later season.

Step 2 - Normalize Field Goals and Extra Point Kicks for teams separated by more than 10
years. Determine adjustment difference by subtracting the Adjustment Number of the decade of the
more recent team from the Adjustment Number of the decade of the older team.

Field Goal and Extra Point Kick Adjustment Numbers by Decade:

2020 - 2029: 0
2010 - 2019: 0
2000 - 2009: 1
1990 - 1999: 2
1980 - 1989: 5
1970 - 1979: 8
1960 - 1969: 11
1950 - 1959: 13

Add the difference to the FG and XP ranges of the older decade team, making sure to use base-6
numbering. For example, when adding 2 to a range of 11-55, the result is 11-61. Note that ranges
cannot be higher than 66, and the kicking range for the "older" team may not exceed the best
rating posted by a team from their opponent's season.

Step 3 - Special Consideration for Extra Point Kicks for modern teams. If one team is from 2015 or
later, and the other team is from a year prior to 2015, add 2 to the XP range of the team from 2015
or later. If both teams are from 2015 or later, no special adjustment is needed.

FOOTBALL IN THE 1950’S

Football in the 1950's saw fewer Field Goal Attempts and more Touchdowns. To reduce field goal
attempts and increase touchdowns so that the game feels more like 1950's football, make these two
changes to the game book drive charts.

Change #1 - Result 1-4-5. Change the result in Column 3 from a FGA to a PUNT-CO.

Change #2 - Result 2-5-6. This roll is now an AUTOMATIC TD RUN. No need to check any of the
field position or quality checks.

2-POINT CONVERSION GUIDE

The AFL used the 2-point conversion from 1960 to 1969. The NFL has used the 2-point conversion
since 1994. 2-point conversion attempts are often situationally dependent, so there is no single
formula that coaches use to make their decision to either kick the PAT or go for a 2-point conversion.
A good starting point is the following table that was initially developed by Dick Vermeil while
coaching at UCLA in the 1970’s.
For a deeper analysis, I recommend these Internet sources:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/when-to-go-for-2-for-real/

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33059528/nfl-game-management-cheat-sheet-punt-go-kick-
field-goal-fourth-downs-plus-2-point-conversion-recommendations
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 Kick PAT or try 2-point Conversion
(If tied, Kick PAT)
Lead by Decision Trail By Decision
1 point Go for 2 1 point Go for 2
2 points Kick PAT 2 points Go for 2
3 points Kick PAT 3 points Kick PAT
4 points Go for 2 4 points Coach Decision
5 points Go for 2 5 points Go for 2
6 points Kick PAT 6 points Kick PAT
7 points Kick PAT 7 points Kick PAT
8 points Kick PAT 8 points Kick PAT
9 points Kick PAT 9 points Go for 2
10 points Kick PAT 10 points Kick PAT
11 points Kick PAT 11 points Go for 2
12 points Go for 2 12 points Go for 2
13 points Kick PAT 13 points Kick PAT
14 points Kick PAT 14 points Kick PAT
15 points Go for 2 15 points Kick PAT
16 points Kick PAT 16 points Go for 2
17 points Kick PAT 17 points Kick PAT
18 points Kick PAT 18 points Kick PAT
19 points Go for 2 19 points Go for 2
20 points Kick PAT 20 points Kick PAT

CLARIFICATIONS
The starting field position qualities are broken down as follows. POOR = Offense goal line to their
19-yard line. AVERAGE = Offense 20-yard line to their 39-yard line. GREAT = Offense 40-yard line to
opponents goal line.

When playing at a neutral site, we recommend designating one team as the home team for the first
half, and the other for the second half.
AFL Season Cards, as well as the NFL Season Cards from 1950 - 1962 include special results for
additional turnover opportunities. These opportunities are in addition to the results already possible
through the game book.

If a team is winning, and they roll a punt result that uses the last tick of the fourth quarter game
clock, they must punt the ball away. They may not “kill” the clock by using the Desperation Play.

On the 2-4-5 result, the offense may get to re-roll on the Drive Results chart if the offense is
DYNAMIC or if the defense is SOFT. In these cases, ignore the Timing Die value, and mark off one
tick on the game clock before re-rolling on the main Drive Results chart. EFFICIENT and
INEFFICIENT rules still apply, and the subsequent roll follows normal timing rules. If 2-4-5 is rolled
again, follow the same procedure.

If a losing team starts a drive with only 1-tick left on the game clock in the second half, they must roll
for a drive as normal and hope for a result that allows them to complete the drive - they may not
immediately use the Desperation Play.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON END OF HALF TIMING
Most gameplay related questions have to do with handling end-of-half and end-of-game timing. The
only time it gets tricky is when a second or fourth quarter drive uses exactly the last tick of the game
clock (or exactly one more if it’s the fourth quarter). This section provides additional examples to help
clarify the concepts. As a review, here are the primary four timing rules for the end of a half:

Golden Rule: If there is not enough time remaining on the clock to complete the drive, then
the drive result did not occur, and the result is “End of Half”.
One Exception to the Golden Rule: If the result of the last drive of the game is a
TD, but the drive uses exactly one more tick on the clock than is left in the game, a
team losing by 3 points or less (or tied) will convert that TD result into a FGA as time
expires.
EFFICIENT Teams: With 5:00 or less to go in the half, drive times may be REDUCED or
INCREASED by one tick.
INEFFICIENT Teams: With 5:00 or less to go in the half, drive times for a losing
INEFFICIENT team are INCREASED by one tick.
Desperation Play: Used after a fourth quarter drive uses exactly the number of ticks
remaining in the game, and the game is still tied or a one-score game.
EFFICIENT Exception: If the drive was a score, and the scoring team is EFFICIENT, then
they ran out the clock on their scoring drive, the second half is over.

Let’s look at these rules in practice with some examples. These scenarios will use the 2021 team
cards for Pittsburgh (PIT) and Indianapolis (IND)

Scenario #1: EFFICIENT team drains the clock at the end of the first half
There are 4-ticks left on the clock in the first half, and Pittsburgh scores a touchdown with a 3-tick
drive. Since they are EFFICIENT, they add an extra tick to exhaust the game clock and the half ends
after the extra point. Note that it doesn’t matter if Pittsburgh was winning or losing, as it doesn’t
come into play with the EFFICIENT quality.

Scenario #2: EFFICIENT team uses quality to score a touchdown

There are 2-ticks left on the clock in the first half, and Pittsburgh rolls a 3-tick drive that ends with a
touchdown. Since they are EFFICIENT, they can subtract a tick to reduce the drive to 2-ticks, thus
scoring the touchdown! The half ends after the extra point. Note that it doesn’t matter if Pittsburgh
was winning or losing, as it doesn’t come into play with the EFFICIENT quality.
Scenario #3: First Half appears to end on scoring play for INEFFICIENT team, but time runs out
There are 3-ticks left on the clock in the first half, and Indianapolis is losing the game. They roll a 3-
tick drive to score a touchdown, but their INEFFICIENT quality forces them to add a tick to the
timing result meaning that time ran out and the result of the drive is “End of Half.” Note that if they
were winning or the game was tied, the score would have stood - as the INEFFICIENT quality is only
active when the team is losing.

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Scenario #4: First Half ends on scoring play for INEFFICIENT team
There are 2-ticks left on the clock in the first half, and Indianapolis is losing the game by a field goal.
They roll a 1-tick drive to score a touchdown, and their INEFFICIENT quality forces them to add a
tick to the timing result resulting in a 2-tick drive. The result is still a touchdown and the half ends
after the extra point. Note that even though they are now winning, the INEFFICIENT quality is still
used since it’s the score at the beginning of the drive that matters.

Scenario #5: Late first-half drive for EFFICIENT team

There are 7-ticks left on the clock in the first half, and Pittsburgh rolls a 4-tick punt. Since the drive
extends into the final 4-ticks of the half, you decide that they will use the option to add a tick to their
drive. The result is that Indy will have fewer ticks to work with on their ensuing drive. Remember that
the EFFICIENT and INEFFICIENT timing rules take effect as soon as the play extends into the final
five minutes of the game - it doesn’t have to start in the final five minutes.

Scenario #6: EFFICIENT team blocks use of the Desperation Play at the end of the game
There is 1-tick left on the clock in the game, Pittsburgh has the ball, and they trail 17 to 20. They roll
a 1-tick field goal attempt and the kick is good! Since the drive used exactly the last tick of the game
clock, Indianapolis would normally get a chance for a kick return and a Desperation Play. But
because Pittsburgh is EFFICIENT, they tied the game as time expired per the “Desperation Play
EFFICIENT exception.”

Scenario #7: Failed end of game comeback by INEFFICIENT team

There are 2-ticks left on the clock in the game, Indianapolis has the ball, and they trail 20 to 26. They
roll a 2-tick touchdown, but their INEFFICIENT quality adds an extra tick to the drive. Time runs out
on them and the game is over. This scenario doesn’t trigger the “Convert a TD to a FGA” rule
because Indianapolis is losing by more than a field goal.

Scenario #8: INEFFICIENT comeback followed by Desperation Play

There are 3-ticks left on the clock in the game, Indianapolis has the ball, and they trail 20 to 26. They
roll a 2-tick touchdown, and their INEFFICIENT quality adds an extra tick to the drive. They score the
Touchdown with the final tick of the clock and make the extra point, taking a 27-26 lead. They must
kick-off to Pittsburgh who gain average field position. Pittsburgh immediately uses the Desperation
Play as time expires…

Scenario #9: Punt return creates last second FGA to end the game
There are 2-ticks left in the game and Pittsburgh is leading 24 to 22. They roll a 1-tick punt result,
and decide to increase the drive to 2-ticks before rolling for the punt. The return roll gives
Indianapolis GREAT field position! They roll 1d6 to determine if they are in field goal range. On an
odd result, they are in range and will have a field goal attempt. On an even result, they are out of
field goal range and will use the Desperation Play.

Scenario #10: Invoking the Exception to the Golden Rule!

This mechanism was added in a later revision of the game and it’s a lot of fun when it triggers.
Pittsburgh is losing 31-30 with 2-ticks left in the game. They roll a 4-tick drive with a touchdown
result, and their EFFICIENT quality allows them to reduce the drive to 3-ticks, just one more tick than
what is on the clock! They can now use the special rule for a field goal attempt to win the game!

Scenario #11: Invoking the Exception to the Golden Rule! Part 2!

Indianapolis is losing 31-30 with 2-ticks left in the game. They roll a 2-tick drive with a touchdown
result, but their INEFFICIENT quality turns into a 3-tick drive, one more tick than what is on the clock!
They (too) can now use the special rule for a field goal attempt to win the game! Yes, even
INEFFICIENT teams can take advantage of this rule!

Scenario #12: Invoking the Exception to the Golden Rule! Part 3!

A team without any EFFICIENT or INEFFICIENT quality is losing 31-30 with 3-ticks left in the game.
They roll a 4-tick drive with a touchdown result, one more tick than what is on the clock! They can
now use the special rule for a field goal attempt to win the game!

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 PRO SEASON AND TEAM CREATION GUIDE
Offense Scoring Qualities
This quality is based on the team’s average Points Per Game (PPG). Round actual PPG averages to
the nearest whole number. Note that this table supports historical scoring averages from 1950 to
today. See the team creation instructions for the college version of FDF if you wish to base your
league on a smaller or larger season scoring average.

Offense Scoring Qualities (based on average Points Per Game)

DULL DULL• No Quality PROLIFIC• PROLIFIC
14 or less 15 to 17 18 to 26 27 to 29 30 or more

Clock Management Qualities*

EFFICIENT: Actual W-L is 2 (or more) better than their Expected W-L
EFFICIENT•: Actual W-L is 1 better than their Expected W-L
INEFFICIENT: Actual W-L is 2 (or more) worse than their Expected W-L
INEFFICIENT•: Actual W-L is 1 worse than their Expected W-L
* I use the “Expected W-L” value from pro-football-reference.com to generate this quality.

Other Offensive Qualities

For all other qualities, you will identify the top and bottom 16% of teams in each statistical category
for the season. The very top or very bottom teams will get the full quality, and the next 8% will get
the SEMI quality. If ties for a category would bring quality assignment over 16% of the teams, then
scale back to the next value and create a 50/50 split of the full and semi qualities with the new
range.

Other Offense Qualities (based on “average per game” statistical ranking in each category)
Category Top 8% Top 9%-16% Middle 68% Bottom 9%-16% Bottom 8%
Yards Gained DYNAMIC DYNAMIC• No Quality ERRATIC• ERRATIC
Sacks Allowed SOLID SOLID• No Quality POROUS• POROUS
INT’s Thrown* RELIABLE RELIABLE• No Quality SHAKY• SHAKY
FUM’s Lost* SECURE SECURE• No Quality CLUMSY• CLUMSY
Penalties DISCIPLINED DISCIPLINED• No Quality UNDISCIPLINED• UNDISCIPLINED

*The method used to determine the interception and fumble ratings for the “official” published pro teams for FDF was more exact
than this method, but this simplified process will still provide believable results. If you want to know the exact cutoffs used to create
the published teams, I’ve included the information at the end of this guide.

Defense Scoring Allowed Qualities

This quality is based on the team’s average Points Against Per Game (PAPG). Round actual PAPG
averages to the nearest whole number.

Defense Scoring Qualities (based on average Points Against Per Game)

STAUNCH STAUNCH• No Quality INEPT• INEPT
14 or less 15 to 17 18 to 26 27 to 29 30 or more

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Other Defensive Qualities
Follow the same guidance from the offense qualities.

Other Defense Qualities (based on “average per game” statistical ranking in each category)
Category Top 8% Top 9%-16% Middle 68% Bottom 9%-16% Bottom 8%
Yards Allowed STIFF STIFF• No Quality SOFT• SOFT
Sacks PUNISHING PUNISHING• No Quality MILD• MILD
INT’s AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVE• No Quality MEEK• MEEK
FUM’s Recovered ACTIVE ACTIVE• No Quality PASSIVE• PASSIVE
Penalties DISCIPLINED DISCIPLINED• No Quality UNDISCIPLINED• UNDISCIPLINED

Return Unit Qualities

If a KR or PR unit had 2 or more returns for a TD in the season, they are given the ELECTRIC quality.
If they had 1 return for a TD, then they are given the ELECTRIC• quality.

FG & XP Ranges
Use the following chart to assign FG and XP success ranges based on team success percentages.

Success Success Success

Success % Success % Success %
Range Range Range
100 11-66 67-68 11-46 33-35 11-26
97-99 11-65 64-66 11-45 31-32 11-25
94-96 11-64 61-63 11-44 28-30 11-24
92-93 11-63 58-60 11-43 25-27 11-23
89-91 11-62 56-57 11-42 22-24 11-22
86-88 11-61 53-55 11-41 19-21 11-21
83-85 11-56 50-52 11-36 17-18 11-16
81-82 11-55 47-49 11-35 14-16 11-15
78-80 11-54 44-46 11-34 11-13 11-14
75-77 11-53 42-43 11-33 8-10 11-13
72-74 11-52 39-41 11-32 6-7 11-12
69-71 11-51 36-38 11-31 3-5 11-11

Pass vs. Run Scoring Tendency

FDF is designed to produce a 60/40 ratio in Pass TD’s vs. Run TD’s. For greater statistical accuracy
you can include this tendency rating in your team creation.

P+: 80/20 and higher pass/run ratio

P: Between a 66/34 and 79/21 pass/run ratio
R: Between a 41/59 and 54/46 pass/run ratio
R+: 40/60 and lower pass/run ratio

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Special Qualities for Offense and Defense
Teams with an especially high or low performing offense or defense can be given these special
“boutique” qualities to adjust their scoring (for or against) to a more historically accurate range.
Specific rolls become an “automatic” result, ignoring the results from the Game Book.

High performing Offense

33 - 35 PPG: 1-2-3 is an automatic TD PASS
36 - 37 PPG: 1-2-3 & 1-2-5 are an automatic TD PASS
38 - 39 PPG: 1-2-3, 1-2-5, & 3-4-5 are an automatic TD PASS

High performing Defense

9 - 10 PAPG: 4-4-6 & 5-5-6 are an automatic PUNT
7 - 8 PAPG: 3-6-6, 4-4-6, & 5-5-6 are an automatic PUNT

Low performing Offense

9 - 10 PPG: 4-4-6 & 5-5-6 are an automatic PUNT
7 - 8 PPG: 3-6-6, 4-4-6, & 5-5-6 are an automatic PUNT

Low performing Defense

33 - 35 PAPG: 1-2-3 is an automatic TD PASS
36 - 37 PAPG: 1-2-3 and 1-2-5 are an automatic TD PASS
38 - 39 PAPG: 1-2-3, 1-2-5, & 3-4-5 are an automatic TD PASS

Special Qualities for 1950 through 1969

For completeness, I am including these special results that were created for the officially published
pro teams. See the FAQ for additional pro game adjustments when playing teams from the 1950’s.
Note that at this time I have not published guidelines for adapting FDF to pre-1950 era pro football.

NFL: 1950-1954
3-4-5 is automatic FUMBLE
1-1-1, 1-1-2, and 2-4-5 are automatic INTERCEPTION

NFL: 1955-1959
3-4-5 is automatic FUMBLE
1-1-1 & 1-1-2 are automatic INTERCEPTION

NFL: 1960-1962
1-1-1 & 1-1-2 are automatic INTERCEPTION

AFL: 1960-1964
1-1-1, 1-1-2, and 2-4-5 are automatic INTERCEPTION

AFL: 1965-1969
1-1-1 & 1-1-2 are automatic INTERCEPTION

Bonus Content: Turnover specifics

In order to get the turnover results more in-line with historical trends, I analyzed year-over-year
averages and followed the guidelines below during season creation. This provided the best balance
of convenience and accuracy. However, I do believe that using the percentage method described
earlier will still work fine.

Offense Fumble Qualities (1950 - 1989)

SECURE: 9 or fewer fumbles lost
SECURE•: 10-11 fumbles lost
CLUMSY•: 23-24 fumbles lost
CLUMSY: 25 or more fumbles lost

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Offense Fumble Qualities (1990 - 2000)
SECURE: 6 or fewer fumbles lost
SECURE•: 7-8 fumbles lost
CLUMSY•: 20-21 fumbles lost
CLUMSY: 22 or more fumbles lost

Offense Fumble Qualities (2001 - 2016)

SECURE: 3 or fewer fumbles lost
SECURE•: 4-5 fumbles lost
CLUMSY•: 17-18 fumbles lost
CLUMSY: 19 or more fumbles lost

Offense Fumble Qualities (2017 - Today)

SECURE: 1 or no fumbles lost
SECURE•: 2-3 fumbles lost
CLUMSY•: 15-16 fumbles lost
CLUMSY: 17 or more fumbles lost

Defensive Fumble Qualities (1950 - 1989)

PASSIVE: 9 or fewer fumbles recovered
PASSIVE•: 10-11 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE•: 23-24 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE: 25 or more fumbles recovered

Defensive Fumble Qualities (1990 - 2000)

PASSIVE: 6 or fewer fumbles recovered
PASSIVE•: 7-8 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE•: 20-21 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE: 22 or more fumbles recovered

Defensive Fumble Qualities (2001 - 2016)

PASSIVE: 3 or fewer fumbles recovered
PASSIVE•: 4-5 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE•: 17-18 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE: 19 or more fumbles recovered

Defensive Fumble Qualities (2017 - Today)

PASSIVE: 1 or no fumbles recovered
PASSIVE•: 2-3 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE•: 15-16 fumbles recovered
ACTIVE: 17 or more fumbles recovered

Offense Interception Qualities (1950 - 1954)

RELIABLE: 16 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 17-18 interceptions
SHAKY•: 30-31 interceptions
SHAKY: 32 or more interceptions

Offense Interception Qualities (1955 - 1977)

RELIABLE: 12 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 13-14 interceptions
SHAKY•: 26-27 interceptions
SHAKY: 28 or more interceptions
Offense Interception Qualities (AFL 1960 - 1964)
RELIABLE: 20 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 21-22 interceptions
SHAKY•: 34-35 interceptions
SHAKY: 36 or more interceptions

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Offense Interception Qualities (AFL 1965 - 1969)
RELIABLE: 14 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 15-16 interceptions
SHAKY•: 28-29 interceptions
SHAKY: 30 or more interceptions

Offense Interception Qualities (1978 - 1986)

RELIABLE: 14 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 15-16 interceptions
SHAKY•: 28-29 interceptions
SHAKY: 30 or more interceptions

Offense Interception Qualities (1987 - 2013)

RELIABLE: 9 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 10-11 interceptions
SHAKY•: 23-24 interceptions
SHAKY: 25 or more interceptions

Offense Interception Qualities (2014 - Today)

RELIABLE: 5 or fewer interceptions
RELIABLE•: 6-7 interceptions
SHAKY•: 19-20 interceptions
SHAKY: 21 or more interceptions

Defensive Interception Qualities (1950 - 1954)

MEEK: 16 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 17-18 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 30-31 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 32 or more interceptions

Defensive Interception Qualities (1955 - 1977)

MEEK: 12 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 13-14 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 26-27 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 28 or more interceptions

Defensive Interception Qualities (AFL 1965 - 1969)

MEEK: 14 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 15-16 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 28-29 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 30 or more interceptions

Defensive Interception Qualities (AFL 1960 - 1964)

MEEK: 20 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 21-22 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 34-35 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 36 or more interceptions

Defensive Interception Qualities (1978 - 1986)

MEEK: 14 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 15-16 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 28-29 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 30 or more interceptions
Defensive Interception Qualities (1987 - 2013)
MEEK: 9 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 10-11 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 23-24 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 25 or more interceptions

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 Defensive Interception Qualities (2014 - Today)
MEEK: 5 or fewer interceptions
MEEK•: 6-7 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE•: 19-20 interceptions
AGGRESSIVE: 21 or more interceptions

FINAL THOUGHTS
This game and its season sets are free, and are being shared as “Charity Ware.” If you enjoy the
game, please consider making a donation to a non-profit organization of your choosing.

Thanks to the “Filthy Muddlers” (Cooper Gilbert, Bob Hansen, Travis Jansen, Harvey Couch, and
Paul Salzgeber) who helped play-test and shared ideas as I was getting this game off the ground in
the Spring of 2021.

Thanks to Michael Owens for his play-testing and suggestions as I put the finishing touches on the
game.

Thanks to Josh Nelson who was extremely helpful during V1.1 play-testing.

Thanks to the FDF enthusiasts on the PLAAY Discord Server for their ideas during V2.0 development.

Thanks to the Fast Drive Football Facebook Community for their enthusiasm and encouragement.

Special thanks to Mark Miller (Jerry Cuan on Facebook) for taking this game to the next level with his
scoring detail add-ons and his collaboration on the enhanced team cards.

If you are looking for a deeper, more immersive tabletop football gaming experience, then I
recommend both Second Season Football and Second Season Express from PLAAY Games. You can
order the games at www.plaayclassic.com.

Core game mechanics (qualities and the 3-column progression system) are used with the permission
of PLAAY Games LLC. Very special thanks to my gaming mentor and best friend, Keith Avallone.

If you have any questions, I can be reached via e-mail at alwilsond6@gmail.com

Al Wilson / December 2022 © 2022 Al Wilson. All rights reserved.

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