Dice Football Game

Dice football game using three dice.

Two players play against each other for a set number of possessions using a play chart to determine the results of each play.

Two versions were made; One made of wood with magnetics and one made of corrugated cardboard.

Wood version: 1/4" Lauan plywood, 5mm magnets, 7mm magnets, 20mm wood discs, football figures, magnetic push pins, rubber sheet, glue, paint, decals, dice.

Corrugated version: Trifold display board, football figures, 20mm wood discs, popsicle sticks, game pieces, dice.

A nominal 12" x 24" piece of lauan plywood was used. The actual size was 11 7/8" x 23 7/8" due to saw kerf.

The hole locations were laid out on the plywood. A 5mm brad point drill bit was used to drill the holes. A drill press was used to control the depth of the hole to slightly deeper than the 2mm thickness of the 5mm magnets.

The 5mm magnets were glued into the holes. A total of 104 magnets were used. A magnetic push pin was employed to ensure that all the magnets are the same polarity before gluing into the holes. A small wood rod was used to seat the magnets below the surface.

Wood filler was used on top of the magnets to make the surface generally smooth. The board was sanded, primed, and painted.

The yardage lines, dashes, and dots were drawn using a white paint pen. Using a straight edge with a cork backing prevents the paint from running or smearing under the straight edge.

The yardage numbers, down dots and down numbers were self stick decals. Stencils could also be used. Due to their size, the coach's challenge texts were printed labels.

The paint, decals, stencils, and labels were sealed with a couple of coats of clear aerosol finish (Krylon Matte Finish) and then finished with polyurethane (Varathane water based satin).

Felt pads were added to the underside for protection of tables.

A 12" x 24" piece was cut from the tri-fold display. A large enough corrugated box side or even poster board could be used.

The yardage lines, dashes, and dots were drawn using a black paint pen (Sharpie).

The yardage numbers, down circles and down numbers were stencils.

The coach's challenge dots were not drawn on the corrugated version but could be added if desired.

There were four versions of the first down markers.

Purchased from Blue Falcon Hobbies: 2" custom first down length will need to be selected. They don't seem to be concerned with magnet polarity and one magnet had to be removed, reversed, and reinstalled.

3D printed: .STL file is attached. Magnets were glued into holes in the base. Be mindful of magnet polarity.

Wood: Made from scrap pieces. Magnets were glued to base and rubber added (may not be necessary) for more stability. Again, be mindful of magnet polarity.

Popsicle stick: The popsicle sticks were cut to a shorter length. Magnetic push pins were glued to the sticks mindful of magnet polarity. The magnets are powerful enough to somewhat hold the marker in position on the field. It can also be used on the corrugated field with non-magnetic pins.

In all versions, the distance between the posts or pins should be 2".

Magnetic push pins are used to indicate and keep track of the down. Many vendors sell them on Amazon.

Three types of players were created.

Electric football figurines were purchased from Tudor Games. They were painted in various team colors. 7mm magnets were glued to the bottom along with a small piece of rubber to add stability.

TeenyMates football players were purchased. Sold on eBay and Amazon. The hole in the bottom of the figures was hand reamed to 7mm to permit gluing in 7mm magnets.

Player outline images were found online and reduced to an approximate size of 2" tall. The outlines were colored in various team colors. A left and right side were glued together and laminated. They were then put into little game piece stands. Small binder clips could also be used as bases although they are not as stable.

Again, be mindful of magnet polarity when gluing to the players.

Any type of game marker could be used in lieu of player figures.

20mm diameter wooden discs were purchased. 5mm holes were drilled through the middle. Since the discs were 4mm thick, a magnet could be glued into each side. I keep stressing to be mindful of magnet polarity.

Disc labels were created and printed. The pdf file may need to be fit to the printer paper size and the printed labels will need to be copied with reduction so the final circle diameter is about 3/4".

The labels shown were converted to a sticker with a Xyron sticker maker. They could also be simply glued to the wood discs.

Four discs should be made. Coach's challenge 1 and 2 in red and blue. The opposite side should have "used" text.

The magnets were not totally necessary, the discs can be used without magnets, particularly with the corrugated field. The labels could also be just glued together without any wood disc. A simple piece of paper could also be used.

Three documents were created for the game: Rules, play chart, and score sheets.

The rules should explain how to play the game. A basic understanding of general football is a benefit. The rules were printed two sided and laminated for durability.

The play chart gives the result of dice rules while playing the game. It was printed on heavy printer paper and laminated. The chart can be printed on both sides of the paper if so desired.

There are two score sheets; One for a six possession game and one for a four or eight possession game. These were printed on heavy printer paper and laminated. The six possession on one side and the four/eight possession on the other side.

With a laminated score sheet the scores can be entered using dry or wet erase markers. Simple pencil and paper could also be used.

The game utilizes three dice so there are 56 unique combinations for each roll. Rolling 1,2,3 is the same as rolling 3,2,1. The odds are different for the combinations so a roll such as 6,4,2 is about six times as likely as a roll of triples such as 3.3.3. The plays associated with each dice combination was assigned with this in mind. A brief summary of play odds is shown at the bottom of the play sheet.

In lieu of having a separate matrix for kick-off and punt returns, one extra roll is used to determine the kick-off and punt return. For a kick-off the receiving player places his figure on the 30 yard line. The player rolls the three dice and moves his figure appropriately. For example if a 5,5,2 (Pass, 10 Yards) is rolled, the first down line of scrimmage would be the 40 yard line. This rule can be ignored and all kick-offs starting at the 30 yard line and punts starting at the end of the punt.

The coach's challenge is meant to add a little more strategy into the game. After a failed fourth down attempt, a player can utilize a coach's challenge. It does not erase the previous play but rather gives the player one additional play to make a first down, punt, or attempt a field goal. The number of challenges should be agreed upon prior to the start of the game.

The game can be played without any field at all. The first versions were played using only graph paper.

The game may take longer the first several times it is played but once players get a feel for reading the play chart, moving the players, down marker, and first down marker and recording the scores it can progress fairly rapidly.