What is the Rush & Pass League?

Rush and pass is currently inactive.

The Rush and Pass League is a place where the ball comes before the blood, and for players whose aim is to enjoy the game WITH their opponent, win or lose. Rush and pass is Bloodbowl without so much bashing, and with little stalling. In practice it is a combination of League and Knock-Out play, with a focus on scoring touchdowns and defending your end zone, rather than on destroying the opposition. This is not an anti-blocking league, though it is very definitely anti-bashing, with specific racial and skill rules. Friendly in-game chat is an important part of the league, in which we conjure up a good game atmosphere and help our opponents to enjoy themselves too.


To support this, all Coaches agree to abide by the .

1. 
   The Code
   
   In short, The Rush & Pass Code of Sportsmanship reduces bash and promotes the fun of lots of fast scoring. Anything that contributes to that is encouraged, anything that detracts from that is discouraged. There are some specifics, but it's really just that easy - try to score, try to win, don't try to injure the opposition just to do it.
   
   If you have any questions or concerns about any of this, feel free to conduct a League Commissioner, publicly or privately.
   
   Sportsmanship:

   • The priority at all times is for all players to enjoy themselves, win or lose.
     
     
   • All players take some responsibility for helping their opponent to enjoy themselves.
     
     
   • Cheering each other's good plays and commiserating over tragic failures is the way to go!
     
     
   • No Stalling please (altho' no one is ever "required" to GFI to score if they don't want to risk it).

   
   Teams and game-play must conform to the following racial, skill, inducement and conduct rules. If in any doubt, consult a Commissioner before deciding on your race, buying players, rolling skills, etc.
   

   1. 1. 
         
      
      
      Races:

      • all 4 Elf teams
        
      • Amazons*
        
      • Chaos Pact*
        
      • Humans
        
      • Lizardmen
        
      • Simyins(*)
        
      • Skaven
        
      • Slann
        
      • Underworld
        
      • Vampire*
        
        * Note: 2-turn scores (or, of course, OTS plays) are key to gaining "Season Points" (see below) to determine the season champ. Any team that does not start with MA 7(+) players starts at a distinct disadvantage!
      The following skills are never permitted on permanent players or induced mercenaries. This includes any Cards that may give the skill temporarily.
      

      • Mighty Blow
        
      • Claw
        
      • Piling On*
        
      • Stab*
        
      • Dirty Player*
        
      • Sneaky Git*
        
      • Ball & Chain
        
      • Bombardier
        
      • Chainsaw
        1. (* Note - For asterisked skills, exceptions are allowed for Star Players if the player does not use those skills.)

      Obviously, since Mighty Blow is not allowed, no teams are allowed to hire Big Guys.
      Every League game, both teams receive +300k free inducements which MUST be used ONLY on +2 Babes & +2 Wandering Apothecaries! Forgetting to do this is not (necessarily) penalized, but coaches may not "agree" to spend this money on other inducements. Inducements bought "by mistake" with this 300k should not be used if at all possible.
      
      If you have Inducements over that 300k, it's allowed to take Inducements, but The Code also limits which may be selected:

      • Spending petty cash on inducements is not allowed in Rush and Pass. (Without much attrition there's just too much spare money.).
        
      • Any Star Player with a prohibited skill like Mighty Blow, Claw, Ball & Chain, Bombardier, Chainsaw, etc. may not be induced. (See "Skill Restrictions" for full list & comments.)
        
      • Star Players with the skills Stab, Dirty Player, Piling On and/or Sneaky Git may be induced, but those skills may not be used in the game.
        
      • Despite having the Mighty Blow skill, the Wizard may be hired and Lightning Bolt used, since its use is primarily about getting the ball from the opponent, which is integral to Rush & Pass.
        
      • You may choose to induce special play Cards from either deck, but bear in mind that if you draw a card that lets you do something that isn't allowed in Rush & Pass then you may not use the card, and you've wasted your inducement money.

      Specifically, 4 Cards are restricted from play...

      1. • Blatant Foul (Dirty Tricks) - Fouling prohibited
           
         • Gromskull's Exploding Runes (Dirty Tricks) - Bombardier skill prohibited
           
         • Spiked Ball (Dirty Tricks) - Stab prohibited
           
         • Wand of Smashing (Magic Items) MB prohibited - unless player takes no Block/Blitz action.
      Anti-Bashing:
      
      Central Rule: Don't try to bash.
      
      This League is not about Bash (for Bash's sake), it's about Ballhandling and scoring. Despite being "black and white", it's ultimately all a judgement call - don't stop playing, but if possible, and within reason, less blocking is better than more. If the block can't possibly matter to the score, don't make it. Otoh, it can't be considered "illegal" to knock down your opponents early in the drive, to make the rest of that drive easier and/or the defense harder.
      
      This is hard to define, but easy to understand. You can block, you can try to knock down the opposing team's players so you can score/defend more easily (or so a defensive recovery is harder/easier ~if~ the dice fail on a score!), but, please, don't try to bash.
      
      
      The point is not to bash just to try to hurt the opposition. It will happen, but don't try, thx.
      
      
      It's difficult to define everything that could be considered "illegal" under the general "Sportsmanship" rule, but, formally, that includes (but is not limited to!)...

      • No Fouling.
        
        
      • On Offense, toward the end of either Half, if no further scoring is possible, no Blocking is allowed. (Obviously OTTD attempts are exempt from this, but try to not Block more than is needed for the attempt - and if it fails early, no more Blocking.)
        
        
      • On Offense, once the score is 100% guaranteed (i.e. no (more) dice involved), no Blocking is allowed, just score. (i.e. You cannot clear the path for the score and then bash away at other targets before walking in for the TD.)
        
        
      • On Defense, if the score cannot be stopped (due to the ballcarrier beyond any possible MA before that score), no Blocking is allowed; End Turn and allow the score. (And if you are badly out of position, this may mean more than one Turn clicked-through!)
        
        
      • On Defense, if you choose to not try to stop the score (possibly due to GFI's, low % Dodging or other uninviting prospects), you cannot choose to attack other players. (i.e. You cannot ignore the ballcarrier in favor of "better" targets.) But this does not force your tactics in stopping the score! For instance, you ~may~ choose to mark the ballcarrier and blitz someone else if it's tactical to stop the score and not just bashing - the offense must realize that putting multiple players in scoring range opens them all up to "the Defense", even if only one can carry the ball. (Admittedly, this rule may be the hardest to tightly define, as it's easy to imagine possible exceptions or "grey situations". Understand the spirit of the rule - if you can't stop the score, don't bash just to break a more valuable/vulnerable player, thx!)
        
        
      • As a general guideline, and always within reason, block less than more. This is always a judgement call, but both coaches should (by now) understand the meaning. Applaud your opponent when they do so, and return the gesture in the R&P spirit of non-bashing.

      Note that, within the above general limits, Crowd-Surfing is allowed! It's applauded if you refrain (and your opponent should show gratitude!), but stopping on the sideline is what it is - dangerous! (R&P tried to limit it Season 1, but it created some very odd and artificial tactics.)
      
      
      Justice:
      
      o All players are to self-police The Code within games. If you feel that your opponent is disregarding The Code then this should be reported to a Commissioner. Games can be suspended or results overturned.
      
      Any questions about The Code or concerns about games that have been played should be raised with a Commissioner.
      
      

   
   

If you've read The Code and wish to join, PM the Sage stating your commitment to play by it.


League Format:
The format of each of these leagues will depend on the number of current participants.

All leagues will have weekly deadlines on Mondays. Note that signing up is for a single season. If you sign up you will be expected to schedule and play your games in a timely fashion. While your team is in one of these leagues, it may not play any casual matches until the season is complete.

Please note that Rush and Pass is a closed league, in the sense that only rookie teams are allowed to join, and teams in Rush and Pass may only play against other Rush and Pass teams.

We may have multiple sub-Leagues which run in parallel, depending on the amount of interest. We always run the Little League for low TV teams. If there are many high TV teams, we add the veterans' league, while if there are many new teams, we add the rookie league.

• Rookie league - Rookie teams only. (Simple: your team must have 0 games played.)
  
  
• Little league - maximum TV 1500 (any treasury that would bring you over 1500 may not be used during the season/playoffs.)
  
  
• Veterans' league - no TV limit

1. 
   

   1. Rush & Pass has a scoring system that awards quick scoring, and a lot of it, on both offense and defense, and leaves little incentive to stall. Winning every game by a 3-1 grind (6 pts) when everyone else plays to alternating 5-6 (5 pts) or 6-4 games (9 pts) will leave you well behind the season leaders, even if you win every game and they only win half.
      
      • Points per TD (win, lose or draw): +1 point per TD.
        
      • Win or Draw: +1 point.
        
      • Win: The winner of the game receives [the TD difference] as a bonus.* (This means that winning big gets awarded, but losing big does not get punished as much.)
        
        
        1. (* Note - On the Tourney page, the "score" column is unable to properly reflect any win greater than a +1 TD difference. This will be adjusted by hand.)
        
        Examples: (score = pts for winner / pts for opponent)
        
        • 2-0 win = 5/0 pts (1 pt for win + 2 pts for TD's + 2 pts for TD diff / 0 pts for loss + 0 pts for 0 TD's)
          
        • 2-1 win = 4/1 pts (1 pt for win + 2 pts for TD's + 1 pts for TD diff / 0 pts for loss + 1 pts for 1 TD)
          
        • 2-2 tie = 3/3 pts (1 pt for Tie + 1 pt for TD / sim)
          
          
        • 5-2 win = 9/2 pts (1 pt for Win + 5 pts for TD's + 3 pts for TD diff / 2 pts for TD's)
          
        • 5-4 win = 7/4 pts (1 pt for Win + 5 pts for TD's + 1 pt for TD diff / 4 pts for TD's)
          
        • 5-5 tie = 6/6 pts (1 pt for Tie + 5 pts for TD's / sim)

   1. Tie-Breakers: In case of a tie in Season Points, the TD total will be the first tiebreaker, head-to-head record will be the second tiebreaker, then total Wins, then Total Ties, and finally a play-off game only if there is still a tie after all that.

Latest league news:

• Season XII starting soon!
  
• We are always open to new teams joining the league
  
• Everyone is welcome to create new teams whenever you like and apply to the group for membership (as before). Once accepted by a Group Manager your team will be added to the current league table, so that everyone can see it there and offer to play it
  
• Join us on our league IRC channel. If its not open on the Channels list, type /join #rushandpass into the main chat channel and hit enter.%%%
  
  Protip: Add #rushandpass to your IRC client's default channels to join.
  

Season IX
Veterans' league - WON BY ISKABIS' PASS THE RUM.
Little league - WON BY AZURE'S UNSTOPPABLE FROGS.

Season VIII
Veterans' league - WON BY AZURE'S JUGGERNAUNT.
Little league - WON BY BGHANDRAS' PASS-ABLE FOREST.

Season VII
Rookie league - WON BY BGHANDRAS' PASS-ABLE FOREST.
Little league - WON BY AZURE'S JUGGERNAUNT.
Veterans' league - WON BY THE_SAGE'S RUSH AND JUMP.

Season VI
Rookie league: WON BY VENETIARI'S RAT MY RIDE.
Little league: WON BY BGHANDRAS' ALIHI'S MERCENARIES.
Veterans' league: WON BY THE SAGE'S RUSH AND JUMP.

League stats (thanks to Gremdel).