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<b>Fouling</b>

Quite an important option in BloodBowl. Fouling is no less but the most reliable way to get selected players of the pitch. Unfortunately extensive fouling will get your players off, too.
Most teams should use tactical fouls to remove the opponents key players or to make even more reliable casualties by fouling the weakest (lowest AV / no regeneration). If you want to bash make sure to foul first and last- but not twice in a row unless you can afford your DP being send off.
Then there is what I want to call "Strategic fouling"- although no one else grants it the honor of calling it thus. What I mean is fouling possibly each turn and everyone in reach. To reduce the opponents numbers and cut his blossoms. To finally win by numbers. Though I am yet again the only one to claim it: strategic fouling is not easy. We'll focus on tactical fouling here though the same principles hold true for strategic fouling.
Fouling has two drawbacks: Effort and players send off.
A good foul is assisted by three or more players in addition to the DP. Take one assist per AV above 6 and it will do. Now you'll find it hard to expend that many players- that's what I meant by effort. Everybody could simply foul a lot: true. A "good fouler" however does so without withdrawing too many players from other tasks. He doesn't foul desperately with a lonely DP (unless he really is desperate). That kind of fouls just gets your players send off without even hurting anyone. To foul effortlessly is possible by positioning and good Blitzes. You try to get the targeted player close to yours or their intended destination instead of running towards him.
Tactical fouling is done best with one or two DPs.
It is important to foul first in each half to maximize fouls as well as to minimize the opponents fouls. It is kind of a "free foul" for being the only foul without an eye on anyone. You aren't likely to get caught <i>and</i> you don't give your oppo an extra chance to foul without an eye on him.
One DP shouldn't foul with an eye on him in the first half- unless he got that really juicy extremely important key player lying right between him and his gang. In that case it is worth to have him send off.
Two DPs can foul more of course. They can foul in the first half till one got spotted. That way you'll have one for the second half.
Actually the first half is better for fouls since early casualties cause more trouble for the opponent throughout the game. Since you got a "free foul" without the ref looking in the second half I'd still encourage "saving up" a DP.

<b>Protection against fouling</b>
The best obviously is not to let the opponent get your players down- hardly a standard though. It works for your key players if the opponent can't reach them.

Another option to add is not fouling yourself. The ref watches him and sends off the DPs. You should do that if both teams fouling is advantageous for your opponent. A standard measure if he has a DP and you don't.
Also if he has cheap/tough/expendable players while yours are expensive and vulnerable it is wiser not to foul. Usually it doesn't hold true for all his players though. Undead for instance has lots of cheap tough Zombies not worth fouling. Most other players regenerate too. Hence fouling all the time vs Undead might be unwise. Undead has Ghuls though and they are good targets for fouling.
Please mind: The only issue here is the ref watching the opponent.
If he doesn't: No need to hold back!
At the beginning of each half the ref doesn't watch anyone and being the first to foul is a good thing.

Finally the real standard for bashers: positioning. Even if your players are knocked down they can't be fouled properly if either your players surround them (more or less) or they are so far off that he can't move his players (or his slow zombie DP) towards them. That is not necessarily so very far away: Maybe he needs to speed up and can't even afford to move a step in your direction.
Against a single DP it might be easier to stop him from moving by placing players next to him. Those players should of course either not be worth fouling or hard to knock down. Usually any ordinary player is hard to knock down and foul however if he isn't next to any other player but the DP. The DP blocking can't foul and a Blitz to free the DP is quite an effort. Some DPs unlike Zombies can dodge of course ;-)

At last there is another option: foul his DP out. If he only got one it makes sense- three are usually too much of a bother.


<b>Multiple DPs and Strategical Fouling</b>
While one DP poses a serious threat six DPs do not pose six times that threat. DP is a skill used only for fouls. You can foul only once per turn with no more but one DP at a time. Usually 4+ DPs are just a waste of skills.

Fouling is important- yet strategic fouling usually is not. It can be effective when done well. Some races should try- most races however don't need to bother. Foul as you like and don't keep it a secret if you like to foul a lot (people might get mad: let them know in advance). Know however that fouls in the last turns ("T16-Fouls") usually don't give you any advantage and are considered unnecessary violence and kind of rude. You want to build a team too mate.
Don't have more than two DPs unless you really experience a lack of DPs in your games. Get one more in that case and take your time to see whether you really need more.
Actually one DP can do it all - if he's fast enough to cover the action area. Then again he might be sent off.
A "lack of DPs" doesn't mean not having a DP handy: having five DPs bound by the opponent isn't a "lack of DPs" but bad positioning. More DPs don't help here.
There are two reasons to add further DPs:
1) you manage to do a lot of fouls and your DPs are often all send off.
2) you can't manage to foul a lot without huge effort since your DP is too slow to cover the area.
In general DPs should have an average of multiple fouls per game to be considered well used. Not any fouls: good fouls with enough assistance.
If you ever find yourself having had more DPs than fouls in a game: Block (or even Kick) might have been a better skill choice.


How many fouls can you do?
All the noobs and sissies will tell you: "fouling a lot is easy"- blatant ignorance.
Fouling 16 times is about the hardest thing to do effectively- yet not a certain game-winner.
Of course every retarded idiot could be able to find the right button to click for fouling and do so every turn. That however is just stupid- not what I mean by Strategic fouling.
First of all you have to be able to foul with little effort (see above). Otherwise doing it all the time leaves you neglecting everything else and you loose. Just try that- one good foul is better than eight weak ones. If you can't manage to do a lot of good fouls with little effort: just leave it. That's nothing you can "force" by having more DPs.
If you try massive fouling you have to realize that fouling becomes increasingly difficult. That's because you'll find yourself fouling with an eye on you.
The Ref does not only send your DPs off and leaves you with less players total (making fouling even harder). Getting spotted is a turnover as well! Hence you shouldn't foul with an eye on you before you did all the less risky and more important things. Often you'll find yourself having a turnover before you foul. Few fouls with ref looking are worth doing early in your turn. Safe play is the foulers friend! In any case you'll hardly be able to foul more than three DPs can do- even three are hard to get busy sometimes.
Usually you position one DP behind your lines. He sneaks out from the dark to foul and creeps back to the shadows... He is not to be caught in brawling! That's something you can't do with many DPs at once: protecting multiple players (at least keeping them from trouble) is too much of an effort. Another reason not to have "DP-Armies" but one or two well used DPs. If one is caught you can move another in this position of a slightly protected "active fouler".

As soon as you are fouling a lot you'll mess with your own numbers. The risk of being send off (+ the risk of any normal injuries your opponent might inflict) needs backup. Have at least 10 players without DP. DPs need substitutes.

<b>The Dirtiest of 'em all!</b>
A player fouling needs DP. Other than that he just needs to get to the player he wants to foul. Being tough is nice- not being in trouble in the first place is nicer however. You might say an ideal DP got high MA and AG as well as mobility skills/traits like dodge, sure feet, stand firm, leap or sprint. Then again his most important attributes are being cheap and expendable. After all they get spotted soon enough and don't do much but foul anyway. Hence a DP with MA8 and Dodge might be nice but MA6 alone will do. Any kind of linemen usually. Agility though handy is too precious just for a fouling DP unless you play Elves anyway. Some Dwarfs play with DP Runners- the Dwarfs best DP by far but not a beginners choice. You'll probably need them to play ball.
A personal favorite is a DP thrower. That's only due to me not relying on a passing game anyway (with bashers that is). I use my (Orc-)thrower to pick up the ball and maybe pass it once to get it secured right behind my LoS. Afterwards he is "unemployed" and may foul. He (orc) has lower AV - thus isn't fit for brawling anyway. He makes good use of mobility skills/traits to be a good thrower (& a good DP). All that makes him a good substitute DP although fielded for his one and only pass. I also do that with my 2nd Human thrower if I got one. Additionally a thrower can easily get enough SPP for a first skill. A 2nd thrower blends in nicely to get a DP fast if I am in urgent need of DPs. A slight waste of TS in any case and not fit to replace the standard of a DP Lineman.

<b>My three DP standard</b>
Usually I field players suited to give an overall advantage. That includes two (of three) DPs. More DPs are considered a waste since two can do the job and further DPs just hang around- I'd rather have another positional (or a Lineman with other skills like Block/Guard/etc). One (MA5+) DP is active and expendable while the other one is a backup. The backup can have other functions which makes him kind of a joker.
He can get "secondary skills" I wouldn't give other players let alone field them. For instance I ain't keen on strip ball or a thrower fielded when kicking- a 2nd DP can have those skills "just in case" although they aren't part of my regular strategy. I'd expect those skills to be mostly wasted. Then again any and all additional skills for a DP are likely to be wasted or to even make him a worse DP (like guard being a brilliant skill but a call for trouble).
If one is send off (or hurt) I'll choose my fouls with more care if I got an eye on me. I got one in reserve but try to have two fielded in the 2nd half if possible. If I don't manage to foul till one got spotted I am either the refs friend or my DPs were a waste. Maybe I am lucky or just not as bloodthirsty as you are. In my experience however it is rare to have both send off even though I try doing good fouls every turn. Having DPs knocked out is a threat if you "only" got three while aiming on extensive fouling. Better keep them from trouble!
Finally I have to admit that a last DP is yet to come when all other matters are settled. Four will be completion if nothing else is needed.
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