Rules

The rules for the Loughborough Blood Bowl League are as stated in the Blood Bowl Living Rulebook, the latest version of which may be found at the Games Workshop website by following the link given. Note, there have been a few subtle changes from the rules everyone is used to, please get them right! Since the Living Rulebook incorporates the yearly Rules Reviews, it is also subtly different to the printed Handbook (in fact, it comprises the Handbook and the 2002 Rules Review as found in the 2003 Annual). The following rules are used in addition.

Tournament Scores
Qualifying matches in Open tournaments do not go into overtime. If the scores are level after two halves of eight turns each, the game is declared a draw. Each team scores 10 tournament points. Matches in second and subsequent rounds go into overtime as normal.

Playing Teams Multiple Times
The restriction that teams may play each other only once in the play-offs is rather limiting, particularly considering that a coach's enthusiasm may wax and wane and it seems churlish to tell them they can't play against a particular opponent again. For this reason, teams may play against each other multiple times in the play offs (subject to the normal challenge system where appropriate). Every effort should be made to avoid playing the same coach twice in a row.

Bonus MVPs as Handicaps
In order to encourage lower-rated teams to play against those with a higher rating, it has been decided that the Handicap system should include the awards of bonus MVPs to the lower-rated side, to represent the fact that their players learn from playing against vastly superior Blood Bowl teams. At the end of the game, a team that was entitled to two or more Handicap rolls may draw a number of additional MVPs one less than the number of rolls that they were awarded. For example, a team entitled to three Handicap rolls gains two bonus MVPs at the end of the game. (It follows that a team entitled to one or zero Handicap rolls do not get any bonus MVPs). These MVPs are awarded in exactly the same way as normal, and cannot be awarded to the same player twice in one game.

Rules Proposal: Secret Weapons
The presence of Secret Weapons in the game adds a lot of fun, and make Goblin teams worthwhile (as without them Ogre teams are clearly better), but the rules in the 2003 Annual aren't really up to much. Therefore the following rules are proposed to have Secret Weapons in our games. Please send all feedback to the League Commissioner.
Star Players with Secret Weapons may be hired for a team permanently. The races they will play for remain the same, and they cost the full amount listed in the Rulebook. They do not gain Star Player Points or age, but are susceptible to injuries as normal. The usual rules about only one of each Star Player existing apply, ie. if both teams turn up with the same Star Player, neither get to use him in that game (and if they were freebooted, the money is lost). Note that ONLY Star Players with Secret Weapons may be permanently hired by a team in this way, other Star Players must still be freebooted as normal. Teams may hire one Star Player with a Secret Weapon, with the exception of Goblin teams who may hire four.