Talk Fantasy Football

As people have probably noticed, I'm working to get a tabletop 7s league going, which is set to start in November. I'm working on a custom ruleset, but a lot of critical aspects are borrowed from the other 7s variants.

Anyway, from combing through all the forums and old rulesets I've come to appreciate some core rules which have been dropped, in my mind for no good reason.
(I don't want to set this discussion on fire again, but I can immediately see why the Bank rule is popular - and I put it into my League rules.)

Another thing I really like are the old 'I got my eye on you!' fouling rules. The numbers were horrible (with the no doubles/doubles switch) and too extreme. But the principle
has an awesome tactical aspect to it. The later change to 6+/4+ with the eye seems to be way better to me, for now at least. Sneaky Git demands in this case a small but fitting change (that he does not draw the counter if not breaking the armour).

So here are my first rules for an 'IGMEOY' Chainsaw Referee.

Chainsaw-wielding Referee
Instead of the normal ejection rules, roll a D6 after a player committed a foul. On a 6 the player is caught by the referee. Instead of being ejected from the game, leave him on the pitch and make an immediate injury roll with a +1 modifier for the fouling player instead. No armour roll is required. It still counts as a turnover.
A special ‘I Got My Eye On You!’ (IGMEOY) token is used. This represents the referee closely watching one of the teams. At the start of a match, no coach is in possession of the token. If any player commits a foul, his team receives the IGMEOY token after it is resolved. As long as a team has the IGMEOY in possession, its players are caught by the referee on a 4+, instead of a 6.
Skill Change: Sneaky Git
This player has the quickness and finesse to stick the boot to a downed opponent without drawing a referee’s attention unless he hears the armour crack. During a Foul Action a player with this skill does not need to make a roll to see if he has been caught by the referee and his team does not receive the ‘I Got My Eye On You!’ token, unless the armour roll was successful.

Wouldn't those be nice?

I would suggest using the popular alternate sneaky git rule

If the Sneaky Git is ejected by the referee place them in the KO box, recovering as any other KO player.

(Variations are when you roll, so if sent off at an end of half or TD have to sit out one bound, or not, or whether to use babes etc. I just prefer them being treated the same.)

You can streamline the dice roll. A 6 is a 1/6 and a four is a 1/2. So just combine it with the 2d6 roll. Anyone rolling 10+ on the foul roll gets ejected, or 8+ if the eye is on you (or 7+ to make it work). If you don't like breaking armour and being sent off make it 2-4 and 2-7, so failure is heavily penalised.

Oh and bring back the option of arguing the call!

Both versions
Brilliant coaching kick off result is d6+1 + number of assistant coaches

Simple version
Coach argues call. On a 6 is successful and player not sent off, on a 1 is ejected for game. Team loses +1 on brilliant coaching kick off event.

Complex version
Coach argues call. Roll d6 and add 1 for each assistant coach to a maximum of +2. If the modified roll is 6 or more the player is not sent off. If the dice roll is a 1 before modification the coaching team and all team re-rolls are lost for remainder of game. On any other result an assistant coach or the coach is ejected from game.

Once you lose your coach you can't argue any more calls...

And gods man, use a ref model, not a counter!

Chris wrote: And gods man, use a ref model, not a counter!

I have made a Chainsaw Ref model I just don't want to be responsible to make 10...

Chris wrote: You can streamline the dice roll. A 6 is a 1/6 and a four is a 1/2. So just combine it with the 2d6 roll. Anyone rolling 10+ on the foul roll gets ejected, or 8+ if the eye is on you (or 7+ to make it work). If you don't like breaking armour and being sent off make it 2-4 and 2-7, so failure is heavily penalised.

I don't think it's best to do it this way, i don't it shifting the scale towards only on armour breaks/never on armour breaks.

Oh and bring back the option of arguing the call!

Both versions
Brilliant coaching kick off result is d6+1 + number of assistant coaches

Simple version
Coach argues call. On a 6 is successful and player not sent off, on a 1 is ejected for game. Team loses +1 on brilliant coaching kick off event.

Complex version
Coach argues call. Roll d6 and add 1 for each assistant coach to a maximum of +2. If the modified roll is 6 or more the player is not sent off. If the dice roll is a 1 before modification the coaching team and all team re-rolls are lost for remainder of game. On any other result an assistant coach or the coach is ejected from game.

Once you lose your coach you can't argue any more calls...

And gods man, use a ref model, not a counter!

Very complicated. In addition, this barely gives the game another strategical layer, it is mostly just a 'get-out-of-jail-free-if-you-are-lucky-card'. The reason the Eye is interesting is it gives you a way to shift the character of the game.

If one player is cautious and never fouls, another relatively cautious player will tend not to foul again. Result: a relatively fair game.

If one player is reckless and wants to cause damage, he takes severe penalties for continuously fouing. Result: Probably all-or-nothing gangfouls.

If both players keep fouling each other because they have the advantage NOW, it tends to be bloody. The referee will be overworked and not able to sort out the chaos in front of him. Result: A Gorefest.

I really liked the IGMEOY rule.

AS noted, some modification may be needed to use the skill under the new rules, but with a little cooperation from your players is all possible.

Please tell us how (if) you managed to accomplish this.

Best wishes.

I'm going to start (i hope ) my league with minimal house rules, and introduce rules step-by-step if a rule would improve the game.

Probably better than alienating new players by mailing them a 5-page list of house rules. Should the league be established at some point, more is possible.

I have bin toying with the idea that when you foul you instead roll an independant roll with 2d6 to see if you get send off. If the roll is equal or above the number of opponents on the field you gen send off.

Chifts when fouling are advantagous from dogpiling a numeral advantage to early in the drives before players get injured.

On sevens it could be changed to 1d8 and he chops the fouler with the chainsaw.