Frequently Asked Questions

PRO GAME

Q: A team is losing by 7 points and they have the ball for the last drive of the game. The drive is a FGA result attempt that uses exactly the last tick on the clock. Can I assume that the Desperation Play will be from GREAT field position since they were in Field Goal Range?

A: Yes.

ENHANCED TEAM CARDS

Q: How do I use the Player Finders included on the Team Card?

A: When there is an offensive scoring play, or when there is a FG or XP, you can use the finders to identify the player(s) involved. There is a range of numbers next to each name. Roll 2d6 on the appropriate table, reading one die as the "tens" and the other die as the "ones". Use this number to "find" the player involved in the score.

OPTIONAL EXTREME WEATHER CHART

Q: For some of the weather results, it says "+1 to Timing Die rolls, ignore for rolls of “6”." Does this just mean to add a "tick" to the play?

A: No, it means to add +1 to the die result itself, and then determine the number of ticks to be taken off the clock. For example, if the timing die is a 1, you add one to make it a 2. The result is 2-ticks taken off the clock. If the timing die is a 2, you add one to make it a 3. In this case, only 2-ticks come off the clock. If the timing die is a 6, you ignore the +1 as 6 is as high as the die can go.

Q: Can you tell me what region the Pro Football cities are in?

HUMID NORTHERN CONTINENTAL: New England, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington
SUB-ARTIC: Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Denver
LAKE REGION: Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Chicago
HUMID MID-CONTINENTAL: Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Carolina, Kansas City
HUMID SUB-TROPICAL: Miami, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston
DESERT or ARID: Arizona, Las Vegas
MARINE WEST COAST: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles

PRO GAME BOOK CHANGES

Q: What was changed in the 2.0 Game Book Update (from the previous 1.3 Game Book)?

A: There are many game book changes in the 2.0 update:

Result 1-3-3 adds the chance for a PUNISHING defense to prevent a FGA
Result 1-2-2 adds the chance for an UNDISCIPLINED offense to result in a PUNT-BU
Result 2-3-4 removes the chance for an UNDISCIPLINED offense to prevent a TD
Result 2-5-5 removes the chance for an UNDISCIPLINED defense to allow a TD
Result 3-4-4 adds the chance for an UNDISCIPLINED defense to allow a FGA
Blocked punts were added to the PUNT tables
Pick-6 probabilities were slightly improved
Scoop-&-Score probabilities were slightly improved
4th down success rate was slightly improved
The option of Extreme Weather Effects was added
A game reference page was added to the end of the book
Minor formatting tweaks - rounded corners! :)

Q: What was changed in the 1.3 Game Book Update (from the previous 1.2 Game Book)?

A: This update bumped up the chance for an interception by 1%, and improved the chances for a kickoff or punt return for a TD.

Result 2-3-3 third column result changed from PUNT to INTERCEPTION.
Kickoff and Punt charts overhauled to produce more realistic special teams results, and also make "66" more special. :)

Q: What was changed in the 1.2 Game Book Update (from the previous 1.1 Game Book)?

A: This update focused on reducing the probability of fumbles and interceptions on individual drives. In the 1.1 version of the game book, each drive had an unintended 3% increased chance of a turnover that has been address in the 1.2 update. Changes to the turnover results also allowed other changes to be made that have further evened the distribution of team qualities and their impact. The changes made to the Pro Game Book were also made to the College Game Book.

Result 1-1-4 is no longer an INTERCEPTION result, instead providing an opportunity for PROLIFIC or ERRATIC offenses to impact the drive.
Result 1-1-5 no longer includes an ERRATIC check.
Result 2-2-4 no longer includes a RELIABLE check and moves the AGGRESSIVE check to the first column. This change allows a DISCIPLINED defense to impact the drive in the second column.
Result 3-3-6 is no longer a FUMBLE result, instead providing an opportunity for STAUNCH and STIFF defenses to impact the drive.
Result 3-4-4 is no longer a FUMBLE result, instead allowing MILD or UNDISCIPLINED defenses to impact the drive.
Result 3-5-6 has the RELIABLE check moving from the first column to the second column.

PRO GAME RULES CHANGES

Q: What was changed in the November 2021 Pro Rules Update?

A: The following changes were made:

The timing adjustment for INEFFICIENT teams was simplified. It only applies to losing teams, who will add 1-tick to their drive in the final 5 minutes of the half. If the team is winning or if the game is tied, there is no effect.
The 4th Down - Go For It? option may now be used with 7:30 or less to go in the game (6 ticks on the game clock).
There is now an option for a team to convert a TD Result to a FGA as time expires in the game. See the instruction for more information. This change and others mean that an INEFFICIENT team can now score with only 1-tick left on the game clock (where they couldn't in the previous rule set).
The official scoresheet was updated to include these changes.

DECIDER DIE (All Game Versions)

Q: Do I roll the Decider Die once for a drive, and use the result for all checks?

A: No! The Semi-Quality system is designed so that each and every time a Decider Die "ruling" is required, the die must be re-rolled. The golden rule here is that once the Decider Die has been used to resolve a Semi-Quality, it is spent and cannot be used again; it must be re-rolled even if it's during the same drive and checking for the same quality! For example, result 2-3-4 asks if the offense is DULL or UNDISCIPLINED. If a team is both DULL• and UNDISCIPLINED•, then you would have to roll the decider die twice (for UNDISCIPLINED•) if the first check for DULL came up "blank" or "no, not DULL this drive." Another example, 1-1-2 asks if the defense is SOFT. The Decider Die says that they are not, and the offense must Go For It on 4th down. The roll is a 3, which is check for a SOFT defense. You do not use the previous decision made during the main drive, you must roll the Decider Die again to resolve the 4th down play. All semi qualities are in constant flux.

Q: I rolled the dice for a drive in the final 5 minutes of the half and the result is 1-3-6. The decider die could be used to determine if the team is EFFICIENT this drive, or PROLIFIC this drive. Which one should I resolve first?

A: The order in which you resolve this check is completely up to you. Just be consistent in how you handle these situations for both teams during the game. And remember, re-roll the Decider Die for each individual check!

PRO GAME TIMING

Q: Can an EFFICIENT team use the Kneel Down option to take 2 ticks off the clock at the end of the game?

A: No, they cannot. The Kneel Down option may only be used with 1 tick left on the clock.

Q: The Game Book says that an INEFFICIENT team cannot use the Desperation Play, but I see nothing in the rules about this?

A: Earlier versions of the 1.3 Game Book had this note and it has since been removed as it was an error. INEFFICIENT teams can use the Desperation Play in the current version of the game. This note was a hold-over from the original version.

PRO GAME OVERTIME

Q: What are the timing rules for overtime?

A: This all depends on the league and year you are playing. Here is the information for the NFL. For other leagues, I recommend a google search.

There was no overtime in the NFL regular season until 1974, but sudden-death overtime was used for playoff games prior to that.
From 1974 to 2016, regular season overtime was one 15 minute period, or all 12 "ticks" in FDF.
As of 2017, regular season overtime was shortened to one 10 minutes period, or only 8 "ticks" in FDF.
From 1974 to 2011, regular season overtime was sudden-death, meaning the first team to score would win the game.
Starting in 2012, if the team that received the opening kickoff scored a field goal, the team that initially kicked off would get one possession to tie or win the game; any other score on the opening possession ends the game immediately. In postseason games, if both teams are still tied after the first overtime, the procedure is repeated (but in true sudden death hereafter) until a winner is declared. In regular-season games, if the score is tied after 10 minutes has expired, the game ends in a tie. (Note that these rules were used for playoff games in 2010 and 2011).
In the playoffs, an overtime period is 15 minutes instead of 10, so all 12 "ticks" would be used. Because a postseason game requires one team to win, multiple 15-minute overtime periods are played if needed until one team scores to win the game.

PRO GAME ADJUSTMENTS for 1950's

Q: Football in the 1950's saw fewer Field Goal Attempts and more Touchdowns. Can the game book be adjusted to replicate this era more closely?

A: Yes, to reduce field goal attempts and increase touchdowns so that the game feels more like 1950's football, make these two changes to the game book drive charts. These two changes will result in an increased 2.8 TD/gm per team average, as well as a reduced 1.5 FGA/gm per team average.

Change #1 - Result 1-4-5. Change the result in Column 3 from a FGA to a PUNT-CO.

Change #2 - Result 2-5-6. This roll is now an AUTOMATIC TD RUN. No need to check any of the field position or quality checks.

BETTING LINES

Q: Is there a calculation for point spread based on team qualities?

A: I've devised the following system for calculating point spread and over/under between two pro teams in FDF based on their qualities.

To find the point spread between two FDF Pro Teams, find the implied score for each team and then calculate the difference. The over/under will be the sum of the implied scores.

Calculating the implied score for a team:

Step 1: Scoring Quality Points

PROLIFIC = 30
PROLIFIC• = 27
No PROLIFIC or DULL quality = 22
DULL• = 17
DULL = 14

Step 2: Efficiency Points

EFFICIENT = 2
EFFICIENT• = 1
INEFFICIENT• = -1
INEFFICIENT = -2

Step 3: Adjusting for Opponent (using opponent DEFENSE scoring qualities)

STAUNCH = -8
STAUNCH• = -5
INEPT• = +5
INEPT = +8

Step 4: Home Field Advantage Points

Home Team = 2

Step 5: Points for all other qualities (2 step process)

Sum all remaining team offense & defense qualities (not including PROLIFIC/DULL/STAUNCH/INEPT)
- Positive Quality = 1 point
- Negative Quality = -1 point
- SEMI (•) Positive Quality = 0.5 points
- SEMI (•) Negative Quality = -0.5 point
Divide the sum by 2 and round to the nearest whole number. This is the final value for step 4.

Step 6: Sum the values from steps 1 through 5 for the teams implied score. Compare the implied scores for both teams for the point spread, and add the implied scores for the over/under.

Note: You will have to use your own judgement for how to reduce implied scoring if the game is to be played in poor weather conditions. Reducing 7 from each team is a safe adjustment.

For example, let’s say that the 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers are visiting the 2021 Indianapolis Colts.

Pittsburgh is EFFICIENT & PUNISHING on offense, and UNDISCIPLINED on defense. Their implied score is 24, calculated as follows: 22 (step 1) + 2 (step 2) + 0 (step 3) + 0 (step 4) + 0 (step 5).

Indianapolis is PROLIFIC•, DISCIPLINED & INEFFICIENT on offense, and AGGRESSIVE on defense. Their implied score is 28, calculated as follows: 27 (step 1) + -2 (step 2) + 0 (step 3) + 2 (step 4) + 1 (step 5).

The point spread will be Colts (-4) and the over/under would be set at 52.

COLLEGE GAME

Q: What was changed in the 2.0 Game Book Update (from the previous 1.3 Game Book)?

A: All the same changes made to the 2.0 Pro Game book were made to the College Game book.

Q: What was changed in the 1.3 Game Book Update (from the previous 1.2 Game Book)?

A: This update bumped up the chance for an interception by 1%, and improved the chances for a kickoff or punt return for a TD.

Result 2-3-3 third column result changed from PUNT to INTERCEPTION.
Kickoff and Punt charts overhauled to produce more realistic special teams results, and also make "66" more special. :)

Q: What was changed in the 1.2 Game Book Update (from the previous 1.01 Game Book)?

A: This update focused on reducing the probability of fumbles and interceptions on individual drives. In the 1.01 version of the game book, each drive had an unintended 3% increased chance of a turnover that has been address in the 1.2 update. Changes to the turnover results also allowed other changes to be made that have further evened the distribution of team qualities and their impact. The changes made to the Pro Game Book were also made to the College Game Book.

Result 1-1-4 is no longer an INTERCEPTION result, instead providing an opportunity for ERRATIC offenses to impact the drive.
Result 1-1-5 no longer includes an ERRATIC check.
Result 2-2-4 no longer includes a RELIABLE check and moves the AGGRESSIVE check to the first column. This change allows a DISCIPLINED defense to impact the drive in the second column.
Result 3-3-6 is no longer a FUMBLE result, instead providing an opportunity for STAUNCH and STIFF defenses to impact the drive.
Result 3-4-4 is no longer a FUMBLE result, instead allowing MILD or UNDISCIPLINED defenses to impact the drive.
Result 3-5-6 has the RELIABLE check moving from the first column to the second column.

Q: How do I determine SRS ratings for FCS, Division II or Division III Football Teams?

A: Look for the NCAA SRS Ratings Excel Workbook on the College Game Downloads page. You can use this workbook to determine the SRS Ratings for any division, provided you have all the game results for the season. This is an advanced tool provided by a community member and I am not able to answer any questions concerning its configuration or use.

Q: Are there any adjustments if I want to play a Div 1 FCS team vs. a Div 1 FBS team?

A: Yes, it is a two step process. First, reduce the SRS rating of the FCS team by 15 before determining any possible STAR quality. Second, if the FCS team has a full PROLIFIC or full STAUNCH quality, reduce it to a SEMI quality. If the FCS team already has a SEMI PROLIFIC or SEMI STAUNCH quality, do not make any changes.

Q: Are there any adjustments if I want to play a Div 1 FCS team vs. a Div II team?

A: Yes, it is a two step process. First, reduce the SRS rating of the Dive II team by 20 before determining any possible STAR quality. Second, if the Div II team has a full PROLIFIC or full STAUNCH quality, reduce it to a SEMI quality. If the Div II team already has a SEMI PROLIFIC or SEMI STAUNCH quality, do not make any changes.

COMMISSIONER EXPANSION

Q: Why don't teams from a 16-team league get more qualities than a team from an 8-team league?

A: Fast Drive Football is built around the normal standard deviation of pro football team performance in most statistical categories. Generally, only the top and bottom 8% of teams (rounded down) are good (or bad) enough to receive a FULL quality in a particular category. The same applies to SEMI-qualities. When you translate that to league size, you get the QV/CDV table that you find in the instructions. The table ensures that the distribution of qualities is equivalent to the distribution of qualities you see in the real life pro teams that have been published.

Q: What changed from version 1.3 to 1.4?

A: Version 1.4 did not introduce any new content. Just very minor formatting changes.

Q: What changed from version 1.2 to 1.3?

A: Version 1.3 introduces an updated Instant Result mechanism.

Q: What changed from version 1.01 to 1.2?

A: Version 1.2 introduces the new in-season mechanic called "Breaking News" where injuries or positive events dynamically change a team's card during the season.

Q: What changed from version 1.0 to 1.01?

A: There are no game-play changes in version 1.01. I refined the explanation of FP's on page 5, and corrected the table for Front Office Grade Adjustment on page 10. (STAUNCH to INEPT is a 2-grade decrease).