Basketball Strategy

Basketball Strategy Rulebook

Table of Contents

Basic Game Rules
The Advanced Game
Tournament Game Optional Rules
Optional Rules: Variations
Solitaire
Campaign Game
Designer's Notes
- Overall Full Court Press Option
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Charts

Basic Game Rules

Introduction

All rules of pro basketball apply unless otherwise stated. One should naturally then know the rules of the sport to play the game. The Basic Game Rules serve a dual purpose:

They provide Players with a fast-playing, easy-to-learn game.
They form the foundation onto which the optional rules may be added to create a more complex and realistic simulation.

The Basic game could more easily be called the "game-player's game." It is designed for those who wish to emphasize "playability" without excluding simulation accuracy. The advanced rules, on the other hand, stress "simulation-in-detail" at the expense of playability. It should not be inferred from this, however, that the standard game is simply a watered-down variant of the advanced games. Both are complete games in their own right, each sharing a common set of equipment and each based upon the same premises. All players should read the Basic Game instructions first, taking the time to familiarize themselves with the game equipment as they read. They should then read the Basic Game rules once again and try to play a sample quarter of the Basic Game to get the feel of play; referring back to the rules when questions arise. Once you feel comfortable with the game system go ahead and play an entire Basic Game. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that by going ahead and reading the advanced game rules you are skipping a step. You'll only confuse yourself and ruin the enjoyment you may receive from the simulation. Make sure you are thoroughly familiar with the BASIC GAME system of play before moving on to the more advanced versions. Note that the main drawback to Basketball Strategy is the length of time required to play it until the players become familiar with the game system. It is suggested therefore that players participate in 8 minute quarters as outlined in the HIGH SCHOOL version until they are familiar with the mechanics of play. With practice, two adroit players can play a full 48 minute pro game in about 90 minutes but this speed comes only through experience with the game system.

Game Equipment

Playing Board
Set of Playing Pieces, 10 position counters, and various miscellaneous markers.
Two sets of 9 defense cards each
Game Box
Two dice (one colored)
Rules of Play folder
2 Plastic Pawns and 2 Plastic Score Chips
Score Pad

Routine of Play

The following outline of play is not meant to be crystal clear, but is intended to be a framework on which you can build from the rules which follow. Be sure to return and re-read this section after digesting all of the Basic Game rules. Throughout these rules the term "Coach" will refer to a participating player while "player" shall designate a member on the team represented by a playing piece.

I. Both coaches select lineups and total TDR and TRR ratings making the proper adjustments on the playing board in the TDR and TRR sections.

II. The "Tall" coach (see Jump Ball) rolls the dice to determine the results of the jump ball. The team which controls the tap is now considered the offensive team; the other team is the defensive team.

A. The defensive coach selects a Defense Card from 1-9 and places it face down on the board.

B. The offensive coach chooses which zone and which player he will "pass" to and announces it to his opponent.

C. The result of the two choices is cross-indexed on the Passing Matrix (or more easily read from the defense card in use) to determine the result of the pass, and 8 seconds (2 boxes) are marked off on the 24" clock. The ball is moved up to the new zone in which it now resides.

If the result of the pass is a turnover, the defending and offensive coaches exchange roles and repeat steps A-C over again. (Exception: IFB turnovers). The 24" clock is reset to 24" and the elapsed time on it is marked off the time clock. a. If the above turnover took place in the backcourt (as a result of the full court press defense — No. 9) the ensuing pass would take only 4 seconds on the 24" clock. b. Any turnover other than that described in "a" above would result in the next pass taking 8 seconds on the 24" clock.
If the result of the pass is not a turnover or a foul, the offensive coach may either pass again and mark off an additional 4 seconds from the 24" clock, or shoot from the zone in which the ball currently resides, again at a cost of 4" on the 24" clock.
If the result of the pass is a foul, the appropriate foul action (See Fouls) is taken, after which the ball is awarded out-of-bounds to the proper team if no rebound results. D. Having successfully completed a pass upcourt the offensive coach may opt to attempt a shot from the zone in which the ball now rests with additions and/or subtractions being made to the dice roll in accordance with the shooters offensive rating, the defense, and the type of shot being attempted as dictated by the passing matrix. The die is rolled and the resulting number is cross-indexed with the zone from which the shot was attempted to determine the result. The 24" clock is always reset after every shot; the elapsed time being subtracted from the Time Clock. E. If the result is an offensive rebound the offensive coach may opt to either pass or shoot again. If he chooses to pass, it is a 4" pass and steps A-C are repeated. If he chooses to shoot he repeats step D, noting that the shot is now attempted from a zone closer to the basket. No penalty is assessed for changing zones. 4" elapse for the shot, and both clocks are re-adjusted. F. If the shot is good or results in a defensive rebound (blue rebound position) the defensive coach now assumes the role of the offensive coach and repeats steps A-E.

The Ball

A round ball counter is provided in Basketball Strategy for your use in recording the position of the ball after every pass and rebound. However, as moving this piece is another added step in the play of the game, and most players can remember the position of the ball for the limited time necessary to make the next pass or shot, we recommend omitting it from play unless playing solitaire or you are experiencing difficulty remembering the position of the ball during play.

The Dice

There are two dice in Basketball Strategy: a colored die and a white one. The colored die is always read first, the white one second so that the result is always a two digit number regardless of the roll. (Exception: see Jump Ball and Injury Rules). Example: a pair of 1's would be read as 11; a colored 6 and a white 3 as 63; a white 4 and a colored 2 as 24; and so on. Thus, when called on to add or subtract from the die roll in multiples of 6, it is necessary only to adjust the colored die upwards or downwards by 1 for each quantity of 6. Example: Player No. 23, a poor shooter, moves from B to A to take a guarded shot against a strong defense. All three of these criteria require that 1 be subtracted from the colored die. He rolls a 55. The die roll must then be adjusted downward to read 25 before cross indexing it on the shooting chart. Additions or subtractions of 3's must be made to the white die. However, as it is often confusing to add 3 to 44 to get 51, it is suggested that you find the block you initially rolled and then count to the left 3 blocks on the shooting chart for a subtraction of 3, or to the right 3 blocks for an addition of 3. Note that the shooting chart does not list results for die rolls above 56. Any adjusted die roll above 56 is always considered a successful shot. Any adjusted die roll below 01 is always considered 01. The dice should always be thrown in the upturned box to eliminate the problem of unintentionally moving markers.

The Players

Each coach has at his command in the Basic Game a team identical to his opponent's, composed of 12 player "counters." Each counter contains the player's uniform number and position plus 5 rated categories of performance. A counter looks like this:

(Counter diagram: Uniform number at top; Position; Offense Rating; Ball Handling Rating; Free Throw Rating at bottom; Rebound Rating and Defense Rating at left. Sample counter reads: uniform number 32, FORWARD, D 3, O 2, R 3, BH 1, FT 2.)

What the Ratings Mean

OFFENSE: A rating of 1 is a poor shooter. A poor shooter subtracts 1 from the colored die on any "shot" he takes. A "2" is an average rating which does not affect the die roll of the individual's shot. A "3" is an excellent shooter. You add a "1" to the colored die on any shot he takes.

DEFENSE: The higher the rating the better the defensive ability of the player. Individual defense is not important in the Basic Game. Rather, the defense ratings of the 5 starting players are added to get a cumulative team rating called the Team Defense Rating (TDR).

REBOUNDS: The Rebound rating is also a cumulative one. The individual rebound ratings of the 5 players are added to get a Team Rebound Rating (hereafter referred to as the TRR). The higher the rebound number the better the player's rebound ability.

FREE THROWS: Exactly the same as OFFENSE ratings except that it applies only to Foul Shots.

BALL HANDLING: A "3" is a good ballhandler who can pass to any zone. A "2" cannot pass to zone A. A "1" cannot pass to either "A" or "B". Should a player attempt to pass to a zone which is not allowed by his passing rating, the result is "PA" — Pass Again, and the 24" clock is marked accordingly. Note that the defensive coach can refuse the "PA" result if it represents stalling efforts by his opponent. In such cases, the offense must pass again, but no time is elapsed from the clock. Note however, that a player may always "pass" the ball to himself or another player in the same or an adjacent zone. So a player stationed in zone B may actually pass to any zone once the ball has been worked into this interior zone, either as the result of a pass or offensive rebound.

TIP-INS: Only a few players have this capability. It is indicated by a star in the middle of the counter. See Shooting Chart.

Positions

Each coach picks a lineup of 5 players and places them on the playing court on 5 position markers. They remain there until substituted for or moved during a timeout or quarter break. A position marker looks like this:

(Position marker diagram: a rectangular marker with a circled "RG" and a dividing line.)

All Players must play in the position specified on their respective counters. The penalty for a player playing out of position is to drop his defense rating to "0" immediately and reduce his offensive rating by one. Exception: an offense rating can never be dropped below 1.

There are 5 position markers provided in the game for you to use to mark the positions of your starting players. Each marker corresponds to the player counter placed on that particular marker. For example: if you start player 11 at right guard you would put his counter on the position marker which says (RG) Right Guard. The marker representing the right guard now indicates that player's position at the offensive end of the court, as long as his counter remains on the position marker. If he is removed for another player, the position card will represent his replacement. There will always be a right guard; the only difference is in the player manning the position.

Each of the 5 position markers is placed in one of the 6 offensive zones lettered B through G. No marker may be placed in zone A, nor may more than two markers be placed in any one zone. Players placed in zone B must be placed outside of the 3 second lane to one side or the other. That player can then receive passes only in zones A, B, and C or D, depending on the side of the lane in which his marker has been positioned. Example: a player stationed in B Left may not receive a pass in C. Guards may not be positioned in Zone B.

EXAMPLE: Player 15 has been illegally placed. No position counter is allowed to be placed in Zone A or inside the 3 second lane in Zone B. In the Basic Game it is not legal to even have Guards stationed in Zone B. Player 41 has been legally positioned outside the 3 second lane in Zone B. If he shoots from zones A or D he must subtract 1 from the colored die roll because he changed zones to take the shot.

Once placed, a position marker cannot be moved except during a timeout or quarter break. Players (counters) may be substituted for other players (counters), on that marker, but the position of the marker itself cannot be changed without the benefit of the aforementioned break in play.

SUBSTITUTION: Substitutions may be made during any timeout, quarter break, foul shot, or jump ball. However, the substitute is not allowed to take the place of the man doing the jumping or shooting the foul.

DEFENSE CARDS: Each coach has a set of 9 defense cards numbered from 1 to 9. He must select one of these cards and place it face down on the table or hold it in the palm of his hand (or any similar method which commits him to playing that card without his opponent knowing what it is). Each card is named according to its strengths and contains a complete listing of the possible results which can occur while using that defense, so that it is possible to determine the result of the Passing phase by a glance at the defensive card itself. There is only 1 restriction on the play of defense cards. The Full Court Press (defense 9) can never be played after the ball has advanced to the forecourt. If this defense is played illegally, the offense may automatically take an open shot in whatever zone was called by the offensive coach.

Notice that the cards and the Passing Matrix itself are color coded to aid in easy recognition of turnovers, shots, and neutral results such as Out-of-Bounds plays.

Defense

There is no placement of defensive counters. The defensive player is always assumed to be guarding his offensive counterpart on the other team. So if the Black Left Guard is placed in Zone G on offense, then he is automatically guarded by the White Left Guard (who is considered to be in that zone on defense even though there is no physical marker there to suggest this fact regardless of the location of the White Left Guard counter on offense).

Team Defensive Rating

The TDR is found by adding the defensive ratings of the 5 starting players. This rating is then marked on the TDR chart of the playing board with the "TDR" counter. A cumulative rating of 10 or less is considered a Poor Defense; 11-12 Average; 13-14 Good; 15 is Strong. The TDR chart gives a figure to be subtracted or added to all guarded shots; i.e., a player taking a shot against a good defense would subtract 3 from the white die on any guarded shot. Similarly, against a strong defense he would subtract 6 from the white die (equal to 1 on the colored die) from any guarded shot. Note that a player always has the option of ignoring an open shot and shooting "guarded" against a poor defense.

Team Rebound Rating

The Rebound Rating is also a cumulative one. The individual rebound ratings of the participating 5 players are added to get a Team Rebound Rating. This is then compared to the TRR of the opposing team's lineup. If both teams' TRR are equal the Rebound marker is put on the 0 section of the rebound chart. If one team's is greater than the other's, its rebound marker is placed in the advantage column while the lesser team's is marked accordingly in the Disadvantage column. The team with the rebound advantage accruing the bonuses noted on the Rebound Chart.

EXAMPLE: WHITE team has a Rebound rating of 12 as opposed to BLACK'S 10. WHITE gains any and all rebounds of the BLACK Guards for his own guards while the rebound matchups remain +2 in his favor.

Should a rebound foul occur (See Shooting Chart) such as LG the WHITE Left Guard would get the rebound and the foul would be charged to the opposing BLACK Left Guard.

Ball Handling

Passing in Basketball Strategy does not necessarily represent the passing of the ball directly from one player to another. Rather, a "pass" represents a series of ball handling actions which set up a particular shot for a particular player from a certain area of the court. Nor does each pass represent a set play. It could simulate a random series of passes which end in a particular zone giving the player in that zone an opportunity to take a shot. Thus, it is not impossible for the player who is making the pass to receive the pass. For example: the RG could bring the ball upcourt by calling a pass to Zone C, which is occupied by his own counter. This represents the ballhandler bringing the ball up to this part of the court by dribbling or making a pass and receiving a return pass during the time of the passing increment. Passes may be made to any of the 7 offensive zones regardless of whether zone is occupied by a counter or not, by merely calling out the zone and the player to receive the pass. (The player making the pass must of course, have a passing rating of 3 to pass to A, and of 2 or 3 to pass to B, or be adjacent to that area already). The call is then cross-indexed with the defensive selection on the passing matrix to determine the result of the pass. All results of the Passing Matrix occur in the forecourt of the offensive team unless the Full Court Press Defense (card 9) was used, in which case the result is considered to have taken place in the backcourt, meaning that subsequent passes by the defender after a turnover on the Full Court Press take only 4 seconds.

A player who receives a pass in a zone in which his counter rests may shoot from there at no additional penalty to those already imposed by the shooter's offense rating and the Passing Matrix chart. However, players who must cross a zone boundary to receive a pass must automatically subtract 1 from the colored die on any shot they attempt as a result of that pass. No player may cross more than one zone boundary to receive a pass.

Shots may only be taken in the zone in which the pass is received. The counters are not physically moved to receive a pass because whether the player shoots from the new zone or passes again, he returns immediately afterwards to the zone in which his position marker resides. Players may only receive passes in their own zone or in adjacent zones. Thus, it is not possible for a player in C to receive a pass made to D. Contiguous zones are identified by "passing lane" arrows which show in which zones a player may receive a pass while stationed in a given zone. Example: A player stationed in E may receive passes only in Zones G, F, E and C. Each coach should designate a specific player to bring the ball upcourt every time they take it out of bounds. Logically, this player should be a "3" ballhandler. If a "3" is not available then obviously the ball can't be immediately passed into zone A for a shot. Note that the player who makes a defensive rebound must bring the ball upcourt himself using his own passing rating unless a timeout is called.

Turnovers

There are two ways of turning the ball over to the defense without taking a shot. One is to keep the ball too long and thus violate the 24" clock which specifies that you must take a shot at least every 24 seconds. The second way is to get a red turnover result on the passing matrix. There are five types of turnovers described on the passing matrix. They are as follows:

JUMP BALL: (JB) See Jump Ball.

OFFENSIVE FOUL: (OF) This is considered either an offensive foul on the dribbler or a blocking or shoving foul on a player attempting to get into position for a shot. The foul is always assessed against the player RECEIVING the pass in that zone — not necessarily the last player to have handled the ball. If two players are in the zone the foul must be given to the player which the offense called out as receiving the ball. A personal foul is recorded against that player and the ball awarded to the defense out-of-bounds.

OUT-OF-BOUNDS: (DB) An errant pass or one last touched by an offensive player. Defense's ball out of bounds.

INTERCEPTION: (I) Ball stolen or intercepted by defensive man guarding proposed recipient of pass. The defensive coach must now go on offense and make the next pass with the player who intercepted the pass, regardless of his ball handling rating unless he calls a timeout — in which case any player may make the next pass.

INTERCEPTION — FAST BREAK: (IFB) Ball is intercepted by defender guarding proposed recipient of pass. No pass is needed to bring the ball to an offensive zone. The defensive man may shoot immediately from zone A with either +3 or +6 added to the white die depending on the type of Fast Break. Note: For the different types of Fast break shots see FAST BREAK.

Note that all turnovers are considered to take place in the forecourt except those caused by the Full Court Press defense. This is an important consideration when time is running low and should be remembered as it forces the new offensive player to bring the ball back upcourt, unless the turnover was caused by the Full Court Press.

Note: In addition to the five turnover possibilities there are also two neutral occurrences on the passing matrix. They are:

PASS AGAIN: (PA) The defense is considered so tight that a shot cannot be taken and another pass must be attempted. Note that it is possible for a turnover to result on this play if the 24" clock runs out.

OUT-OF-BOUNDS: (OB) A pass deflected out-of-bounds by a defensive player. The offensive team gets the ball out-of-bounds and is always allowed time for at least the in-bounds pass and a shot regardless of the time left on the 24 second clock. Therefore, if less than 12" remain on the 24 second clock the clock is reset to 12". If 12 or more seconds remain no adjustment need be made.

Shooting

A coach may attempt a shot at the basket at any time providing the ball resides at that time in one of his 7 offensive zones in the possession of one of his players.

To attempt a shot, one must first check the type of shot made available by the Passing Matrix. (EXCEPTIONS: offensive rebounds and controlled jump balls at the offensive end of the court may automatically be shot as guarded shots or passed at the offensive coach's option). After determining any numbers to be added or subtracted from the die roll, the dice are thrown and the resulting number is cross-indexed with the zone in which the shot was attempted to determine the result of the shot.

Types of Shots

All shot selections are determined by the Passing Matrix, except as noted above under "Shooting." The Passing Matrix offers the following offensive possibilities.

OPEN SHOT: (O) No team defense subtraction is taken against the shot. Shooter's offensive rating and changes in zone are the only possible adjustments to the die roll. EXCEPTION: Players may always opt to shoot guarded against a poor defense.

GUARDED SHOT: (G) A team defensive adjustment is subtracted from the shooter's die roll; the amount of the penalty depends on the opposing team's TDR.

PICK & ROLL: (PR) Same as open shot except that a +3 is added to the shooter's die roll. NOTE: PR plays may only be executed in a zone in which two position markers are permanently stationed. A PR result in a zone in which less than two players are stationed is treated as an Open Shot instead.

FAST BREAK: (FB) No defensive subtraction can be taken from the shot although player offense ratings still apply. There are four different levels of fast breaks. They are treated as follows:

1 on 1: Shot from the intercepting player's offensive zone with +1 on colored die.
3 on 2: Shot from Zone A with no adjustment to the die roll.
2 on 1: Shot from Zone A with a +3 to the white die.
3 on 1: Shot from zone A with a +1 to the colored die.

INTERCEPTION — FAST BREAK: (IFB) This turnover result is the only way the defender can make a field goal attempt. The IFB is treated in the same manner as the FB except that the defender guarding the proposed recipient of the pass gets to take the shot.

FOUL SHOT: (F) Same as Open Shot except that the Free Throw column is used on the shooting table. Note that all missed shot rebound results are ignored on any foul shot which is to be followed by another attempt at the Free Throw line. Successful foul shots are worth only one point; not two as in the case with a field goal. Note that whether a non-shooting foul is awarded free throws or not depends on the Team foul situation (See Fouls). In cases where a foul shot is not awarded, the offensive team is always awarded the ball out of bounds with at least 12" remaining on the 24" clock. If less than 12" remains on the 24" clock at the time of the foul, the clock must be reset to allow 12" — providing that much time remains in the quarter.

Shooting Chart

Rebounds of missed shots are determined by the same die roll which is used for the shot. The die roll after being adjusted for any penalties or bonuses is cross-indexed with the zone from which the shot was attempted to determine the results of the shot as follows:

Red box (shot was good): Award field goal to shooter and add two points to team score.
F (boxed): Shooter was fouled. Record a foul on the defender, and a field goal attempt for the shooter. Allow the shooter to take two foul shots. EXCEPTION: Bonus situation — See Fouls.
Red F: Shot was good and the shooter was fouled. The play is recorded as a field goal for the shooter, a foul on the defender, and 1 foul shot is awarded to the shooter. EXCEPTION: Bonus Situation — See Fouls.
OB: All "OB" results are out-of-bounds plays off a defensive player. Offense takes the ball out-of-bounds.
DB: All "DB" results are out-of-bounds plays off an offensive player. Defense takes the ball out-of-bounds.
Underlined rebound position (C, LG, etc.): An underlined rebound position result is considered a rebound for the indicated player and a foul on the player guarding him. (See Foul section).
Tip-In (LG with asterisk): Tip-Ins are represented by a combination offensive rebound and an asterisk (*). When such a result occurs, it is considered an automatic tip-in basket for Center No. 51 if he is in the game at the time and stationed in zones A, B, C or D. If he is not in the game at that time or is stationed in zones E, F or G the asterisk is ignored and the rebound goes to whatever player the chart specifies. Note: In the Campaign game many players have the Tip-In capability which is signified by the star on their counter. Tip-Ins take no time. Should the team rebound linked to a tip-in be lost due to a disadvantage in the TRR the tip-in does not occur, and the rebound is processed normally.

All other results are rebounds. Red Rebound Position results are offensive rebounds, Blue rebound positions are defensive rebounds. The positions coincide with those printed on the markers of each team's starting lineup. For example when BLACK is on defense, RG would indicate a rebound for the BLACK right guard; RG would indicate an offensive rebound for the WHITE right guard. Conversely, when WHITE is on defense, the roles switch and the BLACK right guard becomes RG, and the WHITE Right Guard is RG. The position abbreviations are assigned as follows:

RED (offensive): RG — offensive right guard; LG — offensive left guard; C — offensive center; LF — offensive left forward; RF — offensive right forward.

BLUE (defensive): RG — defensive right guard; RF — defensive right forward; LG — defensive left guard; LF — defensive left forward; C — defensive center.

All offensive rebounds are taken by the rebounding player in the zone in which he is stationed. The offensive rebounder may cross one zone without penalty for a follow-up shot which would be a guarded shot from that zone, although he is under no obligation to do so. If he elects to pass he follows normal passing procedures — remembering that since he is already in the forecourt the first pass will cost only 4" on the 24" clock.

Example: offensive center stationed in B rebounds a missed shot, he may take a guarded shot from A. Example: offensive Right Guard stationed in E gets an offensive rebound; he may cross one zone into C and take the guarded shot. This is the only instance where a player can cross a zone boundary without penalty in the Basic Game.

Fouls

Whenever a foul is committed, it must be recorded on the score pad on the personal foul section for that particular player, and in most cases, on the board in the 'team fouls' section found at the right side of the playing board. Whenever a player gets his 6th personal foul he is removed from the game. Whenever a team commits its 5th team foul in a particular quarter, it is said to be "over the limit" and the following bonuses accrue to the other team:

Two shot fouls become "3 to make 2" situations in which the shooter has 3 opportunities to make up to 2 free throws.
In 3 point play situations (F on the Shooting Chart) the player has 2 chances to make a foul shot.
Passing and rebound fouls for which no foul shots were awarded previously now are awarded foul shots. See the FOUL SUMMARY.

The number of team fouls per quarter should be kept by moving the "foul counter" up the foul scale until "5" is reached. It should be returned to "0" at the start of every quarter. Note that offensive and technical fouls are not counted as team fouls, and that offensive fouls are never given free throws.

EXCEPTION: regardless of the number of fouls recorded; the 2nd and all succeeding team fouls during the final two minutes of every quarter is always shot. To facilitate using this rule in play, always move the team foul markers up to "3" if they have not reached that point by the ten minute mark of every quarter.

Technical Fouls

A technical foul is assessed against any coach who calls more than his allowed number of timeouts. The other coach may pick any player to shoot the foul and gets the ball out-of-bounds in the forecourt after the shot.

Foul Summary

Type	Action Taken
SHOOTING FOUL (F, red F on the passing matrix)	Record personal foul against defending player on scorepad in personal foul section. Register 1 team foul on playing board in team foul section, and award 2 free throws to the shooter. Shooter is charged with a FG attempt. EXCEPTION: If defending team is "over the limit" on the "F" result, the shooter is given 3 chances to convert 2 free throws. If an "F" result (boxed F, "F" in the red box) is the result, the shooter is given 2 chances to make 1 free throw. If final free throw is good, defense gets ball out-of-bounds. If not — rebound procedures are followed.
OFFENSIVE FOUL (OF)	Record personal foul against offending player on scorepad and award ball to the defending team out-of-bounds.
PASSING FOUL (F)	Record personal foul against defending player on scorepad, register 1 team foul on playing board in team foul section, and award ball out-of-bounds to offensive team. EXCEPTION: If defending team is "over the limit" on an "F" result, the fouled player is awarded two free throws.
REBOUNDING FOUL (Loose Ball) (RF, RG, C, LF, LG)	Record personal foul against offending player on scorepad; register 1 team foul on playing board in team foul section, and award ball out-of-bounds to team controlling the rebound. EXCEPTION: If offending team is "over the limit" the fouled player is awarded two free throws.
BACKCOURT FOUL (Back Ct, F)

Time

Each quarter is 12 minutes long. Time is kept in 4 second increments. You move the 24" pawn the proper increment of time after each pass or shot. Ideally, a third person should be present to keep time and statistics, but in the absence of any such person, the player with the greater familiarity of play should assume the role of the timekeeper.

The other player becomes the scorekeeper. Care should be taken to insure that every increment of time is marked off on the scoreboard (printed on the board). One four second span can well be the difference between victory and defeat in a close game. Time is consumed as follows:

8 seconds (2 increments) — for every pass from the backcourt
4 seconds (1 increment) — for every jump ball, every pass in the forecourt, every in-bounds pass from midcourt, every shot, and FB passes regardless of origin.
0 seconds (no increments) — for foul shots

EXCEPTIONS: See TIMEOUTS and LAST TWO MINUTES rules.

All initial passes after baskets, defensive rebounds, mid-court or far court jump balls, and turnovers other than those caused by the Full Court Press originate from the backcourt and cost 8 seconds. Passes may originate in the forecourt only as the 2nd pass in a series, or after a timeout is called, or after a circle violation on a jump ball at the offensive end of the court, or an offensive rebound in the forecourt.

Rebounds consume no time. They are considered part of the shot. Should a ball go out-of-bounds off the defense on a pass, the 24 second clock is always reset to 12". Should a shot be taken during the last time increment of a quarter, play ends immediately after the rebound. Thus, it is possible to get a Tip-In or a rebound foul and shoot foul shots with time elapsed.

The 24 second clock is automatically reset after each shot or turnover. Thus, if an offensive rebound is made the offensive coach could decide to pass 5 times before shooting again. The 24 second clock should be updated after every pass or shot. Do not adjust the Time Clock until after the 24 second clock has been reset. Each time it is reset, merely subtract the amount of time elapsed on the 24 second clock from the Time Clock.

The 24" clock is always reset after a passing foul in which the offensive team retains possession of the ball and must make an in-bounds pass in the forecourt if, and only if, less than 12" remain on the 24" clock.

Play ends when the Master Time Clock runs out. Any overage on the 24" clock is ignored. Thus, when the Master Time Clock has less than 24" remaining, there is no need to update the 24" clock; time being marked off directly on the Master Time Clock.

Last Two Minutes

In the last two minutes of each quarter players may bring the ball up to the forecourt with a 4 second pass during this time period if they so specify. No penalties accrue, but a 4 second pass must be specifically requested of the timekeeper.

Timeouts

Each coach may call 7 timeouts per game, subject to the following restrictions: A timeout may be called only when the team calling the timeout is in possession of the ball, or a foul shot or jump ball is in progress.

Each team is limited to a maximum of 4 timeouts in the 4th quarter, and no more than 3 in the last two minutes of regulation play. Therefore, if not already used by then — set the "Timeouts Remaining" at "4" at the start of the final quarter, and at "3" at the start of the last two minutes of play.

The in-bounds pass after a timeout can be free; i.e., it costs no time. Thus, it is possible to get the ball, call timeout, make an in-bounds pass, and take a shot all in the span of 4 seconds, or 1 time increment. However, if opting to use the free in-bounds pass, the offense must go to zones E, F, or G. Otherwise the pass costs the usual 4 seconds of a forecourt pass.

The choice of whether to take a regular pass or a free pass is always that of the offensive coach. The "Free Pass" option may be taken only during the last two minutes of each quarter.

Jump Balls

At the start of every quarter play is begun with a center jump, by rolling the dice on the Jump Ball Chart. For this chart, the dice are added in the conventional manner; i.e., a colored 1 and a white 6 become a 7 rather than a 16. The row used is determined by the differences between the two jumpers' rebound ratings. Should a "4" rebounder jump against a "2" rebounder, the 3rd or "+2" row would be used. If the rebound ratings of the two jumpers are equal, the "Even" row is used. The results for this chart are given in terms of "tall" and "short" teams. The "tall" team is defined as the team with the better jumper (determined by the highest rebound rating). If they are equal, the "tall" team is considered to be the team with the higher TRR rating. That also being equal, "tall" is considered to be the last team to have possession of the ball. For center jumps at the beginning of a quarter in which all of the above criteria fail to determine the "tall" team, a friendly roll of the dice shall suffice to determine which team gets the "tall" designation. "Tall" team results are recognizable by the fact that they are printed in red and also are generally set above the "short" team results which are printed in blue.

Example: A die roll of 7 on the +1 column sends the tap to the Tall Left Guard.

The Jump Ball Chart assumes that the center is jumping. If another man is jumping, the center assumes the jumper's place on the Jump Ball Chart. It is not possible for the jumper to control the tap himself.

Passes after jump balls always cost 8 seconds unless they take place in the forecourt, which can only happen when the offensive team wins a jump ball at it's own end of the court. If the offensive team controls the tap in the forecourt its coach can opt to either take a guarded shot from the zone in which the controlling player is stationed, or pass.

The circle violation on the Jump Ball Chart is against the taller team, thus when it occurs, the ball should be given to the shorter team out of bounds at midcourt.

Overtime

If at the end of regulation time, the score is tied, an overtime of 5 minutes is played. If after any overtime the score remains tied, another overtime is played. Each team gets an additional two timeouts per overtime period; not to be accumulated from one to the other. Timeouts not used in regulation time cannot be used in overtime periods. Teams are not considered "over the limit" until they've made 3 fouls in an overtime period.

The Time Clocks

The timekeeper is responsible for both the 24 Second Clock and the Time Clock. After each pass or shot the 24 Second Clock is adjusted by moving the "time now" pawn over the time scale the proper number of spaces. The time clock is adjusted only when the 24 second clock is reset. The amount of time used on the 24 second clock prior to the reset is subtracted from the time clock. Two pawns are provided for use with the Time Clock and 24" Clock.

Advanced Game Options

Ignore the section of the gameboard entitled Advanced Game Options. It is for use only in advanced play and not with the Basic Game.

The Score

The player who is not the timekeeper is the scorekeeper. He records every point immediately after it's made by moving the respective score "chip" along the scoreboard track. If the score is tied both chips will be stacked on the same number. Scores over 100 are started over again on the score track after making a mental note that 100 points should be added to the team's final score.

Black chips are for use in recording the BLACK team score; white for recording the WHITE team's score.

Keeping Score

Basketball Strategy comes complete with a pad of scoresheets to keep individual statistics on each player's performance. If you are not interested in keeping statistics and are playing only to see who wins, you need only record the personal fouls for each player to determine when players foul out. Although keeping statistics adds immeasurably to the pleasure derived from the game for some people, it also increases the playing time.

Glossary of Terms

Backcourt — the end of the court at which the defensive team's goal is located.

Bonus situation — synonymous with "over the limit." This is the term used to describe a team which has made more team fouls in a given period than is allowed. The bonus in this situation goes to the other team in the form of extra foul shots.

Fast break — having more offensive men at the offensive end of the court than the defender.

Forecourt — the end of the court at which the offensive team's goal is located.

Full court press — defensive pressure applied all over the court, rather than just around one's own goal.

Pick — blocking a defender from obstructing the shooter by standing in his way.

Pivot — a term used to identify an area on the court, usually manned by the center, around which the offense flows. Synonymous with high and low post.

Team fouls — all recorded fouls except offensive and technical fouls.

Turnover — the act of giving the ball over to the defense without having taken a shot at goal.

Upcourt — the act of moving the ball from the backcourt to the forecourt via a pass or dribble.

How to Keep Score

Keeping statistics is easy and it can be done in a variety of ways. The system shown below is one of the easiest but let's briefly go over the diagram anyway. Our sample scoresheet is filled out only for the first quarter. When play resumes in the second quarter, all new entries will be made in the next section of the score sheet under "Second Quarter."

Guard No. 11 made 3 of 7 shots from the field while making 1 of 2 foul shots for a total of 7 points. He also collared 1 rebound. Guard No. 25 had less luck; going 1 for 4 from the floor while making his only foul shot for a total of 3 points. Center No. 51 hit all 3 of his shots from the floor for a total of 6 points and also grabbed 6 rebounds. Forward No. 43 shot 50% with a 3 for 6 performance and also had 3 rebounds. Rounding out the scoring was Forward No. 35 who scored 5 points on a 2 for 4 performance from the floor and 1 for 2 from the foul line. Note that although there are 5 personal fouls registered against the first four players, only 3 Team Fouls have been recorded. Apparently then, two offensive fouls occurred against this team.

[Figure omitted in this transcription: the "Basketball Strategy Scorepad" sample sheet, a filled-in example of the scoring grid with columns for quarters, Fouls, FGA, FG, FTA, FT, TP and R, and the scoring summary key: 1 = Field Goal Attempt, 0 = Field Goal, 0 = Free Throw Attempt, and an X-marked box = Free Throw.]

Sample Quarter

The following commentary pertaining to the accompanying illustration should remove any doubts you may have as to how the game is played.

After inspecting the opposing lineups we see that BLACK has a TDR of 15 (Strong) and a TRR of 12 as opposed to WHITE'S TDR of 13 (Good) and TRR of 10. This gives BLACK a plurality of +2 on the rebound chart, meaning that any rebounds taken by WHITE's guards go to BLACK's guards instead, as long as the lineups remain the same.

BLACK is considered the "tall" team on the Jump Ball chart because their Center No. 51 is a better rebounder than WHITE's No. 56. A dice roll of 6 is attained which results in the BLACK Right Guard controlling the tip (+1 on the Jump Ball chart). 4 seconds is marked off the 24 Second Clock and BLACK assumes the role of the offense. The WHITE player selects defense "2" before BLACK calls out a pass to No. 31 in zone "B". 8 seconds are marked off the 24 second clock for the upcourt pass. BLACK decides to take the guarded shot (G) and rolls both dice and attains a 51. However, 3 must be subtracted from the WHITE die due to WHITE's good defense. The adjusted die roll is a 44 which is still good. BLACK leads 2-0 and another 4 seconds is marked off on the 24 Second Clock. The 24 second clock is now reset to 24 seconds and the elapsed time, 16 seconds, is subtracted from the Time Clock. 11:44 now remains in the quarter.

BLACK is now the defensive player and selects Defense card No. 9. WHITE takes the ball out-of-bounds and passes to zone "B". The result is an Interception — Fast break (IFB) 2 on 1 by the opposing center No. 51. 4 seconds are marked off the 24 Second Clock for the IFB and both clocks are adjusted due to the turnover. The BLACK player may shoot immediately from zone "A" and he chooses to do so. 4 seconds is marked off both clocks. A dice roll of 36 is attained which is adjusted — 3 because the bonus for the FB and the penalty for the poor shooter (−6 +3) = −3. 33 cross-indexed with column "A" result in a basket. The score is now 4-0. BLACK is again on defense and selects defense No. 4. WHITE again tries to go to his center in "B".

8 seconds is marked off the 24 Second Clock for an upcourt pass. The result is an offensive foul. A personal foul is charged to player No. 56 although no change is made to the team foul situation. BLACK once again becomes the offensive player, the 24 Second Clock is reset, and another 8 seconds subtracted from the Time Clock.

WHITE selects defense No. 9 and BLACK passes to No. 11 in Zone "F". The result is a 1 on 1 Fast break and 4 seconds are marked off on the 24 Second Clock. BLACK elects to shoot immediately and rolls a 43. However, the dice roll is adjusted upward twice because of the FB and the fact that No. 11 is a good shooter. The result from G is sufficient for a goal. BLACK leads 6-0 and another 4 seconds is marked off the 24 Second Clock before it is reset. BLACK selects defense No. 3 and WHITE passes to zone "D". 8 seconds elapses during the upcourt pass. The result is an open shot which WHITE takes immediately with no adjustment to the dice roll. A 24 is rolled. Normally this would result in the WHITE Left Guard getting the offensive rebound but due to BLACK's rebound advantage the rebound goes to BLACK's No. 11 instead. Another 4 seconds is marked off the 24 Second Clock; it is reset, and the Time Clock adjusted accordingly.

WHITE selects defense No. 2 as BLACK'S No. 11 passes to No. 25 in Zone "E". 8 seconds is marked off the 24 second clock. The result is a Pick & Roll (PR) which can be executed because there are two players positioned in that zone. Player No. 25 shoots with a +3 on the white die due to the PR and rolls a 44, which is adjusted to 51. The result is a goal and a foul. 4 more seconds are marked off the 24 second clock and WHITE'S No. 26 is charged with a personal foul and a team foul. BLACK'S No. 25 rolls a 31 on his foul shot which is good. The score is now 9-0 and both clocks should be adjusted.

BLACK selects defense No. 5 as WHITE once again attempts to feed his center; this time in zone "A". The result is a guarded shot which WHITE takes. 12 seconds is marked off the timers for the upcourt pass and shot.

WHITE rolls a 42 but must adjust it downward twice due to switching zones and BLACK'S strong defense. The resulting dice roll of 22 results in a rebound for the BLACK center, No. 51. BLACK would like to pass to his right forward in "A" but can't due to the poor passing ability of No. 51. Therefore, he passes to No. 11 in zone "G" instead. WHITE had chosen defense No. 3 resulting in a guarded shot which BLACK declines to take from that distance and elects to pass again. This time he calls out a pass to No. 25 in zone "E". However, WHITE has stayed with defense No. 3 resulting in a PASS AGAIN (PA). Both BLACK and WHITE repeat the exact same calls for the ensuing pass getting another PA result. 16 seconds has now elapsed from the 3 passes and BLACK is in danger of turning the ball over on a 24 second violation. Unable to throw the ball into "A" because of No. 25's average ball handling ability, BLACK elects to pass into "B" to player No. 31 hoping for a foul. WHITE has selected defense No. 6 for this play resulting in an (OB) out-of-bounds play off the defense. BLACK has gotten a reprieve. Although the 24 second clock now shows 20 seconds elapsed, it must be reset to 12 seconds for the ensuing inbounds pass. The Time Clock is reduced 20 seconds nonetheless. He may now make an inbounds pass and a shot because the 24 second clock has been reset to 12 seconds. BLACK makes the inbounds pass with player No. 11 whose excellent ball handling allows him to pass to any zone. He elects to pass to No. 31 in zone A. WHITE had selected defense No. 7 resulting in a foul on WHITE'S No. 42 who guards BLACK'S right forward. No. 42 is charged with a personal foul and WHITE is charged with another team foul. Because WHITE is not yet over the limit of 5 team fouls per quarter, BLACK gets no foul shot and is instead once again awarded the ball out-of-bounds. In this case the 24 second clock is once again reset to 12", although only 4" has elapsed. That 4" is subtracted from the Time Clock. WHITE selects defense No. 5 and BLACK calls out a pass to No. 35 in zone "C". This time the ball is intercepted by the WHITE Left Forward No. 32 and WHITE now becomes the offensive coach although he is unable to pass to Zone "A" because of his ball handling rating of 2. A total of 28 seconds has elapsed since WHITE last had the ball.

STOP! You have now finished the rules to the BASIC GAME. Reread them and try a sample quarter of your own. It is wise to play the BASIC GAME several times before proceeding further into the ADVANCED GAME and CAMPAIGN GAME rules.

Illustration for Sample Quarter

[Figure omitted in this transcription: a diagram of the court showing the BLACK and WHITE starting lineups on their position markers at the moment described in the sample quarter. Each counter shows the player's number, position and ratings.]

The Advanced Game

The ADVANCED GAME consists of all BASIC GAME rules plus 3 added provisions for sophisticated defensive maneuvers: shot blocking by a center guarding the lane (laying back); playing loose, and double teaming.

Five counters are provided to mark the use of these options. They are: RG, RF, C, LG, and LF (the same position abbreviations used on the position markers).

To use an option, a coach need only call a timeout or utilize a quarter break to place one of the counters in a designated spot on the Advanced Game Options section of the board. Note that it is possible for all 5 players to perform the 3 functions simultaneously. However, any one given position counter can only be used once. That is, the center cannot "lay back" and double team another player at the same time. In other words, each player may utilize only one of the 3 possible Advanced Game Options at one time. In addition, no maneuver can be used excessively; i.e., no team can double-team two opposing players or have more than two of their own players playing loose.

Shot Blocking

There is no provision for blocking shots in the BASIC GAME. Such action is assumed in the missed shots of the Shooting Chart. In the ADVANCED GAME we carry this a bit farther, allowing the coach to actually "see" the play and giving the guards a chance to "go to the hoop" and "challenge the big man". The provisions for blocking shots are as follows:

Players shooting from zones A and B must chance having their shot blocked via the Shot Blocking table, located on the back of the rulebook. The offensive coach rolls both dice and consults the Shot Blocking Chart prior to normal shooting procedures. The same dice roll is used for both the "blocking chart" and the shot itself. However, whereas the dice are read as a two digit number for the shot (example: red 5 and white 1 = 51). They are added conventionally for determining if the shot is blocked (example: red 5 and white 1 = 6).

Shots may be blocked only if the defending team has a center in play, although not all blocked shots are necessarily credited to the center. Shots may be blocked only if the defending center has a rebound rating equal to or higher than the shooter's. The Blocked Shot Chart is not used for Fast Break or Tip-in shots.

The defensive center is always considered to be in the same zone as the offensive center unless utilizing the "lay back" option in which case he is considered in Zone B. The "I" result is treated the same as a pass interception by the center on the Passing Matrix. If the shot is not blocked, the dice roll is read as a two digit number for normal shooting procedures. If blocked, the proper team must instigate pass-in procedures to put the ball in play (Exception: I).

Blocked shots are statistically recorded as FG attempts. The 24 second clock is not reset for a blocked shot which is controlled by the offense out-of-bounds. NBA rules require that a shot must hit the rim before the 24" clock is reset.

If the defensive center is utilizing the "lay back" option so as to put himself in a better shot-blocking position, his offensive counterpart (if stationed in zone C, D, E, F, or G) may shoot with an open or better shot whenever he gets the ball, must ignore defensive fouls while he is on offense, and may ignore PA results on the Passing Matrix at his option. In other words, when the defensive center is laying back, treat "G" and "PA" results on the Passing Matrix as "O" or better instead for the offensive center only. (Exception: the center may opt to shoot guarded against a poor defense.) The decision to play loose or tight can only be made following a timeout or start of a quarter. Note that whenever the offensive center is located in Zone B there is no decision to be made — the defensive center automatically "laying back" but at no penalty to himself; i.e., the offensive center gets no advantage. If the defensive center is playing tight on the opposing center in C or D and the offensive center crosses a zone boundary into B for the shot, the defending center may attempt to block the shot as if he were stationed in zone B.

No center may block shots if he is exercising the Playing Loose options.

Double-Teaming

Coaches may opt to double-team one of the opposition's best shooters by merely assigning two men to guard him, one of which must be that man's defensive counterpart.

A double-team is designated by placing the option counter representing the 2nd defensive player on the Double Team track printed in the Advanced Game Option section of the board. The box on which the counter is placed signifies which player is being double-teamed and who is performing the double-team. Example: the BLACK RG counter placed on the LG space of the Double Team track would signify that both of BLACK'S guards are double-teaming the WHITE Left Guard.

[Diagram omitted: the "Double Team" strip showing the counters RG, LF, C, RF, RG under the caption "Double-teaming White.... with my....".]

No double-teamed player can obtain an open shot. If an open shot result is obtained on the Passing Matrix it is treated exactly the same as a Guarded Shot, although no additional subtractions for the double-team will be used.

Any time a double-teamed player attempts a Guarded Shot as a result of the Passing Matrix, an additional −1 is subtracted from the colored die due to the effects of the double-team.

EXAMPLE: If a "3" shooter is double-teamed against a strong defense he would shoot even with no adjustments to the die roll on an "open" (converted to normal guarded) shot. On a regular guarded shot, he would have to subtract 1 from the colored die. Implementing or calling off the double-team can only be done during a timeout or start of a quarter.

The catch to the double-team, of course, is that it leaves somebody unguarded (the player supposedly guarded by the 2nd member of the double-team). This unguarded player may treat Guarded shots as open shots, cross 1 zone boundary with no penalty, and ignore PA results if he wishes. Defensive fouls are treated as open shots instead.

If a double-teamed player is fouled on the passing matrix the foul is against the 2nd defensive player of the double-team. Fouls on the shooting chart are assessed against the shooter's defensive counterpart.

Playing Loose

If a player gets in foul trouble he may be designated as playing loose in an attempt not to foul out by moving his advanced game option counter to the designated square on the Advanced Game Options segment of the Board. Once so designated, the defensive foul results applying to this player on the Passing Matrix are treated as open or better shots instead.

Similarly, all guarded shots against this player are treated as open shots also. The defender can still foul out as a result of a foul on the shooting chart or an offensive foul. Only two players per team can elect to play loose at the same time. No player which is playing loose can exercise any other Advanced Game option.

Time Outs

In cases where coaches are taking advantage of the time outs to see their opponent's lineup before making out their own, use the following rule; both coaches must record their lineups secretly on a piece of paper which includes player numbers, positions, and starting locations at the offensive end of the court. The lineups are revealed simultaneously and cannot be changed without calling another time out or awaiting a quarter break or chance for substitution.

If this procedure can't be used due to playing with the Double Team option which requires a knowledge of the opponent's lineup, merely allow the team which called the time out to position its players last.

Tournament Game Optional Rules

The following rules can be used singly or together in any combination at any level of play providing both players agree to their use.

Alternate Time Keeping System

Those who find the regular timekeeping system for Basketball Strategy too difficult or bulky may substitute the following easier but less realistic technique. Forget passes. Keep track only of field goal attempts. 50 shots equal a quarter; 200 shots equal an entire game length. 18 shots equal one overtime period. Play ends immediately after the 50th shot of each quarter — regardless of success of shot.

Exception: rebounds of missed shots are recorded; therefore a rebounding foul could occur and the free throws be awarded after the 50th shot. The two minute remaining mark starts immediately after the 40th shot. Allow 80 shots for a College half, and 32 for a High School quarter.

Pick and Roll

In the BASIC GAME players were allowed to use the Pick and Roll bonus only when they had two players stationed in the same offensive zone. In the ADVANCED GAME you may use the PR result by using a player in an adjacent zone to take the shot. The shooter must always be the player who crosses the zone boundary to take the shot, which means that he shoots with a −3 on the die roll (−6 for crossing a zone boundary plus +3 for the PR) in addition to any bonus or penalty imposed because of his shooting rating.

In addition, all F results on the SHOOTING CHART are treated as a combination offensive foul and field goal for the shooter (on plays involving a "pick" from an adjacent zone only).

It is not necessary to call out the man setting the pick. If there is no player in an adjacent zone it must be considered an open shot.

Reaction Rule

Once players are thoroughly familiar with the routine of play they may want to enforce a time limit for each move equal to the time that particular play takes up in actual gametime; i.e., 8 seconds for an upcourt pass, 4 for a shot, etc. If players find this rule too restrictive they may choose to use multiples of the actual game times; i.e., 16 seconds for an upcourt pass and 8 seconds for a shot.

Injuries

Injuries play a regrettably big role in the chances of any sports team, especially over the course of a long league season. Whenever a dice roll of 11 (two 1's) is made on the shooting chart (before adjustments), the team which took the shot must immediately roll both dice again on the injury chart to determine whether any of their players have been injured, and if so for how long. An injured player must be removed immediately from the lineup until the start of the next quarter in which he is eligible to play. For instance, were player number 11 injured for one quarter at any time during the 1st quarter he must be immediately removed for the duration of the 1st quarter, plus the entire second quarter. Were his injury to last a half, he would have to rest until the start of the 4th quarter, and so on. Injuries which put a player out for more than two quarters automatically cost the team a timeout.

The Injury Tables are found on the last page of this rulebook. Both dice are rolled once and read as a two digit number to determine if an injury occurs. If there is an injury a single die is rolled again to determine the duration of the injury.

Guarding Assignments

Coaches may make individual defensive assignments for their ballplayers other than the straight position for position guarding done in the BASIC GAME. Utilization of this option brings with it additional confusion and complexity however. Ignore the TDR. Instead, determine guarded shots based on the man-to-man defense matchup.

Example: A "3" defender causes a subtraction of 1 from the colored die on any guarded shot; a 2 defender causes a subtraction of 3 from the white die on any guarded shot, while a 1 defender never affects the die roll of a guarded shot. In those rare cases where a "0" defender exists due to playing out of position, the shooter he guards can actually add +3 to the white die. Man-to-man defensive assignments can be changed only during timeouts or the start of a quarter.

Random Fouls

The method of assigning fouls in the BASIC GAME was oversimplified for playability sake. Despite the man-to-man defense dominant in the pro leagues, it is inconceivable to believe that a player will be fouled only by his defensive counterpart. "Going to the basket," defensive switching, and double-teaming make this extremely unlikely. To reflect this, instead of assessing fouls in the usual manner, roll one die, consult the following chart, and assess a personal foul for the proper play.

Offensive fouls are still calculated in the same fashion.

Die Roll	Player Fouling
1	Right Guard
2	Left Guard
3	Right Forward
4	Left Forward
5	Center
6	Defensive Counterpart

The RANDOM FOUL rule can be used to simulate a zone defense in the college and high school versions outlined later in the Optional Rules section, and is recommended for use in those versions.

Optional Rules: Variations

High School Variation

Basketball Strategy can be used to simulate other levels of play other than pro. To simulate high school play merely shorten each quarter to 8 minutes, ignore the 24 second clock and abandon the pro free throw rules for those of high school. In other words, there are no more "3 to make 2" opportunities. All non-shooting fouls (except offensive) receive one free throw until the 5th foul of a quarter is committed. Thereafter, all non-shooting fouls are "1 + 1" situations, wherein if the first free throw is good, a second shot is awarded.

All shooting fouls are still 2 shot fouls automatically. Fouls on a successful field goal attempt are awarded only 1 shot. Players are ejected after their 5th personal foul. Both teams are allowed 5 timeouts. In overtime games, each team will be limited to 1 additional timeout. Length of the overtime shall be 3 minutes.

College Variation

Exactly the same as the high school version except that play is confined to two 20 minute halves. Penalty situations do not come into effect in the college version until the 6th team foul of a half although offensive fouls count as team fouls. There are no quarter breaks in the College version. Play of the amateur versions is a good option when one doesn't have the time to play the full scale pro game.

ABA Variation

Allow 28 seconds (7 time increments) in which to shoot, to compensate for this league's longer shooting clock (30 seconds). All goals made from the "G" zone are considered 3 point goals.

Solitaire

You can play Basketball Strategy solitaire by assuming the role of offensive coach for both teams, and allowing luck to determine the defense.

Merely place the defense cards face down and choose one at random for every play. You make the decisions and throw the dice for both teams. The cards must be shuffled after every play.

Campaign Game

The 'Campaign Game' provides the ultimate in realistic simulation of the professional game. It is recommended that players become thoroughly acquainted with the BASIC, TOURNAMENT, and ADVANCED games before proceeding to the CAMPAIGN level of play. The CAMPAIGN GAME assumes that the best form of sports gaming is not the random play of games, but organized competition in the form of league play with teams of varying strengths and weaknesses just as in real life.

Therefore, the object of the CAMPAIGN GAME is to structure your games into league play.

Thus the first thing to dispense with are the identical teams used in the BASIC and ADVANCED games. Now each coach has the opportunity to draft a truly unique team — different from any other he faces. It is a situation far removed from playing against a team with identical capabilities. Although Player's Association's copyright laws prohibit us from providing you with ratings of real-life players we have provided you with counters for a similarly talented fictional league roster. Here is where you take over. You become the General Manager and draft players as they are available. It is your decision whether to select a good rebounding center or a guard who can "shoot the eyes" out of the basket. You'll have to draft the best team available to you realizing full well that the player you don't take in the first round may not be available in the second.

All the coaches should roll the dice to determine the order of selection. High roll gets the first draft pick, second highest the next pick, and so on. After all coaches have selected one player the draft is repeated in the same order until each team has 12 players. For leagues with more than 6 teams, limit each team to 10 selections. For leagues with more than 8 teams add the BASIC GAME counters to the player pool. Additional counter sheets can be purchased direct from Avalon Hill for $1.50, postage included, should even larger leagues be contemplated.

Note that your league activities are not restrained to the operations of the mythical league posed below. Using your own knowledge of the pro, college, and high school loops of your choice you can rate the players involved, plug them into the game rules, and thereby re-create any game whatsoever on the tabletop. Form your own leagues, replay last season's pro schedule, or this year's for that matter, or use your ratings of current clubs to predict the winner of real-life "big games" not yet played. The possibilities are endless. Note that one could substitute real names for the numbers used in our sample league.

Note that the ratings (particularly rebounding and defense) are much expanded from those used in the BASIC GAME. "Superstar" defense ratings of 4 and rebounders of 6 or 7 are available. The rules regarding their use remain the same.

Defensive Standouts

Whenever the recipient of a pass is guarded by a defensive player with a defense rating of 4 and the OB result occurs on the Passing Matrix treat the "OB" as a "G" instead with the following differences. The recipient of the pass must immediately take a guarded shot (no choice to pass). If his adjusted die roll is 16 or less, the shot has been blocked and controlled by the defending player, and no rebound proceedings are followed. Treat the block as a FG attempt and credit the defender with a blocked shot (if keeping that particular statistic).

Expanded Injury Table

If any player is removed from a game via injury (unable to return during that game), he must roll one die and then misses that number of following games.

Trades

Coaches are allowed to trade players freely among themselves, but not during a game which is in progress.

Structure

Leagues can follow many different approaches, and vary greatly in the rules used. We cannot outline your league as well as you can personally tailor it to your group's individual needs.

For simplicity sake we recommend using the following "play-off" procedure. The winner of each pairing moves on to the next round of play. All series are best of 7, however, if shorter versions of the CAMPAIGN GAME are desired the "series" can be reduced to "best of 5," "best of 3," or single elimination.

[Diagram omitted: a playoff bracket for eight teams numbered 1 through 8, with Semi-Finals, Championship and Champion.]

General Manager Decisions

Coaches cannot be allowed to dominate a league year after year with what is essentially the same team. Such a situation stagnates a league very fast and is neither fair nor realistic. Therefore each team must expect a certain amount of attrition among its player ranks every year via retirements, permanent injuries, league jumping, or just plain aging. To reflect this, incorporate the following rules:

At the end of every league season coaches must roll the dice for each of their 12 players. The first two players whose dice roll results in doubles (two 1's, two 2's, etc.) are lost to the team for the coming year due to one of the above mentioned causes. Coaches may roll for their players in any order but cannot roll for the same player more than once nor neglect to roll for any player. Should two players be lost in this manner before all 12 are rolled for, then the remaining players need not be rolled for. Should no player get a "doubles" roll, no player need be lost from the team for the coming season.

Coaches may fill vacancies via trades or drafting from the college ranks. A coach may draft more players than he has room for on his roster but must cut his squad down to 12 before any league games are played.

College Draft

New players are created in the following ratio: 1 each Gd-Fwd and Fwd-Cen, 2 Cens, 4 each Gds and Fwds. Since those numbers will go evenly into 12, it is suggested that new players be created in multiples of 12, in the ratio indicated. Simply determine how many new players are required, then roll the appropriate tables to determine what their ratings will be.

Once you have determined how many new players you will create, and what their positions will be, you roll the dice five times for each player (once for each of the rating characteristics), utilizing the tables which follow. (NOTE: the percentage chance of getting any rating for each position is roughly equal to the percentage in which that rating appears among the players in the Campaign Game.)

Rating tables. Each table lists the die roll (2 through 12) across the top and the rating for each characteristic beneath it. "yes" means the player has Tip-In capability; "-" means no entry.

CENTER

Rating	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Defense	3	4	1	2	3	3	2	2	4	1	3
Offense	3	1	3	2	1	2	1

FORWARD-CENTER

Rating	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Defense	4	2	1	2	3	2	3	2	1	4	1
Offense	3	1	2	2	1	3	2

FORWARD

Rating	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Defense	3	4	1	2	1	2	2	3	2	4	3
Offense	3	1	1	3	2	2	1

GUARD-FORWARD

Rating	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Defense	1	4	3	1	2	2	2	1	3	4	1
Offense	1	3	2	1	3	2	1

GUARD

Rating	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Defense	4	1	2	1	3	1	2	2	4	2	3
Offense	2	3	2	3	1	2	1

Only the Offense, Passing, and Free Throw ratings of rookies are revealed prior to the draft. Other ratings must be rolled by the drafter after the player has been selected.

Expansion

In the event that a league goes for more than one year and adds new players the second year, an expansion draft is necessary (especially if using the college draft, aging, etc.).

In each round of the expansion draft, each new team gets to draft one "unprotected" player from any one of the existing teams. No existing team can have two of its players drafted until every existing team has had at least one drafted (similarly for two, three, etc.).

For the first round of the expansion draft, each existing team can protect three players. Each new team picks one player from those not protected. In the second round, each existing team may protect 4 players. Each new team picks one player from those not protected, observing the rule that no existing team can lose a 2nd player until every one has lost one.

This procedure continues until each existing team has all players either protected or drafted.

The second phase of the expansion draft is the college draft. In the college draft, each new team gets to draft 3 players before the draft is opened to the established teams. (Note: if established teams are allowed to protect a number other than 3 on the 1st round of the expansion draft, the number of picks allowed to the new teams in the college draft before allowing old teams to pick should equal the number protected in the 1st round of the expansion draft. That is, if old teams can protect 4 players in the 1st round of the expansion draft, each new team should be able to draft 4 players from the college draft before the old teams can enter the college draft.)

Therefore, the college draft would proceed as follows:

Round	New Teams	Old Teams
Round 1	Each draft 1 player (total 1 each)	No draft rights
Round 2	Each draft 1 player (total 2)	No draft rights
Round 3	Each draft 1 player (total 3)	No draft rights
Rounds 4 and thereafter	Each draft 1 player	Each draft 1 player

Designer's Notes

The design of Basketball Strategy took two years and was not accomplished without considerable revamping and arguement. Approximately 4 prototypes were constructed and abandoned before settling on the current game form. I will not tell you that all involved were in unanimous agreement over the form which the game eventually evolved for that would be a lie. My main protagonist and head playtester, Jim Reilly, furnished the bulk of the discord and at the same time helpful suggestions. But, had it been left up to Jim, who belongs to that school of gamers known as the 'super realism' freaks, the game would not have been ready for another year and would have required half that long to play. Strengthened by the knowledge that Jim even turns up his nose at our award-winning FOOTBALL STRATEGY game, I confidently declared BASKETBALL STRATEGY ready for the market. The question remains to be answered whether the market is ready for BASKETBALL STRATEGY.

Upon undertaking this design assignment for Avalon Hill, I had to admit to considerable misgivings. Avalon Hill's Football and Baseball games are without doubt the finest sports games on the market, having drawn accolades from SPORTS ILLUSTRATED as far back as 1961. This was pretty lofty company for a new companion game such as BASKETBALL STRATEGY. The problem was compounded by the very sport itself. In a market abounding with an excess of sports games, basketball remains one of the last virgin subject areas — a tribute to the difficulty of simulation of this action-packed sport. Basketball has defied game designers for years to capture its fluid, fast moving, exciting play in the form of a boardgame. The over abundance of decision points and rapid shifts of initiative make basketball a very poor environment for simulation. This is why no one (to my knowledge, at least), has previously come out with a basketball game requiring skill. Oh sure, there are a multitude of computer games using major league stars' statistics which enable you to replay the statistical averages of these players against each other but that hardly qualifies as a game. It matters little what decisions are made by opposing coaches because the game is playing itself — not the players the game.

Everything is predetermined — even the amount of time you can use certain players in comparison to others — you do nothing more than roll the dice and record what the game dictates. The coach with the better team will win regardless of how poorly or well HE coaches. This is contrary to the Avalon Hill philosophy of design which requires that the game must be one of skill — a game in which the winner will be that player which best exercises his options within the framework of the game. This requires, among other things, identical team make-ups for both players which is why the Basic Game of BASKETBALL STRATEGY pits teams of equal ability against each other. This then is what I've strived to achieve — a game of skill in as highly playable a form as the subject matter will allow. Although I, in all honesty, cannot claim that BASKETBALL STRATEGY matches our excellent Football game in either excitement or playability — I can, with all candor, state that this game possesses more of both qualities than any other basketball game of skill currently on the market.

Having thus put my reputation on the line, a general discussion of the game system is in order. The mechanics of the game are, of necessity, an involved system. The many decision points required by the sport leave little choice in the matter, yet the game has been reduced to as few of these decision points as possible, without losing the flavor of the many different aspects of the sport. This is why a "pass" in BASKETBALL STRATEGY is not necessarily a single pass but a series of actions used to get the ball from one spot on the court to another — be it by a sustained dribble, a series of passes, or a combination of the two. To actually represent every pass in a game would bog it down in an endless sea of maneuvers. Thus, we come up with the time increments of 4 and 8 seconds for ball handling by which we can limit the offense's number of attempts to maneuver for the shot he wants. Needless to say it is this maneuvering for the shot which represents the lion's share of the skill factor in the game, although the handling of line-ups and positioning also lend themselves to major skill factors.

However, the Passing Matrix is still the heart and soul of the game and the player who handles it best will be victorious more often than not. For the interplay of the Matrix, the shooting chart percentages, the positioning of the offense, the caliber of defense, and the pressures of the 24 Second Clock combine with one's knowledge of his opponent to form the very essence of strategy — which makes BASKETBALL STRATEGY a game of strategy and counterstrategy; think and doublethink — a game where no decision is always right and every decision is sometimes wrong. How you master your opponent's psyche and apply this to the opportunities offered by the game will determine your success. For, although the dice play an undeniable role in the game, it is their very frequency of use which makes this a game of skill. Over the course of 200 die rolls (average for a full pro game) luck will even out and it will be the more skillful player, the one who has defied the percentages the least, who is victorious.

As important as the Passing Matrix is, players should be refrained from studying the charts for minutes on end before making every pass or defensive call. It is this debating of options which drags the game out to unbearably long proportions. Therefore, as soon as players gain familiarity with the game the Reaction rule should be invoked to speed up play. After a while, players should be able to grasp the situation at a glance and make their calls with machine-like precision. Failure to react promptly in this manner should be penalized by advancing the 24" clock one time increment for tardy offensive calls for each violation at the defender's option, or an automatic open shot in the case of a tardy defensive player. The exact penalties should be decided on by both players prior to the game and strictly enforced, for this is the game's biggest drawback — its playing time. The game can be enjoyed to its fullest only when it is played fast by experienced players — recapturing the feel of the quickness with which the game is played. Familiarizing oneself with the game is not that big a chore — especially given the color defense cards which make cross-indexing on the Passing Matrix unnecessary. One can tell with a glance at the defense card what the result was. A pair of experienced players using the reaction rule should be able to complete a full game in 90 minutes.

It is a good idea to play 8 minute quarters until one's familiarity suffices to advance to other levels of play.

Realism buffs are going to have gripes with BASKETBALL STRATEGY and perhaps rightly so. In order to attain the best marriage between realism and playability (keeping evermost in mind the notion of cutting down on the playing time) certain designer's licenses had to be employed. If simulation games are not to be hopelessly bogged down by technicalities, abstraction must enter the game at some juncture. It is these abstractions or 'fudge factors' if you will, that I address myself to now. The one glaring "fudge factor" which stands out is the matter of the Poor Defense. In the words of more than one irate playtester — "how can anyone shoot better guarded than in the open — regardless of the quality of defender"? The answer, of course, is that they don't. Yet this doesn't make the game unrealistic — not when you consider that the entire shooting chart is based on an "average" defense being present. One must remember that an "open shot" under game conditions is much different from a player standing at the top of the key and throwing in basket after basket on a vacant court. In a game situation an open shot is generally derived only through considerable motion on the part of a shooter, in cooperation with similar blocking movements by his teammates with the object of stripping the shooter of his defensive counterpart. Such opportunities often last for only a split second and are lost if the shooter isn't prepared to shoot immediately. Thus, an "open shot" is "open" only comparatively speaking — and the more tenacious the defense the greater the difference between a "guarded" and an "open" shot. It was necessary then for me to presuppose a level of defensive capabilities which would oppose every shot. This level is in the form of the TDR. The shooting chart will provide accurate percentages for "opposed" shots within this rating system. However, if the defense is not equal to the minimum (Avg. TDR) defensive requirements envisioned by me when designing the shooting chart, the accuracy of that chart breaks down. Thus, when a sub-par defense is fielded it is necessary to adjust the entire shooting chart to the left to reflect a level of defensive ability lower than that normally expected of a defense.

Thus, the +3 provision for guarded shots against a Poor Defense. In essence then, there is no guarded shot situation against a poor defense — the defense is assumed to be so porous that an "open shot" is available at every turn. And hence, this is how we come up with the seemingly unrealistic happenstance of a man shooting better when guarded than when in the open, and the need to allow players to shoot "open or better" in the game. The alternative is to have 4 different shooting charts — one for each level of defense. Considering this, the +3 addition to the die rolls of guarded shots against a poor defense seems a small price to pay for the luxury of using just one shooting chart. Remember — your player isn't shooting any better because he is guarded; he shoots better simply because the defense is so bad that the regular shooting chart is no longer a true indication of the likelihood of success. The addition to the die roll is an artificial and playable method of providing that needed shooting chart for inferior defense.

Upon close investigation, players will find other areas seemingly out of kilter. For example, why should a player be more likely to draw a foul while shooting from zone D than zone C? In reality, zones C-D and E-F are the same distance from the basket and chances for an event in one should be equal to the probability for that same event in another. Generally speaking, this holds true in the game as well. I have been told that zones D and F are inferior to C and E respectively. While it is true that the chances for a field goal are about 3% less in D and E, the chances for drawing a shooting foul are 3% greater. Therefore, the chances of gaining either a goal or foul from these areas remains equal.

In many situations, drawing such a foul is more desirable than the field goal. By slanting the shooting chart in this manner, coaches are given a choice as to which type of course they wish to pursue. Opting for a shot from zone D over C then, can well represent a shooter giving the extra head fake prior to the shot in hopes of drawing a foul. The point to remember though, is that there is a difference and you can use this difference to your advantage. This apparent "misbalancing" of the charts is by design to create a better game situation.

I don't really think that the shooting chart is imbalanced in any meaningful manner. Basically speaking, a player can shoot from 5 ranges; A, B, C-D, E-F, or G. Each range is separated by a probability of success ranging from 6 to 8% (counting success as a goal, foul or tip-in). The closer to the basket, the higher the probability of success — yet the closer one gets to the basket the higher the probability of a turnover without any shot attempt at all. The only exception to this orderly sequence of events is an offensive rebound near the basket or a fast break result which negates the effect of the penalty for crossing a zone boundary making the A zone vastly superior to B which is as it should be.

Similar "imbalances" come up in the rebounding provisions of the game. A coach expecting his team's rebounding capabilities to smoothly increase a set capability in each zone as his TRR increases will be disappointed. Events on a basketball floor do not follow a smooth curve in direct response to resource input. There comes a point of diminishing returns when additional rebounding strength can do nothing to add to a team's already preponderant rebounding advantage. The opposition cannot be totally shut off regardless of how many 7 footers a team has in play. For example, the defensive team with a +2 rating on the TRR will gain no more rebounds following a foul shot than if they were even with the offense. In short, increasing a team's TRR does not necessarily increase their rebounding abilities from a certain zone but it will improve their rebounding abilities for the game as a whole.

Statistically speaking, the game provides statistics comparable to the average NBA game. The one exception is in the area of turnovers where the game tends to generate about 40% more than occur in a well-played professional game. This can be adjusted by inserting a die roll after every turnover on the Passing Matrix. On a die roll of 1 or 2 the turnover is ignored and treated as a PA result instead. This system introduces a more realistic turnover probability, but adds another step to the play of the game.

Much more could be said about the strategy of play and built-in intricacies of design, but to do so would deprive the player of the satisfaction of discovering these nuances of play himself.

The game may also drag a bit if one side gets far ahead. The problem of utilizing the full court press in the passing matrix is simply that it doesn't work when the opposition expects it. For this reason I played with the notion of inserting a full court press option. It was not included in the game because I felt it destroyed the game's reliance on skill, and placed too much emphasis on luck. However, for those of you interested in that sort of thing I include below a possible table for such an option.

The defensive coach may opt for the OVERALL FULL COURT PRESS OPTION during any timeout or start of a quarter. This is the only time in which the option may be started or stopped.

When using the OVERALL FULL COURT PRESS OPTION the defense does not play a defense card during his opponent's upcourt pass. Instead he informs the offense of the FULL COURT PRESS and the offensive coach chooses one of the 3 alternative methods of bringing the ball upcourt against the press; i.e., a full court pass, short passes, or dribble. The dice are then rolled, added normally, and the result cross-indexed on the chart below. Any and all passes after the upcourt pass are then defensed normally with the defense cards being played by the defender and the offensive coach choosing the zone which he wishes to pass to. The FULL COURT PRESS OPTION is in effect for every initial upcourt pass by the opposing team until called off during a timeout or quarter break. Each die roll for the FULL COURT PRESS OPTION is considered an 8 second time increment without exception. Each Foul is treated as a backcourt foul and is awarded two foul shots and is subject to the bonus shot in penalty situations.

Overall Full Court Press Option

Passing Option \ Dice Roll	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Full Court Pass	OF	DB	I	FB 1on1	0	FB 2on1	DB	FB 3on2	0	0	OF
Short Passes	F	PA	IFB 2on1	PA	FB 3on1	PA

Realism freaks not happy with the present rebounding rules and looking for even more complexity might try the following system in conjunction with individual guarding assignments. Match the rebound ratings of players paired at the offensive end of the court by the man-to-man defense to determine which, if any, has a rebound advantage. Ignore normal TRR proceedings.

EXAMPLE: Black center 51 has a 4 rebound rating while White center 56 has a "3". Thus, the Black center has a +1 advantage. On rebounds which would normally go to the White center, look at the white die cast on the preceding shot. If that number is not greater than the rebounding difference (in this case, 1) then the rebound is transferred to the better rebounder. In our example then, no adjustments need to be made to rebounds going to the Black center who enjoys a superiority.

This technique is especially interesting in the Campaign Game, where the individual matchups could have a difference of as much as 6 (in which case, the smaller player would get no rebounds). The rule would, of course, apply to all matchups — not just those for centers. It is a far more realistic rule which gives rebounds to the better individual rather than randomly to the bigger team. Unfortunately, it is a time consuming process and a drag on playability which is why it wasn't incorporated in the game itself.

Further commentary then is neglected to avoid tipping the lazy player off to facts which should be discovered through play of the game. BASKETBALL STRATEGY will provide you with countless hours of entertainment if you have the patience to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the game system and enough opponents nearby to form draft leagues and tournaments. I hope you enjoy playing the game as much as I did designing it.

Donald J. Greenwood

[Avalon Hill subscription advertisement ("The Hobby") and the design and playtest credits box omitted.]

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Q. Is the additional subtraction of 1 from the colored die only on "G" results of the Passing Matrix or does it apply also to Open shots? A. It applies only to "G" results. On Open shots the doubleteamed player can shoot in a normal "guarded" manner.

Q. When utilizing individual guarding assignments, must players still guard players of the same type (i.e., guards vs. guards, etc.)? A. Yes

Q. On a "PA" result who makes the next pass — the player who made the last pass or the player who received it? A. The latter.

Q. Who makes an in-bounds pass? A. Any player can make an in-bounds pass. Logically, a coach would pick a "3" ballhandler whenever possible.

Q. Assuming a "JB" result on the initial upcourt pass, where does the jump ball occur? A. In the offensive team's forecourt.

Q. Are the overtime fouls accumulable from one overtime to the next? A. No. Each team receives 3 per overtime period.

Q. Do the 4 seconds involved in a jump ball count against the controlling team's 24 Second Clock? A. Yes

Q. Paragraph E on Page 2 is somewhat confusing. Is the rebounded shot taken again from a zone closer to the basket from the zone of the original shooter or the rebounder? A. The latter.

Q. Could more than two counters be placed in zone B, considering that B is divided into two sections? A. No

Q. When a timeout is called, are all upcourt passes then timed at 4 seconds? A. Yes, except in the case of Free passes which take no time and can be made only to zones E, F or G.

Q. Does a turnover always result when the 24 second clock runs out? A. Yes

Q. What happens if the 24 second clock runs out before the ball gets past midcourt? A. Impossible. The ball is always considered in the forecourt after the first upcourt pass, regardless of the number of "Pass Again" results attained on the Passing Matrix. Example: Should a coach make an upcourt pass to zone E which results in a PA, he must merely pass the ball again — but from zone E this time.

Q. Are 8 seconds always lost as the result of an IFB? A. No. IFB passes always cost 4 seconds.

Q. Is the time clock readjusted whenever the 24 second clock is adjusted because of an out-of-bounds play? A. ALWAYS

Q. Can a player who controls a jumpball in the forecourt advance one zone to shoot without penalty? A. No

Q. Does the 3 on 2 Fastbreak "no adjustment on die roll" exclude offensive rating and zone change adjustments? A. No. Offensive ratings affect every type of shot. Zone changes have no effect on Fast Break shots.

Q. If the offensive center is in zone B must the defensive center place his counter in the "laying back" section, or is he automatically considered to be playing tight with the advantages of "laying back"? A. He is automatically given the shot blocking advantages.

Q. Can a center choose when to exercise his shot blocking powers; i.e., can he refuse to block a shot? A. Only if designated as "playing loose", and then he cannot block any shots.

Q. Can a 1 or 2 ballhandler "pass" to himself in zone A on a downcourt pass? A. No. Passes can be made into zone A only by a "3" ballhandler or a lesser ballhandler stationed in zone B once the ball has been advanced to that point by an upcourt pass.

Q. Are all red results on the Passing Matrix turnovers? A. Yes. Note that the Jumpball result can be controlled by the offense however.

Q. Can a position marker be placed in the foul circle outside the three second lane in Zone B? A. Technically yes. However, it is a good idea to outlaw this as it leads to confusion as to whether the pass should go to "B Left" or "B Right."

Q. Can a player in C receive a pass from Left B, D or F? Please clarify passing. A. Yes. Players can receive a pass from any zone. The only restriction is that poor ballhandlers (rating 1 & 2) cannot pass to zones A & B respectively unless the ball already rests in that or an adjacent zone. The point to remember is that players can receive passes only in zones which are adjacent to or in the zone in which their position marker is placed.

Q. Can you pass to a zone where a player cannot receive a pass? A. Yes, but it would result in an automatic turnover. Players may receive passes only in their own or an adjacent zone. Should a coach pass to "D" with no players in zones B, D or F it would be considered a "DB" result.

Q. Are the passing lane arrows applicable in both directions? A. Yes

Q. May a defensive coach refuse a Pass Again result on the Passing Matrix? A. No

[Rules questions mailing address, replacement parts notice, catalogue notice and printer credit omitted.]

Charts

Not transcribed here: the Passing Matrix, the Shooting chart grid, the Team Defensive Rating table and the Advanced Game defense cards are separate playing-aid sheets (the Avalon Hill player charts), not part of this rulebook text. The Shooting chart results are described under "Shooting Chart" above.

The charts below are printed on the back of the rulebook. On the original Jump Ball Chart, results printed in red are the tall team's; they are marked here with an asterisk (*) after the entry.

Jump Ball Chart

Dice roll (sum of both dice) across; row determined by the rebound rating difference (see Jump Balls). Entries marked * are tall-team results.

Row	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
0	RG	RG	LF	RF	LG	RG*	LG*	RF*	LF*	LG	Circle violation out-of-bounds
+1	LG	LF	RG	LG	RG*	LG*	RF*

Blocked Shot Chart

Used for shots from zones A or B (see Shot Blocking). Columns give the defensive center's location.

Player shooting	Dice roll	Defensive center in Zone B	Defensive center in Zones C, D, E, F, G
Center	2, 3	Blocked — OB	—
Center	4–12	—	—
Forward	2, 3	Blocked — OB	Blocked OB
Forward	4	Blocked DB	—
Forward	5–12	—	—
Guard	2, 3, 4	Blocked OB	Blocked OB
Guard

* The defensive center is considered to be in the same zone as the offensive center unless utilizing the "lay back" option.
** "I" is treated the same as an interception by the center.

If the offensive center is in Zones C, D, E, F or G while the defensive center is "laying back" he may always shoot an open or better shot, must ignore fouls, and may ignore PA, G and OB results.

Injury Chart

Player Injury Table (roll both dice, read as a two digit number):

Roll	Player injured
11–12	Center
13–14	Left Forward
15–16	Right Forward
21–22	Left Guard
23–24	Right Guard
25–66	No Effect

Duration Of Injury Table (roll a single die):

Roll	Duration
1	Out of Game
2–3	Out for half
4–6	Out for quarter