The World Cup Card Game 2010
The World Cup Card Game 2010 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
Players: 2 to 8. Cards: 32 Team cards, 32 Action cards and 1 Reference card.
A formatted score sheet can be downloaded from the publisher's website (Games for the World, downloads page).
Shuffle the Team cards and deal all of them face-down to each player. If some players get an extra card it does not affect play. Players should keep their teams secret until required.
A Team card shows: the number of Action cards received (grey box), the actual match schedule for the 2010 World Cup (information only), the Group, and Goal and Group Goal symbols (e.g. 3 Goal and 2 Group Goal symbols crossed).
Group Stage
Matches are played in the order specified in the Tournament Format, at the end of the rules, i.e. Matches 1 to 6 in Group A, followed by matches 1 to 6 in Group B, etc. When a Group is completed the Action cards are reshuffled for the next Group.
Players with a team in Group A now reveal those Team cards. On each card the grey box depicts the number of Action cards that team receives in the Group stage. Shuffle and deal face-down the correct number of Action cards to each team in the group being played. Each player looks at his hand, or hands if he has more than 1 team. Each team's cards must be kept separate, even if controlled by the same player.
Each match is played in order. For Match 1 [S.Africa v. Mexico] each player controlling these teams can play from 1 to 4 Action cards from their hand on that match. The selection of cards is best done secretly so as not to influence the choice made by your opponent. The selected Action cards are revealed simultaneously and a result for that match is recorded on the score sheet.
See Action summary on the Reference card to determine how each Action card is applied. The procedure for match resolution is:
- Each Defence removes 1 Attack, each Foul and Offside remove 1 goal per card. Offside can remove an Attack if no goals are available to remove. These effects are applied to the opponent's revealed cards.
- Then, if there is a Penalty card played, flip the top card of the deck to check if the Penalty is scored. Any goal or Attack card scores a penalty, which adds one goal.
- If there are any single Attack cards (not part of a pair), flip the top card for the first team listed on the match schedule, then the second team. (Attack + drawn Attack = 1 goal.)
Example: Team 1 has played 2 Attack and 1 Goal card; Team 2 has played 1 Penalty, 1 Goal, 1 Foul and 1 Attack. Therefore, Team 1 loses the goal to Team 2's Foul card, which leaves 2 Attack cards = 1 Goal for Team 1 and 1 Penalty, 1 Goal and 1 Attack for Team 2. Team 2 now flips a card from the draw deck to see if he has scored the Penalty. He also flips another card to see if his Attack matches another Attack. If it does, he scores another goal. If both flips are successful, Team 2 would win 3-1.
Discards
Whenever the deck is exhausted, shuffle in the discarded cards from previous matches to create a new deck.
Group Standings
Once all the Group matches have been played, the scores are calculated to check which two teams from each group progress to the next round. [Win 3pts; Draw 1pt; Loss 0pt]
If points are tied, the following list will determine the position in the Group: Goal difference; Greatest number of goals scored; Result of match between the teams concerned; Drawing of lots. All eliminated team cards are removed from the game.
Round of 16
The Round of 16 is the first knock-out stage. The matches are determined according to the Tournament Format (see end of rules). The round is divided into 2 sections; the first 4 matches are played simultaneously, then the last 4 matches are played simultaneously.
The Action cards are shuffled and 3 cards dealt to each player controlling one or more of the teams in these matches. Then, beginning with the player controlling the first team in Match 1, each player (in a clockwise direction) plays a card onto a team and replenishes his hand from the playing deck. Cards can be played on any team. Defence, Foul and Offside cards may ONLY be played against the last played card on any team. The cards played represent the goals scored as well as the Attacks and Defences. The little coloured dots signify the matched teams who are playing against each other.
No team may have more than 4 face-up cards. Defence cards can be played to fill one of the 4 team spaces OR placed on top of an Attack to cancel it. A Foul or Offside is placed on top of the target Goal or Attack to cancel it. If placed on a 3-Goal, reduce to 2 Goals. Successive Fouls/Offside can be placed on multiple goal cards to cancel goals.
Once the deck is exhausted and ALL cards played, resolve scores. This is done in a different manner to the group stage. Example: Mexico v. Greece. Mexico has 2 Defence and 1 goal card; Greece has a goal flipped over with a Foul card on top (no goal), 2 single goals and an Attack. Greece has 2 goals to Mexico's 1 goal but Greece will also flip another card from the draw deck to see if another Attack appears, as the single Attack card on the Greek cards could produce another goal.
Score and remove cards from matches that do not require card flips for single Attacks or Penalty cards and shuffle to create a draw deck. Flip cards from this deck to resolve Attacks and Penalties. Attack + drawn Attack = 1 goal. An Attack or any Goal card scores a Penalty. Penalty cards cannot be covered by Foul or Offside.
Once the first 4 matches have been completed, play the next 4 matches in exactly the same way.
Quarter-Finals
Played by the successful teams from the Round of 16. The draw is determined by the Tournament Format (see end of rules). Use the same format as the Round of 16 but this time all matches are played simultaneously.
Semi-Finals
Played by the successful teams from the Quarter-Finals. The draw is determined by the Tournament Format (see end of rules). Play using the same format, dealing 3 cards to each participating team, but deal out just 12 Action cards to create a draw deck. [Addendum to original rules] This time, as soon as the last card is taken from the draw deck the round ends. This will leave 3 cards in the hands of each player to use in the 3rd place/Final. [End of addendum] All others are put aside for card flips.
The Final and 3rd Place
The same procedure is used for the 3rd place and Final games as used for the Semi-Finals. However, you cannot play cards on the match in which you do not have a team. The winner of the Final is the winner of the 2010 World Cup!
Penalty Shoot-Out
Drawn games in the KO stages are resolved by a Penalty shoot out. This procedure takes place when all Action cards are returned to the deck after resolving the scores. In each drawn match a player flips 5 cards per team, alternating between teams with each draw from the shuffled Action card deck. Any Goal or Attack (not Penalty) counts as a goal. The team with the most goals wins! If the result is equal after five cards, each team flips one card at a time until one player 'misses'. However, each team must have taken an equal number of penalties (card flips).
Tournament Format
Group A: S.Africa v. Mexico, Uruguay v. France, S.Africa v. Uruguay, Mexico v. France, Uruguay v. Mexico, France v. S.Africa (Group winner to R16 Match 1; 2nd to Match 5)
Group B: Argentina v. Nigeria, S.Korea v. Greece, Argentina v. S.Korea, Nigeria v. Greece, S.Korea v. Nigeria, Greece v. Argentina (Group winner to R16 Match 5; 2nd to Match 1)
Group C: England v. USA, Algeria v. Slovenia, England v. Algeria, USA v. Slovenia, Algeria v. USA, Slovenia v. England (Group winner to R16 Match 2; 2nd to Match 6)
Group D: Germany v. Australia, Serbia v. Ghana, Germany v. Serbia, Australia v. Ghana, Serbia v. Australia, Ghana v. Germany (Group winner to R16 Match 6; 2nd to Match 2)
Group E: Netherlands v. Denmark, Japan v. Cameroon, Netherlands v. Japan, Denmark v. Cameroon, Japan v. Denmark, Cameroon v. Netherlands (Group winner to R16 Match 3; 2nd to Match 7)
Group F: Italy v. Paraguay, New Zealand v. Slovakia, Italy v. New Zealand, Paraguay v. Slovakia, New Zealand v. Paraguay, Slovakia v. Italy (Group winner to R16 Match 7; 2nd to Match 3)
Group G: Brazil v. N.Korea, Ivory Coast v. Portugal, Brazil v. Ivory Coast, N.Korea v. Portugal, Ivory Coast v. N.Korea, Portugal v. Brazil (Group winner to R16 Match 4; 2nd to Match 8)
Group H: Spain v. Switzerland, Honduras v. Chile, Spain v. Honduras, Switzerland v. Chile, Honduras v. Switzerland, Chile v. Spain (Group winner to R16 Match 8; 2nd to Match 4)
Round of 16: Match 1: Win A v. 2nd B || Match 2: Win C v. 2nd D || Match 3: Win E v. 2nd F || Match 4: Win G v. 2nd H || Match 5: Win B v. 2nd A || Match 6: Win D v. 2nd C || Match 7: Win F v. 2nd E || Match 8: Win H v. 2nd G
Quarter-Finals: QF1: Win 1 v. Win 2 || QF2: Win 3 v. Win 4 || QF3: Win 5 v. Win 6 || QF4: Win 7 v. Win 8
Semi-Finals: SF1: Winner QF1 v. Winner QF2 || SF2: Winner QF3 v. Winner QF4
3rd Place: Losers of each Semi-Final
Final: Winners of each Semi-Final