Statis Pro Football

More of a simulation than a balanced game, Statis Pro Football uses the AH Fast Action Card system. Individual players are rated for their ability to throw/catch/run, block, rush the passer, and several other ratings. You are the coach for your team, and choose from a selection of offensive or defensive moves (Inside Run, Short Pass or Blitz, Run No Key as examples) which affect the outcome, and then flip a deck of cards to work out the result. So if I call the right pass defense against your pass, it becomes harder to complete the pass, or a Run defense means your Run gets less yardage. But if I get it wrong, my defense may have no effect or even greatly increase your chances. The game rules cover pretty much every eventuality, but with all the modifiers, it can slow down when combinations happen. In particular turnovers or penalties can make it slow. And luck can be a factor. Get it all right and you still lose the ball, or concede the TD. The basic game comes with stats cards for every player in every team. Avalon Hill produced several years worth of cards for use with the game, which you could buy separately. And a strong team will overwhelm a weaker team. Strong offense generally pushes past a weak D and there's not a lot you can do except be lucky. But by picking evenly-matched teams, it does require some forethought to work your team to a score. It's best to include the endurance rules, which mean that some players must 'rest' before you can re-direct a play to them. This means cycling players and dealing with injuries makes tricky decisions for you. If you love American Football and know the players and enjoy stats, then Statis Pro Football is for you.