COUNTER ATTACK

the football strategy board game

RULES OF PLAY
COUNTER ATTACK
THE FOOTBALL STRATEGY GAME

What’s inside the box?

• 1 pitch • 4 red cards
• 46 player cards • 4 injury tokens
• 4 referee cards • 2 hexagonal dice
• 22 footballers • 2 sand timers
• 2 footballs • Rules of Play
• 2 distance sticks • 2 Quick Play Guides
• 4 yellow cards

90 mins 2 player age 10+

for how-to-play guides, rulebook translations,

and to purchase extension packs, please visit

counterattackgame.com

ctrattackgame

RULEBOOK VERSION 1.3

© WEBSTAR GAMES • EDINBURGH EH22
 WELCOME TO THE BIGGEST
GAME OF THE SEASON!
Just looking at the players in the tunnel you
can tell that they are nervous going into this
match, and it’s no wonder, given what’s at
stake. They will have to be at the top of their
game if they’re going to emerge victorious
this evening!

THIS IS COUNTER ATTACK...

AND YOU ARE THE FOOTBALL MANAGER.
Can you handle the pressure of playing every move on the pitch?
Will your tactics crumble in the heat of the match, or will you stick
to your game plan and manage to pass, dribble and shoot your
way to glory?

Counter Attack is a two–player strategy game.

Picking up the rules takes around 30 minutes. Mastering them,
however, might be a different story!

Length of a game
Set up time is approximately 10 minutes. To play the game to its
full potential, go for 2 halves of 45 minutes – just as you’d expect!

The aim of the game

There’s just one thing you need to do to win – score more goals
than your opponent. And, just like in real life, if you end on a tie you
can play extra time or settle the game with a penalty shootout.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
GETTING STARTED 1
Your squad 2
Picking your team 4
Utilising player skills 5
The Zone of Influence 6
The Pitch / The Distance Stick 7

CORE RULES 8
If you are new to the game 9
The Movement Phase 10
Passing 12
Shooting 14
Loose Ball 16
The Goalkeeper 18
Heading 20
Tackling & Dribbling 22
Foul! 23
Set pieces 24
The Referee’s Decision is Final 27
Step-by-Step Guide 28

ADVANCED RULES 32

EXTRA TIME 37
GETTING
STARTED
IN THIS SECTION WE ARE GOING TO
INTRODUCE YOU TO THE COMPONENTS
OF THE GAME INCLUDING THE PITCH
AND THE PLAYERS.
 YOUR SQUAD
A good football manager needs a grasp of tactics and strategy, a
dash of luck and a squad of quality players! Let’s have a look at the
players who will make up your team.

barisic RUsu vrabec toothnail

croatia romania czech republic mongolia

COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK

In many game situations, you will add a dice roll to your player’s
attribute to create a combined score.

outfielders

Pace High pass

Determines how many hexes the You need a combined score
player can move in a Movement (attribute + dice roll) of 8+ to
Phase. make a successful high pass and
9+ to make a long pass.
Dribbling & Tackling
When an opponent attempts a RESILIENCE
tackle, your combined dribbling When your player is fouled, roll
score is used against your a dice. If the dice roll is equal
opponent’s combined tackling to or higher than your player’s
score. resilience attribute then your
player is injured and their pace is
Heading reduced by 2.
Used in a duel when competing
for a header, or against a Shooting
goalkeeper’s combined saving If your combined score is
score if making a headed higher than the goalkeeper’s
attempt at goal. combined saving score then
you have scored a goal!
2
 firrell bertoni
australia italy

Leniency

Following a foul, roll

the dice. If the dice roll
is equal to or higher
than this Leniency
value, the player
receives a yellow card.

COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK

Goalkeepers Referees

Aerial ability leniency

Used in a duel when competing This rating determines whether
for a high ball. If your opponent or not your player will be booked
wins the duel, they score a goal! following a foul.

Saving Following a foul, roll a dice. If the

See Shooting for Outfielders. dice roll is equal to or higher than
the Leniency value shown on the
HANDLING card, the player receives a yellow
If a goalkeeper saves a shot, roll a card!
dice. If the roll is equal to or higher
than the handling score, you have There are some situations where
conceded a corner kick. Any other you could be shown a straight red
score means you have caught card. Check out the Fouls page to
the ball. learn more.

all other skills

See Outfielder card.

3
 PICKING YOUR TEAM
A team squad is made up of 16 players; 1 goalkeeper, 10 outfielders
and 5 substitutes. Here’s how to draft squads at the start of the game.

Goalkeepers
Place the goalkeeper cards face down and pick 1 goalkeeper each.

Outfield Players
Shuffle the cards and place 4 of them face up. You choose 1 of these
cards, your opponent chooses next. You then pick 1 of the remaining
cards and your opponent takes the final card. Repeat this process
with the rest of the player cards, taking turns with who picks first.
Keep going until you both have 15 outfield players.

Now it’s time to decide which 11 players will make up your starting
team, and which will be your 5 substitutes. Allocate a squad number
1-11 to each starting player and place them in their corresponding
spaces at the sides of the pitch.

referee
Place the referee cards face down and pick 1 at random. Place the
referee card face up at the side of the pitch.
THE FOOT
COUN

WILLEMS
BELGIUM vrabec
czech republ

nkosi taylor lessa

south africa canada brazil

COUNTER ATTACK
COUNTER ATT

COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK

Place your players at the edge of the pitch. During a Movement

Phase, keep track of which players you have moved by sliding
them up. Reset them at the end of the Movement Phase.

4
 UTILISING PLAYER SKILLS
Where should you position players on the pitch to make the most
of their abilities? That’s entirely up to you! This guide to some of the
players in your box might give you a helping hand.

RUIZ
ARGENTINA
With great dribbling skills yet terrible tackling,
Ruiz is clearly an attacking player. But poor
heading and shooting might mean Ruiz is best
played on the wing. With a pace of 6, Ruiz can be
devastating on the counter attack...

COUNTER ATTACK

delgado
Delgado is an all-rounder: not great at any one spain
job, but generally good at everything. Delgado’s
high dribbling ability means you can leave this
player in possession of the ball and be confident
of beating most tackles. The all-round ability
coupled with pace means Delgado would be
a great midfielder, but you could also consider
fullback.

COUNTER ATTACK

longo
italy
Going by the tackling and heading attributes,
Longo is a classic defender. Not many players
will dribble past Longo, but be wary of the lack of
pace. You might need to defend deep with this
Italian in your team.

COUNTER ATTACK

5
 THE ZONE OF INFLUENCE
Every player in Counter Attack can affect what happens in the space
surrounding them. This area is called the Zone of Influence. In this
example, player 3 is a defender.

3 your player
• No player can move through or finish a move in this hex.
• A standard pass is intercepted if it travels through this hex.
• If a shot travels through this hex, roll a 5 or 6 to make a
deflection.

The 6 surrounding hexes

• If an attacker dribbles into this hex, roll a 6 to steal the ball.
• If a pass travels through this hex, roll a 6 to make an
interception.
• If a header is attempted in this hex, your player can attempt
to win the duel.
• If a shot travels through this hex, roll a 6 to make a deflection.

2 hexes away
• If a header is attempted in this space, your player can
attempt to win the duel but with a -1 dice penalty.

6
 THE PITCH
The pitch is made up of hundreds of hexes. During the game you’ll
move your players from hex to hex as you pass, shoot and score!

The final third

If the ball is in one final third
and any action has come to an
end, all players in the opposite
final third get a free move of 6
hexes each.

Attacking team moves first.

THE DISTANCE STICK

The distance stick shows you how far you can pass, head and shoot.
Hold the stick directly over the player who has the ball. It is is also
used to judge whether or not any pass you want to make can be
intercepted, or whether your shot can be deflected. Refer to the
passing and deflection rules to learn more!

High pass
Pass
Standard
Pass Shot
First-time
Header

Red 11 has the ball and wants to make a standard pass to Red 7. The distance
stick tells us that a standard pass is possible. We also learn that the path of
the ball does not travel through a White player or within any White player’s
Zone of Influence, so the pass cannot be intercepted.

7
CORE
RULES
FOOTBALL IS A SIMPLE GAME,
AND SO IS COUNTER ATTACK.
READ THROUGH THIS SECTION
TO FIND OUT HOW TO PASS,
DRIBBLE, SHOOT AND SCORE!
 IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE GAME...

• Keep the quick play guide close to hand

• Master the movement phase (over the page)

• keep the sand timer for THE second HALF

• STICK TO THE CORE RULES – Keep the

advanced rules for your next game

• don’t use high pass or long pass yet

• DO use every other rule!

KICK OFF!
Before the game starts, line up your players in your own half, each
player in a separate hex. You can put your players wherever you like.
If you want ideas for good formations, check the back of the game
board!

Now, toss a coin to decide which team takes kick off. The winning
manager places one player on the centre spot. Place the ball on top of
that player. The attacking team can have multiple players in
the centre circle; the defending team must have none.

Before the attacking team starts the game, both managers can
quickly readjust their formations. Once that is done, the game starts
with the attacking team playing a standard pass to any position on
the pitch.

9
 MOVEMENT PHASE
A Movement Phase represents a split second on the football pitch.
The attacking manager can start a Movement Phase after every
action except a high pass. One Movement Phase can follow another
if the attacking manager wishes.

Each player’s Pace attribute determines how far they can travel in a
Movement Phase e.g. a player with pace of 6 can move up to a total
of 6 hexes during a Movement Phase. Players cannot move through
teammates or opposition players.

During a Movement Phase, follow the 4-5-2 sequence:

Step 1 Attacking manager moves 4 players

Step 2 Defending manager moves 5 players

Step 3 Attacking manager moves 2 new players,

up to a maximum of 2 hexes each

During the Movement Phase, if the player in possession of the ball

moves the ball within 1 hex of an opponent, the defender can steal
the ball if they roll a 6. If the defender fails, the attacker can continue
moving through the defender’s Zone of Influence, but no more ‘steal’
attempts are made by that defender.

!
are you battling a timewaster?
Speed up the game by using the sand timer.
if your opponent does not move their
players before 60 seconds is up, their turn
will come to an end!

10
Actions during the Movement Phase
• You cannot make a pass until the Movement Phase has ended.
However, you can take a snapshot during a Movement Phase if
your player runs with the ball into the box.

• If a defender moves a player within 1 hex of the ball, a tackle can

be attempted. Pause the sand timer while making the tackle.

• If a player is successfully tackled during the Movement Phase,

possession of the ball changes hands and the current Movement
Phase immediately comes to an end.

Red 9 has possession of the ball. The Red team moves first. Players 9, 11, 10
and 7 are all moved according to their Pace attribute.

The White team then moves players 8, 4, 5, 6 and 3. In doing so, Red 10
and 7 are now in offside positions. No player was close enough to make a
tackle on Red 9.

Now the attacking team moves 2 more players up to 2 hexes each.

The players who move in this moment cannot have previously moved.

11
 PASSING
There are 3 types of pass in the Core Rules. The markers on the
distance stick show you how far each pass can travel. Hold the stick
over the player in possession of the ball and point it in the direction
you’d like to pass.

Standard Pass
A standard pass travels along the ground. The ball cannot travel
through an opponent (see Zone of Influence) but you can pass
through your teammate. If the path of the ball comes within 1 hex of a
defender, that player can roll a 6 to intercept.

high Pass
Use the distance stick to work out where you want to pass to. If your
opponent is within 1 hex of the player making the pass and directly in
the path of the high pass, the pass cannot be made. Place the ball
where you want it to go.

Next, each team may move 1 player up to 3 hexes as the ball travels.
If the high pass is played into the penalty box, the goalkeeper also gets
to move 1 hex. The ball must always be aimed to land on the head of
one of your players.

Roll a dice and add the roll to your player’s High Pass attribute.
A combined score of 8+ is necessary for an accurate high pass.

• If the high pass is accurate, all players within 2 hexes can challenge
for the header.

• If the high pass is inaccurate, follow the Loose Ball instructions.

A header must follow a high pass. See Heading to learn more.

The Red player has the ball. The position of White

4 blocks some possible High Pass and Long Pass
options. The red dashed line here shows which
High Pass/Long Pass option is not possible.

12
 ATTACK
STRATEGY GAME COUNTERATTACKGAME

Red 8 wants to cross the ball into the box for Red 9. Red 9 moves 3 hexes
after the high pass has been made. White 4 also moves 3 hexes. White
4 cannot quite reach Red 9 but can still challenge for a header with a
-1 dice penalty. Red 8 rolls the dice and combines the dice roll with the
High Pass attribute. A score of 8+ is accurate. Red 9 and White 4 now
challenge for the header.

Long pass
A long pass can travel to any position on the pitch which means there
is no need for the distance stick. There are some limitations, however!

You cannot:
• Play a long pass from one final third to the other.
• Make the pass if there is an opponent in any hex next to yours that
will block the route of the ball.

The ball:
• Must not be aimed to land within 5 hexes of any of your teammates.
• Must not be aimed to land in any hex right next to an opponent.

You must check for accuracy when you play a long ball. A combined
score (dice + High Pass attribute) of 9 is needed for the long pass to be
accurate. If the pass is inaccurate, follow the Loose Ball instructions.

After a long pass has been made, the defending manager gets to
move their goalkeeper according to the goalkeeper’s pace. Play then
resumes with a Movement Phase, with the attacking team moving first.

13
 SHOOTING
You’ll be using the distance stick to judge if you can shoot. All shots
are deemed to be accurate, but defenders can block the ball (see
Loose Ball).

walker
RUIZ
england
ARGENTINA

5 vs 9

COUNTER AT
COUNTER ATTACK TACK

Shooting is a duel between the player taking the shot and the
goalkeeper:

• Shots from outside the penalty area receive a -1 dice penalty.

• Snapshots receive a -1 dice penalty.
• If the shot is taken from outside the penalty box, the goalkeeper
gets to move 1 hex before attempting a save.

Remember...
• The maximum dice penalty is -2.
• In the event of a tie, follow the Loose Ball instructions.
• If the attacker’s score is higher, a goal has been scored!
If the keeper’s score is higher, roll a dice:

• If you roll equal to or higher than the goalkeeper’s Handling

attribute, you concede a corner kick.
• If you roll lower than the Handling attribute, you catch the ball.

If the ball is caught, possession changes hands to the goalkeeper’s

team.

Read The Goalkeeper to discover what you can do once you have held
a shot.

14
 walker
england The goalkeeper saved a shot and then rolled to
check if the ball had been caught. A dice roll of 1 is
lower than Walker’s Handling attribute, so the ball
has been caught!

COUNTER ATTACK

SNAPSHOTS
A snapshot sacrifices accuracy for the element of surprise. Take one:

• During a Movement Phase if a player has the ball in the

penalty area.
• Immediately following a pass, whether inside or outside the
penalty area.

All the same rules of shooting apply, but the player’s Shooting
attribute receives a -1 dice penalty. Just before the snapshot is
taken, 1 opponent is allowed to move any player 2 hexes in an attempt
to deflect the shot (see Loose Ball). This can include the goalkeeper.

ER ATTACK
LL STRATEGY GAME COUNTER Red 9 runs into the box
with the ball, avoiding
the defender’s Zone of
Influence.

Because Red 9 is in the

box, the player can take a
snapshot.

The White team gets to

move 1 player 2 hexes
before the snapshot to try
and deflect the shot.

The goalkeeper also gets a

free move of 1 because the
ball entered the box.

15
 LOOSE BALL
The Loose Ball instructions determines where the ball ends up
whenever:

• a defender successfully deflects a shot

• a high pass or long pass is inaccurate
1
• a tackle, a header or a shot ends in a tie

2
Refer to the numbers 1-6 printed on the pitch.

3
4
This helps you determine where the ball will
break. The ball deflects from the centre of
the incident (i.e. where the ball was
supposed to travel, or from the defender who
challenged for a tackle or header)

Roll a dice to determine the direction the ball will break. If you roll a 3,
the ball will break in the direction of the 3, and so on.

To determine the distance the ball will break, roll a dice again. The dice
roll will tell you how many hexes the ball will travel. Start counting from
the source of the loose ball.

• If the ball hits a player while it is travelling, that player’s team is

now in possession. Resume play as if you had won a tackle.

• If the ball does not hit any player while travelling, continue the
Movement Phase or, if you were not in a Movement Phase, begin
one with the attacking team moving first.

Goals can be scored from loose balls! If the ball passes within 1 hex of
the goalkeeper, the goalkeeper needs to roll a 5 or a 6 to save it! If the
ball passes more than 1 hex from the goalkeeper, it cannot be saved.

How to deflect shots

If the shot travels though a defender, roll a 5 or 6 to deflect. If it passes
within 1 hex, roll a 6 to deflect.

16
 Red 7 attempts a high pass to Red 10 (the solid line). The pass is
inaccurate, so to determine where the ball goes, you roll the dice
once for direction and once for distance. You roll a 5 for direction
and a 5 for distance. Because the ball hits a player before it travels
5 hexes, that player’s team takes possession of the ball. White 2
controls the ball and play continues with a Movement Phase, a pass
or shot (if close enough to goal).

ER ATTACK
LL STRATEGY GAME COUNTERATTACKGAM

Red 9 shoots at goal and the goalkeeper’s combined saving is equal

to the attacker’s combined shooting. You roll a 1 for direction and a 4
for distance. The ball breaks across the penalty area. The Red team
has not finished their Movement Phase, so Red 10 could reach the
ball and shoot.

17
 THE GOALKEEPER
Just like any other player, your goalkeeper can be moved in a
Movement Phase. Your goalkeeper can also be moved 1 hex
whenever the ball comes into the box.

Positioning to make a save

You can dive 3 hexes in either direction parallel to the goal line when
attempting a save. If a shot is 4 or more hexes away, you can’t save it!

TACK
Y GAME COUNTERATT

Red 9 shoots at goal. The goalkeeper can only dive 3 hexes

parallel to the goal line so it’s a goal!.

AFTER MAKING A SAVE and holding the ball

The goalkeeper has two choices:

• Kick the ball. Before this kick is taken, any players who are in either
final third get to move up to 6 hexes each. The goalkeeper’s team
moves first.
• Take a quick throw. No players get to move first. The throw can
travel the distance of a standard pass and cannot be intercepted
by an opponent.

If you choose to kick the ball, judge the accuracy of the kick using the
goalkeeper’s High Pass attribute (a combined score of 8+ is required).
The ball can be kicked to any position on the pitch except for those in
the opposite final third. If the pass is inaccurate, follow the Loose Ball
instructions.

Both teams get to move one player up to 3 hexes while the ball is
travelling in the air. If a defender is within distance to challenge for

18
a header (i.e. within 2 hexes), then play resumes with a header. If no
defender is close enough to challenge for a header, the attacking
player can continue play with a header or a Movement Phase.

Competing for a high cross

If your opponent crosses the ball into the box, you can challenge to
catch the ball. If the ball is aimed within one hex of you, then have a
duel with your opponent (see Heading).

If the cross ball is aimed 2 hexes away from you, your combined score
suffers a -1 dice penalty. If the attacker wins the duel, a goal is scored!
If you win the duel, play resumes as if you caught a shot (see After
making a save).

Intercepting a pass
If the path of a pass travels directly through you, then you will
automatically intercept the pass. If the path of the ball takes it within
one hex of you, roll a 5 or a 6 to make an interception.

DiVING at thE FEET OF AN ATTACKER

If an attacker attempts to dribble the ball around you, you can try to
dive at their feet. You can dive 3 hexes in either direction, parallel to
the goal line. To try this, you and your opponent roll the dice. Add your
Saving attribute to the dice roll and compare that to the attacker’s
Dribbling attribute plus dice roll.

You can also dive at the attacker’s feet during a Movement Phase if
you move to an adjacent hex. However, if you roll a 1 in either situation,
a foul has been committed!

19
 HEADING
A header must follow a high pass. There are no limits to the number of
players from either team who can challenge for a header. Whether a
player can challenge for the header or not depends on how close they
are to the target.

• Players within 1 hex can challenge for the header.

• Players within 2 hexes can challenge for the header but will
suffer a -1 dice penalty.

Use the distance stick to judge how far the header can travel.

Goalkeepers can also challenge to catch a high pass if they are close
enough, using their Aerial Ability. If the goalkeeper loses that duel, the
attacker scores a goal!

In all instances, follow the Loose Ball instructions if there is a tie.

mcnulty van de K
erkhof
ireland netherla
nds

8vs 3

COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER A

TTACK

Headed Attempts at Goal

Headed attempts at goal cannot be blocked or intercepted by
defenders. If the attacker has won a duel with a defender, the
goalkeeper now rolls to attempt a save. The attacker does not re-roll.

20
Headed Passes
Headed passes cannot be intercepted and there cannot be 2
consecutive headed passes.

If the defender wins the headed duel, the ball has to be headed away.
Use the distance stick to judge how far it can travel. No interceptions
are possible. The team that headed the ball is now the attacking team.

You cannot head the ball back to your goalkeeper at a corner kick.

Following a Header
The players who challenged for the header cannot participate in the
subsequent Movement Phase.

R ATTACK
STRATEGY GAME COUNTERATTACKGAM

A successful high pass has been made to Red 9. White 4 can challenge for the
header. White 5 and Red 10 can also challenge for the header, but they each
suffer a -1 dice penalty because they are two hexes away.

White 2 is too far away so cannot challenge for the header. If the attacking (Red)
player wins the headed duel, the goalkeeper rolls the dice and combines the
dice score with the goalkeeper’s Saving attribute. The attacker does not re-roll. If
the attacker’s combined score is higher than the goalkeeper’s, a goal has been
scored!

21
 TACKLING & DRIBBLING
Tackling is a duel between the defender and the attacker. A tackle
can be attempted if a defender moves within 1 hex of the player with
the ball during a Movement Phase.

langdon barisic
australia croatia

7 vs 8

COUNTER ATTACK
COUNTER ATTACK

• In the event of a tie, follow the Loose Ball instructions.

• If the defender rolls a 1, the attacker can play on or claim a foul.

If the attacker’s score is higher, the tackle was unsuccessful. The

attacking player may now be repositioned in any hex surrounding the
defender.

Multiple defenders can attempt a tackle in any one Movement Phase.

If the defender’s score is higher, the tackle was successful and ball
possession changes. The defender’s manager may reposition their
player into any hex surrounding the player they just tackled. The
Movement Phase comes to an end and play resumes.

!
You don’t have to make a tackle - just get into your
opponent’s face! If the attacker then runs into your
zone of influence roll a 6 to steal the ball. that
defender only gets 1 chance to steal the ball during
any single Movement Phase. As with a regular tacKle,
a roll of 1 is a foul!

22
 FOUL!
If your opponent rolls a 1 when making a tackle or a steal then a foul
has been committed. Roll the dice to check for an injury (see below).
You now have two choices: take the free kick/penalty or continue play.

Even if you choose to continue play, you still have to roll the dice to
determine whether your player has been injured, and your opponent
still has to roll the dice to check if the defender is booked. If you decide
to stop play for a free kick/penalty, refer to Set Pieces.

to check for an injury

Roll a dice. If the dice roll is equal to or higher than
your player’s Resilience attribute then they are
injured. Place an injury token on that player’s card.

An injured player’s Pace is reduced by 2 for

the remainder of the match. You can always
substitute the player if you wish when play stops.

to check for a BOOKING

Roll a dice. If the dice roll is equal to or higher than the referee’s
Leniency attribute, the player who made the foul receives a yellow
card! Any player who receives a second yellow card is then shown a
red card and has to leave the pitch immediately. Play must stop for a
free kick or penalty if a player receives a red card.

PROFESSIONAL FOULS
If your opponent has fouled you and stopped a clear goalscoring
opportunity, then they could be shown a straight red card!

A clear goalscoring opportunity is one

where no other defender can catch the
attacker in the Movement Phase before
an attacker can get a shot at goal.

Roll a dice. If the dice roll is equal to or

higher than the referee’s Leniency
attribute, then your player receives a
straight red card. Otherwise your player
receives a yellow card.

23
 SET PIECES
Whenever a set piece is awarded, both teams are immediately
allowed to pick up and reposition their goalkeeper.

Corner Kick
If a corner kick has been awarded, select a player to take the kick.
Position that player in the corner arc with the ball. Each manager is
now allowed to pick up and reposition 6 players. Take turns moving
2 players each, attacking manager goes first.

Play continues with a high pass or a low pass. A high pass can be
made to any position within the penalty area because there are no
distance restrictions. Corner kicks are always accurate. Following a
high pass, a header must be attempted.

If you prefer to play a low pass, the ball can only travel the distance of
a first-time pass..

COUNTERATTACKGAME.COM

It’s a corner kick to the Red team. The Red team selects a player to take the kick and
then the managers take turns to reposition 6 players each.

In this example, all Red players are closely marked inside the area, other than Red
9. Should a high pass be made to Red 9, White 2 would have a -1 dice penalty when
challenging for the ball.

!
NB If the ball is played to Red 4, both White 5 and White 4 can challenge for the
header. White 4 would have a -1 dice penalty because this player is 2 hexes away.

IF YOU ARE TAKING THE CORNER,

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR DEFENCE!

24
THROW-IN
A throw-in can be awarded after an inaccurate high or long pass or
a loose ball. The attacking team selects one player on the pitch to
take the throw-in and then a Movement Phase is completed before
play resumes with the throw. If the attacking manager wishes, you
can choose to run through a second Movement Phase before taking
the throw. The ball can be thrown the same distance as a header can
travel.

Free Kick or Penalty?

If a foul is committed in a hex that is both inside and outside the
penalty area, the foul is always considered to have taken place within
the penalty area.

Penalty
If a foul has been committed within the penalty area, the attacking
manager can choose to play on or take a penalty kick. With a penalty,
both teams pick up and reposition all of their players. Only 2 players
(the penalty kick taker and the defending goalkeeper) may be inside
the penalty area.

A penalty is a duel between the attacker and the goalkeeper:

the keeper has a -2 dice penalty when attempting a save. If it’s a tie,
follow the Loose Ball rules.

dionte walker
usa
england

8vs 6

COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK

25
Free Kick
Select the player you want to take the kick and position them and the
ball where the foul was committed. Any opponents within 2 hexes of
the ball must be moved 2 hexes away from the ball.

You and your opponent may now reposition players like so:

• Attacking team picks up and places 2 players.

• Defending team picks up and places 2 players.
• Attacking team picks up and places 2 players.
• Defending team picks up and places 2 players.
• Attacking team picks up and places 3 players.
• Defending team picks up and places 2 players.

In total, the defending manager moves 6 players and the attacking

manager moves 7. Individual players can be moved more than once in
the above sequence.

You can now choose to pass or shoot. If you choose to shoot (use the
distance stick to judge if a shot is possible), then combine your player’s
Shooting attribute with a dice roll to determine the success of the shot:

• If your combined score is 9 or higher, the shot is on target.

No defender can block this shot. The goalkeeper attempts to make
a save (see Shooting).

• If your combined score is lower than 9, any defenders in the way

can attempt a block (see Loose Ball).

REMEMBER...
If your combined score is lower than 9, you can still score!

...and don’t forget that a shot from outside the box still has a -1 dice
penalty.

Offside
If an attacker is caught offside, play resumes with a free kick to the
opposition team from the location of the offside player.

Substitutions
A manager can make a substitution at any set piece. The substitute
takes the player number of the one who has left the pitch.

26
THE REFEREE’S DECISION IS FINAL!
If you and your opponent can’t agree on whether or not a pass has
been intercepted, a professional foul has been committed, or
anything else for that matter, turn to the referee to make the decision.

When you and your opponent disagree, look at the referee card and let
the attacking manager roll the dice.

• If the dice roll is equal to or higher than the referee’s Leniency

attribute, then the referee has ruled in favour of the attacking
manager.

• If the dice roll is lower than the referee’s Leniency attribute, then the
referee has ruled in favour of the defending manager.

bertoni
italy

Leniency

Following
a foul, roll
the dice. If
the dice ro
is equal to ll
or higher
than this Le
niency
value, the
player
receives a
yellow card
.

COUNTER A
TTACK

In this example, the 2 managers could not

agree over a decision so they asked the
referee. They rolled a five which is higher
than the referee’s Leniency attribute, so the
decision goes to the attacking team.

27
 A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Learn how to play Counter Attack with this step-by-step guide to most of the moves in
the game!

COUNTER ATTACK
THE FOOTBALL STRATEGY GAME
COUNTERATTACKGAME.COM

Ball
High
Shot Pass
ard
Stand

Header Pass
time
First-

COUNTERATTACKGAME.COM
COUNTER ATTACK
THE FOOTBALL STRATEGY GAME

(1) The teams are lined up and the Whites kick off with a pass to White 5. The standard
pass is measured with the distance stick.

(2) Whites call a Movement Phase. Whites move 4 players according to their pace.
Reds move 5 according to their pace and then the Whites move 2 players up to 2
hexes each. The Phase is over and the Whites have to choose what to do next.
 all
hB
Hig

ss
Pa
rd
da
an
St
ot
Sh

ss
Pa
me
-ti
st
Fir r
a de
H e

(3) Whites play a pass into space. The ball doesn’t come near any defender’s Zone of
Influence so it cannot be intercepted.

RUIZ
ARGENTINA
WILLEMS
BELGIUM

COUNTER ATTACK
COUNTER ATTACK

(4) Whites call another Movement Phase and White 11 (Ruiz) collects the ball. In
the Red’s Movement Phase, Red 7 (Willems) comes within 1 hex of Ruiz and calls
a tackle. If you are playing the Advanced Rules this would be considered a tackle
from behind. Both players roll a 3, so Ruiz wins the challenge (Dribbling + dice vs
Tackling + dice). Ruiz can move to any hex surrounding Willems but opts to stay
in this hex. The Movement Phase continues and more Reds may attempt a tackle
if they get close enough
FOOTBALL STRATEGY GAME

RUIZ
ARGENTINA

(5) Whites cross the ball into the box. The

high pass is measured with the distance
COUNTER ATTACK

stick. Before the pass is made, both teams

move 1 player up to 3 hexes. A high pass has
to be played to a teammate’s head. Now
check for the accuracy of the high pass. Ruiz
rolls a 5. High Pass attribute + dice must be
8+ so this pass is accurate. Now the players
will challenge for a header.

Because the ball entered the box, the

goalkeeper can move 1 hex.
 ATEGY GAME
TTACK
walton
usa

(6) White 10 (Walton) and Red 6 (Attah)

COUNTER ATTACK
challenge for the ball. Red 3 could
also challenge but chooses not to. The
duel ends in a tie as they both have a
combined score of 6.

attah
ghana

COUNTER ATTACK
COUNT

(7) The Defending team rolls for

the loose ball outcome. A 5 is
rolled for direction and a 4 for
distance. Players refer to the
loose ball diagram on the pitch
to determine where the ball
breaks. The ball doesn’t hit any
player so the attacking team
has to start a Movement Phase.
White 10 and Red 6 cannot move
in this Phase because they have
just challenged for a header. CO

(8) White 8 collects the ball and runs

towards goal. White 8 runs through
Red 4’s Zone of Influence so Red 4
rolls to see if the ball is stolen. A roll
of 6 is a steal while a roll of 1 is a foul.
By rolling a 4, nothing happens here.
Whites have moved 4 players, now
the Reds continue the Movement
Phase.
CO
 (9) Red 4 (Werdekker) moves to
the front of White 8 (Delgado)
and attempts a tackle. The
tackle fails (9 vs 10) so Delgado
moves around Werdekker into
any vacant space. No other
werdekker
Red player can get close to
netherlands Delgado in this Phase. This looks
dangerous for the Reds!

delgado
spain

COUNTER ATTACK

COUNTERA
COUNTER
ATTACK

nkosi
south africa

(10) Delgado takes aim and

shoots! Goalkeeper Nkosi is
equal to the shot though - it’s a delgado
tie and that means another roll spain

for a loose ball.

COUNTER ATTACK

TACK
COUNTER AT
C

(11) The Defending team rolls for the loose ball

again and they are desperately unlucky to roll a
3 and 6 as the ball breaks into the goal!

1-0 to the Whites!!

(incidentally, a distance roll of 1 would not have

resulted in a goal because the whole of the ball
needs to cross the line)

Play restarts with kick off and the Reds in

possession. Do they have what it takes to grab
an equaliser?
ADVANCED
RULES
YOU’VE MASTERED THE BASICS...
NOW IT’S TIME TO LEVEL UP!

THESE ADVANCED RULES HAVE

BEEN DESIGNED TO ADD EVEN MORE
DEPTH TO COUNTER ATTACK.
GIVE THEM A TRY!
CORNER KICKS
Two additions to corner kicks with the Advanced Rules:

• Test for accuracy when you take a corner kick. Follow the accuracy
rules for a High Pass.
• Just before the kick is taken and before the attacker declares
where the ball will go, both teams get to move 1 player up to 3
hexes. Attacking manager moves first.

First-time Pass
A first-time pass can only be made after a standard pass. First-time
passes are short. They can be used to catch out a tight defence, but
be aware that a defender can make a move to intercept the pass.

Decide where the ball will go to and then each team moves 1 player 1
hex as the ball travels. Attacking player moves first.

• If the defender moves into the path of the ball, roll a 5 or 6 to

intercept.
• If the defender comes within 1 hex of the ball, roll a 6 to intercept.

The recipient of the pass has to be different from taker.

LONG PASSES
In the Core Rules, long passes cannot be made from one final third
to the other. In the Advanced Rules, this is allowed but a combined
accuracy score of 10+ is necessary.
COUNTER ATTACK
DIFFICULT SHOOTING ANGLES THE FOOTBALL STRATEGY GAME

Certain positions on the pitch within

shooting range are difficult to score from
due to the angle. Shooting from hexes
marked with a small circle is possible
but your shooting suffers a
-1 dice penalty.

INACCURATE SHOOTING
If you roll a 1 your shot or header is automatically off-target. However,
a shot can still be deflected by any opponents in the path of the
ball. If there are no deflections then continue play with a goal kick.
Both teams move their players as they would if the goalkeeper had
caught the ball. An off-target header cannot be intercepted; the ball
automatically goes out for a goal kick.

33
GOALKEEPER’S SAVING ABILITY
In the Core Rules, your goalkeeper can dive 3 hexes parallel to the goal
line. The same is true with the Advanced Rules, but there’s a twist: if the
goalkeeper attempts a save in the furthest away hex (the third hex),
the goalkeeper’s Saving attribute suffers a -1 dice penalty.

COUNTER

Red 7 has aimed a shot

at the corner of the goal.
The goalkeeper can
reach it but it is 3 hexes
away, so the goalkeeper
suffers a -1 dice penalty.

GOALKEEPER’S SNAPSHOT PENALTY

When an attacker calls a snapshot and you choose your goalkeeper
as the one to move two hexes, your saving ability suffers a -1 dice
penalty on the second hex away and a further -1 dice penalty on the
third hex away.

RECKLESS TACKLE
Sometimes you just want to foul your opponent! If you want to try this,
you must say ‘RECKLESS TACKLE’ before rolling the dice. In this scenario,
only the defender rolls the dice.

• If you roll a 1 or 2, the reckless foul fails and the attacker avoids
your challenge. Play continues, but your defender is given a yellow
card for attempting a reckless tackle.

• If you roll a 3 or higher, the attacker is cynically fouled. Play stops

for a free kick or penalty. Run a leniency check with the referee. If
you pass you will be shown a yellow card. If you fail you will be
given a red card.

You can make a reckless tackle on any player on the field - they do not
have to be in possession of the ball!

34
TACKLES FROM BEHIND
If a defender attempts a tackle from behind, a dice roll of 1 or 2 is
considered to be a foul. Assume the attacking player is facing the
centre of the opponent’s goal. There are 2 hexes that are considered
“behind”.

A tackle from behind is considered dangerous so the player who

makes it runs the risk of receiving a straight red card! If the foul has
been committed, run a leniency check with the referee.

• If you pass you will be shown a yellow card.

• If you fail you will be given a red card.

The white crosses show the

‘behind’ positions for each
Red player.

Red is shooting towards the

goal at the top. The white
IN THIS SECTION WE ARE GOING TO
arrows show where the Red
players are facing.
SHOW YOUx
x

x x x x

HEADing back to the goalkeeper

Heading the ball back to the goalkeeper can be a risky move... If
you choose to do this, roll a dice. If you roll a 1, the ball flies past your
goalkeeper and into your net - it’s an own goal!

CONTROLLING A HIGH PASS

In the Advanced Rules you do not always have to head the ball after
a high pass - you can control the ball instead, but only if no defender
is close enough to challenge you. To do this takes some skill: you will
need a combined score (Dribbling + a dice roll) of 9+.

• If you are successful, continue play as if you had just won a tackle
• If you are unsuccessful, follow the Loose Ball instructions.

35
Nutmeg a defender
When you have the ball and want to take on a defender you can
attempt to nutmeg them.

This is a difficult move to execute but it’s worth it if you manage it!

Here’s how it’s done:

• Approach a defender during a movement phase.

• Make sure you have enough pace to travel through the defender.
• You and the defender run through the usual test for a tackle.
• The defender’s tackling attribute is increased by 1 in this challenge.

What happens if the nutmeg is successful:

• The attacker moves to any hex on the other side of the defender.
• The defender is stunned and cannot move during the Movement
Phase.

What happens if the nutmeg is unsuccessful:

• The defender wins the tackle and play continues in the usual
manner.

If it’s a tie, refer to the Loose Ball instructions.

Your Red 11 (with Pace of 5) wants to run towards goal but White 8
is in the way. You decide to try to nutmeg White 8. The duel was a
success! Your player continues towards the goal and now White 8
cannot move in the defending team’s Movement Phase.

36
EXTRA
TIME
IF YOU’D LIKE TO SET UP A
COUNTER ATTACK TOURNAMENT,
THIS SECTION WILL GIVE YOU A
FEW TIPS.

COUNTER ATTACK CAN ALSO BE

PLAYED IN QUICK FIRE ROUNDS.
READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW!
 SETTING UP A LEAGUE
So you think you’re the master of tactics? Here are a few ideas to help
you set up a league with your friends.

Squads
Have each manager draft a unique squad of 20 players. Stick to that
squad for every game. If you and your friends need more players, go to
counterattackgame.com for expansion packs and download options.

Carry player injuries from one match to the next

For every player who picks up an injury, roll a dice. A roll of 1 – 4 means
that player will miss the corresponding number of matches. Roll a 5 or
6 and your player has made a quick recovery and is match fit again!

Similarly, yellow and red cards carry over. A player who has received 3
yellow cards automatically misses the next match. A player who
received a red card in the previous match automatically misses the
next match.

Transfer Market
Make unused players available in a transfer market that every
manager can participate in. Set values for these players and allow
managers to “buy” currency based on points won in the league.

Structure
Agree on a workable structure for your league or tournament.
Will you play each team twice, home and away? Are you playing
the competition over 6 months, or is this a 48-hour marathon?

Home & Away Games

Simulate ‘home advantage’ by boosting the abilities of the home team
players. Give the home manager 6 temporary bonus points to be
‘spent’ on boosting the attributes of players in their squad. Be sure not
to make any attribute higher than 6!

38
 QUICK FIRE ROUNDS
We’ve designed these short Counter Attack scenarios for you to play.
You’ll also find single-player versions at counterattackgame.com

OUTNUMBERED 30 minutes
Your opponent is leading 2-0 with 30 minutes to go, but they’ve just
had two players sent off. Remove two players at random from your
opponent’s team. Will they hold out and seal the win, or can you defeat
them before the clock runs out? Begin play with a goal kick to the team
with 11 players. Both teams may position their players anywhere.

THE AWAY GOAL 45 minutes

It’s half-time in the second leg of a big European game and you are
trailing 1-0 on the night and 1-0 on aggregate. You have 45 minutes left
to win the tie. You’re away from home, which means if you draw 1-1 you
will go through on away goals. Will your opponent defend and hope to
hold out, or push for a second goal? Will you throw caution to the wind
in a search for the goal?

DEFENCE VS ATTACK 30 minutes

In this typical training drill, the attacking team has 7 players and the
defending team has 5 (plus a goalkeeper). Hand-pick your players
and start with the attacking team in possession of the ball.
The attacking team is trying to score as many goals as possible in
30 minutes, while the defending team just needs to clear the ball over
the half-way line. Start with kick off to the attacking team.

TOP VS BOTTOM 2 hours

Hand-pick the best team for one player and the worst team for the
other. Play for 60 minutes straight. Then do it again, but swap teams.
Make it a two-legged game, complete with the away goals rule (the
home team is the strong team).

39
 KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SCORES
DATE MANAGER SCORE MANAGER

40
 EXPANSION PACKS
There are hundreds of additional player cards and team counters
available for purchase at counterattackgame.com

Ricardo
brazil
Selengue orresta phillips
netherlands ARGENTINA wales
Kanaras
greece

Vizcaino
spain
Kalkanov
bulgaria

marchenko
ukraine
COUNTER ATTACK rizzo
italy

COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK COUNTER ATTACK

COUNTER ATTA
CK

COUNTER ATTACK
COUNTER ATTACK

COUNTER ATTACK
COUNTER ATTACK

Each set of additional player cards comes with at least 30 players in a

set. Every player is unique and every set contains a mixture of different
skills and quality.

We have over 150 additional team counters, covering major leagues

such as England, Italy and Spain, as well as some gems from around
the world! Who will you play as?

41
 AROUND THE WORLD

Das Regelheft gibt es als Download auch in Deutscher Sprache

Regolamento disponibile in Italiano

Téléchargez les règles en français

Descarga las reglas en Español

Also available from counterattackgame.com/rules:

42
 A WORD FROM THE CREATOR

Few things are better in life

than creating something
and seeing people enjoy it.
I’ve taken so much pleasure
from speaking to and hearing
from those who have enjoyed
playing Counter Attack! Thank
you to everyone who plays, who
shares on social media and
who tells me they’re having
good times!

Thank you also to those in the Counter Attack

community who have created new teams, custom
player card generators, who have debated and
helped refine rules, who have helped with editing and
all sorts of other awesome stuff!

Best wishes,

Colin Webster

ctrattackgame

43
Counter Attack © Webstar Games 2021