I was looking at the LRB here, and I disagree. It is beardy (and we've all talked about that already), but it might not be cheating.



If you must lay the boot because of this wording, then I'd argue that you must also move your full MA.

The other actions in the game also give precedent to the may-use action in move-act type actions. In a pass action, the LRB actually says that you move some squares, after which you may pass the ball. The blitz action is similar. You are not required to throw any particular block, but you are able to throw a block during your move. You don't even have to designate a blitz target when you start moving.

Player actions like Foul, Pass, Blitz, and Handoff should remain of the move, optional action sort rather than the move, required action simply because sometimes people screw up. You forget that that guy there has Guard, Foul Appearance, or whatever. You fail to break away from the guy with Tentacles. Lots of reasons you might start by saying "Okay, this will be my Blitz/Foul" and end up not wanting to do it after all. You've still burned the team's one Blitz per turn, but you shouldn't be penalized for this.

In the case of the WA, you could add an addendum: if the WA doesn't block or foul someone during an action that was declared as a Block, Blitz or Foul, he gibbers in boundless rage, making him lose his TZs until he stops gibbering.

I don't think we should fix the WA loophole by requiring a Blitzer to throw a block somewhere in their run.

On the other hand, this is an example of why I posted above that I don't like how the rules can get changed between review sessions. The point to the rules review is to allow more time for everybody to talk about this kind of stuff, rather than us finding out about it after people figure it out. I tried to make a point to this effect in another thread about how any rule change will have unforseen consequences, simply because the people making the rule changes can't possibly think of everything, in a sufficiently complex game.

Normally, players that are prone cannot be attacked.
However, when you use this rule, one player per team turn is allowed to take a Foul action. This allows the player to move a number of squares equal to his MA and then make a foul against an opposing player who is both prone and in an adjacent square.

And as for the new WA/LRB3.0 rule being different from the rules listed in the October Rules Review, I don't like this precedent.

I think the spirit of the rule is crystal clear.

*Move UP TO your MA.
*You must foul.

The wording can be cleaned up to stop the "powergaming". If you don't deliver a foul, it's not a foul action, it's a move action and you don't get the +2 on move actions.

The published Rules Review has always been a point of reference for the Annual. We release it at that time so we can gather feedback before publication. It's been done in the past, and it could happen again. Changing something in August - well, that's a bad idea.

So, to call a Foul action the fouled player has to be both in the WA MA and prone.

So if the opposition has no prone players, or none within range, you cannot call the foul action to get the +2, and to do so is, imho, cheating.

We do, however, know the letter of the rule, which is unclear in the extreme.

If you call "Foul Action", roll a 2, and move (without fouling), do you instead go back and make the rat ogre stay prone?

It is only after ending the RO's turn that you know he broke the rules. If you call "Foul Action", roll a 4, and move, do you keep it, but call the action actuall a "Move"?

What if you call "Foul", get up and trip in a dodge (or fail a GFI, or fail to break from a tentacle player)? What do you do then?

I don't know of any other rules that have a "turn back time" effect.

I think in non-WA cases, a coach should be allowed to "take back" the Foul/Blitz action.

I really disagree with this statement completely.

Really ... I can list a whole bunch.

1) Blitzing when a blitz was already declared
2) Trying to hand off twice
3) Trying to pass twice
4) Forgetting to roll for a dodge during a player movement after he's been placed in his final square.
5) Forgetting a player has Side Step and after moving him having to have his position redone by the other coach.

Guess this is one of the part company items.

I don't let coaches on non-WA take back actions they declare once they start to move that player. Either as an opponent, a commish, or a tournament judge.

Galak