HOW TO PLAY
You're holding this deck because you're into football. Every card is a player waiting to be called. Here's everything you need to play, including Turning Pro.
Any number of players. No teams, no turns, everyone plays every card.
Shuffle the full deck and place it face down in the middle of the group.
Flip the top card so everyone can see it.
First to name a qualifying player wins the card and flips the next one.
Keep going until the deck runs out. Highest score wins
Two ways to win a card
Every standard card shows a jersey number and a position, so there are always two valid paths to winning it. Flip a card showing "9 FORWARD" and you can call out either a player wearing (or who's worn) the number 9, or a player who plays forward - any number.
Captain cards
A handful of cards carry a small blue ribbon marked "C" next to the number. When one flips, the two-ways-to-win rule is replaced by a single, harder ask: name a real captain who wears, or has worn, that exact number. Worth calling out to the table when one flips: "captain card!"
Legend cards
A few cards sit outside the usual 1–11 lineup: 14, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 30. These carry no position - just name any player, past or present, who's worn that number.
Scoring
Track points at the end of the game; highest total wins when the deck runs out.
Standard Card
= 1 game point
Legend Card
= 2 game points
Captain Card
= 3 game points
Keeping the game moving
Stalled cards (10 seconds, no answer) go to the bottom of the pile
Simultaneous calls go to whoever was heard first, ties settled by a coin toss
Names can't repeat once they've won a card
Turning pro (advanced mode)
To spice things up, consider the following:
Agree on one league or country before the first flip. For the rest of the game, only players from that league or country count.
Only jersey numbers count, no position fallback. You must name a player who's worn that exact number.
Only retired players count, no active pros.
Only players aged 30 or over count, no wonderkids.
Pick a letter before you start. Only players whose name begins with it count (A is a good place to start).
Create your own advanced mode rule!
Got ideas on how to make Starting XI better? We'd love to hear them.
Email: hello@teamworks.com