BPA March
Madness Rules Clarifications
Rules Clarifications for the BPA March Madness PBeM Tournament
12.4) What happens to cards removed by a
"Withdrawn Strategy Card"?
A.) They are returned to the player's hand.
12.4) What happens when time runs out and
some positions remain to be resolved?
A.) The remaining positions are resolved from 1 to 6 skipping previously
resolved positions.
12.7) Can a "Coaching Move" negate
an opponent's "Timeout" reroll of a scoring resolution?
A.) No. The scoring resolution, including all rerolls
must be completed before the Player whose turn it is may take
a "Coaching Move".
12.8) If both players have a Timeout
available and the potential need to use it, which player has
to declare if he/she is using their Timeout first.
A.) The resolving player must declare if he/she is using their Timeout
first.
12.9) What is the penalty for an
"F" shooter who gets into foul trouble since he cannot lose a letter
grade?
A.) The player he is guarding is eligible for a +1 die
roll modifier.
12.9) If an Offensive Specialist is played on
a Position that previously had a foul, does the loss of a letter grade affect
the Offensive Specialist?
A.) Yes. You substitute the
Offensive Specialist (Bench) rating, and then you drop that a
letter grade for the foul. Because you
are already 'thin' at that position (due to foul trouble), the dropping of the
Letter Grade is to simulate the specialist playing less aggressively to avoid
fouls.
12.9) If the Offensive Specialist is played,
what happens to my AA rated opponent?
A.) The AA opponent gets a +1 drm in lieu of
the letter upgrade.
12.9.1) What is the penalty for an
"F" shooter who fouls out since he cannot lose a letter grade?
A.) The player he is guarding is eligible for a +1 die
roll modifier (plus his bench loses a letter grade). In other words,
there is no additional penalty since the "F" shooter cannot lose a
letter grade.
12.9.1) If a Position on which an Offensive
Specialist is played Fouls Out, what is the effect?
A.) The Position is considered to have Fouled Out, dropping the rating to
the lesser of the current rating of the Bench or the original Position rating
minus one letter grade. The Bench rating
also drops by one letter grade, and the opponent's Position gets a +1 modifier
on the resolution.
13) How many coaching moves do you get in
overtime? Where is the timer set?
A.) Take the original coaching rating minus all technical fouls on the
coach and divide the result by two, rounding up. Clock
is set at 5 minutes.
14.1) Does a coaching card affect ALL the die rolls? For example, does a Four Corner Stall affect the Fast Break roll?
A.) No. No. Coaching cards only affect the base scoring die rolls for the Position, not the bonuses (Fast Break, Hot Shooter, etc.)
14.1.2)
Zone Defense can remove one foul per half. Can you wait until the last position is
resolved for the half and then choose a position to remove a foul from?
A.) If you haven't already used it earlier in that half, you can wait until the end of the half to remove the foul with the Zone Defense.
14.1.2)
Can the Zone Defense be used after a player has fouled out to go
back to only having one foul?
A.) What the Zone
Defense does is to remove a Foul; it does NOT
retroactively remove a Foul Out, which is by definition more
serious. Once Fouled Out, you're done for the game. A Foul is different than a Foul Out, from a basketball
perspective.
14.1.4) "Box and One" card states
it can be used once per half. If I have two of these cards, may I use
each card once per half?
A.) No. The Box and One effects can only be employed once per half,
no matter how many such cards you have.
14.1.4) "Box and One" card states
it can be used once per half. Is the card considered “used” if it is
played but then withdrawn before the Position it affects is resolved?
A.) Yes. The Box and One card is
considered “used” as soon as it is played on the board.
14.1.4 & 14.2.5) The
Box and One coaching card says that it voids all Offense cards, while the
Clutch Free Throws Offense card says that it is never voided. Which holds
true when both affect the same position?
A.) The Clutch Free Throws card in never voided,
not even by the Box and One card.
14.1.5) The Halfcourt Trap
gives the opposing Position a -1 drm if your own
scoring die roll is higher never voided. Are the scoring die rolls
compared before or after other drms are applied?
A.) It is the actual (unmodified) scoring die rolls which are compared to
see if the -1 drm occurs.
14.1.6) Full Court Press
requires all scoring rolls of “3” or “4” to be rerolled. What qualifies as a “scoring roll”?
A.) “Scoring rolls” are the dice rolled against the Scoring Table. Bonus type rolls, such as from Hot Shooter,
Fast Break, Double Team, etc. are not considered “scoring rolls”.
14.2.5) How is the
"Key Sixth Man" card used?
A.) If the Key Sixth Man is already played on a position which suffers a foul,
it eliminates the effect of the foul during that resolution.
B.) If Key Sixth Man is played immediately after suffering a second foul, it
can be used to prevent fouling out (though it would not affect the scoring
resolution for that position). This tactic can be
prevented if the player resolving the position immediately takes a Coaching
Move to prevent the "immediate" response... The card cannot be played
on a position that has already been resolved in that half.
C.) Key Sixth Man may be played on a position 'face-up' to remove a foul at
that position, in which case, the Key Sixth Man card is discarded and the foul
removed. However, this requires that there be a slot
available - if there are already two cards on that position, the card cannot be
played there unless one of the other cards is removed. Playing
the Key Sixth Man card requires that the player use a normal move or coaching
move, just as when normally playing any other card. However,
playing the Key Sixth Man on a position and subsequently discarding it does not
prevent the play of other cards on that position in that half;
i.e. the limit is two cards on a position at a time, not a half.
14.2.6) Does the 4-point
bonus for "Clutch Free Throws" apply to an already existing
foul? To a foul that is immediately removed by a "Key Sixth
Man" or "Zone Defense"? To a foul that is negates by a Timeout roll?
A.) No. Yes. No, unless the reroll also results in a foul on
the opposing player.
14.2.9) Suppose I have a Second Shots card down, as well as a Controlling the Boards card on another position, while my opponent has Fast Break opposite my Second Shots. What happens to the Fast Break? The Second Shots card says Fast Break is doubled, while the Controlling the Boards card says Fast Break is voided.
A.) When something is voided, it doesn't matter if it is doubled. Twice zero is still zero. Another way of looking at it is if you first double the Fast Break, then void it, the result is zero points.
If you first void the Fast Break, there is nothing to double, so the result is still zero points.
14.3.6
& 14.3.7) Can a "Controlling
The Boards" and "Boxing Out" affect
other positions before the position they are played on is resolved? After?
A.) Yes. No.
Last Updated May 9, 2025
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