Soccer 54
On a trip north to Arcata CA, I challenged myself to design a game of soccer that only uses a standard deck of playing cards.
I was on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt to help broadcast a post-season NCAA D2 women’s soccer tournament. In between match days that week, I had some time on my hands; I also had a deck of Theory 11 Star Wars cards in my backpack.
I knew I wanted to build a field, create a mechanic around possessing the ball, and have both shooting and goalkeeping.
I decided a 3x3 grid of cards would work for a field, and I wanted to use specific cards for shooting and goalkeeping. There also needed to be a “clock” that worked against each player.
The result has been a fast-paced, back-and-forth style of play that allows for dribbling, 50-50 challenges, crosses from the wings, and thrilling action inside the 18-yard box.
Rules & Playtest
Here are the most recent Soccer 54 rules, released under a Creative Commons license for your enjoyment.
You can playtest this at PlayingCards.io as well.
Thank you in advance for any feedback!
Early playtest version of Soccer 54 on PlayingCards.io
Published November 26, 2024.
