Soccer-Go

Overview

Welcome to Soccer-Go — the fun, fast and strategic tabletop soccer game where every pass, tackle, and shot matters! Read the field, out-think your rival, and build your passing rhythm to create the perfect scoring moment. It’s time to see who truly rules the pitch — one card at a time!

Setup

Before kickoff, follow these steps to get match-ready:

a) Choose Teams:

Pick your favorite side! Choose from Mexico, Canada, or the USA. Take your Team Profile Card and all Player Cards numbered 1–11.

b) Direction Cards:

Each player receives a set of direction cards (green or yellow) with the directions Left, Middle and Right.

c) Impact Cards:

Shuffle the Impact Cards and place them face-down for easy access to all players. Give each player 6 Impact Cards to start.

d) Play Cards:

Shuffle the Play Cards and place the deck next to the Impact Cards. Each card reveals a high-low passing sequence required to approach the opponent’s goal.

e) Turn Structure:

Decide who attacks first! The match runs for 6 rounds. Each round includes one attacking and one defensive turn per player.

2. Now we’re ready for kickoff! Grab your cards and get the match started!

Gameplay

Each round, players get one turn to both attack and defend. The attacker advances by completing the high-low passing sequence shown on the Play Card. The defender tries to shut down the play by trying to read the pass. Once six successful passes are made, it’s time to shoot!

1. Flip Play Card:

The attacker flips the top Play Card to reveal the high-low passing sequence required to approach the opponent’s goal.

2. Bonus Skills:

• The Play Card will also reveal attacking and defensive skills for that play.
• Attacking skills are shown next to the green ball icon, while defensive skills are shown next to the purple shield icon.
• Before making passes, each player checks for the relevant skills in their team (based on their respective attacking or defensive turn) and may draw additional Impact Cards equal to the number of times that skill appears.

Example: For the above Play Card, suppose Canada is attacking (red) and USA is defending (blue). Since Canada has one “Through Ball” for number 10, and USA has one “Aerial Dual” for number 2, they may both pick one additional Impact Card each.

If they had no matching skills, then no Impact Cards would be drawn. If they had more matching skills, then they would pick Impact Cards corresponding to the number of matches they have.

Note: Each player can hold a maximum of 6 Impact Cards at any time. If a player holds more than 6, they must immediately discard any to bring the hand back down to 6.

3. Passing

The passing phase captures the real magic of soccer — timing, intuition, and a little bit of luck!

a.) First Pass:

The attacker picks any Player Card (1–11) to receive the first pass and places the card face-down on the table.
The Defender tries to match the attacker’s number with one of their own Player Cards (this is called a mark) and places their selected card face down as well.
Both cards are revealed! If numbers match, the defender wins the ball! If not, the pass is complete, and play continues to the next pass.

Attacking numbers cannot be re-used during the same sequence of passes. If a pass is unmatched, the defender takes back their unmatched number and discards the same number card chosen by the attacker (ensuring both players have the same cards in hand for the next pass).

Example: Suppose the attacker plays 6, defender plays 4 — no match, pass complete. The defender discards 6 and takes back 4 for reuse.

b.) Second Pass:

The attacker must pick a number that is higher or lower than the number previously chosen. This is determined by the up-arrow (higher number) or down-arrow (lower number) on the Play Card.
The defender tries to match the attacker’s number, just like the first pass, but now has a better chance of matching due to the limited selection.

Example:

Suppose for the 1st pass, the attacker plays 6, defender plays 4 — no match, pass complete. Defender discards 6 and takes back 4 for re-use.

If the next pass (2nd pass) on the Play Card shows an up-arrow, the attacker must now pick between 7–11 only (numbers higher than 6).

Suppose the attacker play 8, defender plays 10 – no match, pass complete. Defender discards 8 and takes back 10. Now numbers 6 and 8 are not applicable for passes.

If the next pass (3rd pass) on the Play Card shows a down-arrow, the attacker must now pick between 1-7 since 8 was the last selection.

c.) Subsequent Passes:

Play continues in this way until 6 passes are successfully made. After the 6th pass is complete, the attacker now has a chance to shoot at goal.

4. Shooting:

Both players secretly pick a Direction Card (Left, Middle, or Right). Reveal simultaneously — if they match, the shot is saved! If not, GOAL! (celebrations optional but encouraged).

5. Long Shot:

Feeling bold? After five successful passes, you may attempt a Long Shot! Before shooting, discard any 3 Impact Cards to take the chance (they do not need to be a set). Long Shots can only use Left or Right Direction Cards — the Middle Direction Card doesn’t apply.

6. End of Turn and Rounds:

• If you score, keep that Play Card as your Goal Counter. If not, discard it.
• The defender becomes the attacker for the next play and takes a new Play Card from the deck, following the sequence from Step 1 above.
• A round ends after both players have attacked and defended once. After three rounds (half-time), the turn order is switched. The player attacking first now defends first for the last 3 rounds.

7. Winning the Match:

The player with the most goals after six rounds wins the match! If it’s a draw, prepare for Extra Time.

Extra Time:
Play one additional round, with each player attacking. No Impact Cards are allowed. If it’s still tied, it’s time for a Penalty Shootout!

Penalty Shootout:
Each player takes three alternating shots using Direction Cards. Still tied? Move to Sudden Death!

Sudden Death:
Each player takes one alternating shot using Direction Cards. Keep going until one player finally takes the win — and the bragging rights!

Impact Cards

Impact Cards are your secret weapon. Play them wisely — they can flip the game in an instant! You need three of the same type to activate their effect. (Yes, three — teamwork makes the dream work!).

8. Types of Impact Cards:

a.) Shot Retake

Attacking: Missed your shot? Try again!
Defending: Request for a successful shot to be re-taken.

b.) Pass Replay

Attacking: Attackers can replay a failed pass.
Defending: Request the pass to be replayed if it was successful.

c.) Shift Pass

Attacking: Jump ahead by one pass in the passing sequence.
Defending: Move back one pass in the passing sequence.

Note: No used or discarded cards are removed. Just the pass-phase on the Play Card moves one forward or one back (last successful pass number is used as reference for the next high-low pass requirement).

d.) Recycle

Attacking: Used numbers can be reused in later passes, giving the attacker fresh tactical options.
Defending: Force attackers to discard an unused number to limit future choices.

e.) Iconic

Activate the Power Play for players 3, 6, or 9. Legendary moments await!
Their Power Play is indicated on their card (you may choose any one of them without needing to use the number first before activation.

f.) Joker

A wildcard that can pair with any other Impact Card type to complete a set of three.

9. Rule Cards:

For easy reference to the rules above, follow the Rule Cards provided while in game.

4-Player Match:

If you wish to play a match with 4 players where Player 1 and Player 2 make up one team, and Player 3 and Player 4 make up the second team, follow the play schedule below:

4-Player Game Rounds & Penalties

Round	Match 1	Match 2 / Details
Round 1	P1 (Attack) vs P3 (Defend)	P2 (Defend) vs P4 (Attack)
Round 2	P2 (Attack) vs P3 (Defend)	P1 (Defend) vs P4 (Attack)
Round 3	P2 (Defend) vs P3 (Attack)	P1 (Attack) vs P4 (Defend)
Round 4	P1 (Defend) vs P3 (Attack)	P2 (Attack) vs P4 (Defend)
Round 5	Teams may decide which of their players will play this round. The chosen 2 players will both attack and defend against each other.
Round 6	The players who did not play in round 5 will play in round 6, each playing both an attacking and defensive turn against the same player.
Extra Time & Penalties	There is no extra time in a 4-player game. For penalties, follow the same sequence shown in rounds 1–4 above (there are 4 penalties for each team before sudden death is applicable). For sudden death, teams may decide together on the Shoot/Save directions.

Final Words

And that’s full time! Soccer-Go brings strategy, fun, and just enough chaos to keep every match fresh. Now grab your cards, channel your inner superstar, and light up the tabletop with your best plays. May your passes be precise, your shots be unstoppable, and your Impact Cards always come through when it matters most!