The table
is set

The match

Two halves of one minute each, on a clock that only runs while the ball is rolling.

When time is up, the half ends the next time the ball goes out of play.

Kickoff

A coin toss decides who kicks off the first half; the other side starts the second, and after a goal the side that conceded restarts.

Before kicking off, that side may move up to two buttons anywhere in its own half.

Your turn

You have seven touches of the ball a turn.

A flick that misses the ball hands the turn to your opponent.

Called shots

Only called goals count: call your shot from your opponent's half, and they place their keeper before you flick.

An uncalled goal is a goal kick to the defense — unless it's a corner straight in, the olympic goal.

A called shot that stays in play goes to your opponent unless a teammate touched it last.

Fouls

Hitting an opponent's button or keeper before the ball is a foul.

The fouled side takes a free kick where it happened, its taker by the ball; buttons in the way are cleared, and the side that fouled moves none.

Penalties

A foul inside the box is a penalty: a called shot from the spot.

Every button leaves the area, and the taker stands anywhere behind the ball inside the box or the arc.

The keeper waits on its line and picks in secret: dive left, dive right or stay.

Out of play

Over the sideline, it's a throw-in to the other side; over an end line, a corner or a goal kick, depending on who touched it last.

The Ball Retriever fetches the ball and sets it on its spot. A throw-in that doesn't reach a teammate goes to the other side.

Corners

Both sides move up to three buttons, attackers first, the taker behind the line.

Then the defending keeper is placed anywhere in its goal area before the kick.

Goal kicks

The side that put the ball out moves up to four buttons; the other side moves none.

The keeper punts it with the boot. A punt that hits one of their buttons, or their keeper, gives them the ball.

The keeper's ball

A ball that stops in a goal area is that keeper's, whoever played it: punted with the boot from where it lies.

A foul on the keeper is its punt too, from where it happened.

The taker

After a corner, free kick or throw-in, the taker can't touch the ball again until a teammate has; after a penalty, until the keeper has.

Breaking this gives the other side a free kick where it happened.

Penalty shootout

A match level at full time goes to penalties: five each, in turn, every button taking one before any takes two.

It ends once one side can't catch up; still level after five each, it's sudden death, a round at a time.