v0.1 gave me a sandbox — a player, a ball, and a field. v0.2 had to turn that into an actual football game. By the end of this sprint, I needed a complete possession loop: snap the ball, run a play, tackle or score, switch possession, repeat until the clock runs out.
This was the hardest sprint so far. Not because any single system was impossibly complex, but because football has a lot of moving parts and they all have to work together.
The HUD
Score, quarter and clock, down and distance — all visible in a top bar. A yellow first-down line and blue scrimmage line render on the field. Announcement banners flash play results: “FIRST DOWN!”, “INCOMPLETE!”, “TOUCHDOWN!”. Four quarters of 2 minutes each — arcade length.
Passing
Every player on the field now carries 10 stats — Passing, Speed, Blocking, Agility, Catching, Run Power, Carrying, Tackling, Coverage, and D-Moves — all rated 1–99, inspired by the original NFL Street. These aren’t cosmetic. Speed controls how fast you move. Catching affects your timing window. Tackling vs. Run Power determines whether a tackle sticks.
The QB has dedicated controls that feel different from controlling a ball carrier. Each receiver is mapped to a key, and holding a key shows the throw trajectory while charging throw power. The arc shifts from green to red as you charge — green for a lofty lob, red for a bullet pass — with a pulsing aim marker at the landing spot so you always know where the ball is going. Release timing matters: a quick tap for a dump-off, a full hold for a deep bomb. Once you throw, control transfers to the receiver — you’re running routes now, positioning for the catch.
There’s a line-of-scrimmage restriction too: scramble past the line and “PAST THE LINE!” flashes above your QB — forward passes are blocked. You can still run, but you can’t throw. Otherwise the QB could scramble 30 yards downfield and launch a pass, which would break the game.
Tackling
Defenders close in on the ball carrier and a stat check fires: Tackling vs. Run Power. If the tackle succeeds, the play ends with screen shake and a “TACKLED!” indicator. If it fails, you get a broken tackle — the ball carrier keeps running and the crowd (eventually) goes wild. Broken tackles happen around 20-40% of the time depending on stats, which feels right — common enough to be exciting, rare enough to not feel random.
Play calling
The playbook has 10 offensive plays and 6 defensive formations. The Play Call Screen shows your options with category tabs (All, Run, Pass, Trick) and ASCII route preview diagrams so you can see what you’re picking. Both offense and defense select plays — the right panel shows the AI “flipping through” formations before landing on its pick. A 20-second play clock auto-picks if you take too long.
Rules of the street
Four downs. Gain enough yards for a first down or it’s a turnover. No punting — ever. No field goals. This is street football.
Scoring is straightforward: touchdown (6 points), extra point (1 or 2), and safety (2 for the defense). Interceptions and fumbles flip possession instantly.
Opponent drives
Instead of simming opponent possessions with a dice roll, each opponent drive plays out with 4-8 plays, auto-scrolling play-by-play, and clock burn. It makes their possessions feel like actual football instead of a loading screen. There’s a fast-forward toggle if you’d rather skip ahead.
Where v0.2 lands
You can now play a full game of 7v7 football from the opening snap to the final whistle. Call plays, throw passes, break tackles, watch the opponent drive down the field, and fight for the win.
It’s still rough. The players are prototype capsules. The field is a flat tileset. There’s no music, no crowd noise. But the game is real. You can win and you can lose, and both feel earned.
Next up: the run game.
— Jesse