The Blood Bowl World Cup is the ultimate test of strategy, skill, and luck, bringing together thousands of coaches every four years. In 2027, the prestigious event heads to Malta, a stunning Mediterranean destination ready to host an unforgettable tournament.
Following the success of Alicante 2023, expectations are high for an event that will shape Blood Bowl history. This guide covers everything you need to know—tournament details, travel tips, and what to expect from this global spectacle.
Sharpen your coaching skills and prepare for the road to Blood Bowl glory—Malta 2027 awaits!
#Update 07/04/2026
NAF WORLD CUP Rules!
Event Overview
Welcome to the Blood Bowl World Cup 2027 draft ruleset. This is a resurrection tournament played by squads; no Star Player Points (SPP) are gained through gameplay, and any injuries, casualties, or deaths do not carry over to the next game. Undead, Necromantic, and Nurgle teams may apply the Masters of Undeath and Plague Ridden rules, but any players added to the roster during a game are removed at the end of the match. All teams are considered to have the exact same Current Team Value (CTV) for the purpose of Prayers to Nuffle.
Creating Your Team
Each team has a specific Gold Budget based on their tier to spend on roster creation and must hire a minimum of 11 regular players before inducing any Star Players. Any gold or SPP unspent at roster creation is permanently lost.
Tiers and Skill Sets
Teams are separated into tiers that dictate both their starting Gold and their SPP budget for purchasing skills.
Skill Purchase Costs
You must spend your allocated SPP budget to purchase skills. Random skills and characteristic improvements are strictly forbidden.
1st Primary Skill: 6 SPP
1st Secondary Skill: 10 SPP
2nd Primary Skill: 8 SPP
2nd Secondary Skill: 12SPP
Elite Skills
Certain exceptionally powerful skills are designated as Elite Skills. Purchasing an Elite skill costs an additional 2 SPP on top of the base cost listed above. There are no restrictions on the total number of Elite skills your team can take, provided you have the SPP budget to afford them.
Allowed Inducements
You can buy the following inducements using your starting Gold Budget. No other Blood Bowl Rulebook or Death Zone inducements are permitted.
Assistant Coaches: 10,000 GP
Cheerleaders: 10,000 GP
Team Mascot: 25,000 GP
Blitzer’s Best Kegs: 50,000 GP (Max 0-2)
Bribes: 100,000 GP (50,000 GP for Bribery & Corruption teams) (Max 0-3, 0-6 for Bribery & Corruption)
Riotous Rookies: 100,000 GP (Ogre and Snotling teams only)
Halfling Master Chef: 300,000 GP (100,000 GP for Halfling Thimble Cup teams)
Star Players
Star Players can only be induced by teams marked with a hash (#) on the Tier list, and only after 11 regular players have been rostered.
You cannot hire the same Star Player twice within a squad; there can only be one instance of any specific Star Player across all 6 or 7 teams in your squad. If two opposing squads field the exact same Star Player in a match against each other, the Star Player double-books and neither team may use them for that game.
Banned Star Players (Cannot be hired by any team):
Cindy Piewhistle, Griff Oberwald, Ivar Eriksson, Jordell Freshbreeze, Maple Highgrove, Scyla Anfigrimm, Skrorg Snowpelt, Swiftvine Glimmershard, and Thorsson Stoutmead.
Individual Scoring & Tiebreakers
Coaches will be awarded points for their individual games as follows:
WIN: 5 Points
DRAW: 2 Points
LOSS: 0 SPP
CONCESSION: -5 Points (Recorded as a 3-0 Touchdown and 3-0 Casualty Loss)
Individual Tiebreaker
- Least Touchdowns Taken (Conceded)
- Opponent Score
- Net Touchdowns
- Net Casualties (Includes all casualties caused during the game. eg failed dodges, secret weapons, crowd surfs)
- Random Draw
Squad Scoring & Tiebreakers
A squad wins a round if its 6 active members gain more combined individual points than the opponent squad’s 6 members.
SQUAD WIN: 5 Points
SQUAD DRAW: 2 Points
SQUAD LOSS: 0 SPP
Squad Tiebreaker
- Squad Points
- Coach Points (Total individual points
- earned by all squad members)
- Opponent Score
- Net Touchdowns
- Net Casualties
- Random Draw
Printing, Base Colouring & Skill Markings
All miniatures must be painted to a minimum “tabletop standard,” meaning each major element is painted appropriately and bases are finished with texture or flock. Bare metal, unpainted plastic, or primed-only miniatures are strictly forbidden. To ensure different player types are easily identifiable, we strongly suggest using the
following colour conventions for base rims:
LINEMAN: Grey or Black
BLITZER: Red
THROWER: White
CATCHER / RUNNER: Yellow
Additional skills must be clearly identified on the miniature. The official tournament skill colour conventions are:
BLOCK: Blue
DODGE: Yellow
GUARD: Green
MIGHTY BLOW: Red
WRESTLE: White
TACKLE: Orange
Timekeeping & Conduct
All games have a strict time limit of 2 hours and 15 minutes. If requested by either coach, a chess clock must be implemented immediately, dividing the remaining time by 2. Blood Bowl can be emotional, but there is a zero-tolerance policy for verbal abuse or disruptive behavior. Referees will enforce the following penalties for time-wasting or poor conduct:
1st OFFENCE: Official Warning
2nd OFFENCE: 2-Point deduction from the offending coach’s score.
3rd OFFENCE: Immediate ejection from the tournament.
When The World Cup will be?
September 23th to 26th, 2027
Schedule
Ticket Registration:
- Date: Thursday, September 23th, 2027
- Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- All Day: Thursday will be dedicated for the bulk of registrations
Opening Ceremony
- Time: 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
- Location: Café Del Mar, Bugibba
Tournament Schedule:
- Date: Friday 24, Saturday 25, and Sunday 26
- Evening: 7:30 PM/8:00 PM: Coaches will depart to transfer to pick-up points
- Location: Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre
- Arrival at Venue: 8:30AM -9:30AM
- First Match: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Lunch: 12:15 PM – 1:45 PM
- Second Match: 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Last Match: 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Closing Ceremony:
- Date: September 26th, 2027
- Time: 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM
- Location: Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre
- Evening: Coaches will depart to transfer to pick-up points.
Where The World Cup will be?
The Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre
The MFCC offers 22,000 square meters of space, including 8,500 square meters of uninterrupted indoor area, providing ample room for tournament play, vendors, and spectators. Its flexible layout allows organizers to customize the space as needed. With a capacity of up to 14,000 standing or 10,268 seated, the venue ensures a comfortable experience for all attendees.
Transport
To ensure seamless accessibility for all attendees, we will provide a dedicated transport service from three key locations in Malta: Bugibba, St. Julian’s and Valletta. These areas are not only central hubs for accommodation but also the island’s most vibrant tourism districts, boasting the highest concentration of hotels, restaurants, and leisure activities.
Transport Option A:
- Departure times: Coaches will leave each location at 8am and arrive at Ta’ Qali
by 8.30am. There will also be return coaches at 7pm and 7.45pm. - Ticket prices: The transport package will be available to purchase as an addon
with the ticket. - Location 1: Valletta (The Capital City)
- Location 2: St. Julian’s
- Location 3: Bugibba
Transport Option B:
- Location 1: Valletta (The Capital City)
- Bus: Take bus 133 from Valletta Bus Terminal to Ta’ Qali. The journey takes about
40 minutes and costs €1.50. - Private Taxi: The drive from Valletta to Ta’ Qali takes about 20 minutes and costs
around €12-18.
- Bus: Take bus 133 from Valletta Bus Terminal to Ta’ Qali. The journey takes about
- Location 2: St. Julian’s
- Bus: Take bus 412 from St. Julian’s Bus Station to Ta’ Qali. The journey takes
about 44 minutes and costs €1.50. - Private Taxi: The drive from St. Julian’s to Ta’ Qali takes about 24 minutes and
costs around €14-20.
- Bus: Take bus 412 from St. Julian’s Bus Station to Ta’ Qali. The journey takes
- Location 3: Bugibba
- Bus: Take bus 413 from Bugibba Bus Station to Ta’ Qali. The journey takes about
41 minutes and costs €1.50. - Private Taxi: The drive from Bugibba to Ta’ Qali takes about 18 minutes and costs
around €12-19.
- Bus: Take bus 413 from Bugibba Bus Station to Ta’ Qali. The journey takes about
Backup Players & Reserve Squads
To ensure a smooth tournament, each team can designate a backup player to replace any main player unable to participate due to unforeseen circumstances. Backup players must be registered before the event and meet eligibility criteria.
If a coach is left without an opponent, organizers will re-pair them or have staff members step in to ensure no one misses a game.
Additionally, teams may form reserve squads, providing extra players who can join the roster if needed, maintaining competitiveness. Clear regulations on eligibility, registration, and squad size will be communicated to all teams.
The Awards
The Blood Bowl World Cup 2027 offers a chance to claim not only bragging rights but also a host of prestigious awards and prizes. Whether you’re a skilled individual player, a dominant team, or a master miniature painter, there’s an opportunity to earn recognition for your talents.
Team Awards:
- World Champion Team
- Runner-up Team
- Third Place Team
- Team Most Casualties
- Team Most Touchdowns
- Team Best Defence
Individual Awards:
- Most Touchdowns
- Most Casualties
- Best Defence
- Best U-18 Player
- Best Player from each
country
Painting Competition:
Painting and creativity have always been central to our organization’s values, and we are committed to celebrating this vibrant aspect of Blood Bowl. Our event will prominently feature a comprehensive painting competition designed to showcase diverse and eclectic artistry, ensuring this cherished part of the community takes center stage.
Exclusive Merch
Commemorate the event with custom-designed Blood Bowl merchandise, including t-shirts, keychains, playmats, and dice.
Rules of the World Cup
soon…
You will find the original bid here.