Tir et But (2001)

Bearing the sponsorship and endorsement of the French Football (that's "soccer" to our American chums) Federation, Tir et But (shot and goal) is a bespoke dice-fest football simulation. The playing area is a well-designed plastic arena, with a football pitch embossed on the green baize playing area. Players take it in turns to launch attacking moves based on combinations of dice throws. The defender then has a chance to save the shot, before launching a counter attack. Mechanically, Tir et But owes quite a lot to poker dice, the strategy depending mainly on assessing the risk after the first attacking throw and selecting which dice to retain, whilst re-throwing the remainder. Instructions are in French only, but are very easy to grasp, with a simplified crib-card on the back of the box. A Rugby version of the game, employing identical mechanics, is also available.