Tip-Off: Tabletop Basketball, Pro and College
20 October 2026
The season starts tonight
Boston at Detroit, Philadelphia at New York, Oklahoma City at San Antonio. All three are in the box, on tonight's date, ready to roll.
Tip-Off is tabletop basketball for one or two players, at pro level and in college. Every team has four ratings: attack, defence, a close-game rating and a tempo that runs from a half-court grind to a track meet.
The fight for the pace
When a grinder meets a runner, the two fight for the pace before a shot goes up. Each side rolls a d10 and adds its defence. Win it and the game is played your way. Lose it and you are chasing their game all night.
Then the scoring. Quick Play settles a whole game in one throw, so a night's slate takes a few minutes and a season fits into a few weeks. Period Play gives every quarter its own throw, every half in college, and the lead changes hands as it goes. A cold night shows on the scoreboard, and there is always a second half or a fourth quarter to chase.
Finish within three and the team behind may get the last shot. Level after that, five more minutes.
What is in the box
- The 2025-26 Replay Set. Thirty pro teams with their real records to beat.
- The 2026-27 Projection Set. The same thirty, rated for the season ahead, with the real 2026-27 schedule night by night in the League Helper.
- The 2026 NCAA Tournament. All 68 schools, the First Four, four regions and the Final Four.
- The Transatlantic League. Twelve clubs from American and European cities, a 22-round season and the Transatlantic Cup.
- The Crossroads Conference. Twelve schools, a conference season and the Crossroads Tournament in Kansas City.
- Book One and Book Two. Every rule and table, rating any season yourself, building your own league, then cups, pools, double elimination, box scores and season awards.
- Sheets, cards and apps. Game sheets, standings, playoffs, a season log and a team card for every team. A Game App, a League Helper, a Tournament app and a Team Card Creator, all in the browser.
You need a d10 and three d6 for each team, in two colours, a d20 and a pen.