FOOTBALL ACADEMY is designed as a journey through the life of a professional footballer (soccer player). The game is designed by a former professional player - Billy Hamilton.The game is conducted in three phases:The Apprenticeship - three (game) years of learning the skills and demands of being a footballer, as well as performing the thankless, but necessary, tasks essential to the everyday running of a football club. This apprenticeship is the foundation upon which the professional career is built.Professional Footballer - As a professional, the player strives to maintain a high standard, on and off the pitch. He becomes more involved in duties outside the game and must lend himself to charitable and promotional work. His good performances on the pitch may lead to international recognition.Gain International Caps - It is the dream of every player to play for his country and win the World Cup.The Apprenticeship stage is conducted by undertaking three circuits of the outer board based on a roll and move mechanism. Activities are driven by the actions required of the squares on which the playing piece lands. After completing three circuits any Skill and Effort tokens earned are traded in for a potential rating which determines which of four paths that player follows through the Professional Stage.Progress through the Professional Stage is, once again, dependent on the roll of the dice with the effects of the square being detailed in look-up tables contained in the rule book. The idea is to proceed to the International Stage as quickly as possible, collecting goal tokens on the way.During the International Stage players roll two dice (one advantage, one penalty) to progress. Dice rolls can be modified by the trading in of goals gained during the professional phase.The winner of the game is the first player to enter the World Cup Winner zone at the center of the board. - BoardGameGeek