Junk Ball

Online simulator and video tutorial COMING SOON!

Junk Ball is a dice thrower and card strategy game made for ripping packs, scouring cards, building dream lineups, and letting iconic moments unfold across the field. With Junk Ball, every card in your collection becomes a playable piece with its own unique quirks and characteristics.

2 - 4 players  •  Ages 12+  •  5 / 7 / 9 Innings

What You Need

Junk Ball: Core

• Manager Cards 
• Pitch Chips x4 (x2 sets) 
• Baseball cards w/ stats (x2 lineups)
• D10 x2, D6 x2, D20 x2 (used by some Manager Cards)
• No field needed — make your own!

Junk Ball: Enhanced

• Junk Ball Official Board
  
• Unopened packs
• Scoresheets
• Card display stands
• Dry erase markers
• Penny sleeves/Top loaders
• Sunflower seeds, peanuts, Big League Chew, etc

Build Your Roster

Draft from cards you already own or rip packs with friends, trade for your favorite players, and assemble never-before-seen lineups. All you need to play:

• 2+ Pitchers 
• 1 Catcher 
• 1 First Baseman 
• 1 Second Baseman 
• 1 Shortstop 
• 1 Third Baseman 
• 1 Left Fielder 
• 1 Center Fielder 
• 1 Right Fielder 
• 1 Designated Hitter

How It Works

Junk Ball mixes dice rolls with real player histories and stat-boosting Manager Cards, turning pitcher-batter duels, base running, and defensive plays into a tug-of-war between luck and strategy. Junk Ball is fast, fun, and endlessly chaotic.

Pitching/Batting/Fielding:

1. Pitcher places pitch chip and Manager Card(s), if any, face-down in active slots. Cards played by pitching team during the pitch chip phase must be played face down. 
2. Batter calls a ball OR places their pitch chip along with any Manager Card(s) in their active slot face-up.
3. Reveal.
4. Both roll D10. Add modifiers from active Manager Card(s). Higher total wins. Any tie* = foul.
5. Ball in play: difference = Contact. (1–2 weak · 3–4 medium · 5–6 powerful · 7+ home run)
6. Fielding team rolls D6. Add modifiers from any Manager Card(s). Fielding rolls cannot go below 0.
7. Steal/Play additional Manager Cards/Chain effects.
8. Repeat.

* 00/00 = Wild Pitch & 1/1 = HBP. See Tie Guide for more.

Stealing & Rundowns

Stealing

A steal may be declared at any point until the batter lays their pitch chip down during pitching/batting phase . The steal roll resolves immediately after declaration. Runner and catcher each roll a D6. Higher total wins. 

• Runner wins = safe
• Catcher wins = out
• Tie = rundown

Rundown

Used to resolve any tied steal roll. Fielding team goes first:

1. Fielding team guesses two numbers, 1–6, then rolls two D6. If either die matches the guess the runner is out. Rundown ends immediately.
2. If no match, runner guesses a number, 1–6, then rolls one D6. If the die matches the guess the runner is safe. Rundown ends immediately. Other runners on base do not advance automatically. Each must declare a steal individually.
3. If no match, repeat from step 1.

Ground Rules

Pitch Chips — Before the game starts, for each pitcher declare a chip set (2 or 4). During each pitch, the pitcher places a chip face-down and the batter guesses by placing their chip face-up. A wrong guess by the batter gives the pitcher +1 per wrong guess on a 4-chip set or +2 on a 2-chip set. A correct guess gives the batter +1 on a 4-chip set or +2 on a 2-chip set. Chip bonuses apply to that pitch only and stack with any active Manager Card modifiers.

Manager Cards — Each player starts with 4 cards and maintains a hand of 4, active or in hand. Cards stay face-up until the end of the half inning even if the effect has already resolved. A card must be active for at least one pitching, batting, or fielding roll to be discarded, otherwise it is returned to the player's hand. At the end of each half inning discard any number and draw back up to 4. Never discard mid-inning unless a card forces it. A card deactivated while its effect is still in play reverses the effect unless stated otherwise. If the deck runs out shuffle the discard pile into a new draw pile.

Calling a Ball — Before a batter places a pitch chip, they may call a ball. Both players roll D10 with no modifiers applied. Pitcher wins = ball. Batter wins = strike. Tie = ball. Manager cards do not affect ball calls unless the card specifically states otherwise.

Stat Checks — Manager Cards check baseball card stats at the moment they are played. Any season on the card qualifies as long as it meets the threshold. Minimum 100 games played for position players. Minimum 100 innings pitched for starting pitchers. Minimum 30 SV for relief pitchers.

Modifier Stacking — Modifiers stack to the highest card max. You cannot use the same season's stat category twice across different active cards. If a card already rewards a bonus for 1984 HR, another card cannot trigger from that same stat in that same season. Other unused categories from that season remain available.

Force Outs — A force exists whenever runners are pushed to the next base by a runner advancing behind them. The lead runner is always out first. Runners not in a force situation stay.

Fielding — Defense may choose not to roll on any fielding play and instead accept the Hit Power total as the fielding result. Any runners on stay, unless forced. Fielding rolls cannot go below 0 with modifiers applied.

Junk Wax – Dead draws. Play with or without them, a few or the whole set, whatever works for your game.

Tie Guide

Phase	Roll	Result
Pitching/Batting	00/00 (before modifiers)	Wild Pitch
Pitching/Batting	1/1 (before modifiers)	HBP
Pitching/Batting	n/n (excluding HBP/WP)	Foul
Calling a Ball	Any Tie	Ball
Fielding	Any Tie	Safe
Steals	Any Tie	Rundown

Closing

Junk Ball blends real baseball stats, strategy, and the thrill of ripping packs into a game as unpredictable as baseball itself.

Every matchup, every roll, every card in your shoebox — bent corners, missing chunks, overprints — can still be the star of the show.

In Junk Ball, every card deserves its day.

Developer Notes:

• Questions, comments, and/or criticisms appreciated.
• IDEATING: Phase icons for Manager Cards (ie when they can be played and countered, etc)
• Logo and graphics to be updated with proper designs for any future print releases
• All Manager Cards in development across all series included in this download. Mix and match for the best deck for your game. 
• Amazing doc encapsulating the vibe this game aims to achieve. Credit: Baseball Doesn't Exist