As the manager of Speedball 2, you must transform the fortunes of the poor performing Brutal Deluxe team. Your task is to advance through the league system, consisting of two 8-team divisions, as well as the cup tournaments. The cup tournaments feature a two-legged format, where the aggregate score determines who progresses.
The gameplay itself is the main attraction, with matches consisting of two 90-second periods. The game is fast-paced and frantic, with an emphasis on heavy tackling to retrieve the ball. Power-ups and tokens appear on the pitch, including ones that make players extra-tough or freeze opponents.
The sides of the pitch have score multipliers that can be activated by running the ball through them, increasing the value of scoring. However, the opposition can sometimes nullify this by grabbing the ball immediately. The stars on the pitch are worth points each, but their values can be canceled out if hit by the opposing team. Additionally, there are portals that send the ball to the opposite side of the pitch.
You earn money for match results and collect silver tokens that appear randomly during matches. You can spend this money to improve your existing players or buy new ones to fit into the team. Keep track of your signed players' progress to make the most of them.