Retro Bowl Draft Guide: How to Draft, Scout and Pick Players

The draft is where Retro Bowl seasons are decided, and it is also the screen most people rush through. This guide sticks to what the game itself tells you: its own help text, its tips and the roster rules in the current browser build.

How the Retro Bowl draft works

• Rounds and picks. In the game's words: "There are 3 draft rounds and you will receive 1 pick per round." The Draft Picks screen shows how many picks you hold in rounds 1, 2 and 3; "you can gain extra picks by trading players out of the team."
• Scouting. "You now need to scout players in the draft if you wish to reveal their potential. You do this via their profile page. The number of players you can scout per draft is limited." A head coach or coordinator with the Scout trait lets you "scout 3 extra players during the draft."
• Signing. Picking a rookie asks "Do you want to sign rookie ...?" If the position is already full, the game stops you and asks you to cut or trade someone first.
• Skipping. If you do not want anyone left on the board, Skip Draft offers to sell your remaining picks in that round for coach credits.

How many players per position?

Retro Bowl only tracks your star players: "You can have up to 10 key players, so long as you don't exceed the salary cap" (12 if you switch to the 12-man roster with a $200m cap in the options). The rest of the squad is hidden and its contribution depends on your coordinators. Inside that roster the browser build caps each position when you sign a draft pick:

• QB: 2 · RB: 2 · K: 2
• WR: 3 · TE: 3 · LB: 3
• DL: 4 · DB: 4
• OL: 5

So yes, you can carry three wide receivers — but every one of them counts against the 10 (or 12) star slots and the salary cap.

Who to draft first

There is no single correct order, but the game's tips point at where rookies matter most:

1. Quarterback if you need one. "Your quarterback's throwing range depletes during a game according to his stamina," so a young QB with good stamina and arm is worth a first-round pick.
2. Wide receivers and tight ends with good catching. "Poor catching skills lead to bobbles and dropped balls" and "only players with good catching skills can jump and dive catch the ball."
3. Running back with speed and strength. "Fast players are more likely to hurdle tackles" and "strong players produce more stiff arms in a game."
4. Offensive line when you are being sacked: "If your QB is getting rushed you need stronger offensive linemen."
5. Defense. You do not control the defense on game day, so its rating is your defensive star players plus the defensive coordinator's base rating.
6. Kicker last, unless yours is old: "Kick range depletes during a game depending on stamina."

Potential, XP and levelling up rookies

• A rookie grows by gaining XP. "Higher quality training facilities help players gain XP faster," and a HARD training regime gives "more XP per game" at the cost of energy, morale and injury risk.
• You can also spend coach credits on a Level Up from the player's profile (extra reps, game film or a hall of famer) until the game says he "has reached his potential" — which is why scouting potential before the pick matters.
• Coach traits help: Talent Spotter gives an instant potential increase for its position group, Experience an instant level up, Likeable 5% more XP per game.

Trades, picks and cutting players

• You cannot swap picks for picks. You trade a player away for a future pick ("$teamname want your ... In return they are offering a round 2 pick in next season's draft"), or give a future pick for a player on the Trades list.
• "You cannot trade between teams after week 8." After the deadline you can only cut players or sign free agents.
• Injured players, players with a toxic attitude and freshly signed rookies cannot be traded — the game offers to cut them instead. "Trading a recently signed player has a negative impact on team morale and your fan relationship."
• To cut a player, open him from the Roster screen and press Cut. "Cutting a non-toxic player will harm team morale," while "cutting toxic players will improve team morale."
• Undrafted rookies end up on the Free Agents list, so a good prospect you missed can sometimes still be signed after the draft.

Avoiding draft busts

• Scout before you pick. Without scouting you are drafting blind on potential.
• Check contracts before the draft: anyone whose contract ends this year is the position to draft for.
• Do not fill a position to its cap with backups — the star slots and the salary cap run out long before the position limits do.
• Upgrade the training facility if you draft young: potential only turns into ability through XP.