17-0 Glossary: Spin, Reroll, Chemistry, and Every Game Term Explained

New to this genre? Here’s every term you’ll run into, explained without assuming you already know the jargon.

Spin

The random draw the game makes at the start of each draft round to determine what you’re allowed to choose from — typically an era (decade) and a small pool of real player candidates from it. You’re not picking freely from all of football history every round; you’re picking from whatever that spin gives you.

Reroll

A limited-use option to discard a round’s spun candidates and try again, used when none of the offered options fill a real gap in your roster. Almost every version caps this at two or three uses per run — it’s meant for genuine mismatches, not unlimited re-spinning until a specific famous name appears.

Seed

A short code, generated by your run, that deterministically reproduces the exact same sequence of spins and candidates every time it’s entered. Load someone else’s seed and you’ll see the identical draft options they had — useful for a fair head-to-head comparison, or for replaying your own best (or worst) run.

Classic mode

The standard draft mode where full player ratings are visible while you pick, letting you make informed, stats-based decisions.

Blind draft

A mode that hides player ratings entirely, forcing you to draft on position, era, and what you actually remember about a player rather than reading a number off the screen. Some games call this “Ball Knower” mode or “Gridiron IQ” mode; one version (Roto IQ) runs blind by default with no visible-stats option at all. Full explainer in our blind draft mode guide.

Chemistry / chemistry breakdown

A named list of specific bonuses and penalties a completed roster earns, based on how well the drafted pieces actually fit together — not just a single overall score. A strong quarterback paired with a good offensive line might earn a named bonus; a coach whose system clashes with the roster’s identity might earn a named penalty. It’s meant to explain why a result happened, not just report the final record.

Era fit

How well a roster’s real-world style (pass-heavy, run-first, defensive, fast-paced, and so on) matches the decade it’s being simulated in. A roster that fights its own era — a slow, physical build forced into a fast-paced modern style, for example — tends to underperform even if the individual players are highly rated.

Coach fit

In games where the head coach carries real system bonuses, how well that coach’s preferred style and player archetypes match what’s actually been drafted. A strong fit earns a bonus; a clash earns a penalty — the coach pick is scored, not cosmetic, in versions where this exists.

Daily Challenge

A game mode where every player who loads the game on the same calendar day gets the exact same sequence of draft options — effectively a giant shared seed for that day — with results often compared on a public leaderboard.

Leaderboard

A public ranking of submitted results, typically for a specific Daily Challenge, showing how your run compares to everyone else who played the same options that day.

Flawless / perfect run

Finishing a season with zero losses — the literal “17-0” (or whatever the game’s specific target number is) that gives this entire genre its name.

Ready to put these terms into practice?

Start a run here and see spins, rerolls, seeds, and a real chemistry breakdown in action.