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So right now we are heavily leaning toward 40k but the price is scaring some guys. I can do both however, I have been looking at guildball for a few of the sticker shock guys. Only thing that is throwing them off is the fact that it's basically soccer. They want more battle than playing madden on a table top with cool minis. I've looked at a few games and it seems meh and not many options to choose from. For example if I choose butchers andnso does someone else we would basically have a mirror match. I could be wrong. I've also heard that looks are deceiving and the game is actually more fun than it seems.....so guess I'm asking....guildball worth it or leave it and use money for 40k stuff.

Well, it depends. Guild Ball is definitely more thought intensive than 40k - it has the same level of decision and plan making that you might find it a game of Warmachine/Hordes, and manages to stuff it into a game with 12 models and a ball.

It's certainly not just basically soccer, as teams like the Butchers can essentially ignore the ball as they rampage across the table.

Team building is a little more nuanced than you seem to realize as well. You pick a Captain, a Mascot, and four other players, including a number of Union players (the mercenary faction). For a team like the Butchers, that means you can pick from:

Captains
Fillet
Ox

Mascots
Princess
Truffles

Players
Boiler
Brisket
Veteran Brisket
Meathook
Shank
Boar
Tenderiser
Avarisse/Greede
Gutter
Decimate
Minx
Rage
Harry the Hat

So there's actually a lot of variety. And each model has around the same amount of abilities as a Warcaster/high-function solo in Warmachine/Hordes. Doing so much as changing a single model can drastically alter how a team plays.
The rules are free and you can download paper dolls and card to play with before buying anything. And there's also the $70 two player starter set that's coming out.

Personally, I've fallen off the game a little bit. It's partially that trying to get to the group that plays it on Tuesdays is a hassle, a little burnout from playing a lot of games so far this year, and that the team I choose (the Masons) is one that players can learn quickly, but is kind of left behind when other players finally get a lock down on their teams' abilties. It also doesn't help that a lot of Mason plays, while hard hitting, are very obvious when set up.

Depends what your group wants really, I've only played one game of Guildball so far and watched a handful of others, and as ever the following is based on personal bias so YMMV

So my Guildball pro's

1) Its alternating activation of players, meaning it doesn't have the 'nothing' time of 40k ie the other players go

2) Whilst it is possible to spank a player off the pitch in one turn its not that common, meaning most of your models do something for most of the match, over 40k's leafblower approach

3) Smaller model count, its more or less five a side, plus Mascots (most of who are more or less mobile force multipliers and rarely do much on their own), so prep and painting time is minimal

4) Most teams can either play ball or play the thumping game, obviously some are better at some things than others but that's true in 40k as well, and points are awarded for both styles of play

And in the interests of balance a few con's

1) Its a smidge more involved than 40k, the influence allocation, activation order and the playbook results can seem a bit over-whelming at first but really its no more complex than X-Wing or Warmahordes once it sinks in

2) The mini's whilst lovely are a tad fiddly to put together

I'd say if your unsure to hold off till the starter box drops next month, 2 full teams and all the bits and bobs you need for about £45

Much more fun than it seems, and there's more combat than you'd expect.

Make sure to stress that it's not Blood Bowl in any way besides the fantasy sports theme.

There's a plastic starter set for it coming out soon too.

The sports thing is just a theme - don't let the fact it is played with a soccer ball make you thing it is anything like the real world game.

The objective of the game is to score 12 victory points. You get 2 points for taking an opposing player out of the game and 4 points for scoring a goal.

Scoring a goal is sometimes trivially easy and sometimes horrendously difficult. You are always watching for when your opponent can score because those 4 points are a big swing. Sometimes you run a player into a scoring position, knowing they will be taken out in the next activation, because that's still a 2 point swing to you.

Some teams can win with 3 goals and some can win by ignoring the ball completely and going in swinging. Most of the teams have something like 15-16 players to choose your team of 6 from, and just by changing a single player between games can massively change how your team works.

I encourage you to download the FREE rules and templates and give it a go.

As a game, it is very good.
As a Bloodbowl alternative, nothing like it. It is more of a skirmish game with a ball.

And, since it is all downloadable, print it off or proxy and go for it.
Get the feel for the game, and pick a team. Chop and change the players and the game will change a lot.