Imagine if rugby wasn’t tweaked in the 1870s and football was just invented today.

That’s what Sohrob Farudi had in mind when he co-founded Fan Controlled Football — a new professional league launching at 8 p.m. Saturday that empowers fans to draft players to new teams every week and call every offensive play during games.

Unlike other recent NFL-offseason flops, FCF is a cross between football and a technology start-up. The target audience is video gamers in the age 18-35 demographic who can transfer the feeling of complete control over a simulation to real-life athletes. The experience is free.

“Our idea was to reinvent the sport for the digital age,” Farudi told The Post. “We want it to be a miniaturized version of the outdoor game. As a fan of college or NFL football, you can turn on Fan Controlled Football and you will immediately understand what is going on the field.”

Four teams will play an indoor season in Atlanta, with doubleheaders over the next six Saturday nights streamed via Twitch.

FCF commissioner Ray Austin was a 1997 Jets draft pick, and team co-owners include NFL stars Marshawn Lynch (Beasts), Richard Sherman (Glacier Boyz) and Austin Ekeler (Wild Aces). Mets pitcher Trevor May (Zappers), WNBA star Renee Montgomery (Beasts) and entertainment celebrities are co-owners. Fans can buy ownership equity in a team for $150.

“You can watch the game live and call plays at the same time,” Farudi said. “We are creating a single-screen experience for traditional sports. You are immersed in the sport in a way that there isn’t a need for the second screen.”

To differentiate from familiar indoor leagues, games are seven-on-seven (three offensive linemen); contested on a 50-by-35-yard field with 10-yard end zones, sidelines and out of bounds; and slotted to last one hour each. Special teams have been eliminated, and the PAT is replaced by a one-on-one with a receiver against a defensive back with three seconds for the quarterback to throw.

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel headlines the league of mostly players fresh out of college. He is one of four “franchise” players pinned to a team, while the rest change teams from week-to-week during fan re-drafts.

But the true hook is fans calling plays via Twitch. After creating a log-in, each user will have about 15 seconds to choose between run or pass and decide on one of four diagrammed options pulled off the coach’s play sheet. The results are instantly tabulated, the most popular choice is sent to the coach and transmitted into each player’s helmet.

“We are going to be running plays just as quickly if not quicker than a traditional game,” Farudi said. “From the time the play is locked in to the time the players hear it, two seconds. Boom! We tried to make the game fast-paced and high scoring.”

The more frequently a user chooses a positive play — or doesn’t choose a play that results in a turnover, for example — the more FanIQ points are credited to the profile. The vote is weighted toward participants in the tier with the most FanIQ.

“We want to put fans in the position to be successful, so you can’t run backwards, you can’t throw a Hail Mary on the goal line or put grandma in for play,” Farudi said. “The guys on the field want to win. We want to put them in a position to do that.”

To handle COVID-19, FCF created an NBA-style bubble, renting out a hotel and arena for three months. Coaches and players arrived in January, quarantined for 10 days and will be tested multiple times per week with a contact-tracing system in place, according to Farudi.

“We are taking it incredibly seriously,” Farudi said. “As a young start-up, having an outbreak in this league would be incredibly painful to get through. Our players are taking three months out of their lives to come do this, but I think it’s a real testament to what we’re building that they’re all here and all excited about this first game.”