for ($row=0;$row<7;$row++) { # same as foreach $row (0..$#squad) I presume? @squad[$row] = split(/:/, $squad[$row]); # wrong syntax ?! shift(@squad[$row]); # remove 1st null element (wrong again?!) foreach $col (0..$#{$squad[$row]}) { print "$squad[$row][$col]"; } print "\n"; }