Bottle cap football game and game method

Abstract

The invention relates to a scale-down desktop football game and playing method, which uses a bottle cap as a player and is controlled by fingers of participants. The football field is made of cloth or proper materials, and lines simulating a real football field are marked on the football field. In addition, the game is also provided with instructions or rules, and all aspects of the game are described in detail.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 318,854, filed on March 11, 2022, and is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention is a proportionally designed tabletop football game and a game method using bottle caps, in which participants manipulate the bottle caps with their fingers. Background Art

[0004] There are many board or tabletop games that mimic popular sports such as baseball, football, and soccer. The most famous are air hockey and foosball, which is set up in much the same way as soccer, with players spinning handles attached to static upright figures outside the playing field to push a ball across the field and into goals at either end of a rigid table.

[0005] Historically, sports-related games that don’t require a video display or a full arcade-style tabletop have struggled to capture the fluidity, speed, and excitement of actual sports action. Additionally, the constraints of a tabletop or board format often require a set of rules that are completely different from the real sport the game is meant to emulate.

[0006] The applicant's inventive game is designed to closely reflect the actions and challenges of live football players on the field, and the game rules closely reflect the rules of the sport of football. Whenever possible, the game rules are drafted in accordance with the rules of the International Football Federation (FIFA), thereby bringing an immersive and realistic experience to real football fans. Summary of the invention

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, a table football game comprises: a football field made of cloth or similar material, marked with lines indicating sidelines, end lines, midfield lines, center circles, penalty areas, goal areas, penalty markers, penalty arcs, corner kick areas, and distance markers for defenders and goal placement markers; twenty-two bottle caps, each marked with a different number, each bottle cap representing a player, including two teams of 11 players each, each team painted a different color; two goals; and a ball.

[0008] In another preferred embodiment, the tabletop football game as described herein, wherein the lines marking the pitch are in the same proportions as the relative sizes of a FIFA football field, and wherein the bottle caps representing the average-sized players are scaled down.

[0009] In another preferred embodiment, the table football game as described herein further includes a rulebook that details the rules of the game and has illustrations or photos and video links describing all aspects of the game.

[0010] In another preferred embodiment, the table football game as described herein, wherein each player is a bottle cap having a crown, a top side and a crown side, and the players are placed with the top side in a standard position on the court.

[0011] In another preferred embodiment, a table football game as described herein, wherein each player has a diameter of 1 inch measured from the inside of the crown, a height of 0.250 to 0.275 inches, weighs no less than 0.078 ounces, which is equivalent to the weight of a standard bottle cap, and the weight of paint and / or other attachments does not exceed 0.15 ounces.

[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the table football game as described herein, wherein the ball is spherical, has a diameter of 0.354 inches, and weighs 0.4 to 0.5 ounces.

[0013] In another preferred embodiment, a table football game as described herein, wherein each goal is a U-shaped frame, each goal includes two uprights and a crossbar, having a screen extending two inches rearward from the frame, the goal being six inches wide as measured from the inside of the uprights, and two inches high as measured from the court to the underside of the crossbar, with the screen extending two inches rearward from the uprights and crossbar.

[0014] In an optional preferred embodiment, a method for playing a table football game as described herein, performed by a first player and a second player, comprises the following steps: 1. The first player kicks off from the midfield line and passes the ball from one player to another, wherein each such action constitutes a tackle or a tap-in; 2. The first player continues to make moves, wherein each such move comprises: changing player position, dribbling, passing, shooting, heading or throwing-in, until the possession of the ball changes; 3. The second player simultaneously makes moves to counter the first player's moves, wherein such moves comprise: changing player position, sliding a player to compete for the ball, attempting to intercept or block a pass or shot, heading or diving, until the possession of the ball changes; 4. After each move, the control range is measured by To determine possession of the ball, the area of ​​control is formed by a circle with a diameter of six inches around the player with the ball, where (i) when the ball comes to rest within the area of ​​control of only one player, that player controls the ball, and (ii) when the ball is within the area of ​​control of more than one player, the player closest to the ball controls the ball; 5. If a player is dribbling the ball and maintains control, the tapping action is repeated up to five times within the player's area of ​​control before another player can contest the ball; 6. After the first player has dribbled the ball five times, or the dribbling player moves the ball out of his area of ​​control, the second player contests the ball by sliding a player up to six inches from the ball toward the ball; 7. If the ball comes to rest within the area of ​​control of only the second player's player, or if the second player's player is closest to the ball, possession of the ball is awarded to the second player;

[0015] 8. Each player continues to move simultaneously and against each other until a goal is scored, a foul is committed, or the half or full time of the game ends; 9. When a player kicks the ball into the other player's goal, one point is awarded to the team for each goal scored; 10. Once the playing time is over, the player with the highest score is declared the winner of the game, or if there is no player with the highest score, a draw is declared. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a line drawing showing the pre-game setup for the game of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a line drawing showing the action of a lob shot.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a line drawing showing the action of tapping the ball.

[0019] Figure 4 is a line drawing showing a header.

[0020] Figure 5 is a line drawing showing a throw-in.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a line drawing showing a player moving without the ball.

[0022] Figure 7 is a line graph showing the control range.

[0023] Figure 8 It is a line drawing showing the direction of the race.

[0024] Fig. 9 is a line drawing showing dribbling.

[0025] FIG. 10 is a line drawing showing a ball possession contest.

[0026] Fig.11 is a line drawing showing a shot.

[0027] Fig.12 is a line drawing showing an intercepted ball.

[0028] Fig.13 is a line drawing showing the three ways a foul can occur.

[0029] FIG. 14 is a line drawing showing two ways of handballing.

[0030] Fig.15 is a line drawing showing a penalty kick.

[0031] Fig.16 is a line drawing showing a free kick with a human wall. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The game of the present invention constitutes a table football game, whose proportions simulate the proportions of football players to the FIFA football field, goal and ball of the sport, and a game method using bottle caps, in which participants manipulate the bottle caps with their fingers to move the real ball around the table court. The proportions of the game are determined by using a standard bottle cap as a substitute for an average-sized football player. The game is played seamlessly, rather than in turns, replicating the continuous, full-court, long-term, simultaneous player movements of the sport, and rewarding players for developing increasingly technical and complex individual player movements. The rules of the game are intended to be consistent with the rules of FIFA as much as possible. Preferably, the game is self-refereed by two players. For rules such as determining unsportsmanlike behavior or intentional violations of the rules, a third party referee should be hired.

[0033] The game comes with nine types of game pieces: (1) twenty-two uniform bottle caps, (2) a ball, (3) a marked playing field, (4) two goals, (5) four corner flags, (6) a scoreboard / timer, (7) a foldable, transparent, 6-inch ruler, (8) a rulebook, and (9) a cylindrical carrying case with handles and shoulder straps.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the game pieces also include:

[0035] A soccer field, which is a smooth green carpet, 56 inches long (along the sidelines) and 37 inches wide (along the goal lines), and wherein the line markings on the soccer field are in the same proportion as the relative dimensions of a FIFA soccer field and are marked with 1 / 8 inch wide white lines indicating the sidelines, end lines, half court line, center circle, penalty and goal areas, penalty markers, penalty arc, corner kick area, defender clearance markers, and goal placement markers;

[0036] 22 bottle caps, each representing a player, 11 bottle caps to form a team, there will be two teams, each team will be marked (in any desired way) with a different uniform color to distinguish it from the other teams, the goalkeeper uses a color that is clearly different from the colors of the 10 players on the field of his team, and each bottle cap has a different number on the side;

[0037] Four corners;

[0038] A game scoreboard / timer with a 6-inch ruler for measuring control range and player movement;

[0039] Two goals, the goals being U-shaped and measuring 6 inches wide from the inside of the goal posts and 2 inches high from the field of play to the underside of the crossbar; the vertical goal posts and horizontal crossbar being cylindrical and having screens extending 2 inches back from the goal posts and crossbar and the screens meeting at the sides, with a ball-stop net preventing the ball from passing through; and

[0040] A ball (spherical, 8.5 mm or 0.354 inches in diameter, weighing 0.4 to 0.5 ounces, about the weight of a penny, made of acrylic plastic and available in different colors).

[0041] The game of the present invention is intended to closely mimic the presentation of a real soccer game. According to known soccer rules, a scaled-down pitch is appropriately marked and sized, and each side has 11 "players," each of which is represented by a bottle cap with team colors and player numbers displayed on each side of the bottle cap. For the purposes of this application, the term "player" refers to the bottle cap, and the term "player" refers to the player playing the game.

[0042] The bottle caps themselves will be identical in size and appearance to standard bottle caps removed from beer or soda bottles. On the court, the bottle caps will be held in a crown-up position so each cap forms a cup shape. The ball will be an acrylic plastic spherical object weighing one cent. The playing field or "court" will be a flat, rectangular, smooth, green carpet or similar textured material. Lines will be drawn on the court to indicate the playing area, including the sidelines, end lines, a midfield line with a center circle, a penalty area, a goal area, goal post location markers, distances for defenders to corner kickers, and a corner kick area. Each team will have a goal located in the center of the end lines, within the goal area. The player who kicks the ball into the opposing team's goal will receive one point, and a goal is scored.

[0043] A match shall consist of 24 minutes of continuous play divided into two 12-minute halves, with the sides switching sides in the second half. If overtime is required, the 8-minute overtime will be divided into two 4-minute halves, with the sides switching sides at each half. After the overtime, tied matches will go to a penalty shootout. Each team will have five shots, and the team with the most points will win. If there is a tie after each team has taken five penalties, each team will take one penalty in turn until the winner is determined.

[0044] The following explanations will focus on various specialized terms related to gameplay.

[0045] The game allows for many types of moves, but the two basic types of moves that players make with the ball are the "tip" and the "tip." For the tip, the player grabs the bottle cap with their fingers, places their fingers on either side of the bottle cap, keeps their hand in contact with the field, and flicks their fingers upward with a twist of the wrist, which has the effect of the player tip-ing the ball, like scooping a scoop of ice cream, to make a shot or pass. For the tap, the player places their fingers inside the crown of the bottle cap, and again while keeping their hand in contact with the field, moves their fingers to slide the bottle cap toward the ball to tap the ball in any desired direction along the playing field.

[0046] Heading and Throw-in. Two minor player actions, the heading and the throw-in, require the ball to be inside the crown of the cap. The movements for heading and throw-in are almost identical. The player is grabbed by the player with the thumb and fingers placed on either side of the crown of the cap to complete the action, which is similar to the way the fingers and wrist move when snapping fingers, and the player thus pushes the ball in the desired direction. All actions involving players on the field, regardless of type, require that contact between the hands and the field of play be maintained throughout the action. For headers, the ball must land inside the crown of the cap due to the conduct of the game. Headings can occur anywhere on the field, but headers intended to score a goal can only occur in the opposing team's penalty area. All headers can be performed immediately when the ball lands inside the crown of the cap. For a throw-in, the player places the ball inside his player's crown and then places the player outside the field of play where the ball leaves the field of play. At this point, the player performs the action for the throw-in described above. When completing a throw-in, the player cannot cross the touchline boundary plane. If he crosses that line, the ball is awarded to his opponent, who can then attempt a throw-in from the same spot.

[0047] Player Movement Without the Ball. All players may change position at any time during the game, however, with a few exceptions, they may only change position individually and no more than 6 inches at a time. This form of movement to change position is by sliding the bottle cap, which is the same motion as a tap or dribble, but releases the player at the end of the forward motion. If the player wishes to move the same player again, he must wait one beat (counting out the "thousands") before attempting the move. While all players may be picked up, they may only be picked up to perform the specifically described actions listed in this article, which are all performed while touching the ball. With the exception of goalkeeper movements (described below), players who have not touched the ball may only be picked up in the event of a large-scale change of position (kick-off, corner kick, goal kick, penalty kick, or free kick). As in soccer, various rules are used to govern the way the game is played, such as determining which player has the right to touch the ball, when a player may contest another player's possession of the ball, when various types of passes and kicks may be attempted, and so on.

[0048] A match begins when each player arranges their 11 players into formations on their respective fields. Traditional soccer formations such as 3-3-4 or 4-4-2 may be used, but are not mandatory. Once the players are in position, one player will be designated to kick off from midfield and the other player will start the clock. After the kickoff, play is continuous and uninterrupted until the match ends or a foul occurs. For example, a player may manipulate the player with the ball to dribble with one hand and use his other hand to simultaneously and continuously move any other player on his team into a more advantageous position (6 inches at a time) to which the dribbler may simultaneously decide to pass the ball. Similarly, a defender may manipulate the player closest to the dribbler, for example, sliding him to contest the ball while using his other hand to change the position of another defender, away from the ball, to put him in a more advantageous defensive position. One player may not infringe on the ability of another player to play, including affecting his ability to play with both hands simultaneously. When these actions occur, both players must allow each other space and channels to make their respective moves.

[0049] Area of ​​Control. The concept of an area of ​​control is a rule not found in real football, but is an important part of the game of the present invention. A player has possession of the ball if he is closest to the ball. The area of ​​control of the player in possession of the ball is the area around him in which he is undisputedly the closest player to the ball. However, the diameter of that area may be only 6 inches around him. While in possession of the ball within his area of ​​control, a player may dribble, pass, or shoot. However, if he moves the ball within 6 inches of an opposing player, then possession of the ball will pass to the player closest to the ball, and that distance (the player closer to the circumference of the ball than any other player) will become the area of ​​control for the player in possession of the ball. If the new player who gains possession is on another player's team, then a transition will occur. If the player who originally had possession of the ball continues to be closest to the ball, he will retain possession of the ball and can continue playing. When possession of the ball is advanced, such as by dribbling, the player in possession of the ball can move along the field and his area of ​​control will move with it.

[0050] Direction of Play. The direction the player in possession of the ball chooses to go will be considered the direction of play. In this way, the player in possession can decide to dribble back towards their own goal or laterally to the sideline where there is more wiggle room. If the direction of movement of the player in possession of the ball is unclear, then it can be assumed that the player in possession of the ball is moving towards the opponent's goal. Defenders attempting to contest the ball with the player in possession, by sliding in, contesting the ball, blocking a pass, shot, or header, must be in front of the direction of play in order to participate in the current play. To participate in the current play, defensive players who are not in front of the direction of play must be moved, 6 inches at a time, until they are in front of the direction of play.

[0051] The method of dribbling is to place a finger into the player, slide the cap until the cap makes contact with the ball, and tap the ball, all the while keeping the ball within the player's control at all times. A single player may successfully dribble the ball five times in a row without being intercepted by an opposing player. Any player who gains or maintains control after a scramble, as described below, will be able to dribble the ball up to five more times. A dribbler who bypasses a defender and leaves him behind in the direction of play has effectively eliminated that defender from the current play.

[0052] Ball Contest. After five taps, or when the ball enters a free zone outside the control of either player, opponents may contest the ball by sliding their nearest pin toward the ball so that the pin is within six inches of the ball. A contest occurs even if the ball is within the dribbler's control. The motion of sliding is the same as the motion of tapping, except that the pin itself moves or slides toward the ball being contested, and the player is released after the motion is complete. During a contest, the player whose player is in possession of the ball may place his fingers inside his pin, but may not press or place his pin on the ball, nor move his pin to affect contact with the skating player. The player contesting the ball does not have to wait for the dribbler to notice that he has dribbled five times or placed the ball in a contest, but the dribbler, if he notices that the defender is unaware and wants to continue dribbling, must pause for a beat after five taps to allow his opponent to contest the ball. If after the pause, the opponent does not contest the ball, the dribbler may make five more taps.

[0053] Contact in a dribbling contest is initiated by the defender. Contesting a ball that is not under the control of a player requires two contestants to slide their caps closest to the ball with enough force to reach the ball. Neither contestant needs to wait for the other to slide his player, and if one hesitates, the other will most likely slide first and gain possession of the ball. If the ball is less than 6 inches from either opposing player, both players must slide their caps closest to the ball, 6 inches at a time, to within 6 inches of the ball, and then contest for the ball. During the contest, the caps may collide with each other. If the caps collide but do not flip, play continues and the player closest to the ball wins. If the caps are flipped, the flipped cap is fouled and is awarded a foul ball from the flipped position. If a defensive player is involved in a contest with the dribbler and the dribbler is still wearing the cap up, but the skating player flips, the dribbler is fouled for flipping his opponent, even if the defensive player initiated the conflict. Only defensive players who are in the front of the direction of play are considered to be "in action" and may contest for the ball. Those players who are behind the ball-handling player in the direction of play (determined by the direction the ball-handling player is moving) are "outside the action" and cannot participate in a contest. They must be moved, six inches at a time, until they are ahead of the action again to participate in a contest.

[0054] Change of Possession. After a change of possession, the play action continues without stopping. The player who has newly gained possession does not need to dribble, pass, or shoot; he may simply choose to change the position of another player first. However, if the change of possession occurs within the contested area of ​​possession, and the player in possession, the opposing player, and the ball are all within a space that is less than 6 inches in diameter, the defender need only wait one beat before contesting the ball again if the player now attacking has not at least tapped the ball, indicating that he is about to dribble. When the player who has newly gained possession decides to dribble, the defense may not contest the ball until the player in possession has completed his initial five taps (he has only five seconds to initiate a dribble by tapping the ball a second time). If the player who has newly gained possession decides to stop dribbling to pass or shoot, his opponent may attempt to intercept if he is within 6 inches and in front of the direction of play. If the player in possession decides to continue dribbling, the defense may eventually contest the dribbler as described above.

[0055] A shot (either a tap-in or a lob action) is allowed only when the ball and the shooter are in the opposing half and in the space between the farthest point of the opposing midfield semicircle and the goal. A shot may be taken at any time during the match from the legal distance, without warning, and may result in a goal.

[0056] Volleys and ricochet shots. Scoring a goal does not require the offensive player in possession of the ball to shoot or head the ball. The player in possession of the ball may decide to pass the ball to a teammate who is running into the penalty area. This pass, deflected by a running player, may ultimately result in a goal. A ricochet shot is legal only if it occurs inside the penalty area. A player who chooses to pass the ball into the penalty area with one hand and have a teammate run with the other hand does not need to warn his opponent of a potential ricochet shot. Similarly, if the player in possession of the ball passes the ball in the air to a teammate who is clearly in legal shooting range and in clear control of the ball when receiving the pass, the teammate who receives the ball may choose to attempt a volley shot without warning. The same volley shot may be taken as long as the player is clearly in control of the ball and in legal shooting range when the ball arrives, which may come from a throw-in, header, pass, ricochet pass, deflected by a defender, intercepted, deflected off the crossbar or goal post, or from a save by a goalkeeper.

[0057] Intercepts. Shots, passes, throw-ins, and headers may all be intercepted. An interception is performed by placing a finger inside a player and sliding the cap along the field in the intended direction of the opponent's movement, rather than towards the player making the movement. The player attempting an intercept may also choose to attempt a standing intercept by placing a finger inside the crown of the cap at the end of the slide and pressing down on the cap, in effect placing the cap upright. At the end of a standing intercept, as a seamless part of the movement (without the pause that a goalkeeper might experience when advancing and then diving, see below), the player may roll in an upright position in the direction of the ball as an additional interception device. However, the slide cannot occur more than six inches from the player in control of the ball, and the sliding player must be ahead in the direction of play.

[0058] Foul. A foul occurs when (1) one team's bottle cap knocks over (flips) an opposing player. This often happens when players are vying for the ball. When two players are vying for the ball, they slide toward the ball and often bump into each other. Another foul occurs if a player (2) partially or (3) completely comes over another player as a result of a collision, sliding tackle, attempting to block a shot, or similar action. In both cases, the player on top is considered to have committed the foul.

[0059] Handball foul. A handball foul occurs when a player lands with the crown of their cap facing downwards, covering the top of the ball, either partially or completely. If this action is intentional, the player is given a yellow card. If this action occurs in the team's penalty area, the opposing team is awarded a penalty kick. If the cap lands on top of the ball, with the smooth side covering it, this is not a handball and is considered the same as if the player of the sport simply put his boot on the ball.

[0060] Penalty Kicks. The penalty kick game rules follow the FIFA rules of the game. When taking a penalty kick, the defending player positions the goalkeeper on the goal line between the goal posts using only one or two fingers. This is done by grabbing the goalkeeper with one hand that is extended over the top of the goal post and holding the goalkeeper in position. The defending player blows the whistle to signal the start of the penalty kick, and the team taking the penalty kick must shoot within 5 seconds of the whistle.

[0061] Carded: Warning or Sending Off. If a player commits two fouls (of any type), the player will be warned (known as a yellow card); if a player commits a third foul (of any type), the player will automatically receive a red card (or be sent off) and be ejected from the match, and the player's team must play shorthanded thereafter.

[0062] Advantage Rule. Just like in football, if the fouled player feels that he is still in an advantageous position and that accepting the foul would be disadvantageous to him, then that player may choose to ignore the foul and continue playing. If a player's player is fouled, he may simply yell "advantage" and continue playing. If the foul involves an opponent landing on the pin that was fouled, the fouled player's side may slide his player out from under the opponent, but may not pick up the opponent's player. If the ball rolls or flies out of the foul position when the foul occurs, the fouled player's side may return the ball to the foul position. But if the ball lands in clear possession of a teammate of the fouled player, the player may choose to continue playing from that new position with the ball now in possession of that new player.

[0063] Unintentional Touching. When a player accidentally touches and moves a game piece, whether a player, goal, corner flag or ball, the piece is reset and the move, if in progress, is replayed. If the foul occurs before the end of a half or full game, an additional 30 seconds are allowed for replay, with the rule of advantage being the deciding factor. If the contact is deemed intentional, the player who called the foul may state so. See Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls below.

[0064] Technical foul. During the game, if A feels that B has violated the rules, A can call a "technical foul", including:

[0065] Picking up a player to do anything that is not allowed;

[0066] Move the player more than six inches at a time;

[0067] Using players behind the direction of play to attempt interceptions;

[0068] Move the ball without possession;

[0069] Shooting without possession of the ball;

[0070] Wasting time by deliberately taking too long to correct a mistake, such as using a player's body part to knock the ball, goal or corner flag out of position, delaying in returning an object to its original position, or taking too long to take a goal kick, free kick, penalty kick, corner kick or throw-in. Players have five seconds to correct a mistake after a game piece has been misplaced and an additional five seconds to take a goal kick, free kick, penalty kick, corner kick or throw-in.

[0071] lifting his hands off the turf when his players hit the ball;

[0072] touching the ball with any part of a player's body;

[0073] Move any other bottle caps to accommodate the player who is attempting any move;

[0074] moving corner flags or goal posts from their positions;

[0075] Failure to comply with any of the competition rules during the competition; and

[0076] Play continues after a foul is called.

[0077] Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls If a player inappropriately touches any of the game pieces, it is considered an intentional, unsportsmanlike interruption of play, and such obstruction will result in a foul, as detailed below. The ball is placed where a body part touches it, or it is taken from where the player in possession serves it. Touching any player for the purpose of manipulating another player that a player wants to move will be considered intentional. If a player commits a fourth foul for unsportsmanlike conduct in any game, the player will be disqualified from the game.

[0078] Free Kicks and Defensive Walls. The rules of play for free kicks follow the FIFA rules of play. A free kick may be taken towards the goal as long as it is within a legal shooting space as described above. If the player taking the free kick intends to shoot directly at goal, he must indicate so that the defenders can build a defensive wall. The wall is placed three cap lengths from where the ball is and is built by placing the defensive caps smooth side to smooth side, effectively erecting the caps. The defender may place as many players in the wall as he wishes, and once the first two are erected, additional pairs or single caps may be simply placed alongside to reinforce the wall. Before the ball is kicked, the defending players may not enter within the circumference of three caps around where the ball is located. Once the wall is built, the defender indicates that he is ready and the attacking player then has five seconds to kick the ball. Once the shot is taken, the defender may remove the entire wall by picking up the defenders and placing them back on the field of play no more than three cap lengths away from where the wall was located, after which he may only move his players one by one, six inches at a time.

[0079] Corner kicks and goal kicks. The rules of the game for these kicks follow the FIFA rules of the game. Both teams can move players around massively during the shot by picking them up and placing them where they are needed. The player taking a corner kick or goal kick must wait for the opponent to reposition his players and then has five seconds to kick the ball after the ball is in place or he will be given a yellow card (warning).

[0080] Goalie Movement. The goalie is the only player in the game that a player can hold with their fingers. The hand does not have to touch the court, but the edge of the goalie must touch the court. To play the goalie, the player picks up the bottle cap in one of four ways and places it vertically with part of the bottle cap touching the court and the crown facing the court. The player can (1) hold the bottle cap with his index finger and thumb on either side of the crown, or (2) with his index and middle finger on one side and thumb on the other, or (3) hold the bottle cap with his thumb and middle finger on opposite sides with his index finger on top of the bottle cap and its bottom in contact with the court, or once he has picked up the goalie and placed the goalie, the player can choose to (4) place a finger on the top of the bottle cap to fix the goalie in position (such as during a penalty kick) or roll the goalie to make a save. In the first three grip positions, the goalie can move forward.

[0081] The way the goalie advances is by simply being picked up, moved, and placed 6 inches in any direction, at which point he may remain in position and / or turn to attempt to intercept or cut off the angle of a shot, glide from his current stance to intercept a shot, or dive to attempt to intercept a shot. The goalie may only move 6 inches twice in a row without waiting for a snap, but he must be in contact with the field before each move, and the end result of the second move is to attempt a save or interception, by diving in the direction of the ball (being thrown out), turning to attempt to intercept a shot from his stance, or making an interception by a player on the field. To perform the dive, the only move that requires the player's hands to remain in contact with the field, the player grabs the goalie in any of the first three mentioned grip positions, then throws it no more than 6 inches with the inside of the crown facing the ball, attempting to intercept a shot. The goalie may not move more than twice in a single play, but may repeat both of his moves if the attacking player immediately attempts to score a second time, such as following up a ricochet off the post or a save by the goalie. Special Field Player Moves. Bottle Cap Football players can do almost anything a real sports player can do. Players in the game can perform special moves such as bicycle kicks, backheel passes and shots, or diving headers. To do a bicycle kick, the player who is kicking the ball faces the ball, away from the direction of play. The player attempts to get the ball over his head and hit the ball in the opposite direction of the direction he is facing. The user holds the bottle cap on either side of the crown, with the index and middle fingers placed on the side facing the ball and the thumb on the other side. The user then flicks his wrist, flips the bottle cap, and makes a quick motion with the thumb over the fingers, pushing the ball back in a scooping motion. At the end of the move, the user must let go of the player who may have the crown fall to the ground, in which case the user must flip the player over to a normal cup position. To perform a backheel shot or pass, the user places the thumb and middle fingers on either side of the bottle cap, while the index finger is placed inside the crown. Thus, the user lifts one side of the bottle cap off the court by pressing down on one side of the crown, while the other side of the bottle cap continues to be in contact with the court. The user then places the smooth side of the bottle cap on the ball and presses down while sliding the bottle cap forward or backward over the pressed ball to propel the ball in the desired direction. The diving header is performed by grasping the bottle cap in the same manner as when performing the backheel movement, but the user then turns the bottle cap with the crown facing downward. Then, instead of grasping the bottle cap with the index finger and thumb, the user must throw the bottle cap toward the ball (no more than 6 inches), trying to get the flying ball to meet the flying bottle cap. The user attempts to touch the ball with the outside of the crown of the bottle cap, not the inside of the crown or the top side of the bottle cap. Hitting the ball with any other part of the bottle cap is allowed, but the diving header can only contact the side of the crown. This contact, if it advances the ball into the goal and scores, is allowed even if the header is off target and the ball hits a different part of the bottle cap. In this case, the player in question can simply assume that the ball was hit by another legal part of the body, which often occurs in sports.At the end of the move, the user must release the player who may have his crown fall to the ground, in which case the user must flip the player over to a normal cup position.

[0082] Special field player moves. Bottlecap Soccer players can do almost anything a real sports player can do. Players in the game can perform special moves, such as bicycle kicks, back heel passes and shots, or diving headers. These moves are described in detail in the rulebook.

[0083] Detailed description of the attached drawings:

[0084] Figure 1 The arrangement of the table football game pieces before the start of a game is shown. The game has nine types of pieces: a marked playing field 1 surrounded by an out-of-bounds area 1A, twenty-two uniform bottle cap players 2, a ball 3, and two goals 4. In addition, a standard version of the game will also include the following pieces not shown in the figure: four corner flags, a scoreboard / timer, a ruler, a rule booklet, and a cylindrical carrying case with handles and shoulder straps.

[0085] Also shown are various lines or markings making up the playing field 1 , including a half court line 5 , a centre circle 6 , a goal area 7 , a penalty area 8 , penalty markers 9 , a penalty arc 10 , a goal line 11 , a sideline 12 and a corner area 13 .

[0086] Figure 2 The user is shown performing a lob shot, wherein the user grasps the bottle cap player 2, with the index and middle fingers placed on the top 2A of the player, and the thumb placed on the edge of the crown 2B. Then, keeping their hand in static contact with the field 1 throughout the motion, the user flicks their fingers upward with a twist of the wrist, like a scoop of ice cream, having the effect of scooping the ball 3 in the air above the surface of the field 1 with the bottle cap player 2 for a shot or pass.

[0087] Figure 3 The user is shown performing a tapping motion in which the user places their fingers within the crown 2B of the pin player 2 and, while keeping their hand in contact with the field 1, moves their fingers downwardly and forwardly to slide the pin player toward the ball 3, thereby tapping the ball in any desired direction along the field 1. Once the pin player and the ball make contact, the motion ceases, with subsequent motion naturally checked by the static position of the user's hand on the field 1.

[0088] Figure 4The user is shown performing a header shot, wherein the ball 3 has landed within the crown 2B of the bottle cap player 2, so that the ball is initially located on the inner surface 2C within the crown 2B of the bottle cap player 2. The user holds the player 2 with the thumb and fingers, which are placed on both sides of the bottle cap's crown 2B, while keeping the ball 3 within the crown, and the hand is in contact with the field during the entire action. Then, the wrist is twisted, and the ball 3 is pushed in the desired direction. This action is similar to the way the fingers and wrist move when snapping the fingers.

[0089] Figure 5 The user is shown performing a throw-in to reintroduce the ball 3 after it has crossed the sideline 12 and is out of bounds. For a throw-in, the ball 3 must be placed within the crown 2B of the bottle cap. The user grasps the bottle cap player 2 by gripping the sides of the bottle cap crown with the thumb and fingers while keeping the ball within the crown and the user's hands in contact with the field 1 during the entire action. Then, with a twist of the wrist, the ball is propelled in the desired direction. Again, this action is similar to the way the fingers and wrist move when snapping the fingers. In all figures showing gameplay, the defensive players will be shown in gray shading.

[0090] Figure 6A-6C The movement of a bottle cap player 2 is shown when not in possession of the ball 3. For a player moving without the ball, the movement is performed by sliding the bottle cap along the surface of the court 1 in the same manner as a tap or dribble 3, but releasing the player at the end of the forward movement. Fig. 6A A user is shown inserting his finger into the crown 2B of bottle cap player 2 while another player is controlling the ball. Figure 6B In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the user pushes the player 2 toward the midfield line 5 with a finger, releasing the player during the pushing process. Figure 6C It shows that the pushed player 2 stops near the ball 3, which has been kicked by another player.

[0091] Figure 7 The bottle cap player 2 is shown in possession of the ball 3, with the invisible "control range" around the player shown as a dotted line. If a player is closest to the ball, he has control of the ball (i.e., possession of the ball). The control range of the ball-controlling player is the area around him within which he is undoubtedly the closest player to the ball. However, the diameter of that area may be only 6 inches around him. During play, such as dribbling, if the ball-controlling player is still closest to the ball, he can move forward on the court and his control range will move with him. Figure 7 As shown, one defensive player is less than 3 inches from the player with the ball, but the defensive player is still not closest to the ball.

[0092] Figure 8Multiple bottle cap players 2 are shown on a field 1 to demonstrate the direction of play. The direction the player in possession of the ball chooses to go will be considered the direction of play. Defenders attempting to contest the ball with the player in possession, by sliding in, contesting the ball, blocking a pass, shot, or header, must be in front of the direction of play in order to participate in the play. A dribbler who dribbles around a defender and leaves him behind in the direction of play eliminates that defender from the play. To participate in the current play, defensive players who are not in front of the direction of play must be moved, 6 inches at a time, until they are in front of the direction of play. Figure 8 In the example shown, the player closest to the ball (who has possession of the ball) is dribbling towards his opponent's goal 4, so this is the direction of play. The three defenders are between the dribbler and the goal and in the direction of play, so any of the three defenders can challenge the dribbler when he gets within six inches of them, but the players behind the dribbler are in the opposite direction of play and therefore out of play. In the example shown, if the dribbler turns to his left, he can easily place the nearest defender behind the direction of play, thus taking him out of play.

[0093] Fig. 9 The user is shown using his finger to perform a dribbling motion of the bottle cap player 2. The dribble is performed by placing a finger inside the player's crown 2B and resting on the inner surface 2D, thereby sliding the player until it makes contact with the ball 3, tapping the ball as described above, while always keeping the ball within the player's control. A player can successfully dribble (tap the ball) up to five times in a row within his control without being contested by an opposing player. If the ball-controlling player successfully maintains control of the ball after a contest, he can choose to dribble again up to five times.

[0094] Figure 10A-10C The motions performed by players contesting for the ball are shown. After the ball-handling player has completed five taps while dribbling, or whenever the ball enters a free area outside the control of any player and the opposing team has one or more pin players 2 within six inches of the ball, that user may contest the ball by sliding their nearest pin toward the ball. Contesting for the ball may occur whether or not the ball is within the dribbler's control. The motion of sliding is the same as tapping, except that the pin itself moves or slides toward the ball being contested, and the user removes his finger from the sliding player at the end of the motion. Contesting players may collide while contesting for the ball.

[0095] Fig. 10A A player dribbling 2 is shown on the left and a player scrimmaging 2 is shown on the right, with the ball 3 between and within six inches of the two players. Fig. 10B The two players closest to the ball are shown starting to slide. Fig. 10C It is shown that two players collide and the ball leaves the field 1 due to this collision.

[0096] Fig.11 The user and player 2 are shown kicking the ball 4 into the air by means of a lob, towards the goal 4. A shot, whether a tap or lob, may be made at any time during the game, within a legal distance, without warning, and may result in a goal.

[0097] Fig.12 The defensive player 2 on the right is shown performing a sliding block while the offensive player on the left attempts a lob shot. The block is performed by the user placing a finger inside the bottle cap player and sliding the bottle cap along the field 1 in the expected direction of the opponent's action rather than towards the player taking the action. For a related defensive action, the standing block (not shown), the user places a finger inside the crown of the player's hat, causing the player to stand upright at right angles to the field.

[0098] Fig.13 The situation of executing a free kick when the defender sets up a defensive wall is shown. A free kick obtained after the opposing team is penalized can be kicked toward the goal 4 as long as it is within the legal shooting space. If the user who kicks the free kick intends to shoot the ball 3 directly toward the goal 4, he must first tell the user of the defense so that the defender can set up a defensive wall. The wall is placed at a distance of three bottle cap lengths (shown by the dotted line) from the position of the ball, and is built by placing a pair (multiple pairs) of defensive bottle caps 2, with the top 2A against the top, so that each pair of bottle caps is balanced to stand the bottle caps upright. The defender can place any number of players in the wall as needed, and once the first two players are erected, other players can be placed next to the wall in pairs or individually to strengthen the wall. Before the ball is kicked out, no defensive player can be placed within the circumference of three bottle caps around the position of the ball. Once the wall is built, the defender indicates that he is ready, and then the offensive player has five seconds to kick the ball. Once a shot is taken, the defender can dismantle his entire wall by picking up the defenders and placing them back on the field of play within three cap lengths of where the wall is located (indicated by the dotted lines), after which he can only move his players individually, six inches at a time.

[0099] Figures 14A-14D Four ways of holding the bottle cap player 2 acting as goalie are shown while in the goal area 7. To play goalie, the user picks up the bottle cap in one of four ways and places it vertically while keeping the bottle cap in contact with the pitch 1, with the top side 2A facing the goal and the crown side 2B facing the play. Fig.14A In the embodiment, the user holds the bottle cap player 2 on both sides of the crown 2B, with the index finger and thumb on both sides of the bottle cap. Fig. 14B In the , the user holds the bottle cap player 2 with the index and middle fingers on one side and the thumb on the other side. Fig. 14CIn , the user holds the pin cap player 2, with the thumb and middle finger holding opposite sides of the pin cap, while the index finger is located on top of the pin cap with its bottom in contact with the court 1. Figure 4 In D, the user places a single finger on the top side of crown 2B of bottle cap player 2 to hold the player in position against court 1, or to roll the player along the court to intercept ball 4.

[0100] Fig.15 Again the user is shown using the bottle cap player 2 as a goalie within the goal area 7, the user can use any legal grip to push the player six inches in any direction. Once the forward move is made, the player can stay where he is or turn to try to intercept or block the shot or shooting angle, and then optionally dive or slide to execute the interception.

[0101] Fig.16 A bottle cap player 2 is shown acting as a goalie within a goal area 7 and performing a slide to intercept a ball 3 during an incoming shot toward the goal 4. The dive is the only goalie action that requires the user to keep his hands in contact with the field 1, the user grips the goalie with any of the first three allowed grips, and then throws the goalie a distance of no more than six inches with the crown side 2B facing the ball 3 in an attempt to intercept the shot.

[0102] List of reference numerals:

[0103] 1 court / field;

[0104] 2 Bottle Cap Player;

[0105] 2A top;

[0106] 2B crown;

[0107] 2C inner surface;

[0108] 3 balls;

[0109] 4 goals;

[0110] 5 midfield line;

[0111] 6 center circle;

[0112] 7 Goal area;

[0113] 8 restricted areas;

[0114] 9 Penalty Marker;

[0115] 10 free throw arc;

[0116] 11 Goal Line;

[0117] 12 sidelines;

[0118] 13 Corner area.

[0119] The references cited herein are incorporated herein in their entirety, particularly as they relate to any disclosure necessary to teach the level of one of ordinary skill in the art and to a more general understanding of the subject matter of the claimed invention. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be altered or that insubstantial changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A table football game, comprising: A football pitch made of cloth or similar material marked with lines indicating the sidelines, end lines, half-way line, centre circle, penalty and goal areas, penalty markers and penalty arcs, corner kick areas and markings for distances allowed for defenders and markings for goal placement; Twenty-two bottle caps, each with a different number, each representing a player, including two teams of 11 players each, each team painted a different color; Two goals; as well as A ball.

2. The table football game according to claim 1, wherein: The lines marking said pitch are in the same proportions as the relative sizes of a FIFA football pitch, with the bottle caps representing players of average size.

3. The tabletop soccer game of claim 1 further comprising a rulebook detailing the rules of the game with illustrations or photographs and video links describing all aspects of the game.

4. The table football game according to claim 1, wherein: Each player is a bottle cap having a crown, a top side and a crown side, and the standard position of the player on the court is to be placed with the top side.

5. The table football game according to claim 4, wherein: Each ball cap shall have a diameter of one inch measured from the inside of said crown, a height of 0.250 to 0.275 inches, a weight of not less than 0.078 ounces, equivalent to the weight of a standard bottle cap, and shall not weigh more than 0.15 ounces when painted and / or with attachments.

6. The table football game according to claim 1, wherein: The ball is spherical, 0.354 inches in diameter, and weighs 0.4 to 0.5 ounces.

7. The table football game according to claim 1, wherein: Each goal is a U-shaped frame, each goal includes two uprights and a crossbar, with a screen extending 2 inches back from the frame, the goal is 6 inches wide measured from the inside of the uprights, and the goal is 2 inches high measured from the court to the underside of the crossbar, and the screen extends 2 inches back from the uprights and the crossbar.

8. A method for playing the table football game according to claim 1 by a first player and a second player, comprising the following steps: 1) the first player kicks off from the midfield line and passes the ball from one player to another, wherein each such action constitutes a tackle or a tap-in; 2) the first player continues to make moves, each such move including: changing player position, dribbling, passing, shooting, heading or throw-in, until the possession of the ball changes; 3) the second player simultaneously makes a move to counter the first player's move, such moves including: changing player positions, sliding players to contest the ball, attempting to intercept or block a pass or shot, heading or diving, until the ball is changed; 4) after each move, possession of the ball is determined by measuring the control area, which is a circle with a diameter of six inches around the player holding the ball, wherein (i) when the ball is within the control area of ​​only one player, the player controls the ball, and (ii) when the ball is within the control area of ​​more than one player, the player closest to the ball controls the ball; 5) If a player is dribbling and maintains control, repeat the tap-to-ball action up to five times within the player’s control before another player contests the ball; 6) After the first player has dribbled the ball five times, or the dribbling player moves said ball out of his control, the second player slides a player toward said ball from a distance of up to six inches from said ball, thereby contesting the ball; 7) If the ball comes to rest only within the control of the second player's player, or if the second player's player is closest to the ball, awarding possession of the ball to the second player; 8) Each player continues to move simultaneously and against each other until a goal is scored, a foul is committed, or the half or full time ends; 9) When a player of one player kicks the ball into another player's goal, one point is awarded to the team for each goal scored; and 10) Once the game time is over, the player with the highest score is declared the winner of the game, or if there is no player with the highest score, a tie is declared.

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