Corner Kick Game

Abstract

A game comprising a disk and a board, where the board is elongate such that the board has a long axis and where the board comprises at least one goal, where the goal is oriented parallel to the long axis of the board along a side of the board. The game is played by placing the disk on its edge at a first end of the board; rolling the disk forward while simultaneously spinning the disk backward; and allowing the disk to arch sideways through the goal at the second end of the board. The game replicates the excitement of the corner kick in soccer in a tabletop game, suitable for use at home or in a bar or pub. The game may be decorated with a soccer, basketball, or hockey theme.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE

This application is a divisional application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/191,830 filed Jun. 24, 2016.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to game and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a game and game board requiring the player to spin a disk into a goal angled 90° from a starting position.

Description of the Related Art

The world's most popular sport is the sport generally known as soccer or football. The name soccer is used herein for consistency. Other popular sports include basketball and hockey, and all three of these sports share a common objective: getting an object, whether a ball or a puck, into the opponent's goal or net. All of these sports are generally played with teams and require a large space, specific equipment, and particular physical abilities.

Tabletop games are likewise popular, and are generally played, as the name suggests, on top of a table. Such games often rely more heavily on strategy or luck rather than physical acts. While certain tabletop games may replicate the rules, terminology, and strategies of sports, they typically utilize representational components, such as rolling a die or drawing a card, in place of physical acts, such as kicking or throwing a ball or hitting a puck.

A particular subset of tabletop games endeavors to integrate the physicality of sports into tabletop game play. One example is foosball, in which players simulate soccer by manipulating figures anchored above a small-scale field to kick a ball into an opposing goal. While this is a fair small-scale representation of soccer, it does not allow for several aspects of the sport, one of which is the corner kick.

In soccer, a corner kick is a way of restarting play when the ball has been kicked past the goal line by a defending player. An attacking player stands in a designated area in a corner of the field adjacent the goal line and kicks the ball back into play. A direct goal from this position is extremely difficult, as the ball must be given sufficient swerve to arc 90° to reach the goal. Such a goal is possible due to the Magnus effect, whereby a spinning ball or cylinder curves away from its principal flight path. Similarly achieved goals, while not called corner kicks, are possible in basketball and hockey.

Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a tabletop game that allows a player to replicate a corner kick on a small scale.

It is further desirable for the physical act of scoring to be simple, yet sufficiently difficult to provide true athletic competition.

It is further desirable for such a game to be suitable for home use or for use in bars or pubs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a game comprising a disk and a board, where the board is elongate such that the board has a long axis and where the board comprises at least one goal, where the goal is oriented parallel to the long axis of the board along a side of the board.

The board may comprise: a first end; a second end, where the second end opposes the first end; a first side extending between the first end and the second end; and a second side extending between the first end and the second end, where the second side opposes the first side and where the at least one goal comprises a first goal located along the first side closer to the first end than to the second end and a second goal located along the second side closer to the second end than to the first end. The sides may be the same length, the ends may be the same length, and the sides may be longer than the ends. The board may further comprise a first wall extending upward from the first side from the first goal to the second end and a second wall extending upward from the second side from the second goal to the first end. The ends may be open such that the disk is capable of sliding off the board at either the first end or the second end.

The board may have a generally flat top, where the top is textured. The at least one goal may comprise an arch, such that the disk is capable of sliding off the board through the arch. The at least one goal may additionally or alternately comprise a net. The goal may be shaped like a soccer goal, a basketball net, or a hockey goal. The goal may have an opening and the size of the opening may be adjustable. The disk may have a diameter of approximately 2¾ inches and a height of approximately 1 inch. The board may have a length of approximately 50 inches and a width of approximately 12 inches and the goal may have a width of approximately 5 inches. The board may comprise at least two sections, where the sections are capable of being assembled for use or disassembled for storage.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method of playing the game, the method comprising: placing a disk with an edge on its edge at a first end of the board; rolling the disk forward while simultaneously spinning the disk backward; and allowing the disk to arch sideways through the goal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game in use; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game disassembled.

Other advantages and features will be apparent from the following description and from the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The devices and methods discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use this invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting in scope.

While the devices and methods have been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the devices and components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the devices and methods are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification.

In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a game requiring a player to spin a disk into a goal angled 90° from a starting position. Components of the game may include a board 1 and a disk 2. The board 1 may be elongate and may be rectangular, as shown in the drawings, or any other desired shape. The board 1 may have two ends 3 and two sides 4. The sides 4 may be longer than the ends 3, as shown. A goal 5 may be located on each of the sides 4, with one goal 5 adjacent each of the ends 3.

Each goal 5 may be oriented parallel to the long axis of the board 1, such that an object traveling along the long axis of the board 1 must deviate from a straight path of travel to enter the goal 5. The board 1 may be significantly longer than each of the goals 5. For example, the board 1 may be approximately 50 inches long and approximately 12 inches wide, and the goals may each be approximately 5 inches wide. Each of the goals 5 may have the same width.

The board 1 may have a generally flat top 6 and a generally flat bottom 7. Each side 4 may have an upwardly-extending wall 8 extending from its goal 5 to the opposing end 3. The walls 8 may not block the goals 5, but may block the disk 2 from exiting from the top 6 of the board 1 along the sides 4 other than through the goals 5. The ends 3 may not have a wall and may be open, such that the disk 2 may exit the board 1 by sliding off either end 3 or through either goal 5.

The goals 5 may be just open areas in the walls 8, or may be designated with posts on either side. The posts may be part of a single arch or other entryway-type architectural structure 9, as shown. The structure 9 may be part of a larger assembly, which may include a net 10 and/or other structures, as shown. The goal 5 may be shaped similar to a soccer goal, a hockey goal, basketball net, or other recognizable goal/net, or may have any other desired appearance. The size of the opening of the goal 5 may be adjustable, allowing for customized difficulty of the game.

The disk 2 may be cylindrical and short, similar to a puck. For example, the disk 2 may have a diameter of approximately 2¾ to 3 inches and a height of approximately 1 inch. The disk 2 may be made of plastic, rubber, wood, metal, or any other desired material. The disk 2 may be hollow. Alternately, the disk 2 may be solid or may be hollow but filled with ballast or other material.

The board 1 may likewise be made of any desired material, including plastic, wood, or metal. The top 6 may be made of or coated with a low-friction material. Alternately, the top 6 may be textured or coated in a textured or other high-friction material.

The board 1 and disk 2 may either or both be decorated according to a desired theme. For example, the game may have a soccer theme, whereby the disk 2 is decorated like a soccer ball, the goals 5 are designed to look like soccer goals, and the board 1 is decorated to look like a soccer field. Similarly, for a basketball theme, the disk 2 may be decorated like a basketball, the goals 5 may be designed to look like basketball nets, and the board 1 is decorated to look like a basketball court. Likewise, for a hockey theme, the disk 2 may be decorated to look like a hockey puck, the goals 5 may be designed to look like hockey goals, and the board 1 may be decorated to look like a hockey rink.

The board 1 may have markings at the goal 5 to indicate the number of points awarded to a player for causing the disk 2 to exit the board 1 at the markings. For example, the markings may designate a smaller portion of the opening of the goal through which the player may receive extra points. The markings may correspond to the theme of the game. For example, when the board has a basketball theme, the markings may indicate a three-point line.

The game may be suitable for at-home use or for use in a bar or pub. The game may be capable of being disassembled for storage. For example, the board 1 may be formed from two or more parts, which may be assembled for use and disassembled for storage. The parts may be separable or may be joined by a hinge, allowing the board 1 to be folded when not in use. The game may also be offered in version that is not capable of disassembly for semi-permanent use in locations such as a bar, pub, or game room. Such a version may be larger and may have legs, making it a self-supporting game table.

To play, a player may place the disk 2 on its edge at one end 3 of the board 1, with the goal of making the disk 2 go through the goal 5 adjacent the opposing end 3 of the board 1. The player may roll the disk 2 on its edge, simultaneously spinning the disk 2 backwards while pushing it forwards, such that it travels forward with a backspin. If done correctly, the backspin may cause the disk 2 to deviate in the direction of the goal 5 and to exit the board through the goal 5, scoring a point for the player. The player's opponent may then take a turn from the opposing end 3 of the board 1. The players may take turns until a designated number of rounds has been completed or a designated number of points has been scored or for a designated amount of time. When the game is over, the player with the highest number of points may win.

Whereas, the devices and methods have been described in relation to the drawings and claims, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A method of playing a game, the method comprising:

placing a disk with an edge on its edge at a first end of a board, where the board is elongate such that the board has a long axis;

rolling the disk forward while simultaneously spinning the disk backward; and

allowing the disk to arch sideways through a goal, where the goal is oriented parallel to the long axis of the board along a side of the board and is located closer to an opposed end of the board than the first end.

2. The method of claim 1 where the board comprises:

the first end;

the opposed end;

the side of the board, where the side extends between the first end and the second end;

a second side of the board, where the second side extends between the first end and the second end and opposes the side;

the goal; and

a second goal, where the second goal is oriented parallel to the long axis of the board along the second side of the board and is located closer to the first end of the board than the opposed end.

3. The method of claim 2 where the board further comprises:

a first wall extending upward from the first side from the first goal to the second end; and

a second wall extending upward from the second side from the second goal to the first end.

4. The method of claim 1 where the ends are open such that the disk is capable of sliding off the board at either end.

5. The method of claim 1 where the goal comprises an arch, such that the disk arches sideways through the arch.

6. The method of claim 1 where the goal comprises a net, such that the disk arches sideways through the goal and into the net.

7. The method of claim 1 where:

the disk has a diameter of approximately 2¾ inches and a height of approximately 1 inch;

the board has a length of approximately 50 inches and a width of approximately 12 inches; and

the goal has a width of approximately 5 inches.