Soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game

Abstract

A soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game involves two players playing against each other on a playing field having a soccer goal at two opposite ends and demarcated with respective offside zones. The players have as objectives (i) offensively to move a play ball into the defender's goal and (ii) defensively to save attempts on goal and/or acquire ball possession in order to switch around and commence offensively. The rules of play can limit time-of-possession to a time-limit, such as five seconds, so that ball possession in excess of the time-limit results in a turnover. Any unstopped scores from shots taken after the applicable time-limit are not counted. Another rule of play assesses any player who crosses into the offside zone of the opponent with a penalty-shot violation. Penalty shots are postponed until after a play period runs out of time so not to interrupt play.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game, comprising the steps of: 
 providing two players with a playing field having a soccer goal at two opposite ends and is demarcated with respective offside zones as well as respective goal areas, which players have as objectives (i) offensively to distribute a play ball into the defender's goal from anywhere on the field as long as not violating the defender's offside zone and (ii) defensively to save attempts on goal and/or acquire ball possession in order to switch around and commence offensively, wherein a permitted distribution of the ball can be restricted to any one or any combination of the following: 
 throwing by hand, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 rolling by hand, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 punting, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 drop kicking, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 kicking, and  
 heading; and,  
   providing a rule of play wherein time of possession is limited by a time-limit such that ball possession in excess of the time-limit results in expropriation, and scores from distributions after the applicable time-limit are not counted.    
     
     
         2 . The game according to  claim 1  further comprising, providing a rule of play wherein any player crossing into the offside zone of the opponent is assessed a penalty-shot violation.  
     
     
         3 . The game according to  claim 2  wherein the game is played over one or more regulation periods, each period being played against a clock which generally runs without stoppage for taking penalty kicks, wherein all penalty kicks are postponed until after time runs out on the period.  
     
     
         4 . The game according to  claim 3  further comprising, providing a rule of play wherein during time of possession, each player is restricted to one distribution and not two or else possession is lost and that player is assessed a penalty-shot violation.  
     
     
         5 . The game according to  claim 4  further comprising, providing a rule of play allowing a distributing player to have endlessly successive possessions if obtained by way of offensive rebounds as long as that player's distributed ball rebounds off any of the following, namely, the defender, the defender's goalposts or crossbar, the referee (if any) or defender's corner flags (if any); and 
 further providing such player who takes a successive possession by way of offensive rebound with an allowance for an additional distribution and a reset time of possession time-limit.  
 
     
     
         6 . The game according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 providing each player with one or more off-field teammates who are restricted from crossing into the field of play but permitted to surround parts of the field;  
 wherein the play ball becomes out-of-play whenever scored or otherwise crosses out of the field of play, and  
 further providing a rule of play that establishes which player is entitled to next possession and that authorizes that player to acquire a play ball by any of: 
 that player personally retrieving the most recent scored ball (if any),  
 that player personally retrieving any left-over ball idle in his or her goal,  
 that player receiving feed of one spare ball from any one of his or her off-field teammates.  
 
 
     
     
         7 . The game according to  claim 1  wherein the field of play comprises a mid-field neutral area, exclusive of the offside zones or goal areas, and in which the players can vie directly against each other for possession or stealing possession of the play ball.  
     
     
         8 . A method of playing a soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game, comprising the steps of: 
 providing two players with a playing field having a soccer goal at two opposite ends and is demarcated with respective offside zones as well as respective goal areas, which players have as objectives (i) offensively to distribute a play ball into the defender's goal from anywhere on the field as long as not violating the defender's offside zone and (ii) defensively to save attempts on goal and/or acquire ball possession in order to switch around and commence offensively, wherein a permitted distribution of the ball can be restricted to any one or any combination of the following: 
 throwing by hand, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 rolling by hand, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 punting, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 drop kicking, and restricted to the distributer's goal area,  
 kicking, and  
 heading;  
   providing a rule of play wherein time of possession is limited by a time-limit such that ball possession in excess of the time-limit results in expropriation, and scores from distributions after the applicable time-limit are not counted; and    providing one or more rules of play wherein any one or any combination of the following separately comprises a discrete penalty-shot violation: 
 every time any player crosses into the offside zone of the opponent then that player is assessed a penalty-shot violation,  
 during each offensive possession, each player is restricted to one distribution only or else possession is lost and that player is assessed a penalty-shot violation, and  
 any player in possession in excess of the time of possession time-limit is assessed a penalty-shot violation;  
   wherein the game is played over one or more regulation periods, each period being played against a clock which generally runs without stoppage for taking penalty kicks, wherein all penalty kicks are postponed until after time runs out on the period.    
     
     
         9 . The game according to  claim 8  wherein the field of play comprises a center mark, equidistant from both goals, said penalty shots being taken from the center mark.  
     
     
         10 . The game according to  claim 8  further comprising entrusting an on-field referee with enforcement over the rules of the game and supervision over any off-field staff, if any, including a timekeeper and statistician, if any.  
     
     
         11 . The game according to  claim 8  further comprising, providing a rule of play wherein start of play at the beginning of any period is initiated by the players racing, on cue, from starting positions behind their own ends of the field toward the play ball at rest on the center of the field.  
     
     
         12 . The game according to  claim 8  further comprising, providing a rule of play allowing a distributing player to have endlessly successive possessions if obtained by way of offensive rebounds as long as that player's distributed ball rebounds off any of the following, namely, the defender, the defender's goalposts or crossbar, the referee (if any) or defender's corner flags (if any); and 
 further providing such player who takes a successive possession by way of offensive rebound with an allowance for an additional distribution and a reset time of possession time-limit.  
 
     
     
         13 . The game according to  claim 8  further comprising: 
 providing each player with one or more off-field teammates who are restricted from crossing into the field of play but permitted to surround parts of the field;  
 wherein the play ball becomes out-of-play whenever scored or otherwise crosses out of the field of play, and  
 further providing a rule of play that establishes which player is entitled to next possession and that authorizes that player to acquire a play ball by any of: 
 that player personally retrieving the most recent scored ball (if any),  
 that player personally retrieving any left-over ball idle in his or her goal,  
 that player receiving feed of one spare ball from any one of his or her off-field teammates.  
 
 
     
     
         14 . The game according to  claim 8  wherein the field of play comprises a mid-field neutral area, exclusive of the offside zones or goal areas, and in which the players can vie directly against each other for possession or stealing possession of the play ball.  
     
     
         15 . A method of playing a soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game, comprising the steps of: 
 providing two players with a playing field having a soccer goal at two opposite ends and respective offside zones, which players have as objectives (i) offensively to move a play ball into the defender's goal and (ii) defensively to save attempts on goal and/or acquire ball possession in order to switch around and commence offensively;    providing a rule of play wherein time of possession is limited by a time-limit such that ball possession in excess of the time-limit results in expropriation, and scores from shots after the applicable time-limit are not counted; and    providing another rule of play wherein any player who crosses into the offside zone of the opponent is assessed a penalty-shot violation.    
     
     
         16 . The game according to  claim 15  further comprising, a framework of rules wherein: 
 any player in possession in excess of the time of possession time-limit is given an on-field signal of such and is thereafter obligated to promptly turn the play ball over to his or her opponent;  
 any player who is intentionally or inexcusably not prompt to do so is assessed a penalty-shot violation, the play ball is ruled dead, and the opponent is entitled to acquire a succeeding live play ball by either personally retrieving any left-over ball idle in his or her goal, or receiving an infeed of a spare ball from an off-field teammate;  
 the player-in-violation must immediately get the dead ball off the field or else the violator will be assessed another penalty-shot violation; and  
 any save on an incoming “shot on goal” while a dead ball is on the field is goaltending (the shot is counted as a score), and such repeat-violator is assessed yet an additional penalty-shot violation;  
 wherein a “shot on goal” comprises any shot that strikes or will strike any part of the goal, including either of the goalposts or crossbar, if any.  
 
     
     
         17 . The game according to  claim 16  wherein the game is played over one or more regulation periods, each period being played against a clock which generally runs without stoppage for taking penalty kicks, wherein all penalty kicks are postponed until after time runs out on the period.  
     
     
         18 . The game according to  claim 17  wherein the field of play comprises a center mark, equidistant from both goals, said penalty shots being taken from the center mark.  
     
     
         19 . The game according to  claim 15  wherein expropriation of the play ball after the limit has passed on the time of possession limitation comprises either a referee supervising the transfer of the play ball from the violator to the opponent or, alternatively, obligating the violator to send the play ball off the field immediately, or risk being assessed a penalty-shot violation, and granting the opponent immediate entitlement to acquire a succeeding live play ball such as by personally retrieving any left-over ball idle in his or her goal, or as receiving an infeed of a spare ball from an off-field teammate.  
     
     
         20 . The game according to  claim 15  wherein the time-limit for limiting time of possession is either accurately monitored by an off-field timekeeper or is generally reckoned by an on-field referee.