Soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game

Abstract

A soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game has two players playing against each other on a reduced-sized playing field. Each players has as objectives not only to score on the opponent but also save the opponent's shot on goals. The rules of play reward goalkeeping play in particular. For example, a player who saves a goal shot but knocks the ball out-of-bounds on his or her side of the field get the ball back, instead of losing the ball pursuant to FIFA rules of soccer (or association football). Also, not only do goals earn points but so do caught-and-held saves, and there is no counterpart whatsoever to points for caught-and-held saves under FIFA rules of soccer (or association football).

1 . A method of playing a soccer (or association football) goalkeeping game on a playing area between a first and second player wherein said first player defends a first goal and goal area as said second player defends a second goal and goal area, comprising the steps of: 
 placing a ball in play in said playing area;    attempting goals by kicking or heading the ball or else by throwing, rolling, punting, or drop kicking the ball from the opposite goal area;    scoring points for goals;    defending attempts on goal by caught-and-held saves or else otherwise stopping or deflecting the ball;    scoring points for caught-and-held saves;    tallying points wherein the player with the most points at the end of desired regulation play of one or more periods wins said game.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the points have positive values and thereby add to the final tally rather than subtract.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein each score or caught-and-held save has a value of more than one (1) point.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 initiating play by placing the ball in the playing area's center and starting the player's in a race from their respective goals.    
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4  further comprising: 
 continuing play not by strictly alternating attempts but, if a defended attempt on goal deflects or the attempt otherwise rebounds back to where the player who made the attempt can make a successive re-attempt at goal then, consequently re-attempting goal.    
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 4  further comprising: 
 continuing play not by re-initiating play after scored goals with the race but by the scored-on player consequently resuming play.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6  further comprising: 
 the scored-on player consequently resuming play with the scored play ball.    
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 designating respective offside zones on the playing area;    activating the first and second player to compete at making attempts on the other's goal with or at least gaining a possession of the play ball, or renewed possession of the play ball by way of recovering a qualified rebound or qualified deflection after an attempt on goal, the player in possession being limited to the use of the ball for the duration of his or her possession to attempt goal on the defending player without violating the defending player's offside zone or else possession is forfeited.    
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8  further comprising: 
 penalizing any player violating the offside zone of the opponent with a penalty-shot violation.    
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein regulation play of the game is played over one or more periods, each period being played against a game clock which generally runs without stoppage for taking penalty shots, wherein all penalty shots are postponed until after one, some or all the periods.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein the playing area comprises a center mark, equidistant from both goals, said center mark being the spot for penalty shots, which spacing between the goals is scaled to accommodate penalty-shot taking from the center mark.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 8  further comprising: 
 designating a mid-field neutral area on the playing area, to be exclusive of the offside zones or goal areas, and in which the players can vie directly against each other for the play ball.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 activating the first and second player to compete at making attempts on the other's goal with or at least gaining a possession of the play ball, or renewed possession of the play ball by way of recovering a qualified rebound or qualified deflection after an attempt on goal, the player in possession being limited to the use of the ball for the duration of his or her possession to attempt goal on the defending player; and    restricting certain forms but not others of contacting the play ball to one instance per possession or else possession and any goal therefrom are disqualified, the restricted forms of contact comprising:    punching the ball, from one's own goal area only,    throwing the ball, excluding the precedent holding thereof, from and in one's own goal area only, and    kicking the ball, excluding any precedent dribbling thereof.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the restricted forms of contact further comprise: 
 rolling by hand, excluding the precedent holding thereof, from and in one's own goal area only.    
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the restricted forms of contact further comprise: 
 punting or drop kicking, excluding the precedent holding thereof, from and in one's own goal area only.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the restricted forms of contact further comprise: 
 heading;    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 bounding the playing area lengthwise by first and second goal lines; and    rewarding the player who defends an attempt on goal but causes the ball to go out of bounds over that player's goal line with a reward comprising possession of the ball.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17  further comprising: 
 bounding the play area laterally by spaced sidelines; and    further rewarding the player who defends an attempt but causes the ball to go out of bounds over the sidelines on that player's or her half of the field with said reward, comprising possession of the ball.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 establishing a time of possession time-limit;    providing any player in possession in excess of the time of possession time-limit with an on-field signal by which that player is thereafter obligated to promptly turn the ball over;    penalizing any player who is intentionally or inexcusably not prompt to do so with a penalty-shot violation.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 providing a plurality of balls, only one of which is qualified at a time for possession or attempts on goal;    bounding the playing are by spaced sidelines that extend between opposite goal lines;    providing each player with one or more out-of-bounds teammates who are restricted from crossing into the playing area but permitted to surround parts thereof;    wherein the qualified ball becomes out-of-play whenever scored or otherwise crosses a sideline or goal line, and    authorizing the player entitled to next possession to acquire any ball which thereafter becomes the qualified 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.