Interactive and dynamic multi-target toss game

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatuses and methods for playing toss game. The toss games of the present invention only use projectiles as targets. A playing surface is divided into two areas: a standing area and a target area Players stand in said standing area and throw projectiles onto said target area. In some methods, the object is to be the first to gain enough points to win a game by targeting projectiles on the target area. The points are calculated according to a predetermined scoring method. In the other methods, the object is to be the first to complete a predetermined wining pattern by throwing projectiles to proper locations on the target area. The apparatus of the present invention consists of plurality of projectiles or consists of means for marking a standing area and plurality of projectiles. The toss games of the present invention are very dynamic and challenging yet easy to learn and fun to play.

1 . A method of playing toss game for at least two teams comprising, but not necessarily in the order shown below:
 (a) choosing a playing surface,   (b) providing plurality of groups of projectiles, any projectile in any one of said groups looks different from any projectile in the other groups; each team obtains one group of the projectiles,   (c) determining a playing order,   (d) determining an area on said playing surface as standing area,   (e) throwing a projectile from said standing area onto the target area that is the area of the playing surface excluding the standing area,   (f) scoring points according to a predetermined scoring method,   (g) taking back all touched pairs from the target area,   (h) determining whether current turn ends according to a predetermined condition of ending a turn, if current turn ends then passing the turn to the next player according to said playing order, otherwise the player on current turn keeps his turn,   (i) taking back a player's team's projectiles from the target area according to a predetermined retrieving rule specifying how many projectiles may or must be taken back if this player is on his turn and all his team's projectiles are on the target area without touched pairs,   (j) repeating (e) through (i) until a predetermined condition of ending a game is satisfied, the winner or winners are the teams with the highest points.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of said teams has only one player, and each of the groups contains at least two projectiles, and said scoring method includes (1) determining the number of touched pairs; one projectile can be used N times for counting the number of touched pairs if it touches N other projectiles, (2) a touched pair is given one point if the two projectiles of said touched pair are from different groups; a touched pair is given two points if the two projectiles of said touched pair are from the same group; but if the first throw of a turn results only one touched pair consisting of projectiles from different groups then no points are given, (3) adding the points of all the touched pairs, and said condition of ending a turn is that current turn ends only if a throw results no touched pairs, and said retrieving rule is that a player takes back all his projectiles from the target area, and said condition of ending a game is that a player's points reach or exceed 21, and all the projectiles are rings; all the rings in the same group have the same color; the rings from different groups have different colors. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further providing marking means for marking the standing area. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said marking means is a mat, a player puts at least one of his feet on said mat before throwing a projectile. 
   
   
       5 . A method of playing toss game for at least two teams comprising, but not necessarily in the order shown below:
 (a) choosing a playing surface,   (b) providing plurality of projectiles, all players share said projectiles,   (c) determining a playing order,   (d) determining an area on said playing surface as standing area,   (e) throwing a projectile from said standing area onto the target area that is the area of the playing surface excluding said standing area,   (f) scoring points according to a predetermined scoring method,   (g) taking back all touched pairs from the target area if any,   (h) determining whether current turn ends according to a predetermined condition of ending a turn, if current turn ends then passing the turn to the next player according to said playing order, otherwise the player on current turn keeps his turn,   (i) taking back projectiles from the target area according to a predetermined retrieving rule specifying how many projectiles may or must be taken back if all the projectiles are on the target area without touched pairs,   (j) repeating (e) through (i) until a predetermined condition of ending a game is satisfied, the winner or winners are the teams with the highest points.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each of said teams has only one player, and said scoring method includes (1) determining the number of touched pairs; one projectile can be used N times for counting the number of touched pairs if it touches N other projectiles, (2) the number of points equals the number of the touched pairs, but if the first throw of a turn results only one touched pair then no points are given, and said condition of ending a turn is that current turn ends only if a throw results no touched pairs, and said retrieving rule is that all projectiles must be taken back and said condition of ending a game is that a player's points reach or exceed 7, and all the projectiles are rings. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , further providing marking means for marking the standing area. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , said marking means is a mat, a player puts at least one of his feet on said mat before throwing a projectile. 
   
   
       9 . A method of playing toss game for at least two teams comprises, but not necessarily in the order shown below:
 (a) choosing a playing surface,   (b) providing plurality of groups of projectiles, any projectile in any one of said groups looks different from any projectile in the other groups; each team obtains one group of projectiles,   (c) determining a playing order,   (d) determining an area on said playing surface as standing area, the area of the playing surface excluding said standing area is target area,   (e) throwing a projectile from the standing area onto said target area,   (f) taking back all linked clusters each of which contains different team's projectiles,   (g) determining whether current turn ends according to a predetermined condition of ending a turn, if current turn ends then passing the turn to the next player according to said playing order, otherwise the player on current turn keeps his turn,   (h) taking back a player's team's one or more projectiles from the target area according to a predetermined retrieving rule specifying how many projectiles may or must be taken back if this player is on his turn and all his team's projectiles are on the target area,   (i) repeating (e) through (h) until a team completes a predetermined wining pattern, the winner is the team who first completes a predetermined wining pattern.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of said teams has only one player, and each of the groups contains 5 projectiles, and said condition of ending a turn is that a turn ends after one throw, and said retrieving rule is that a player takes back all his isolated projectiles from the target area, and said winning pattern is one of the following (1) a linked cluster of four projectiles, (2) a linked cluster of five projectiles, (3) a linked cluster of two projectiles and a linked cluster of three projectiles, but for a player, his wining pattern consists of only his projectiles, and all the projectiles are rings, all the rings in the same group have the same color; the rings from different groups have different colors. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , further providing marking means for marking the standing area. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , said marking means is a mat, a player puts at least one of his feet on said mat before throwing a projectile. 
   
   
       13 . An apparatus of toss game consists of plurality of projectiles. Whereby players can play toss game according to the method of  claim 5  or  6 , or other similar methods. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein all projectiles are rings. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said projectiles are further divided into plurality of groups, any projectile in any one of said groups looks different from any projectile in the other groups. Whereby players can play toss game according to the method of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  9  or  10 , or other similar methods. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein all projectiles are rings, the rings in the same group have the same color; the rings from different groups have different colors. 
   
   
       17 . An apparatus of toss game consists of plurality of projectiles and means for marking a area where players stand and throw projectiles. Whereby players can play toss game according to the method of  claim 7  or  8 , or other similar methods. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein all projectiles are rings and said means is a mat, a player puts at least one of his feet on said mat before throwing a projectile. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said projectiles are further divided into plurality of groups, any projectile in any one of said groups looks different from any projectile in the other groups. Whereby players can play toss game according to the method of  claim 3 ,  4 ,  11 , or  12  or other similar methods. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein all projectiles are rings, the rings in the same group have the same color, the rings from different groups have different colors, and said means is a mat, a player puts at least one of his feet on said mat before throwing a projectile.