TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE IM'ENTION

This invention relates to a rugby or other similar football, hockey, handball and the like game to be played on a board with dice and representations of players.

BACKGROUND ART

The game of rugby has become very popular and has a large following of fans. However, the game itself is limited to men and women of youth who also possess the required degree of strength, fitness and other attributes.

Thus, many attempts have been made to provide board games for the enjoyment of young and old alike. Most of these are very limited in their relationship to the game itself and it is an object of the present invention to provide a rugby board game which allows the players to appreciate typical rugby movements and skills as well as introducing the laws of the game to the players.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention a board game for football (Union and League rugby, soccer, American football, Australian Rules and other similar games - including hockey and ice hockey) comprises a board divided into playing units such as squares, representations (in the form of pieces) of players adapted to be located on the playing units and to b e m oved b y t he a ntagonists p laying t he g ame, a nd s ets o f die e r elating to t he various combinations of possibilities of chosen movements.

The following description is directed towards the Rugby Union version of rugby football, but it will be appreciated thnt relatively simple changes may be mode to suit any of the sports referred to above. Thus, there may be provided a first set of dice indicating the distances which chosen pieces may be moved. These dice may be the usual six-sided dice and may comprise a set of five so that the corresponding number of players may be moved at one throw of the dice.

A second set of dice may be provided for the kicking features of the game - and pertaining to field goals, penalties, free kicks, grubber kicks. Garry Owens, touch kicks and the like.

Other dice pertain to the passing of the ball - a typical die having five possibilities of a successful pass and one "knock-on". A scrum die may have various outcomes, such as successful heel, heel against the head. Another die may relate to line outs much in the same way as for the scrums; and a maul die, a ruck die, tackle die (successful" and "missed"), a "pass" die ("successful" or "forward") and any other feature functions required and depending on the particular sport.

Basically, the game is commenced by the toss of a coin or die to decide which team kicks off. The two antagonists then place their pieces according to well-known tactics, or according to their own whims or plans. It will be appreciated that the game of the invention is intended to teach the antagonists basic and other tactics and movements.

The player pieces may include a surface for accepting the die chosen for the particular piece to move so that double moves are avoided. However, as will become apparent from a reading of the instructions appended hereto one double move is allowed when a player receives a pass, for example.

The rules of the game may be directed to a simple form of the game to a very advanced form or an intermediate form. However, all forms of the game involve the movement of pieces in a chosen direction in the manner of typical rugby moves. Thus, the moves may be in any direction - forwards, backwards or sideways depending on the tnβtiβs demanded or a pnrtiαvilnr sitontipn whether in «n «tt«oking of defønsivo mode.

The game of the invention allows the learning of the basic rules and movements and is therefore a teaching aid; or a highly enjoyable game between antagonists who will both learn by experience certain aspects of attack and defence including defence patterns for certain attacking moves. At the highest level the game may be played by experienced players and professionals to learn more about possible and unusual movements and patterns.

A sample of simple and essential rules for the game follows, from which it will be appreciated that all aspects of rugby are dealt with while providing much enjoyment at home.

Each game set comprises the following:

A board on which game is played, made up of a rugby field, 56 squares long and 30 squares wide (each square represents 2 meters by 2 meters), goalposts which are marked on the board and all standard conventional rugby field markings. Around the field of play, is a border.

• 30 players (15 per team) • 5 player-moving-dice • 2 kicking dice • 1 goal kick die • 1 touch kick die • 1 passing die • 1 lineout die • 1 scrum die • 1 maul die • 1 tackle die • 1 ball

The game commences in traditional style by tossing for kick-off and choice of which side of field.

The contestants place their 15 players in chosen (and permitted) positions. The kicking die is thrown to determine the length of kick-off followed by throwing the five player-moving dice. Chosen players are moved forwards sideways or diagonally according to the score of the dice members.

The opponents then throw the five moving dice and players are moved to positions designed to be nearest to the location of the ball, or to chosen attacking or defensive positions along vacant spaces.

The five chosen players are moved according to the five scores on the dice. The dice may be placed on top or alongside the chosen player to indicate that he has been moved. Players may only be moved along vacant squares.

A player may be moved twice using two dice scores in a situation where he has already been moved according to the score of one die and then receives the ball by means of a pass (see below). He may then move according to the score on the second or other chosen die.

A player may also move twice in the situation where he has been moved to a position in which he is able to take a loose ball from the ground or from the air. He may then move a second time according to the score of another die. These positions occur when the score of a die provides for movement of a player up to or including the square containing the ball. If there is an excess score the player, who has now become the ball carrier, can move the corresponding number of extra squares.

A team may elect to pass the ball from one to another player and this is achieved by throwing the PASS die. This die has sides of which the majority are marked SUCCESSFUL PASS and a few KNOCK ON. If successful, the new ball carrier may move a number of squares according to the rules. A knock on indicates a scrum to be formed.

On its turn, a team may elect to attempt to tackle the ball carrier in which case the TACKLE die is used. The die has its sides marked TACKLE SUCCESSFUL; TACKLE UNSUCCESSFUL; DANGEROUS TACKLE; KNOCK ON; HOLDING BALL. The resulting action follows the normal run of play and rules of the real game The two JCICKING dice are used for kicks up field, and for touch kicks, the TOUCH ICICK die is also used, short attacking kicks, drop out kicks and others, in one of three choices by the team in possession or awarded. For a chosen (and indicated) long range kick the two scores of the dice are multiplied; for a medium range kick they are added; and for a short range kick the higher of the scores is chosen.

For goal kicks the GOAL KICK die gives the result of the kick - e.g. SUCCESSFUL or UNSUCCESSFUL.

Kicks dir ectly into t ouch from o utside t he 22m 1 ine, s uccessful 1 ine kic ks, g oal kicks, missed goal kicks and other kicks follow the normal rules of the real game. A 22m kick out also involves the location of the 30 players in much the same manner as for the kick-off.

The scrummage rules may simply provide that the eight forwards from each team are placed in the set positions either side of the ball. The team putting in the ball to the scrum throws the SCRUM die whose sides have a preponderance of BALL WON but also a HEEL AGAINST HEAD; FOOT UP; PENALTY to specified team.

A successful scrum enables the team to move the ball to the rear of the scrum or to announce a rolling maul (details below). The scrum half (or eighth man) may pass the ball to a back who then becomes the ball carrier and who may pass to another player. Many other possible plays may be followed just as in the real game.

When a maul forms or is chosen, the team in possession uses the MAUL die which provides for MAUL MOVES n SQUARES; TURN OVER; COLLAPSE; PENALTY to one or other team. Several possibilities exist for clever play in the mauls by use of the 5-player dice.

Line outs also follow the normal rules of the real game. The forwards are located either side of the position of the line out. The team throwing in uses the LINE OUT die, - -

the majority of whose sides are marked BALL WON and a few sides may be marked BALL LOST; BALL NOT IN STRAIGHT; FOUL PLAY by one team

Two concepts of the invention, namely the scrum and line out are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 represents a line out; and Figure 2 represents a scrum