Gymnasium game with projectiles, movable target, and two teams

Abstract

A gymnasium or playing field game apparatus provides one or more movable target components in the shape of a mascot mounted on swivel casters which roll on the gym floor or other playing field. Each component serves as a movable target for projectiles thrown by two teams from geometrically opposite sides. Each mascot is moved incrementally upon being impacted by a projectile to move the mascot on the gym floor until it breaks through a designated goal finish line of traffic cones protecting one team or the other.

Claims

1. A method of playing a game and determining a winner of said game, consisting essentially of the steps of: placing a movable target mascot component mounted on swivel casters rollable upon a playing field, arranging players of two opposing teams in remote positions behind respective designated goal finishing lines on geometrically opposite sides of the playing field, and said remotely positioned players manually throwing projectiles at said movable target mascot component from behind said respective designated goal finish lines, to contact and thereby force said movable target mascot component to advance toward an opposite respective designated goal finish line, wherein each designated goal finish line extends a substantial length of the playing field, on opposite sides of the playing field, wherein said movable target mascot component is advanceable by contact by the manually thrown projectiles until said movable target mascot component penetrates one of said respective opposite designated goal finish lines thereby determining a winner of said game, and wherein said movable target mascot component is advanced by said opposing team players, remotely positioned behind said respective designated opposite goal finish lines, manually throwing the projectiles at said movable target mascot component, said projectiles being in physical contact with said movable target mascot component, and without direct physical contact by said opposing team players.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the goal finish lines are designated by temporary placement of traffic cones.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the playing field encompasses a rectangular area of about 74 feet by 42 feet.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein a central starting point location of said movable target mascot component is at a center between said respective goal finish lines.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the projectiles are selected from the group consisting of rubber dodge balls, disks, soft rubber balls, hacky sacks and hacky balls.

6. The method as in claim 5, including the step providing buckets of the projectiles placed behind said remotely positioned players.

7. The method as in claim 5, wherein the projectiles are dodge balls.

8. The method as in claim 5, wherein the projectiles are soft, sand filled hacky balls.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein said movable target mascot component is mounted atop a platform that rolls on swivel casters, wherein if said movable target mascot component is tall and slender, a hit toward the top thereof effects a great turning moment tending to topple said movable target mascot component, wherein in an effort to counter this tendency to topple when hit toward the top, the platform is internally weighted to provide a low center of gravity.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein said movable target mascot component is a rigid cylindrical form with a mascot poster adhered to its surface.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein said movable target mascot component is a rigid blow molded form painted in school colors and with character details represented therewith.

12. The method as in claim 9, wherein said movable target mascot component is attached to the platform using brackets for attachment.

13. The method as in claim 9, wherein said movable target mascot component has a recess adapted for accepting a rod which fits through a ballast disk and rests inside a central recess in the internally weighted platform.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said movable target mascot component has a friction fit onto said rod inside said recess.

15. The method as in claim 9, wherein said movable target mascot component is vertically oriented and supported upon said swivel casters.

16. The method as in claim 1, wherein said movable target mascot component has an inherently low center of gravity and therefore a low turning moment with a tendency to topple, and does not require a weighted base.

17. The method as in claim 1 in which said movable target mascot component is configured to swivel on said swivel casters between the forward facing and back positions but can only cross said respective designated goal finish line while in the forward facing position, such that the opposing team can try and reverse swivel said movable target mascot component to not face said respective designated goal line as required.

18. A method of playing a game on a playing field with geometrically opposing sides by opposing teams of players, the method comprising: arranging the players of each of the opposing teams of players behind each of opposing goal finish lines arranged at each of respective geometrically opposing sides of the playing field, deploying, for each team, at least one respective movable target mascot component mounted on swivel casters to enable said movable target mascot component to swivel from a front-facing to a rear-facing position, and back, and to roll upon the playing field, opposing team players throwing projectiles at the team's respective at least one movable target mascot component from behind each respective team's respective opposite goal finish line at the geometrically opposing sides of the playing field to move said respective at least one movable target mascot components on the playing field, wherein each team's respective goal finish line extends a substantial length of the playing field on the geometrically opposing sides of the playing field, wherein opposing team players manually throw the projectiles from behind the each opposing team's respective opposite goal finish line to advance each team's at least one movable target mascot component toward an opposite respective designated goal finish line, wherein each of said respective at least one movable target mascot components of each team are advanceable until penetrating one of the respective opposite designated goal finish lines thereby determining a winner of the game, wherein each team's respective at least one movable target mascot component is advanced without direct physical contact by the team's players until one of said respective at least one movable target mascot components is advanceable by thrown projectiles to penetrate the team's the opposite respective designated goal finish line for determining said winner of the game.

19. The method as in claim 18, further comprising providing said opposing teams each with sideline yardage markers and cross-field yardage marker lines, such that upon said at least one movable target mascot component penetrating said respective designated goal finish line on one or more scoring occasions, the winner of the game is determined, with or without a designated running time clock having been completed running out time wise and wherein said least one scoring occasion is a plurality of scoring occasions playable over a defined period of time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in the following drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gym floor play area for the game of this invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is another plan view of a gym floor play area using the space differently.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an action snapshot of a Shark Attack game in progress.

(5) FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an action snapshot of the game in progress, with a different shaped movable mascot, shown as a football shaped movable mascot.

(6) FIG. 3B is a perspective view of an action snapshot of an alternate embodiment with a pair of two football shaped movable mascots of FIG. 3A.

(7) FIG. 3C is an action snapshot of s further alternate embodiment with two teams of multiple movable mascots of FIGS. 3A and/or 3B, with sideline yardage markers and cross-field yardage marker lines.

(8) FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but with remote projectile buckets introduced to the game.

(9) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hacky ball to be used as a projectile.

(10) FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a tall mascot mounted on a base.

(11) FIG. 7 is an exploded view showing a different tall mascot, mounting pole, ballast weight, base, caster brackets, and casters.

(12) FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing a low mascot on a base as a functioning target.

(13) FIG. 9 is a top plan exploded view of a base for a low mascot showing its simplicity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(14) The number of players on a team can vary but is generally thought to be between 3 to 10 players. The number can be a function of the space allocated to the game on the gym floor.

(15) FIGS. 1 and 2 are two layouts of the same rectangular space but used differently. The space incidentally is modeled on an elementary school basketball court where A=74 and B=42, but this could vary. The target location 2 is shown at the center of the region. Traffic cones 3 define the barriers that the mascot must penetrate. The players 4 are shown behind the barrier lines. If we assume using a basketball court space, the team spaces C are 10 feet deep and the distance from barrier to barrier is D which is 22 in FIG. 1 and a whopping 54 in FIG. 2. The speed of the game is somewhat related to distance D although game rules, strength of players, weight of projectiles, such as dodge balls or hacky balls, mass of target, and friction of casters also enter into the equation. Since all are within control of game designers, workable parameters can be found.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a typical Shark Attack game in progress. A shark mascot target 10 is shown being pummeled by hacky balls 11 thrown by players 4 from both sides. FIG. 4 shows the Shark Attack game as modified by the addition of hacky sack buckets 15 with dashed lines with arrows at each end indicating trips to obtain one ball at a time from buckets 15.

(17) FIG. 3A shows a typical game in progress. A football player shaped mascot target 110a is shown being pummeled by balls 11 a thrown by players 4 from both sides.

(18) FIG. 3B shows a typical game in progress of an alternate embodiment with a pair of football player shaped movable target mascots 110b1 and 110b2, each associated with an opposite team of players 4 on opposite sides of the gymnasium playing field floor or other outdoor surface. In the version of the game shown in FIG. 3B, each team of players tries to advance its own mascot 110b1 or 110b2, before the other mascot 110b1 or 110b2 crosses the respective finish line associated at the opposite side of the playing field surface. In FIG. 3B Team 1 in the background throws projectiles 11b at its movable target mascot 110b2, to try and move it past the finish goal line formed by traffic cones or other markers 3a, shown in the foreground of FIG. 3B. Likewise, Team 2 in the foreground of FIG. 3B throws projectiles 11b at its respective movable target mascot 110b1, to try and move it past the other finish goal line formed by traffic cones or other markers 3b, shown in the background of FIG. 3B. The game can end when the first mascot 110b1 or 110b2 crosses the finish line first, before the other player 110b1 or 110b2 does. Optionally, a time clock can be used, so that designated points are given whenever a player 110b1 or 110b2 crosses its respective goal finishing line, and that a time clock with a fixed time, such as, for example 30 minutes, is assigned to the duration of the game.

(19) Other optional rules associated with the method shown in FIG. 3B could be that the positionally swiveled football shaped mascot target 110b1 or 110b2 is optionally swiveled so that the mascot 110b1 or 110b2 can only cross the finish line formed by the traffic cones 3a in a forward faced position, such as shown in the swiveled position of FIG. 3B, with the back of the mascot 110b1 facing the Team 2 in the foreground of FIG. 3B. If the mascot 110b1 is close to the finish line formed by traffic cone 3b, the opposing Team 1 can try and reverse swivel the mascot 110b1 by strategically throwing projectiles at the mascot 110b1, so that the mascot 110b1 is not facing the designated goal line as required. In that case, the opposite team 2 would have to try to further swivel mascot 110b1 until mascot 110b1 is in a forward facing position, facing toward the finish goal line formed by traffic cones 3b, before Team 2 can further attempt to advance its own respective the mascot 110b2 past the designated finish goal line formed by traffic cones 3b.

(20) FIG. 3C is an action snapshot of a further alternate embodiment with two teams of multiple movable mascots of FIGS. 3A and/or 3B, with sideline yardage markers 201 and cross-field yardage marker lines 200, which can be temporarily assembled by placing small linear sections of masking tape or other marking material across the playing field.

(21) FIG. 3C also shows that the finish goal lines 300c (on one team's side of the playing field) and 300d (on the opposing team's side of the playing field) are formed by the linear arrangement of the designation marking cones 3c or 3d respectively, and which can also be shown by placing small linear sections of masking tape or other marking material across the playing field. The yardage lines 200 can include a plurality of yardage lines, at designated intervals, such as analogous to a set of parallel 10 yard yardage lines in a typical football field. Of course, when using a gymnasium floor space as the playing fields, the distance between parallel yardage lines 200 can be varied according to the actual dimensions of the playing field between the two opposite designated goal finishing lines 300c and 300d.

(22) FIG. 3C shows a two sets of pluralities of movable target mascots 110c or 110d, where one team plays with movable target mascots 100c and the opposite team plays with players 110d. In the version of the game shown in FIG. 3C, each team of players tries to advance one or more of its own set of multiple mascots 110c or 110d before the other mascots 110c or 110d each cross the respective finish line associated at the opposite side of the playing field surface. In FIG. 3C Team 1 in the background throws projectiles 11d at one or more of its movable target mascots 110d, to try and move them past the finish goal line formed by traffic cones or other markers 3c, shown in the foreground of FIG. 3C. Likewise, Team 2 in the foreground of FIG. 3C throws projectiles 11c at one or more of its respective movable target mascots 110c, to try and move them past the other finish goal line formed by traffic cones or other markers 3d, shown in the background of FIG. 3C. The game can end when the first mascot 110c or 110d crosses the finish line first, before the other player 110c or 110d does. Optionally, a time clock can be used, so that designated points are given whenever a player 110c or 110d crosses its respective goal finishing line, and that a time clock with a fixed time, for example 30 minutes, is assigned to the duration of the game.

(23) In a further alternate embodiment, optional catchment wall targets CWT can be provided in one or more movable target mascots 110c or 110d, so that in addition to the player participants 4 remotely throwing projectiles 11 against a movable target mascots 110c or 110d, to move the movable target mascots 100c or 110d toward the opposite finishing goal line to record a score, in an alternate embodiment, there could be a requirement that a team of participant players 4 would first have to throw the projectiles 11 at a specific designated player 11c with a catchment wall target CWT, so that the front of the movable target mascot 110c is facing players 4, with the added requirement that at least one projectile 11 must be strike the catchment wall target CWT of the designated movable target mascot 110 or 11d, before the movable target mascot 110c or 110d can be advanced toward the opposite goal finish line 300d, or 300c at the opposite ends of the playing field. In other words, besides hitting the respective mascots 110c or 110d anywhere on its outer surface, in this alternate embodiment, a higher level of skill could be provided in that the players remotely throwing the projectiles 11c or 11d at the one or more mascots 110c or 110d would also have to hit the smaller target area within the confines of catchment wall target CWT, for extra points.

(24) FIG. 3C also shows other football related gestures, such as moving movable target mascots 110d in a defensive position against movable mascot targets 110c in an offensive advanceable position, such as, for example, either like two guards or tackles going nose to nose so to speak, as shown in FIG. 3C to the right of the central designated movable target mascot 110c, with or without the catchment well CW. Defensive blocking can also be provided, such as where a team of players 4 advances a player 110d to block the forward progress of player 110c, as shown in the upper left of drawing FIG. 3C, where one offensive movable target mascot 110c is acting like a running back or wide receiver, and the opposite blocking defensive movable target mascot 110d is a linebacker, trying to stop the forward advancement of the wide receiver or running back version of the movable target mascot 110c. In that way, by placing mascot 110d in front of moving target mascot 110c, mascot 110d will block and slow the forward momentum of advancing movable target mascot 11c in the vicinity of blocking mascot target 110d.

(25) Likewise, as shown in the lower right position of the playing field a movable target mascot 110c can be strategically placed near the goal line 300c, in case there is an equivalent movement of a defensive player 110d advancing analogous to having recovered a fumble or otherwise having changed the offensive or defensive possession of the team with movable target mascots 110c to that of the opposite team of movable target mascots 110d.

(26) In the version of opposite teams of movable target mascots 110c and 110d, rules can be promulgated that the players need to be swivelly rotated before being able to be moved and advanced forward toward a designated opposite finishing goal line 300c or 300d, such as shown in the alternate embodiment with a single movable mascot that must be swivelly rotated as shown in FIG. 3B as aforesaid.

(27) It is further noted that the game shown in FIG. 3C of two opposing sets of movable target mascots 110c and 110d, can be with as few as only one movable target mascot 110 or 110d on each respective team of players 4, so that a score can be achieved if one of the two movable target mascots is moved across the opposite goal finishing line 300c or 300d, before the opposing movable target mascot 110c or 110d reaches the respective opposite designated goal finish line 300c or 300d.

(28) Furthermore, the number of movable target mascots 110c and 110d can be increased to multiple numbers, such as having four or five movable target mascots 110c and 11d, shown in FIG. 3C, or more depending upon the size or the playing area and the number of opposing players 4, each associated with an opposite team of movable target mascots 110c or 110d.

(29) Another alternate embodiment (not shown) could be where the players 4 remotely manually throw projectiles 11c or 11d of any shape or consistency against one or more movable mascots 110c and 110d, to advance them toward a designated goal line 200c and 300d, but where a separate ball, such as a soccer ball is provided, so that the movable target mascots 110c and 110d have to be moved forward at any angle, with or without swivelly rotating, to advance the soccer ball against the designated goal finish lines 300c or 300d. In effect, the players 4 remotely and manually throw the projectiles 11, 11a, 11b or 11c against the movable target mascots 110c or 110d, which in turn, are thrust remotely against the soccer ball, thereby indirectly advancing the soccer ball toward the respective goal finish line 300c or 300d, all without any of the player participants 4 physically contacting either the movable target mascots 110c and 110d, or the soccer ball itself, by direct physical contact, such as by kicking or otherwise.

(30) FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but with remote projectile buckets 15 being provided for storing the projectiles 11 therein, and retrieving them for faster occurrences of remotely thrown projectiles 11.

(31) FIG. 5 is a view of a hacky ball 11. While a variety of projectiles, such as rubber dodge balls, can be used, optionally a sand filled hacky ball can alternatively be a likely candidate for this game. If a different type of ball is used, it alternatively can optionally have a no-bounce characteristic so as not to constantly hit the players or travel to the opposite side of the gym floor. A hacky sack may work as well, but it may impede movement of the target mascot as it would not readily roll out of the way.

(32) FIG. 6 is a side view of a tall mascot 20 assembled into a target 10 by being attached to a base 21 riding on 3-5 casters 23 using brackets 22 for attachment. FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of a different shaped tall mascot 20 with a recess 27 accepting rod 26 which fits through ballast disk 25 and rests inside the central recess in base 21. Five casters 23 with brackets 22 are shown around the periphery. For maximum effect, ballast weight 25 must be mounted very low in base 21. It can be a disk from a dumbbell. Rod 26 and ballast disk 25 are attached to base 21. Mascot 20 can have a friction fit onto rod 26 inside recess 27.

(33) FIGS. 8 and 9 relate to a low mascot. Mascot shape 36 is attached to base 37 via side tabs 38. Exploded view of FIG. 9 shows the simplicity of base 37 which just has four outboard caster brackets 22. The center area of frame 37 could be open. Weight ballast can be added to base 37 if required. Note that the outboard location of casters 23 increases the effective width of target 35 which enhances its resistance to toppling when hit.

(34) In summary, the method of playing a game of the present invention includes providing the following:

(35) a) one or more movable target components in the shape of a mascot mounted on swivel casters rollable upon a playing field,

(36) b) using projectiles thrown at the one or more mascots by two opposing teams from geometrically opposite sides of the playing field to move one or more of the movable target mascots forward on the playing field,

(37) c) whereby members of the player teams manually throw by hand the projectiles at the one or more movable target mascots from behind designated goal finish lines, each designated goal finish line extending a substantial length of the playing field on opposite sides of the playing field, whereby further the players manually throw the projectiles from behind the goal finish lines to advance the one or more movable target mascot components toward an opposite designated goal finish line, and

(38) d) the one or more movable target mascots are advanced remotely by the players, without direct physical contact of the players against the movable target mascot components, until penetrating one or more times one of the opposite designated goal finish lines for determining a winner of the game, wherein a game win occurs when the one or more movable target mascots penetrates the designated goal finish line on one or more scoring occasions, with or without a designated running time clock having been completed running out time wise over a defined period of time.

(39) In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.

(40) It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.