Board Game

Abstract

A board game simulates a league in which sports teams play matches against one another. The hoard has a path (10) extending from a start (S) to a finish (F), and players of the game each move a team token along the path (10) according to the throw of a die. The path (10) is divided into pink squares (P), yellow squares (Y), green squares (G), blue squares (B) and red squares (R). Each green square (G) represents a round of matches in the league, whereat the players determine results by the throw of other dice. The other coloured squares present various sport-related hazards such as the issue of yellow or red cards from designated areas (16) and (18). Knockout cup matches may also be played, and players may strengthen their teams by acquiring star players from a pool at areas (20 to 26).

Description

This invention concerns board games, which term shall herein be deemed to include such games adapted or arranged for play by means of computers, games machines or like apparatus including a visual display.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a board game for simulating a sporting league in which a plurality of teams play matches in succession one against another to obtain relative positions in the league from the results of the matches.

Thus according to the invention there is provided a board game for simulating a sporting league in which a plurality of teams play matches in succession one against another to obtain relative positions in the league from the results of the matches, which board game is playable by one or more players and comprises a board, tokens representing said teams, a game die and match dice, wherein said board includes a path from a start to a finish, said path being divided into a plurality of squares of which some are identified as match squares, and wherein in use a player moves a designated token along said path according to throws of the game die and when a said token is moved to or past a match square two match dice are thrown and the respective scores compared to determine a match result.

It is to be noted that the term “squares” as used herein refers to successive marked stations along the path from start to finish of the game, regardless of the geometrical configuration of such stations. Thus a “square” of the game may be rectangular, for instance, or of any other convenient configuration.

Preferably the board game includes a tabulation for showing the relative positions of teams, which tabulation includes means for adjusting the relative position of the team represented by said designated token according to the match result determined from the throw of the match dice.

Some of the match squares may be designated as cup squares whereat the team represented by said designated token either continues in or is eliminated from a simulated knockout competition according to the match result determined from the throw of the match dice. The simulated knockout competition may include adjunctive teams from outside said league wherefore the game may include means for varying the scores of the match throws. The board game may include adjunctive match dice whereby when thrown said scores are varied.

Preferably some of said squares are identified as hazard squares each with associated instructions for a player when his designated token lands on a said hazard square. There may be a plurality of hazard cards bearing instructions associated with at least some of the hazard squares, and such hazard cards may be divided into two sets respectively representing higher and lower levels of loss or gain.

The board game may include a quantity of coupons representing money, the or each player being given an initial allocation of such coupons at the start of the game. A player can spend some or all of said initial allocation to represent a selected team. The or each player may be given an additional amount of coupons at each match square, and this additional amount may be varied according to the match result for the or each player at each match square.

When the game includes coupons a player can invest in an additional member of his team, which additional member enhances the score of that team in each succeeding match in which the additional member participates. The additional team member may be selected by the player from a plurality represented by a set of star cards, which set may be divided into groups respectively representing different positions in a team. The investment required for an additional team member and/or the enhancement of the team's score varies according to the position of the additional member.

Also, with coupons the or each player may be given a bonus amount of coupons at the finish, which bonus amount varies according to the finishing position of that player's team in the league. Additional bonuses may be paid for progress in the knockout competition and a special bonus amount of coupons may be given at the finish to any player whose team wins both league and knockout. A player may start with an amount of coupons accrued at a preceding finish.

The board game may include emblems of teams in a real sporting league, such as a football league and cup. The game may be playable by a number of players up to and including the number of teams in the real sporting league. And the game may be modified for each season of the real sporting league to reflect changes in the teams in that league.

So that completion of play does not have to be rushed, the board game preferably includes recording means whereby progress in play may be recorded during a pause.

Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, which is made by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing of a board for a game according to the invention, and from the rules of play which follow hereinafter.

The game illustrated in the drawing simulates an association football (soccer) league and comprises, as well as a copy of the rules of play, a game board as shown schematically in the accompanying drawing, twenty player tokens, one game die coloured white, two match dice respectively blue and red, a penalty dice coloured black, twenty team strip representations, thirty-two cup draw cards, forty star player cards, sixty yellow cards, sixty red cards, a quantity of money coupons, a set of league fixture lists, a tabulation for showing the relative positions of teams in the league, a save-game sheet, and spare blank draw cards plus spare blank team strip representations. Pencils and an eraser may also be provided.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, the board shown schematically therein has a serpentine path 10 extending from a start S to a finish F. The or each player of the game has a designated token which he moves progressively along the path 10 according to the throw of the game die.

The path 10 is divided into a plurality of squares of various colours being pink squares marked P in the drawing, yellow squares Y, green squares G, blue squares B and red squares R. It will be noted that every third square is a green square G, the squares of other colours being distributed more or less randomly. Each green square G represents a round of matches in the league. And certain of the green squares G also represent a round of matches in an associated knockout cup, for which purpose cup draw cards are placed on a home area 12 and an away area 14 on the board.

Players each receive an amount of money coupons at the beginning of the game and the further amounts when they play matches, these further amounts being most for a win, less for a draw and least for a defeat. At the end of the game bonus amounts are paid according to league position, and there are other bonuses for progressing in the knockout cup.

Before play the yellow cards are shuffled and placed face down on the yellow card area 16 and similarly the red cards are shuffled and placed face down on the red card area 18. The yellow squares Y and the red squares R are hazard squares, and when a player's token lands on such a hazard square the player must take a card of corresponding colour and carry out the instructions printed thereon. Those skilled in the art of football will appreciate that the red cards represent a higher level of hazard than the yellow cards.

The blue squares B are also hazard squares, but the instructions for the player are printed on the squares.

The pink squares P are hazard squares designated as player choice squares. When a player's token lands on a pink square P the player may nominate any player (including himself) to pick up and act upon a yellow or a red card.

The star player cards represent forty leading players in four categories, namely ten goalkeepers, ten defenders, ten midfielders and ten forwards. Before play these cards are distributed respectively among an area 20 on the board for goalkeeper cards, an area 22 for defender cards, an area 24 for midfielder cards and an area 26 for forward cards.

It should be noted that the game may be varied in a number of respects from that so far described with reference to the accompanying drawing. For instance: there may be more player tokens (and therefore teams), or fewer; the colours of the dice may be different; the various cards may be differently coloured, and provided in different quantities; and the squares on the board may be differently coloured, and also differently arranged, eg with match squares closer together or further apart.

The Rules of Play for Association Football

Object of the Game

The game can be played by 4 to 20 players over 8 years old. The more players, the more exciting the game.

Each player, or Team Manager, must try to take his or her team to the top of the league. The Team Manager who finishes the season with the highest number of points is the WINNER.

There is no need to fully read the instructions before starting nominate a Match Referee to read the rules, follow the step-by-step guide and before you know it you'll be in the heart of the action.

Preparing the Pitch

Check that the game box contains:

Game CD-Rom          20 Blank team strips
1 Game board         20 Player tokens
1 White game dice    40 Star Players
1 Blue match dice    60 Yellow cards
1 Red match dice     60 Red cards
1 Black penalty dice Pack of 32 blank cup draw cards
2 pencils            Money coupons

The game comes with its own set of team names; however, you can create your own team names by entering them into the programme and printing out a new Fixture List and League Table with your desired team names. Insert the CD into your computer and start the programme. If you are going to play this version of the game you will need a PC with CD Rom read/write capability and a printer.

Place the board on a solid flat surface, take the Yellow and Red cards and shuffle each pack before placing them on their designated spaces. Place the Star Players on their designated spaces and separate the money coupons using the lid of the box to store it.

Selecting the Officials

The Team Managers must elect people to fill the four roles described below. These may be other Team Managers or people not otherwise involved in the game.

Match Referee: to read out and interpret the rules and rule on disputes.

League President: to take charge of the Fixture List. To read out the fixtures and keep scores, ensuring that the fixture numbers correspond to the match numbers as indicated on the board. To ensure that all Team Managers throw the relevant dice at all times, the key to the dice will assist in this.

League Chairman: to take charge of the League Table. To keep the team points and positions updated on the table. Above each fixture is a small box used to record the names of any Team Managers that have any of their Star Players suspended. For example, if a Team Manager has his or her Goal Keeper (GK) suspended for 4 games, place the suspension card over the Star Player and write the Team Manager's initials in 4 consecutive boxes. This will then tell you when that Star Player returns from suspension.

League Treasurer: to take charge of the bank. Pays out and receives various sums as represented by the money coupons, including gate money and money paid for Star Players. The League Treasurer must be careful not to get his or her own money mixed up with the money in the bank.

Naming the Teams

Using a pencil, each Team Manager must write the name of his or her team on a team strip and place it in front of them for future reference.

Using a pencil, the Match Referee must now prepare the 32 Cup Draw Cards by writing the names of the 20 league teams on 20 cards. Next you must write in any team name you wish on the remaining 12 cards to complete the draw. (Teams must not be duplicated). Shuffle the pack of 32 cards and then place next to the board, ready for the cup round. Use a pencil to allow you to change team names if you wish in later games.

Getting Started

The game can be played in either of two versions. In the Full Competition (Long Dame) you play all matches and update all the teams on the league table. This means throwing the match dice for every match in the entire season—including those where neither participating teams is managed by one of the Team Managers. In the Mini Competition (Short Game) matches, and the recording of results, are limited to teams having a Team Manager.

The League Treasurer must give each Team Manager (including himself) £100,000.

Each Team Manager must choose a playing counter and place it at the start of the board. Don't be concerned about space for now as things will soon even out as the game progresses.

Decide which team goes first by rolling the Blue match dice—highest number plays first and play will then continue clockwise.

Kicking Off

On your turn, roll the White game die and move your counter the same number of spaces on the board. You must always move the full amount shown on the dice.

Game Squares

After throwing, your counter will finish on a Blue, Yellow, Red, Pink or Green square. This colour determines the next action as follows:

Many actions will result in your having to collect from, or pay money to, the bank. If you do not have enough money to pay as instructed, the League Treasurer must record the debt and collect it from you as soon as you have sufficient funds. You will not be able to buy Star Players while in debt.

Blue Square: Instant Action square. Read out loud and follow instructions. Note that some of the Blue squares require you to roll a die, and there are two versions of these. For winning/losing money as indicated on the square, you must roll the White game dice once to try and get an even or odd number as instructed. For keeping/losing a Star Player, you must roll the White game die once, and if you throw an odd number you will get to keep your Star Player (assuming you have one) but if you throw an even number you will lose that nominated star.

Yellow Square: Pick up a Yellow Card and follow the instructions. These cards are the low to medium risk cards which may end up having a positive or negative effect on your team.

Red Square: Pick up a Red Card and follow the instructions. These cards are the medium to high risk cards which may end up having a positive or negative effect on your team.

Notes on Yellow and Red Cards:

• • 1) Each Yellow card and Red card will give instructions what to do. You must read it out loud and do what it says. After completing what has been instructed, place the card at the bottom of the relevant pack.
  • 2) If you find that you do not have enough money to cover what needs to be paid, then you must place it in front of you and hold onto the Yellow or Red card until you have sufficient funds to pay what is owed. Make the payment as soon as possible, then the card can go back to the bottom of the relevant pack.
  • 3) Sometimes you will be instructed to hold onto your Yellow or Red card, place it in front of you until you decide to use it. Place the card at the bottom of the relevant pack when used.

Pink Square: Player Choice square. You can nominate any Team Manager (including yourself) to pick up a Yellow or Red card.

Notes on Pink Squares:

• • 1) You must state out loud the nominated name and card colour before any card is picked up.
  • 2) The nominated Team Manager must pick up a Yellow or Red card and follow the instructions for the appropriate card as described above.
  • 3) After completing what has been instructed, place the card at the bottom of the relevant pack.

Green Square: There are two variants of this square:

• • 1) Match Square—When any Team Manager lands on or goes past a Green match square, all the Team Managers must stop and play their matches before anyone else moves on the board. (See Match Rules).
  • 2) Match and Cup Square—When any Team Manager lands on or goes past a Green match and cup square, all the Team Managers must play their league matches first and then the cup round next. (See Cup Rules)

Note on Green Squares:

• • If, in going past a Green square, you land on a Yellow, Red, Pink or Blue square, you must carry out the instructions or pick up the appropriate card before any of the league or cup matches are played. Match Rules

Each team will play each other twice (1 home and 1 away match) in a league format. There are 38 league matches which have been arranged at random by the fixture CD. Each match square has a match number that relates to the numbers on the Fixture List. Each time a Team Manager lands on or goes cast any green square, all managers must play those league games on the fixture list that correspond with the number on the square—ie Match I=Fixture 1 etc. This process will continue until all 38 matches have been played and the season has ended.

Follow this sequence for every match:

• • 1) The League President will read out the first match on the corresponding fixture list. If your team is read out you will play that match.
  • 2) Before throwing the match dice, each Team Manager must make two decisions that could change the outcome of the match. The Home manager decides first, the Away manager second. These decisions are:
    • i) Decide whether to purchase any Star Players (See Star Player Rules) and declare whether, or not, you will be using any of your Star Players.
    • ii) If you have picked up a penalty card, you must declare if you are going to use it. (See Penalty Card Rules).
  • 3) Once these two decisions have been declared each Team Manager must throw either the Blue (Home Team) or Red (Away Team) match die to decide the score. The number shown on the dice represent the goals scored. The dice are designed to give the Home Team a greater chance of scoring whilst providing the Away Team with an opportunity to cause an upset and win the match. The Home Team Manager must throw first.

Notes on Matches

• • 1) If you are playing a team with no Team Manager, you can either throw for both teams or you can nominate another Team Manager to throw for the unmanaged team.
  • 2) For matches in which neither team has a Team Manager (Long game only), the League President will nominate a Team Manager to throw both dice at the same time to decide the score. (This is important to keep the league updated).
  • 3) Remember to add on Star Player and Penalty goals for each team if applicable. (See Rules). Note that an unmanaged team cannot purchase Star Players.

4) Gate Money allocations to Team Managers are as follows:

Winning team receives     £100,000
Losing team receives      £50,000
Draw - each team receives £75,000

• • 5) After every match each Team Manager is responsible for asking the League Treasurer for his or her relevant gate money from the bank. This is very important—if you don't ask, you don't get! Unmanaged teams do not receive any money, i.e. if both teams have no manager then nothing will be paid out at the end of the match.
  • 6) Before the League President reads out the next match, the League Chairman will update the League Table by recording whether the team has won, lost or drawn that game. Use the tally system to keep adding to the boxes depending on the match result to keep the league updated.
    • i) Use a pencil and eraser to update how many points each team has accumulated, the point system being Win=3 Points, Draw=1 Point, Lose=0 Points.
    • ii) Write in the team's current league position from 1^st to 20^th it is easiest to repeat this after each fixture to indicate the current team standing and league positions or if you like you can do this at set intervals like every 5 or 10 games or so.
  • 7) The League President will write the score down on the corresponding game and the next game is then read out which is played in the same way. This continues until all the Team Manager's matches for that relevant round have been played. Once the list is complete, you then go back to the board and play continues with the next player throwing the White game die and moving his or her counter and so on.

How to Play a Cup Match

Remember you must play all corresponding league matches first. Once this is done you are ready to play the Cup competition. T the 1^st round involves your 32 selected teams. Choose a Team Manager to shuffle the Cup Draw Cards and deal them one at a time face downwards on the two Home and Away card areas on the board, Home first then Away and so on until the pack is exhausted. The top cards on each stack are then turned over to reveal the two teams that are to play each other. Follow the Match Rules above to decide the score.

Notes on Cup Matches:

• • 1) Team Managers must make the 2 pre-match decisions regarding Star Players and Penalty dice.
  • 2) Throw match dice to decide score. Add on Star Player and Penalty goals for each team if applicable.
  • 3) Ask for gate money.
  • 4) Which ever team wins the match goes through to the next round of the cup. The draw card of the winning team is placed face down at the side of the board, the draw card of the losing team is handed to the League Treasurer who will place it back in the box.
  • 5) If a cup game is drawn, it is replayed straight away. The Team Managers must reverse the position of the 2 cup cards, moving the Home team to the Away stack and the Away team to the Home stack. The Team Managers then throw again but using the different dice. Should the replay be a draw, then there must be another replay. The Team Managers switch the teams again and another match is played, and so on until there is a winner. Remember to collect gate money after each match.
  • 6) After all the cup matches have been played in that round then play continues as before. In the 2^nd round there should be 16 teams through to the next round of the Cup, and when the next Green Match and Cup square is landed on or gassed, the 2^nd round should be played to decide the 8 teams going through to the Quarter Finals. Follow the same rules as before by playing the league matches first then the cup matches second, making sure you shuffle the pack before dealing the cup cards.
  • 7) Any Team Manager making it through to the Quarter Finals and beyond will receive a bonus—claimed from the bank when the team cup card is turned over and not before. The amounts of the bonuses are: Quarter Finals, £150,000; Semi Finals, £300,000; Final, £500,000; Cup Winner, £500,000.
  • 8) The Final is played on a Neutral Ground as in real life, and participating Team Managers each throw the Red (away) dice for their teams.

Star Player Rules

The Sear Players are each worth 1 goal. They are purchased from the bank for the Transfer Fee shown on the board.

There are 10 Star Players in each category:

	GK	GOALKEEPER (GREEN)	£250,000
	DEF	DEFENDER (BLUE)	£500,000
	MID	MIDFIELDER (YELLOW)	£750,000
	FOR	FORWARD (RED)	£1,000,000

Notes on Star Players:

• • 1) You can only purchase Star Players immediately before your own match and if you have sufficient funds. The Home manager has the first option to buy, the Away manager second.
  • 2) Only one Star Player in each position (identified by name and colour) may be purchased by any Team Manager, if a Team Manager already owns a GK you cannot purchase another GK.
  • 3) No more than 4 Star Players can be owned by any Team Manager at any time, one for each position.
  • 4) If at any time a Team Manager wants to buy a Star Player and there are none of that category left on the board, buy the next available Star category and pay the appropriate Transfer Fee, provided you have sufficient funds, as follows:
    • i) No GK left, buy DEF (£500,000), MID (£750,000) or FOR (£1,000,000)
    • ii) No DEF left, buy GK (£250,000), MID (£750,000) or FOR (£1,000,000)
    • iii) No MID left, buy GK (£250,000), DEF (£500,000) or FOR (£1,000,000)
    • v) No FOR left, buy GK (£250,000), DEF (£500,000) or MID (£750,000)
  • 5) When Star Players are used in a match, add the corresponding number of goals to the score turned up when you throw the dice, eg if 2 is thrown and 2 Star Players are used, the total score will be 4, if 0 is thrown and 2 Star Players are used, the total will be 2, and so on.
  • 6) The purpose of buying Star Players is to enable Team Managers to add to your score in a match in which you decide to play your Star or Stars. You must decide to use your Star Player cards singly or together up to the maximum of 4 before the match starts (ie before the dice are thrown). The Star Player card(s) must be placed in full view on the board to let the other Team Manager know they are being used. Once the decisions are made they are final, in no circumstances can any Team Manager change his or her mind.
  • 7) The catch. Whenever you win or draw a match in which you use one or more Star Players, you keep the Star(s) involved. But if you lose a match involving one or more of your Stars, you lose them as well, and they are returned to the relevant area on the board and become available to purchase again by any Team Manager about to play his or her match. Retained Stars can be used in any subsequent match (until lost).
  • 8) If you pick up a Yellow or a Red card suspending a Star Player, the only Star suspended will be the one you have at the time. For example, if your GK is suspended, you will not be able to buy another GK but you can still buy a DEF, MID or FOR (assuming you have the funds). Buying and playing Star Players is a judgment call made by you using your skill and experience. Only you will know if you have used the right tactics to win the game or indeed the league. Remember, just because you have purchased Stars doesn't mean you have to play them.

Penalty Card Rules

Penalty Cards are found amongst the Yellow and Red cards. If you are fortunate enough to pick up this card, you may choose to play it in any match in an attempt to score penalty goals to add to your match total.

Notes on Penalty Cards

• • 1) Only 1 Penalty Card per team can be played in any match, but they can be played in conjunction with Star Player cards.
  • 2) The decision to play a Penalty Card must be made before the dice are thrown and cannot be changed once the match has started.
  • 3) When being played, the card must be placed on the board in view.
  • 4) Penalty Cards are kept until wanted cards and Team Managers may hold more than one.
  • 5) Once played Penalty Cards must be returned to the relevant pack no matter what the result of the match.
  • 6) A Team Manager playing a Penalty Card must throw the Black penalty die along with the relevant match dice, ie a Home manager rolls the Blue and the Black dice together, and an Away manager rolls the Red and the Black dice together. The two scores are then added to each other (along with those from any Star Player(s) involved) to determine the final score.

The Winner

At the end of the game, the winner is the Team Manager who finishes the season highest in the league. A final payment is made to all the Team Managers according to the finishing positions of their teams, as follows:

1st = £900,000
2nd = £750,000
3rd = £600,000
4th = £600,000
5th = £500,000
6th = £500,000
7th = £400,000
8th = £400,000
9th = £400,000
10th = £300,000
11th = £300,000
12th = £300,000
13th = £300,000
14th = £200,000
15th = £200,000
16th = £200,000
17th = £200,000
18th = £100,000
19th = £100,000
20th = £100,000

There is also a special bonus of £1,000,000 should anyone be lucky enough to win the League and Cup double in the same season.

Save Game Sheets

This game can last for a long time. The Saved Game Sheet allows unfinished games to be continued at a later time. This means you can carry on exactly where the game was halted.

Write in the Team Manager's name, team managed, the square number currently occupied (all the squares have numbers), the value of money held, any cards held (all cards are numbered) and any Star Players each Team Manager is holding. Then pack up and use the information on the sheet to set the game up next time you want to play it. Don't forget to keep the Cup draw cards separated between the losers and winners, so you can carry on with the cup rounds as well.

The End

Once a season has finished, Team Managers can simply start a new season. The options are as follows.

• • 1) Start a new season from scratch, keeping the same team or selecting new teams (you can use the CD to do this) and beginning the game with the original £100,000.
  • 2) Carry on to a second season, keeping the same team or selecting new teams (using the CD) and begin the game with the money gained from the first season.

Hints and Tips

You may want to manage more than 1 team during the season. This must be agreed by all Team Managers. If you manage 2 or more teams you can poll your money and Star Players (Max 4) together, allowing you to spend and play stars for any of your managed teams.

You may want to reduce the amount of Star Players in the game to make it more competitive or indeed hide a Star Player in an envelope when playing matches. When there are only a few Team Managers in the game, purchasing Stars will not be a problem. The game will become more complex when there are more Team Managers than Stars, so the Managers must compete to buy them.

You may wish to auction all of the unmanaged teams as they are drawn in the Cup in a bid for cup glory. Simply write down on a piece of paper which teams you own for future reference in the next round.

You may want to arrange a system of scoring points to decide the winner like depending on money held, Stars purchased or how far each team reached in the cup.

You may wish to place the team strips upside down on a surface so you can't see which teams are which. Each Team Manager can then choose a team and find out who they will be managing for the rest of the season.

You can auction the team strips to the highest bidder, as follows.

• • 1) Bidding must start at £50,000 and be in units or multiples of £50,000.
  • 2) The Match Referee is in absolute control of the auction and his or her decision in any matter relating to it is final.
  • 3) A Team Manager is not allowed to bid beyond the limit of the money in his or her possession. No borrowing or lending of money is permitted and the bank is not allowed to give credit.
  • 4) If 2 Team Managers bid for the same team and both reach their personal limits, the decision will be made by the rolling of the Blue match die. The winner is the one who rolls the highest number, the loser will then bid for another team.

Team Managers will soon learn that it may give you an advantage to be ahead in the game, even though everyone plays all their matches at the same time and collects the gate money after every match.

It will be noted that the rules of play hereinbefore set forth are for a version of the game simulating association football (soccer) as played in professional leagues throughout the world. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the game may be adapted to simulate another league-based sport such as rugby football, American football (gridiron), ice hockey or baseball.

By way of example, rules for two such adaptations will now be outlined.

American Football

Object of the Game

The game can be played by 4 to 16 players over 8 years old.

Each player, or Team Coach, must try to take his or her team to the top of the group. The Teams who finish the season in the top 2 spots in each group will qualify for the Champions Playoff. The Team Coach who becomes the Champion team is the WINNER.

Preparing the Park

The game box contains:

CD-Rom                  16 Blank team strips
1 Game board            16 Player tokens
1 White game dice       32 Star Players
1 Blue match dice       60 Yellow cards
1 Red match dice        60 Red cards
1 Black field goal dice Pack of 32 blank cup draw cards
2 pencils               Money coupons

The board is set up generally as indicated above in relation to association football.

Electing the Officials

The Team Coaches must elect people to fill the four roles described below. These may be other Team Coaches or people not otherwise involved in the game.

Match Referee to read out and interpret the rules and rule on disputes.

Group President: takes charge of the Fixture List. To read out the fixtures and keep scores, ensuring that the fixture numbers correspond to the match numbers as indicated on the board. To ensure that all Team Coaches throw the relevant dice at all times, the key to the dice will assist in this.

Group Chairman: takes charge of the Group Tables. To keep the team points and positions updated on the table. Above each fixture is a small box used to record the names of any Team Coaches that have any of their Star Players suspended. For example, if a Team Coach has his or her Full Back (FB) suspended for 4 games, place the suspension card over the Star Player and write the Team Coach's initials in 4 consecutive boxes. This will then tell you when that Star Player returns from suspension.

Group Treasurer: takes charge of the bank. Pays out and receives various sums as represented by the token money, including gate money and money paid for Star Players.

Naming the Teams

Each Team Coach must write the name of his or her team on a team strip and place it in front of them for future reference.

The Match Referee must now prepare the 32 Cup Draw Cards by writing the names of the 16 group teams on 16 cards. Next you must write in any team name you wish on the remaining 16 cards to complete the draw. (Teams must not be duplicated). Shuffle the pack of 32 cards and then place next to the board, ready for the cup round. Use a pencil to allow you to change team names if you wish in later games.

Getting Started

The Group Treasurer must give each Team Coach (including himself) $100,000.

Each Team Coach must choose a playing token and place it at the start of the board.

Decide which team goes first by rolling the Blue match dice—highest to go first and play then continues clockwise.

Kicking Off

On your turn, roll the White Game Die and move your token the same number of spaces on the board.

Game Squares

The games squares are generally similar to those hereinbefore described with reference to association football, but with terminology adapted accordingly—for instance by the inclusion of a Champions' Playoff

Match Rules

Each team will play each other twice (1 home and 1 away match). There are 4 groups which your teams have been divided into and you will each play 30 group matches which have been arranged at random by the fixture CD. Each match square has a match number that relates to the numbers on the Fixture List. Each time a Team Coach lands on or goes past any green match square, all Coaches must play those group games on the fixture list that correspond with the number on the square. This process will continue until all matches have been played. Your target is to finish in the top 2 of your group in order to qualify for the Champions' Playoff stage.

Follow this sequence for every match:

• • 1) The Group President will read out the first match on the fixture list. If your team is read out you will play that match as follows.
  • 2) Before throwing the match dice, each Team Coach (Home first) decides—
    • i) Whether to purchase any Star Players (see Star Player Rules) and declare whether, or not, you will be using any of your Star Players.
    • ii) If you have picked up a Field Goal card, you must declare if you are going to use it. (See Field Goal Card Rules)
  • 3) Once these two decisions have been declared each. Team Coach must throw either the Blue (Home Team) or Red (Away Team) match die to decide the score. The number shown on the die represent the points scored. The dice are designed to give the Home Team a greater chance of scoring whilst providing the Away Team with an opportunity to cause an upset and win the match. The Home Team Coach must throw first.
  • 4) Before the Group President reads out the next match, the Group Chairman will update the group tables by recording whether the team has won, lost or drawn that game. Use the tally system to keep adding to the boxes depending on the match result to keep the groups updated. Points are: Win, 4 Points; Draw, 2 Points; Lose, 0 Points. Write in the team's current group position from, 1^st to 4^th
  • 5) The Group President will write the score down on the corresponding game and the next game is then read out which is played in the same way. This continues until all the Team Coaches matches for that relevant fixture have been played. Once the list is complete, you then go back to the board and play continues with the next player throwing the White game dice and moving his or her token and so on.

How to Play a Cup Match

Once this is done you are ready to play the Cup competition, the 1^st round involves your 32 selected teams. Choose a Team Coach to shuffle the Cup Draw Cards and deal them one at a time face downwards on the two Home and Away card areas on the board, Home first then Away and so on until the pack is exhausted. The top cards on each stack are then turned over to reveal the two teams that are to play each other. Follow the Match Rules above to decide the score. Drawn Cup matches are replayed to a conclusion.

The Champions' Playoff

The top 2 Teams in each of the 4 groups qualify for the Champions'Playoff Quarter Finals. The 8 Team Coaches involved must give their team cup cards to the Match Referee who will shuffle the 8 cards and deal them one at a time face downwards on the two Home and Away card areas on the board, Home first then Away. The top cards on each stack are then turned over to reveal the two teams that are to play each other. Follow the Match Rules above to decide the score.

Whichever team wins the match goes through to the next round of the Champions' Playoff. The draw card of the winning team is placed face down at the side of the board, the draw card of the losing team is handed to the Group Treasurer who will place it back in the box. Repeat same process for Semi-Final and Final. The Final is played on a Neutral Ground, and both Team Coaches throw the Red (away) dice for their teams.

Star Players

The Star Players are each worth 7 Points (1 touchdown and kick). They are purchased from the bank for the Transfer Fee shown on the board. There are 8 Star Players in each category as follows.

	FB	FULLBACK (GREEN)	$250,000
	RB	RUNNINGBACK (BLUE)	$500,000
	WR	WIDE RECEIVER (YELLOW)	$750,000
	QB	QUARTERBACK (RED)	$1,000,000

Field Goal Cards

Field Goal cards are found amongst the Yellow and Red cards. If you pick up this card, you may choose to play it in any match in an attempt to score field goal points to add to your match total. Only 1 Field Goal card per team can be played in any match, but they can be played in conjunction with Star Player cards.

The Winner

At the end of the game, the winner is the Team Coach who finishes the season as Champion or the highest in the competition. A final payment is made to all the Team Coaches according to the finishing positions of their teams.

Other Features

Save Game Sheets may be used to record players' positions in an ongoing game, as hereinbefore described with reference to association football, and other features of the association football game such a match payments and bonuses may be similarly provided.

Rugby Football

Recommended variants for a Rugby football version of the game are as follows.

Team Managers who finish the season in the top 4 spots will qualify for the Champions' Playoff. The Team Manager who becomes the Champion is the WINNER.

The game box contains:

CD-Rom              12 blank team strips
1 Game board        2 Player tokens
1 White game die    24 Star Players
1 Blue match die    60 Yellow cards
1 Red match dice    60 Red cards
1 Black penalty die Pack of 16 blank cup draw cards
2 pencils           Money coupons

Team Managers elect the following officials.

Match Referee: to read out and interpret the rules and rule on disputes.

League President: takes charge of the Fixture List.

League Chairman: takes charge of the League Table and records details such as player suspensions etc.

League Treasurer: takes charge of the bank.

The games squares are generally similar to those hereinbefore described with reference to association football, but with terminology adapted accordingly—for instance by the inclusion of a Champions' Playoff.

There are 22 league matches arranged at random by the fixture CD.

Each player's target is to finish in the top 4 of the league in order to qualify for the Champions' Playoff stage.

Points are awarded as: Win, 4 Points; Draw, 2 Points; Lose, 0 Points.

The top 4 Teams in the League qualify for the Champions' Semi Finals, the winners of which go on to the Final.

Star Players are each worth 7 Points (1 try and conversion). There are 6 Star Players in each of four categories as follows.

	PR	PROP (GREEN)	£250,000
	SH	SCRUM HALF (BLUE)	£500,000
	FH	FLY HALF (YELLOW)	£750,000
	WI	WINGER (RED)	£1,000,000

Other Features

Match payments, bonuses etc are provided similar to those in the association football version of the game, and other features such as the use of Save Game Sheets may be incorporated.

The term “board game” as used herein is not intended to restrict the invention to card and/or paper implementation. It will be appreciated that the invention may be implemented electronically, to be played by means of a television set or networked-connected computer for instance, and this and other implementations of the invention are intended to be covered by the claims hereof.

Claims

1. A board game for simulating a sporting league in which a plurality of teams play matches in succession one against another to obtain relative positions in the league from the results of the matches, which board game is playable by one or more players and comprises a board, tokens representing said teams, a game die and match dice, wherein said board includes a path from a start to a finish, said path being divided into a plurality of squares of which some are identified as match squares, and wherein in use a player moves a designated token along said path according to throws of the game die and when a said token is moved at least to a match square two match dice are thrown and respective scores are compared to determine a match result.

2. A board game as claimed in claim 1 including a tabulation for showing the relative positions of teams, which tabulation includes means for adjusting the relative position of the team represented by said designated token according to the match result determined from the throw of the match dice.

3. A board game as claimed in claim 1 wherein some of the match squares are designated as cup squares whereat the team represented by said designated token either continues in or is eliminated from a simulated knockout competition according to the match result determined from the throw of the match dice.

4. A board game as claimed in claim 3 wherein the simulated knockout competition includes adjunctive teams from outside said league and the game includes means for varying the scores of the match throws.

5. A board game as claimed in claim 4 including an adjunctive die whereby when thrown said scores are varied.

6. A board game as claimed in claim 1 wherein some of said squares are identified as hazard squares each with associated instructions for a player when his designated token lands on a said hazard square.

7. A board game as claimed in claim 6 including a plurality of hazard cards bearing said instructions associated with at least some of the hazard squares.

8. A board game as claimed in claim 7 wherein said hazard cards are divided into two sets respectively representing higher and lower levels of loss or gain.

9. A board game as claimed in claim 1 including a quantity of coupons representing money wherein at least one player is given an initial allocation of such coupons at the start of the game.

10. A board game as claimed in claim 9 wherein a player can spend at least some of said initial allocation to represent a selected team.

11. A board game as claimed in claim 9 wherein the at least one player is given an additional amount of coupons at each match square.

12. A board game as claimed in claim 11 wherein the additional amount is varied according to the match result for each player at each match square.

13. A board game as claimed in claim 9 wherein when a player's token lands on a designated hazard square the player can invest coupons in an additional member of his team, which additional member enhances the score of that team in each succeeding match in which the additional member participates.

14. A board game as claimed in claim 13 wherein the additional team member is selected by the player from a plurality represented by a set of star cards.

15. A board game as claimed in claim 14 wherein the set of star cards is divided into groups respectively representing different positions in a team.

16. A board game as claimed in claim 15 wherein the investment required for an additional team member varies according to said position.

17. A board game as claimed in claim 15 wherein the enhancement of the team's score varies according to said position of the additional member.

18. A board game as claimed in claim 9 wherein the at least one player is given a bonus amount of coupons at the finish, which bonus amount varies according to the finishing position of that player's team in the league.

19. A board game as claimed in claim 18 wherein additional bonus amounts of coupons are given to players for progress in a simulated knockout competition.

20. A board game as claimed in claim 19 wherein a special bonus amount of coupons is given at the finish to any player whose team wins both the league and the knockout competition.

21. A board game as claimed in claim 9 wherein a player may start with an amount of coupons accrued at a preceding finish.

22. A board game as claimed in claim 1 including emblems of teams in a real sporting league.

23. A board game as claimed in claim 22, which board game is playable by a number of players up to and including the number of teams in the real sporting league.

24. A board game as claimed claim 22, which board game is modified for each season of the real sporting league to reflect changes in the teams in that league.

25. A board game as claimed in claim 1 wherein all said squares are numbered.

26. A board game as claimed in claim 1 including recording means whereby progress in play may be recorded during a pause.

27. A board game as claimed in claim 26 wherein said recording means comprises a sheet with spaces for recording, for each player, the player's name, a corresponding team owned, a current location of the player's token, a value of any money held, any cards held and any international stars acquired.

28. A board game for simulating a sporting league in which a plurality of teams play matches in succession one against another to obtain relative positions in the league from the results of the matches, which board game is playable by one or more players and comprises a board, tokens representing said teams, a game die, match dice and an adjunctive die, which game is played according to throws of the game die and corresponding moves of the tokens, throws of the match dice, and throws of the adjunctive die.

29. A board game as claimed in claim 28 wherein the game die bears numbers according to which the tokens are moved on the board.

30. A board game as claimed in claim 28 wherein two match dice bear numbers signifying match scores, which numbers are different between the two dice so as to represent home advantage in a match.

31. A board game as claimed in claim 28 wherein the adjunctive die is marked to signify whether a penalty score is obtained.

32. A board game as claimed in claim 28 wherein the sporting league is an association football league, and wherein the adjunctive die is a penalty die.

33. A board game as claimed in claim 28 wherein the sporting league is an American football league, and wherein the adjunctive die is a penalty die.

34. A board game as claimed in claim 28 wherein the sporting league is a Rugby football league, and wherein the adjunctive die is a penalty die.