Table top game

A table game is similar to ice hockey, and includes a deflector element located in the slot area in front of each goal. The deflector element is diamond shaped and is sized to be wider than the slot area, and extends from the blue line defining the offensive zone in which the deflector element is located to near the crease area of the goal of that offensive zone. The game is played using shots and penalty shots, and the game includes a minimum number of small loose parts.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to the general art of games, and to the 
particular field of table games. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The game of ice hockey has been known for centuries, and, in recent years, 
has enjoyed tremendous popularity. Concomitant to this increasing 
popularity of the actual game is the increasing popularity of board and 
table games which use sticks and objects which are struck towards a goal 
in the manner of hockey-type games. 
While extremely popular, many of these board and table games have several 
drawbacks which inhibit the popularity and commercial success thereof. For 
example, some of these games have many small and loose parts which tend to 
get lost thereby inhibiting the playing of the game. Worse, such small and 
loose parts may be dangerous to small children. 
Many board games using struck objects are too easy and tush players tend to 
lose interest after a short period of play. Still other such games place 
too much emphasis on skill, and less skilled, or younger, players tend to 
shy away from such games, especially if skilled or older players are 
involved. 
Some games use electronics to simulate play, but such games are often 
expensive and do no truly match the skills and luck of one player against 
the skills and luck of another player. 
Therefore, there is a need for a new table top game which is based on ice 
hockey, yet which will permit a less skilled player to have a chance of 
defeating a more skilled player due to an element of luck, and which has a 
minimum number of loose parts. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is a main object of the present invention is to provide a new table top 
game which is based on ice hockey. 
It is another object of the present invention to a new table top game which 
is based on ice hockey, yet which will permit a less skilled player to 
have a chance of defeating a more skilled player due to an element of 
luck. 
It is another object of the present invention to a new table top game which 
is based on ice hockey, yet which will permit a less skilled player to 
have a chance of defeating a more skilled player due to an element of 
luck, and which has a minimum number of loose parts. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
These, and other, objects are achieved by a new table top game which has a 
playing surface that resembles an ice hockey rink, but also includes a 
resilient deflector element in front of each goal. The deflector elements 
have top surfaces which are raised above the playing surface, and are 
sized and located to guard the goals so a shot on goal may be blocked 
thereby. This introduces an element of luck into the game and assists a 
player that is less skilled in goal tending to defeat a player that is a 
skilled shooter. 
The game includes a one-piece monolithic rink-like base so the number of 
small parts which may be subject to loss is minimized, and thus the game 
includes a minimum number of loose parts. The only parts which are not 
part of the one-piece base are hockey sticks and a playing puck. 
The game is played by each player choosing a goal to defend, and one player 
initially placing a puck on top of the deflector element in front of the 
goal he has chosen to defend. The puck is then initially struck in the 
direction of the opposing player's goal, located on the opposite end of 
the base. If the struck puck does not go into that opposite goal, and 
comes to rest in the playing area, the other player hits that at rest puck 
toward the first player's goal. Play continues in this manner until one of 
the players hits the puck into the other player's goal. The player 
defending that goal has thus been scored upon in the manner of ice hockey, 
and continues play by placing the puck on top of the deflector element 
located in front of his goal and hitting it towards the opposing player's 
goal. 
The game continues in this manner until one player reaches a certain number 
of goals, or a preselected time expires, or until a total number of goals 
is scored, or until a sudden-death goal has bee scored, or the like. The 
rules can contain provisions for penalty shots, and the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Shown in FIGS. 1-4 is a one-piece, monolithic base 10 used to play a table 
top game which is based on ice hockey. The monolithic and one-piece nature 
of the base, not only facilitates manufacture thereof, it permits the game 
to have a minimum number of loose parts. 
The base is intended to resemble an ice hockey rink, and thus is 
rectangular in peripheral shape to include two ends 12 and 14, and two 
sides 16 and 18 which are connected to the ends by rounded corners, such 
as corner 20. A monolithic, one-piece wall 22 surrounds the perimeter of 
the base, and extends upward from a playing surface 24. The wall is formed 
of plastic or other such material which has some resiliency, and the 
playing surface is also formed of a plastic material that has a low 
coefficient of friction to facilitate the playing of the game, as will be 
understood from the ensuing discussion. 
The playing surface is divided into various areas by a center red line 26 
which extends widthwise across the playing surface from one side 16 to the 
other side 18 and is located midway between the ends 12 and 14 to thus 
define a transverse centerline of the playing area as defined by the ends 
12 and 14 and the sides 16 and 18. Two blue lines 28 and 30 are located on 
opposite sides of the centerline 26, and define with the sides and 
adjacent end offensive (and hence defensive) zones, 32 and 34 between the 
closest end and that blue line. The blue lines also co-operate to define a 
neutral zone 36 therebetween and which contains the red line. These zones 
are used to play the game. 
A center faceoff circle 38 is defined in the neutral zone and is centered 
on the redline and on a longitudinal centerline of the base which 
longitudinal centerline extends from one end to the other and is located 
midway between the sides 16 and 18. The center of the center faceoff 
circle 38 is thus located at the center of the base. 
Four wing faceoff circles 40, 42, 44 and 46 are also defined on the playing 
surface to be located adjacent to each rounded corner. In correspondence 
with the rules of ice hockey, the wing face off circles 40 and 46 are 
located on the right wing areas of the playing surface, while face off 
circles 42 and 44 are located in the left wing areas of the playing 
surface. The wing circles are all of equal peripheral size, and the wing 
face off circles in a common offensive zone are centered on a line that is 
parallel with the blue line defining that offensive zone. Corresponding 
right wing face off circles are also centered on a line that is parallel 
with the playing surface longitudinal centerline. 
The base further includes goal 48 and 50 defined through ends 12 and 14 
respectively and which are centered on the playing surface longitudinal 
centerline. Each of the goals includes a rectangular floor 52 which is 
coplanar with the playing surface 24 and extends outwardly therefrom along 
the playing surface longitudinal centerline, and a net 54 which extends 
around three sides of the rectangular floor 52. Each goal has a goal mouth 
56 defined through the respective end to open into the playing surface and 
toward the opposite end. The side faceoff circles are located on each side 
of a rectangular slot area 58 which is defined by the goal mouth and the 
blue line adjacent to that goal. The width of the slot area is defined by 
the width of the goal mouth, and the length of the slot area is defined by 
the distance between the end and the adjacent blue line. The slot area is 
rectangular but is not marked per se as is the case in an actual ice 
hockey game. The wing face off circles are located outside of the slot 
area. As shown in FIG. 2, a goal crease 59 is defined in front of each 
goal. 
As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two monolithic, one-piece diamond-shaped 
resilient deflector elements 60 and 62 are located in the slot area 
adjacent to each goal. Each of the deflector elements has a forward corner 
64 located on the corresponding blue line, a rear corner 66 located 
adjacent to the corresponding goal, a right wing corner 68 contacting the 
right wing faceoff circle and a left wing corner 70 contacting the left 
wing faceoff circle. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear corner of each deflector 
element is located on a line which is tangent to both of the wing circles 
in that offensive zone, and the wing corners of the deflector elements 
extend out of the slot area. Each deflector element includes a top surface 
72 which is raised above the playing surface and includes edges, such as 
edge 74, connecting the top surface 72 to the playing surface. The 
deflector elements thus block access to the goal mouth from the slot area 
and from areas which are extensions or projections of the slot area. As 
will be understood from the ensuing discussion, this blocking effect 
introduces an element of luck into the game and will assist a defensive 
player in protecting his goal from an offensive player in the manner of a 
hockey goalie. Preferably, the deflector elements are formed of hard 
rubber-like material or plastics-type material. 
Each goal has a puck catcher depression 80 defined in the floor thereof. 
The depression forms a dimple in the floor and serves a purpose that will 
be evident from the ensuing discussion. 
As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the game also includes a playing piece 82 
that is in the shape of a hockey puck and a playing piece 84 that is in 
the shape of a hockey stick. The playing pieces 82 and 84 are sized to be 
used in conjunction with a table top game, with the piece 82 being formed 
of resilient rubber-like material and the playing piece 84 being formed of 
a wood-like material. The piece 84 includes a handle section 86 and a 
blade section 88 which is shown as being planar but could be curved if 
desired in the manner of a normal ice hockey stick. 
As is best shown in FIG. 3, the game also includes a bottom surface 86 
having feet 88 thereon so the game can be placed on a table top, and has 
an outside surface 90 with a planar top rim 92 above which top rim 94 of 
each goal net extends. 
The game is based on ice hockey, and is played according to the rules of 
ice hockey which have been modified as will be discussed below. 
The game is played by two players or two teams, and is begun by each player 
or team selecting a goal to defend. The players select a player to go 
first, and that player places a puck 82 on the top surface 72 of the 
deflector element located in front of the goal he has selected to defend. 
The player then strikes the puck with his stick 84 towards the opposing 
player's goal. If the puck goes into that opposing player's goal, the 
first player is credited with a goal, and the opposing player is given the 
opportunity to shoot from his deflector element in the just-described 
manner. 
If the initially shot puck does not score a goal, and comes to rest in the 
playing area as defined by the surface 24 within the perimeter defined by 
the wall 22, the other player can then shoot the puck back at the 
initially defended goal from the spot the puck came to rest. If this shot 
goes in, the shooting player is credited with a goal, and the defending 
player gets to shoot from his deflector element. 
Play continues in this manner until either a set number of goals has been 
achieved by one player, or a total number of goals has been scored by both 
players or until a set time expires. 
If the players are tied at the end of a set time, for example, a sudden 
death overtime can be played, wherein the game is played as above 
discussed and the first player to score a goal wins. The sudden death 
overtime can be for a set time, and if neither player scores a goal, the 
game can be called a tie. Series of games can be played with wins counting 
two points and ties counting one point and a series winner being 
determined by the number of points a player or team has at the end of a 
set number of games. 
Penalty shots can be awarded from either side face off circle for various 
actions. For example, if a struck puck goes out of the playing area, the 
defending player is awarded a penalty shot from the side face off circle 
closest to the location where the puck left the playing area, or if a 
player delays the game (as by shooting two consecutive shots out of the 
playing area), a penalty shot can be awarded from the slot area with the 
defending player defending that penalty shot. A similar penalty shot from 
the slot area can be awarded if an offensive player strikes a puck when it 
is in the crease area, or if a player shoots a puck across two lines 
(lines 26, 28 or 30) without that puck falling into the defender's slot 
area. Such two-line penalty shots can be taken from the center face off 
circle. 
The preferred form of the game includes a base which is 24" long by 14" 
wide by 7" high. The sticks are 6" long, with the deflectors having a 
diagonal size between the corners of 4". The puck is approximately 1" 
thick so the deflectors are also approximately 1" thick as measured 
between the playing surface and the top surface 72 thereof. The surface 24 
is a hard plastic surface with a low coefficient of friction for the 
rubber or plastic puck, and the walls are also plastic so a puck will 
rebound if it strikes the wall. The deflectors are also hard rubber or 
plastic which will cause a puck to rebound if it strikes the deflector. 
The blue lines divide the playing surface into thirds, and the goal is 
approximately one-third as wide as the playing surface. 
It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have 
been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the 
specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.