Abstract:
A basketball board game using a playing board and playing pieces tests a player(s) skill, strategy and luck. The playing board simulates a regulation basketball court and the playing pieces represent basketball players and a basketball. The method of play incorporates physical activity by the game players, combined with strategy and luck to provide a basketball game experience.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    What is needed is a board game that simulates aspects of Basketball that combines physical skills and luck to create a basketball game experience for children and adults.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY  
         [0002]    The present invention meets the above-described need by providing a board game that mimics basketball player movements with game pieces requiring that each player rely upon physical skills to play.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS  
         [0003]    Photo #1): Displays the game board (playing surface) and basketball goals used to simulate regulation basketball court dimensions and lines.  
           [0004]    Photo #2): Displays the game pieces used to simulate basketball players for use with the game.  
           [0005]    Photo #3 and #4): Displays the technique for moving the game pieces used to simulate basketball players during the gaming process.  
           [0006]    Photo # 5 and #6): Displays a technique for simulating a basketball shot during the gaming process. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0007]    (Game Board) is designed to imitate/replicate on a smaller scale a regulation basketball court and can be made of wood, plastic, cardboard, rubber, or any other suitable materials. Basketball goals are attached, affixed, or stand alone, either on, or close to the playing surface.  
         [0008]    Other Playing Pieces— 
         [0009]    Playing pieces are constructed of wood, plastic, rubber, cardboard (or any other suitable material) and can be either flat or slightly raised in a variety of shapes sizes and colors. These playing pieces are used to represent basketball players.  
         [0010]    Basketball is designed to simulate a basketball and sized to scale for the basketball goals incorporated into the game design. The basketball material could be plastic, rubber, vinyl or other suitable materials.  
         [0011]    Rules of Play  
         [0012]    Each player chooses a team (recommended the home team uses their lighter colored game pieces, the visiting team uses their darker colored game pieces).  
         [0013]    Determine which team will get the ball first (Home Team, Visiting Team, coin flip, etc.) (See Also “Dropped Ball” in Alternative Rule section).  
         [0014]    Each team alternates offensive series. A series is the movement of all 3 of their players towards the opponent&#39;s basket and each eligible player can then take a shot at their opponent&#39;s basketball goal.  
         [0015]    The team on defense sets their player pieces on the game court anywhere they choose. Once the defense is set, the offensive player&#39;s game pieces are set on their edges, plucking the corner of the game piece, they will spin towards their opponents basket (similar to spinning a coin, hold on its edge with a finger resting on top to keep steady, then with other hand pluck the edge so that the piece spins freely from under your finger towards the opponents goal).  
         [0016]    The offensive players are set on their edges and spun from two possible areas. One area is their own team&#39;s baseline (where the ball is inbounded in regulation basketball) and/or any area from their own baseline to the half court line. For every defensive player that is setup in the half of the court closets to their opponent&#39;s goal (considered a pressing defense), an offensive game piece must be spun from their own baseline. For every defensive player that is setup in the half of the court closest to the basket they are defending, an offensive player&#39;s game piece is spun from any area between their own baseline and the half court line.  
         [0017]    Strategy Note: When the defensive player places his game pieces in their opponents half of the court (press), it forces the offensive player pieces to travel a farther distance, thus potentially creating more difficult shots (or no shots at all, if the offensive piece goes out of bounds or lands on a defensive player piece [FOUL]). When the defensive player places his game pieces back in his own zone, close the the basket he/she is defending, it creates a better opportunity to be “fouled” (when offensive player game piece comes to rest on top of a defensive player&#39;s game piece), because they are taking up more space in the area the offensive team is trying to get to and shoot from.  
         [0018]    Once all of the offensive player game pieces have been spun, only those players that remain in bounds; have not committed a foul (landed on opponent&#39;s game piece); or landed on their own teammate game piece are eligible to take a shot at the basketball goal. Shots are taken by bouncing the basketball off of the eligible offensive player&#39;s game piece and into the basket. Most effective manner is to hold basketball in hand slightly behind and above your player piece (and in a straight line from your hand to the basketball goal) and then gently throw the basketball onto your player piece (will take practice and players skills will develop over time). In order for the basket to count, it must strike the offensive player&#39;s game piece.  
         [0019]    NOTE: 1) All eligible offensive player&#39;s are allowed to take a shot, regardless of whether a goal has already been made during the series by using another offensive game piece. This means that during an offensive series, the offensive player may score up to 9 points (33 point goals) during his possession. 2) An offensive player is considered out of bounds (not eligible to shoot) if they land anywhere outside of or if any portion of their game piece is touching the out of bounds line (similar to regulation basketball rules). 3) When an offensive player game piece lands on top of (covers any portion of a defensive player game piece) then a foul on that player is called and they are not eligible to shoot. On the 3rd or more foul of any half, the defensive player is allowed to take two free throws (place game piece at foul line and shoot at basket for two shots—each shot=1 point). The defensive player can take more than two foul shots (if more than 1 defensive player is fouled, up to 6 foul shots in one series if all 3 defensive players are fouled). The free throws are shot after any and all eligible offensive players have taken their shots. Once the free throws are attempted, the next series begins and the team, which took the free throws, now gets their regular offensive possession. (4) All made baskets by an offensive game piece is worth 2 points, unless all of that player&#39;s game piece is beyond (and not touching any part of) the three point line (similar to regulation basketball), in which case a made basket is worth 3 points. (5) If an offensive player lands on top of another offensive player, then the player on top is removed from action for the series (picked up and placed to the side) and cannot take a shot.  
         [0020]    A series (also called possession) is an offensive player&#39;s game piece movement (all three players), shots taken by any and all eligible offensive game pieces, then any free throws by the defense (if 4 th  or more fouls in half). Then the possession changes, the player that just took their offensive possession, places his player game pieces into defensive position. Each player should have the same number of possessions during the game, however the number of possessions for each quarter, half, and game can be based on player preferences (we recommend 10 possession per team each half, for a total of 20 possessions per half and 40 total for the game).  
         [0021]    Alternative Rules/Modifications  
         [0022]    The number of possessions (or series) should be predetermined before the start of game play, but can fluctuate to better suit each player.  
         [0023]    The number of fouls before “Free Throws” are taken could be modified to suit player preferences, however basic rules suggest the third foul (in any half) would trigger a defensive players free throws.  
         [0024]    It is recommended that one shot be taken for each eligible player, however before the game it could be determined that the players may take more than one shot at the goal for each eligible player.  
         [0025]    To determine which team gets their offensive possession first, all player game pieces are positioned around the outside of the jump circle (at midcourt) the ball is held over the midcourt circle and dropped, which ever team&#39;s game piece the ball strikes first will have the first possession (if no game piece is hit with the ball, continue to drop the ball until a player game piece is struck).  
         [0026]    Enforcing the rule that the ball must strike the eligible offensive player game piece when they are shooting, could be manipulated to simply ensure the ball is not bounced (shot) from a closer or shorter position to the basketball goal. (i.e. as long as the ball is shot from the eligible player or further from the basketball goal, the shot would count).