Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER DENT, 1, Tothill Street, Westminster, Provision Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to a table game and a board on which the same is played.
The plan represents a football field but with a very wide goal and as further
no goal keeper is used the game is styled "Open goal."
At the
The game is played upon the said plan drawn or printed upon paper, board card
or other suitable flat surface with lines drawn 19 in one direction and 17 at right
angles to them also diagonal lines as shown in the drawing annexed.
intersections of the four lines various distinctive marks are placed indicating
special stations on the field as shown.
The game is played with pawns representing eleven men on each side dis-
tinguished by colours and a football.
The men are placed upon the points marked A. and the ball upon the point
marked B in front of the centre forward man on the side having the first play
and the game is commenced by this man kicking off the ball each side playing in
turn. The object of the game is to drive the ball on to one of the points in
opponents goal marked in drawing C. between the posts D.
The players move along the points in a straight line in any direction forward-
backward sideways or diagonally to any distance so far as the line is clear but
cannot pass over another man of either side standing in the way nor can they
pass over the ball.
When the ball stands in the line of run it may be kicked (i.e. moved to another
point) in the direction in which the man is going either straight forward diagonally
or sideways (but not backward) to any distance so far as the line is clear, the
player being left upon the point from which the ball has been kicked.
A player may drive the ball toward his own goal if he wishes to do so and the
position of his man allows it but he is not obliged to kick the ball at all should
another move serve his purpose better.
Should a player be standing on a point next to the ball he has the priviledge
of kicking it over the heads of all who stand in his way as far as the third point
beyond the furthest man on that line.
The players may move into the boundary E but not into the goal. The ball is
not allowed on the boundary-and neither ball nor man may play upon the goal
posts.
When a goal has been made the players return to their original positions and
start as before the loser having the kick off.
Playing to time is of the essence of the game if either side does not play within
fifteen seconds the other player shall count five slowly and audibly and if a move
be not made by that time shall be entitled to play again. Odds may be given
by one side undertaking to play within a shorter time limit-say five or ten seconds
instead of fifteen.

page_text: A match shall last for half an hour or any agreed time the side scoring the
greatest number of goals to be the winner and the game in progress when time
is called to be counted drawn.
Dated this Twenty-second day of December 1897
ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER DENT, 1, Tothill Street, Westminster, Provision Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention relates to a table game and a board on which the same is played.
The plan represents a football field but with a very wide goal and as further
no goal keeper is used the game is styled "Open goal."
The game is played upon the said plan drawn or printed upon paper board card
or other suitable flat surface with lines drawn, 19 in one direction and 17 at right
angles to them also diagonal lines as shown in the drawing filed with my Pro-
visional Specification. At the intersections of the four lines various distinctive
marks are placed indicating special stations on the field as shown.
The game is played with pawns representing eleven men on each side dis
tinguished by colours, and a football.
The men are placed upon the points marked A and the ball upon the point
marked B in front of the centre forward man on the side having the first play
and the game is commenced by this man kicking off the ball, each side playing in
turn.
The object of the game is to drive the ball on to one of the points in opponents
goal marked on drawing C between the posts D.
The players move along the points in a straight line in any direction forward
backward sideways or diagonally-to any distance so far as the line is clear but
cannot pass over another man of either side standing in the way-nor can they
pass over the ball.
When the ball stands in the line of run it may be kicked (i.e. moved to another
point) in the direction in which the man is going either straight forward, diagonally,
or sideways to any distance so far as the line is clear the player being left on the
point from which the ball has been kicked.
A player may drive the ball towards his own goal if he wishes to do so and the
position of his man allows it but he is not obliged to kick the ball at all should
another move serve his purpose better.
Should a player be standing on a point next to the ball he has the priviledge
of kicking it over the heads of all who stand in his way as far as the third point
beyond the farthest man on that line.
The players may move into the boundary E but not into the goal. The ball is
not allowed on the boundary and neither ball nor man may play upon the goal
posts.
When a goal has been made the players return to their original positions and
start as before the loser having the kick off.
Playing to time is of the essence of the game, if either side does not play within
fifteen seconds the other player shall count five slowly and audibly and if a move
be not made by that time shall be entitled to play again. Odds may be given

page_text: by one side undertaking to play within a shorter time limit say five or ten seconds
instead of fifteen.
A match shall last for half an hour or any agreed time the side scoring the
greatest number of goals to be the winner and the game in progress when time
is called to be counted drawn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
The new game of skill entitled "Open goal" provided for and played substantially
as described in above specification and shown in the drawings filed with my
Provisional Specification.