Modified soccer field and method of use

Abstract

A modified soccer (“football”) field layout and associated modified method of playing soccer on the modified soccer field layout are described. The modified soccer field layout is approximately the same size as a conventional soccer field layout. In one example, the modified soccer field layout also has two Forward Areas and two Forward Lines. In one example, the method of playing soccer on the modified soccer field includes at least one associated Forward Area Soccer Rule.

1 . A layout for a field for playing soccer, having opposing sidelines approximately the length and locations of sidelines on a conventional soccer field, having opposing endlines approximately the length and locations of endlines on a conventional soccer field, having goals approximately the size and locations of goals on a conventional soccer field, having penalty boxes approximately the locations of penalty boxes on a conventional soccer field, having goal boxes approximately the locations of goal boxes on a conventional soccer field, comprising:
 two Forward Lines defined on the field, wherein the Forward Lines extend across a width direction of the field, wherein a first Forward Line is located on a first side of a midline extending across a width direction of the field, wherein a second Forward Line is located on a second side of the midline, wherein the first Forward Line is located between the midline and a first endline, wherein the second Forward Line is located between the midline and a second endline; and   two Forward Areas defined on the field, wherein a first Forward Area is located on the first side of the midline, wherein a second Forward Area is located on the second side of the midline, wherein the Forward Areas are each defined by length direction sides and width direction sides, wherein the length direction sides of the Forward Areas are defined by two opposing sidelines on the field, wherein the width direction sides of the first Forward Area are defined by the first endline and the first Forward Line, wherein the width direction sides of the second Forward Area are defined by the second endline and the second Forward Line.   
   
   
       2 . The field layout for playing soccer according to  claim 1 , wherein the first Forward Line is located approximately twenty to twenty-six yards (18.3 to 23.8 meters) in front of the first endline, and wherein the second Forward Line is located approximately twenty to twenty-six yards (18.3 to 23.8 meters) in front of the second endline. 
   
   
       3 . The field layout for playing soccer according to  claim 1 , wherein two goal boxes are defined on the field, wherein a first goal box is located on the first side of the midline, wherein a second goal box is located on the second side of the midline, wherein the goal boxes are defined by length direction sides and width direction sides, wherein the length direction sides of the goal boxes are approximately seven to nine yards (6.4 to 8.2 meters) long, wherein the width direction sides of the goal boxes are approximately twenty-one to twenty-three yards (19.2 to 21 meters) long, wherein a first width direction side of the first goal box is located on along the first endline, wherein a second width direction side of the first goal box is located approximately seven to nine yards (6.4 to 8.2 meters) in front of the first endline, wherein a first width direction side of the second goal box is located along the second endline, wherein a second width direction side of the second goal box is located approximately seven to nine yards (6.4 to 8.2 meters) in front of the second endline, wherein the length direction sides of each goal box are spaced approximately equidistant from a center of the field. 
   
   
       4 . The field layout for playing soccer according to  claim 1 , further comprising two Direct Kick Spots defined on the field, wherein a first Direct Kick Spot is located on the first side of the midline, wherein a second Direct Kick Spot is located on the second side of the midline, wherein the first Direct Kick Spot is located approximately fifteen to twenty yards (13.7 to 18.3 meters) in front of the first endline, wherein the second Direct Kick Spot is located approximately fifteen to twenty yards (13.7 to 18.3 meters) in front of the second endline, wherein the Direct Kick Spots are each located approximately halfway between the two opposing sidelines on the field. 
   
   
       5 . A method of playing soccer having two opposing teams, having a plurality of players on a field, the field having opposing sidelines approximately the length and locations of sidelines on a conventional soccer field, having opposing endlines approximately the length and locations of endlines on a conventional soccer field, having goals approximately the size and locations of goals on a conventional soccer field, having penalty boxes approximately the locations of penalty boxes on a conventional soccer field, having goal boxes approximately the locations of goal boxes on a conventional soccer field, the method comprising:
 two teams playing a game on the field;   providing two Forward Lines and two Forward Areas on the field, wherein the Forward Lines extend across a width direction of the field, wherein a first Forward Line is located on a first side of a midline, wherein a second Forward Line is located on a second side of the midline, wherein the first Forward Line is located between the midline and a first endline, wherein the second Forward Line is located between the midline and a second endline, wherein a first Forward Area is located on the first side of the midline, wherein a second Forward Area is located on the second side of the midline, wherein the Forward Areas are defined by length direction sides and width direction sides, wherein the length direction sides of the Forward Areas are defined by two opposing sidelines on the field, wherein the width direction sides of the first Forward Area are defined by the first endline and the first Forward Line, wherein the width direction sides of the second Forward Area are defined by the second endline and the second Forward Line; and   playing the game according to at least one Forward Area Soccer Rule.   
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the first Forward Line is located approximately twenty to twenty-six yards (18.3 to 23.8 meters) in front of the first endline, and wherein the second Forward Line is located approximately twenty to twenty-six yards (18.3 to 23.8 meters) in front of the second endline. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising providing two goal boxes on the field, wherein a first goal box is located on the first side of the midline, wherein a second goal box is located on the second side of the midline, wherein the goal boxes are defined by length direction sides and width direction sides, wherein the length direction sides of the goal boxes are approximately seven to nine yards (6.4 to 8.2 meters) in length, wherein the width direction sides of the goal boxes are approximately twenty-one to twenty-three yards (19.2 to 21 meters) in length, wherein a first width direction side of the first goal box is located on along the first endline, wherein a second width direction side of the first goal box is located approximately seven to nine yards (6.4 to 8.2 meters) in front of the first endline, wherein a first width direction side of the second goal box is located on the second endline, wherein a second width direction side of the second goal box is located approximately seven to nine yards (6.4 to 8.2 meters) in front of the second endline, and wherein the length direction sides of each goal box are spaced approximately equidistant from the center of the field. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 7  further comprising penalizing a first team if a player, other than a defending goal keeper, of the first team is in either goal box for more than a set period of time without possession of a ball. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 7  further comprising playing the game according to a rule which provides that a shot on goal which is made by a first team from within a second team's goal box and which causes a ball to go into the second team's goal is only counted as a scored goal for the first team if the shot on goal is made by either a header shot or a scissor kick shot. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 5  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising penalizing a first team if more than a set number of players from the first team are in either Forward Area at a time. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising playing the game with seven to ten players on the field per team at a time. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 5  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising awarding a throw-in to a first team at a sideline in front a Forward Area of a second team if a player on the second team kicks a ball from a Forward Area of the second team to the Forward Area of the second team without the ball contacting another player prior to entering the Forward Area of the first team. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 5  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising assessing an offsides penalty to a first team if a pass is made from a passing player on the first team who is located outside of a Forward Area of a second team to a receiving player on the first team who is located inside the Forward Area of the second team, if there are not at least two players of the second team between said receiving player on the first team and an endline of the second team at the time of receipt of the pass. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 5  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising awarding a first team a direct kick for each defensive out of bounds off of a player on a second team in a Forward Area of the second team beyond a set number of defensive out of bounds per team per period. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 5  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising awarding a corner kick to a first player on a first team inside a Forward Area of a second team;
 allowing only one player, a second player, on the first team to be located inside the Forward Area of the second team at the time of said corner kick; and   allowing only one player, a goal keeper, on the second team to be located inside the Forward Area of the second team at the time of said corner kick.   
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 5  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising assessing a penalty to a second team if the second team maintains possession of a ball in a Forward Area of a first team without taking a shot on goal for a time period exceeding a set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal, wherein said penalty is loss of possession of the ball. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising resetting the set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal if the first team obtains possession of the ball outside of the Forward Area of the first team, wherein a new set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal will begin if the second team subsequently has possession of the ball inside of the Forward Area of the first team. 
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 16  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising resetting the set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal if the ball goes out of bounds off of a player on the first team in the Forward Area of the first team, wherein a new set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal will begin if the second team subsequently obtains possession of the ball in the Forward Area of the first team. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 16  the Forward Area Soccer Rule comprising penalizing a team if a player on the team leaves the Forward Area of the first team during the set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal and reenters the Forward Area of the first team before the set time period for the second team to take a shot on goal has either expired or been reset. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising requiring a second team to play with one less player for a set penalty time period if the second team has exceeded a set penalty number of yellow card fouls per period per team; and
 requiring the second team to play without an additional player for the set penalty time period for each additional yellow card foul committed by a player on the second team exceeding the set penalty number of yellow card fouls per period per team.   
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising providing two Direct Kick Spots on the field, wherein a first Direct Kick Spot is located on the first side of the midline, wherein a second Direct Kick Spot is located on the second side of the midline, wherein the first Direct Kick Spot is located approximately fifteen to twenty yards (13.7 to 18.3 meters) in front of a first goal, wherein the second Direct Kick Spot is located approximately fifteen to twenty yards (13.7 to 18.3 meters) in front of a second goal, wherein the Direct Kick Spots are located halfway between two opposing sidelines on the field; and
 awarding a direct kick to a first team for a direct kick foul committed by a second team, wherein the first team takes the direct kick from a Direct Kick Spot located approximately fifteen to twenty yards (13.7 to 18.3 meters) in front of a goal of the second team.   
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising playing the game in three time periods having breaks between the three time periods. 
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising requiring each team to have a minimum number of players, not including a defending goal keeper, on each side of the midline on the field after a first change of possession during each period. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising allowing player substitutions during the game up to a set number of active players per team per game, wherein active players who leave the game during the player substitutions are permitted to reenter the game during subsequent player substitutions. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising allowing each team to call a set number of timeouts per period.