US20060068949A1

US20060068949A1 - Advanced football game

Info

Publication number: US20060068949A1
Application number: US10/948,932
Authority: US
Inventors: Vence Autry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-09-24
Filing date: 2004-09-24
Publication date: 2006-03-30

Abstract

A more efficient process of playing and organizing football to increase interest and revenue. Modifying traditional rules and organization of the National Football League the present invention introduces, shortened pre-season, reorganized regular season schedule, and an expanded post season. The present invention also introduces new scoring opportunities to provide a team, that are behind, a chance to create a come from behind situation. Finally, the present invention additionally introduces a consecutive sack rule and an additional player option.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and more efficient method of organizing team play in the National Football League (NFL). It has been designed to promote more competition between teams, and thus, promote fan interest. More specifically, the present invention modifies the traditional rules of football, as well as introduces better preseason, regular season, and playoff scenarios. These modifications will make the game more interesting and its organization easier for fans and the media to understand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Football has grown to more than just another sport in the United States. In fact, a huge amount of money is spent to watch football games and to purchase clothing that displays team colors and favorite player personalities. Fantasy football leagues have grown to allow fans to further enjoy the game of football, and fans even pretend to be the coach of a favorite football team via a video game.
There is no greater super power in the sports world than the NFL, which attracts the game's best players to compete from late summer through winter year after year. Part of the success of the National Football League is because Americans seemingly love the game of football. However, the NFL itself has designed a systematic approach to the game that attempts to balance the game in ways that spur more interest. There is a preseason, a regular season, and then a playoff season that some refer to as a “second” season. The designs of the regular season and the playoff season, in particular, are fundamental to increasing fan interest.
While the preseason of the NFL certainly wets fans appetites, it is the regular season that continues for months, and culminates in the playoffs. The regular season is designed so that each team within a division plays the other teams in their division twice during the regular season. The regular season also calls for each of the teams of one division to play each of the teams of another division in the opposing conference once. They also play the teams of another division within the conference once. These are scheduled on a yearly rotational basis. Additionally, all teams have one bye week sometime during the regular season.
After the regular season has ended, the playoffs are designed so that the team with the best record in each of the eight divisions of the NFL is guaranteed a berth in the playoffs. In addition, in each of the two conferences, two additional teams are admitted into the playoffs. The two additional teams per conference are the non-division winners with the best records. These are commonly referred to as the wild cards. Thus, there are a total of 12 teams in the playoffs according to current NFL rules.
Unfortunately, there are various drawbacks to the way in which the NFL organizes games, one of which is the aforementioned play schedule of the regular season. There is little rhyme or reason to the regular season but that all teams within a division play each other twice. Other games are played against other divisions on a rotational basis once every three of four years depending on the type of game. Aside from this, there is no real structure to the regular season. Moreover, not all teams in a division have a bye week the same week, and this makes it rather difficult for fans to follow and compare intra-divisional records. Teams within one division have different numbers of total games played until the end of the regular season. Current scheduling of bye weeks places some teams at an unfair disadvantage. Some teams who play the previous week have to play a team that is rested from a bye and has had two weeks to prepare. Meanwhile, some teams lose continuity going into the season because they have a scheduled bye week only two or three weeks into the season.
Thus, it is desirable, so that the regular season would foster more competition, to have a new method of regular season play.
The NFL's idea of football playoffs is also undesirable. Allowing 4 non-division winners into the playoffs is laudable, but some of the division winners have inferior records; thus, there are some teams that make the playoffs merely because they are division winners, even though they might have only won 60% of their regular season games.
Thus, it is desirable, so that the best teams are in the playoffs, that some other system be devised to qualify the best teams for the playoffs, and not just the division winners plus the two wild card teams in each conference with the best record. Additionally it is desirable that at the end of the regular season there be a bye week for all play off teams so that each team may have an equal amount of rest and preparation so that all teams will be at their best when competing.
In addition, while football rules are fairly consistent, the NFL, college football, and the Canadian Football League all have various scoring irregularities. It is desirable to devise scoring rules that encourage “big plays” to maintain the excitement that football fans yearn for.
Furthermore, football defenses can play zone, man-on-man, or a combination defense. It is desirable to allow the defense greater latitude than these specific types of formations.
Similarly, football offenses generally have 11 players on the field at one time. The offensive players generally block, run, receive a pass, and/or pass. The defense plans to counter the offense taking into account the number of blockers, runners, and receivers. It is desirable to provide another dimension in the offense so that the defense cannot easily attempt to counter the offense so predictably.
Also, defenses will occasionally blitz the quarterback; however, if a blitz is unsuccessful, then the defense often finds itself shorthanded in defending a pass once the ball has been thrown. It is desirable to provide defense with additional incentives to promote attempts to sack the quarterback.
Thus, the game of football stands to be improved. Specifically, the organization of play between teams requires modification to improve competition. Moreover, there is a need to provide greater excitement so that lulls in game play do not occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a process of playing and organizing the game of football in which various modifications are made to the traditional way football is played and organized to make the game more exciting and interesting. In short, the preseason is shortened so that rather than having four preseason games, three preseason games are played. Further, the regular season is modified so that all teams play a specific type of game on the same week. Also, playoff eligibility is modified so that good teams that do not win their division will have a better chance of making the playoffs. Moreover, the scoring rules of football are modified so that there is a one point defensive play, a four point field goal, a seven point play, an eight point play, and a nine point play. Additionally, an additional player option and a consecutive sack rule are introduced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a process of playing and organizing the game of football. The present invention is an improvement of the game of football as now played and organized by the NFL. That noted, the foregoing description explains how the present invention departs from the game of football as defined by the NFL. The elements of the game of football are described to distinguish between elements of the present invention and the current NFL. If elements of the game of football are not touched upon in the foregoing description, then those elements are identical to the conventional NFL elements. The present invention addresses the game of football in sections as follows: Pre-season modification, Regular season modification, Play-off eligibility modification, Scoring modification and Other additions.
Pre-Season Modification
The present invention has a shortened pre-season; the pre-season has two or three games. There are three reasons for this suggestion. First, pre-season games are not as popular with the fans as the regular season and therefore do not produce as much revenue. Second, head coaches, by the second or third game, know what players will be playing for them in the regular season therefore it is not necessary to have more games. And third, longer pre-seasons allow for more players to get injured which, depending on the injury, can last either a couple weeks, for the entire season or possibly even career ending. The theory behind this thought is that if the player is going to get hurt it might as well be in a game that counts. In this way, his progress up until that point benefits the team.
Regular Season Modification
Currently the NFL's regular season lasts 17 weeks, each team playing a total of 16 games with one bye week. 6 of the 16 games are played against the other members of their own division, 2 games per team. 4 of the 16 games are played against another team in the opposing conference, 4 games 4 teams. Another 4 of the 16 games are played against an entire division in the same conference, 4 games 4 teams. And the last 2 games are played against teams in the other 2 divisions in the same conference, 2 games 2 teams.
The present invention has a Balanced Organized Symmetrical Schedule. The present invention will increase fan base and media interest. This in turn will increase revenues for the NFL through ticket sales, advertising and broadcasting. The suggested schedule format is as follows:
4 weeks will be designated as “host weeks”, where the National Football Conference (NFC) teams would host, at home, the American Football Conference (AFC) teams on 2 weeks. On the other 2 weeks the AFC teams would host the NFC teams. The order in which this happens will be discussed later.
6 weeks will be designated as “division weeks” where every team in the NFL would be playing 1 team in their division that week. By the end of those 6 weeks, which are not consecutive, any given team will have played each team in their division twice during the regular season.
3 weeks will be designated as “NFL all conference weeks”. During those three weeks every team would be playing a team within their conference but outside of their division.
2 weeks will be designated as “Commissioner's Draw” weeks where a lottery will be conducted, randomly matching home teams against visiting teams. Each team would host on lottery games and travel as the visiting team in one game. However to increase the excitement of the fans, neither the team nor the fans will know what teams will play each other until a week before the game is supposed to be played.
And lastly 2 weeks will be designated as Conference showcase weeks. Every season each team has 1 bye week, however they come at random times during the season. The present invention introduces a more organized bye week method. This will occur on 2 weeks out of the season. On one week in which the entire AFC will have a bye while the NFC plays intra-conference games and the other week the entire NFC will have a bye while the entire AFC plays intra-conference games. Promotionally, for the NFL and the media networks this creates what can be called either an AFC Showcase week or an NFC Showcase week. The present invention schedules divisional weeks after each conference showcase weeks. Using this new method each team will have an equal amount of time to prepare as the team they will be playing.

A typical Balanced Organized Symmetrical Schedule for any given season will look as follows:



	WEEK 1	AFC host NFC
	WEEK 2	NFDL all conference week
	WEEK 3	Divisional week
	WEEK 4	NFC host AFC
	WEEK 5	NFL all conference week
	WEEK 6	AFC Showcase (NFC by week)
	WEEK 7	Divisional week
	WEEK 8	Commisioner's Draw
	WEEK 9	Divisional week
	WEEK 10	NFC Showcase (AFC bye week)
	WEEK 11	Divisional week
	WEEK 12	AFC host NFC
	WEEK 13	NFL All conference week
	WEEK 14	Divisional week
	WEEK 15	Commisioner's Draw
	WEEK 16	NFC host AFC
	WEEK 17	Divisional week

	END REGULAR SEASON

Playoff Eligibility Modification

The play-offs currently allow for the 4 division winners and 2 wild card teams from each conference for a total of 12 teams that play in the post-season. The problem arises, however, when a team wins their division with an 8-8 or a 9-7 record. Another team, with a better record, in another division will eventually be left outof the play offs simply because they are playing in a stronger division. One division winner may have a 14-2 record, but the next best team in that same division with an 11-5 record may not clinch the a wild card spot and will be excluded from the post-season. This happens because a playoff berth must go to each division winner regardless of their record. Adding 4 wild card teams would correct the deficiency.

The present invention modifies the playoff format to where there are 16 teams instead of 12 to give the better teams in stronger divisions a better chance of making it to the super bowl. The present invention also introduces a bye week in between the end of regular season and the start of the post season so that not team has an advantage over another team due to lack of rest and preparation. The Balanced Organized Symmetrical Schedule would reflect as follows:



WEEK 18	Pre Play-off bye week
WEEK 19	First round Super 16 wild card play-offs (Thursday-
	Saturday)
WEEK 20	Divisional play-off round (Saturday-Sunday)
WEEK 21	Conference Championships
WEEK 22	Bye week
WEEK 23	Super Bowl (NFL Championships)
WEEK 24	Pro Bowl

Scoring Modifications

In order to increase the interest and excitement of the fans, media and the NFL, a scoring scheme in addition to the current NFL scoring is introduced by the present invention. Currently the NFL's scoring scheme consists of a 6 point touchdown with the opportunity to either kick an extra point or go for a 2 point conversion where the ball must enter the end-zone a second time from the 2 yard-line. A 3 point field goal which can be kicked from anywhere on the field, provided the ball passes through the field goal uprights. There is also a 2 point defensive play called a safety where the defense tackles any player inside their own end-zone.
The present invention has an additional scoring scheme that will encourage the “Big Play”, and will give a team that is losing the game and running out of time, more opportunities to create a comeback. This scoring scheme will be subcategorized as follows: 1 point defensive play, 4 point field goal, 7 point play, 8 point play and 9 point play.
1 Point Defensive Play
If the defense either intercepts a pass or recovers a fumble in their own end-zone that team will be awarded 1 point. If the player is tacked or downs the ball in that end-zone the ball will be placed on the 7 yard-line instead of the normal touchback which would put the ball on the 20 yard-line. If the player runs it out of the end-zone the ball will be spotted where ever that player was tackled or where he went out of bounds.
4 Point Field Goal
Today the typical range of a kicker in the NFL for field goals is up to and including 45 yards. However, there are a number of kickers capable of kicking a field goal accurately from a distance of over 50 yards. The 4 point field goal is designed to give those teams losing the game that have a kicker able to kick at that distance a chance to make up the difference in score. It is also serves to encourage any team that does not have a kicker with that type of range to improve their kicking game.
7 Point Play
Any run or pass more than 50 yards for a touchdown will be worth 7 points, with a 1 or 2 point conversion afterwards.
8 Point Play
Any run, pass, punt or kick off return for 100 or more yards (end-zone to end-zone) will be worth 8 points with a 1 or 2 point conversion to follow.
9 Point Play
After a 1 point defensive play, if the ball is returned, end-zone to end-zone, for a touch down this play will total 9 points. A 1 or 2 point conversion would follow. 1 point for the interception or fumble recovery and 8 points for the end-zone to end-zone touchdown.
Other Additions
Other additions would include the additional player option and the consecutive sack rule and are explained in the following:
Additional Player Option
Once every half a team has the option to add an additional player to the field for a total of 12 players on one team for up to 4 consecutive plays. The additional player can be added on offense or defense. When one team chooses to use their additional player option the opposing team can choose to either match or defer their option in hopes of gaining the advantage later in the half to either score or stop a score. When the team decides to use this option the 12^thplayer must report his eligibility to the referee. Failure to do so will result in a “too many men on the field” penalty and loss of the additional player option for that half.
Consecutive Sack Rule
Two consecutive sacks of the quarterback between the 30 yard-lines would result in automatic change of possession. This would give additional incentive to a desperate defense who's team is behind.
Having illustrated the present invention, it should be understood that various adjustments and versions might be implemented without venturing away from the essence of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and should be interpreted as any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A process of playing and organizing a football game, wherein there is a pre-season, regular season and post season, comprising:

playing the pre-season with no more than three pre-season games; and

playing the post season with no less than sixteen post season teams.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising playing the regular season with regular season teams.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein said regular season teams are separated into at least two conferences.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said at least two conferences are separated into at least two divisions.

5. The process of claim 3, further comprising playing the regular season with sixteen regular season games per each of said regular season teams.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein four of said sixteen regular season games are hosted by one of said at least two conferences on the same week.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein said at least two conferences are separated into at least two divisions, and wherein six of said sixteen regular season games are played within one of said at least two divisions on the same week.

8. The process of claim 5, wherein three of said sixteen regular season games are played within one of said at least two conferences on the same week.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein said at least two conferences are separated into at least two divisions, and wherein said three of said sixteen regular season games are played within all but one of said at least two divisions.

10. The process of claim 5, wherein two of said sixteen regular season games are between regular season teams randomly matched on the same week.

11. The process of claim 5, wherein two of said sixteen regular season games are played between said regular season teams within only one of said at least two conferences.

12. A process of playing and scoring football, comprising:

awarding one point for a defensive play resulting in a change of possession;

awarding four points for a field goal from a distance greater than fifty yards;

awarding seven points for a run or pass for a distance greater than fifty yards; and

awarding eight point for a run, pass, kick or punt return greater than one hundred yards.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein said one point is awarded for an interception in the end zone.

14. The process of claim 12, wherein said one point is awarded for a fumble recovery by the defense in the end zone.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein said one point is awarded for an interception in the end zone.

16. A process of playing football comprising:

adding an extra player to a team on the field for four consecutive plays once every half; and

changing possession after two consecutive sacks of the quarterback between the thirty yard lines.