Paper football is a great way of whiling away time, especially when you’re bored out of your mind. In order to play paper football at home, or with your friends, you will first need to learn how to make the triangular ball using paper or plastic…
A paper football does not look like a ball at all, and is in fact, flat and triangular in shape. It is a game which is played by flicking the triangle, so as to make it slide on a smooth rectangular table. It is very important for the table to have an extremely smooth surface, as it allows the football to slide across the edges, so as to score a touchdown. The size of the table may depend upon the number of players or the preference of the competitors.
In order to learn how to play paper football, you will firstly need to learn how to make the triangular football. Making this dice is pretty easy once you get the basic idea of how to go about the directions. Read the directions carefully, before getting started so as to avoid mistakes. Using thick paper, or craft paper, makes the triangle more sturdy and long-lasting. You may wrap a plastic layer over this striker, to make it resistant to dirt and tearing.
How to Make a Paper Football
- All you will need is normal A4 sized sheet of paper. You may use a rough page from your school worksheet as well.
- Now fold the sheet into three equal and vertical halves, so as to form a rectangular ruler like shape.
- Your next step requires you to fold the edges of the paper in order to create a small triangle. You will do this by flipping the corner of the sheet, and bringing it to the other edge of the sheet, this will make a triangle.
- Repeat this procedure a few times, until only a small rectangular patch of paper is remaining. At this point you must have a thick, and flat triangular piece of paper in your hand.
- Take the free side of the paper and tuck it into the triangle. If you find this tough, you can cut off the reaming paper and stick it with tape.
- Your paper football is ready. You must slide it on the table to see how smoothly it moves around.
Rules to Play Paper Football
► A two player game will require the tossing of a coin, according to which the opener of the game is decided. The two players have to sit facing each other, with the table in between them.
► The player defending his goal post will need to create a goal area, by touching both his thumbs together. The rest of the fingers will be held up, so as to create the goal posts, akin to American football fields. Both players must either keep the goal posts at similar heights or use other items in order to demarcate the goal area.
► A game starts with a Kick-Off, which actually means to make the first flick or slide of the triangular football. The opponent will need to kick the ball according to where it stops on the playing field, which is the table. However, if the ball falls over the edge of the table, it is considered as a foul, and no score is allotted for this move.
► Secondly, if during the kick-off, the offensive party slides the ball in such a way that the ball has a part of its edge sticking across the edge of the table, then it falls under the Safety Zone. This move gains 2 points for the opening slider.
► There are other ways of initiating a kick-off, the most popular being the Wind Rule. Under this rule, the player needs to place the ball on his or her palm and flick it up in the air, by slapping the underside of their one hand by using the free hand. The objective is to make the ball fly across to the defensive goal post, in order to gain a 2 point score.
► The paper football cannot be pushed and must always be flicked, using the same technique as used while playing the carom-board game or the game of flicking marbles.
► A Touchdown is the highest scoring move, which earns the slider 6 points. It looks like a kick-off and requires the edge of the paper football to be jetting out over the edge of the table. After which, the opponent will try to disturb the paper using a key chain, pen, pencil or ruler. If in case the paper slides over and falls from the table, it is considered as a touchdown (TD)!
► Soon after scoring the touchdown, the player will get a second chance to score 1 or 2 points, which will be added to the 6 points from the touchdown.
► For a score of 1 point, it requires that the player flick the ball in the air, so that it travels across the middle of the goal posts.
► The Two Point Conversion requires that the player slide the ball across the table, much like a touchdown, in order for the ball to reach the edge of the table.
► Field Goals gain 3 points for the player. It uses the palm flick, which makes the ball fly across to the goal post.
► Penalties cause the loss of possession of the ball, which is taken over by the competing party.
► The game ends with a Sudden Death, when the game time as decided by the players comes to an end. Any point gained by the party in possession of the paper ball, after the game time, wins the game, only if his or her score is higher than the opponent’s.
The above mentioned rules show you how to play paper football in the conventional manner, using basic steps. However, many variations have been introduced, as per the feasibility of the competing parties. You can do the same too to have more fun!