If the pitch was triangular shaped then you could have a three-way football match. It might mean reducing the number of players on each time, but it would be pretty enjoyable to play. It would be harder for commentators and referees but it could be much more exciting. You could also have a four-way match on a cross-shaped pitch. I was referring to soccer yes. I think you could use 1 or 2 balls with 3 teams and 1,2 or 3 balls with 4 teams.-- JoshW, Apr 14 2001 Halfbaked. http://www.halfbake...a/3_20team_20hockeyat least inasmuch as soccer/football and ice hockey are the same game. [beauxeault, Apr 14 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] PS, since JoshW used the words "pitch" and "match" instead of "field" and "game," I'm guessing he's referring to the game the rest of the world calls football, and not the American version.-- beauxeault, Apr 14 2001 Allowing for the fact that he was probably referring to Soccer, I invented three-team football in the privacy of my bedroom ten years ago or so. American Football, that is.
Problem is, it isn't marketable, practically speaking. Too much travel, too many players involved for too little return. Why should two organizations travel to one spot for the revenue generated by a single game? And in a league of thirty teams, there would only be ten games generating revenue per week, as opposed to fifteen games in the case of traditional two-team format? This applies to three-team soccer as well.
At any rate, my game was fascinating, involving necessary temporary alliances for the sake of the overall season standings (who do we help end up in second place, if we are winning the game, based on current standings?). The field is Mercedes-Benz-logo-shaped, and with eight players on each squad, with four players on each squad being limited to play in their own third of the field, so that in each third of the field, the defense is one team, while the offense is an alliance of four players from each of the other teams, with the team actually in possession of the ball playing center and quarterback and the only eligible receiver and running back positions. Meaning, of course, that the third team helping the offense could conceivable intercept a pass or recover a fumble and gain possession (and possibly a new enemy of their recent ally). Perhaps making a mad dash for the other third of the field.... Also the actual possession team scores more points on a touchdown than the allied team.
Don't steal the idea, I do have it copyrighted. (But if there are any rich entertainment producers out there looking for a new sport idea, let me know!)-- globaltourniquet, Apr 15 2001 NBC is crapping XFL (free advertising!), Fan base for NFL is diminishing with attendance and merchandising dollars-other Networks which spent far more for rights to broadcast, but won't get the return on the advertising dollar stand to lose even more than NBC will. American Football has levelled off to the consumer/viewer. What you're proposing is similar to a field like a game of 3-way Halma or Chinese Checkers without the leapfrog but plus an inflated ball. I'll wait to see who posts Human Chinese Checkers-- thumbwax, Apr 15 2001 You can't copyright an idea, globaltourniquet. Better get that patent application filed quick.-- bookworm, Apr 16 2001 That's right waugsqueke. You can't do either one. The way to own proprietary rights to a game like this is to get investors to put up 1.3 gazillion dollars to create teams and playing venues and a schedule and to flood the airwaves with your 3-team games, plastering the name and logo of your new 3-team football conference on everything. Trademark laws will protect your logo and conference name, and the team names and logos will also be owned by the your conference. The real protection against competition comes from the fact that the second guy who wants to do this will have to put up 3.2 gazillion dollars for the marketing required to overcome the brand identity created by your prior marketing. How to attract the investors? That's another story.-- beauxeault, Apr 17 2001 In principle any intellectual idea is copyrighted as soon as you think of it. The problem comes in proving it in a court of law, that's why we have the library of congress. And you can copyright any intellectual property, simply by writing it down and mailing it to yourself in a sealed envelope and never opening it. If you want to ensure full protection of law, you can send it to the library of congress, along with a fee and a form filled out.
Patents are for inventions, such as if there were any special equipment, or special tools required for the game. Copyrights are for intellectual property.
The reality of course is that beauxeault is right -- that the ones with the most money win the fight for property rights every time.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 For instance, the official rule book for major league baseball is copyrighted -- similarly, all I have is a written list of rules, copyrighted; it would be up to those who own the copyright to the official rules of their league, such as the National Football League, to decide if my rules violated their copyright, but certain similarities between the games are public domain, which allows the XFL to copyright their own set of rules. You can copyright anything you write down -- the library of congress does not do a spot check of existing copyrights when you apply. The lawyers and the courts make that decision if it becomes necessary.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 The "weight" of the "myth" as you put it in the court is entirly dependent on the skill of the lawyers involved. It is possible to win in court with a sealed envelope and a postmark. There is nothing set in stone -- this is why the guy who drew the old Baltimore Ravens logo won millions from the National Football League in court, despite the fact that he never had it Trademarked. He only had to provide evidence that he came up with it first, and that the league had some reasonable access to his idea. Library of Congress notwithstanding.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 Given your little list of copyrightable material, explain, if you will, the copyright on the Official Rules of Major League Baseball. Or at the bottom of many web sites, even ones without graphics (I can find you one). What category is that falling under? They are copyrighting the text as seen.
This post Copyright (c) 2001 globaltourniquet postings, all rights reserved.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 Indeed.
So we are in agreement.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 Bad choice of phrase is how. Unforgiveable, I suppose, in an editable bulletin board....-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 Here's the bottom line:
You may play 3-team football all you want. You may sell it, make millions. But if you draft a list of rules, if it is sufficiently similar to mine, you have violated my copyright. If your list of rules is sufficiently unique, you have not. That would be for the courts to decide.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 17 2001 Them's fightin' words-- thumbwax, Apr 17 2001 I agree with everything waugsqueke said about copyrights, and also agree with globaltourniquet's last annotation on his understanding of his copyrighted material. I also believe you probably *could* patent the game, with these restrictions: 1) The description of the game above amounts to a publication, so you have lost all rights to patent what's published outside the U. S. 2) Within the U.S. you have one year from the date of publication to file the application, but the above disclosure may not have been the first publication (publication can be as simple as telling your friends). 3) There are likely to be problems with prior art and obviousness, and possibly usefulness. But the practical problem with patenting a game like this is that it would be very very easy for a competitor to avoid infringement with relatively minor modifications to the game.
waugsqueke, thanks for the vote of confidence, but there is a whole industry of patent lawyers and patent examiners who know patent law much better than I ever will.-- beauxeault, Apr 18 2001 Regarding the idea of 3 team sports. I think this could be very interesting. I have noticed that every sport outdoors can also be played indoors "arena" style: Arena Football (American); Arena Football(Soccer); Arena Lacrosse...
But what is the best shape for a 3 team field? The copyrighted round Mercedes Benz shaped field or a 3 pronged field?-- Op, Apr 18 2001 Actually, I do believe the shape of the field can't be copyrighted. It would have to be patented.
And I reiterate that in trying to bake the original idea, I came up with the unfortunate truth that it isn't practical, as I described earlier.-- globaltourniquet, Apr 18 2001 i thought i once saw some lego soccer game like that where u can make the pitch as many sided as you want. mindless TV watching then for you.-- pipp, Apr 19 2001 josh are you listening.. A good fun idea. Issued in the spirit of sport. ie fair play.... and dare I say it, generously given. as an idea. Elegant , well stated . Chess is cool played thusly.-- peter2, Nov 05 2001, last modified Nov 06 2001 Three way soccer was a very regular occurance when I was at junior school (Early Eighties) When we played, each team had to score in the goal to their left (play clockwise). Led to some fantastic foul play, as two players from opposing teams crunch a man from the third and then each other. Who wins the foul? Great!-- sven3012, Feb 18 2004 random, halfbakery