Paper football

Paper football (also called Finger football or Flick football) refers to a table-top game, loosely based on American football, in which a sheet of paper folded into a small triangle is slid back and forth across a table top by two opponents and played between 2 players. A long, narrow rectangular table resembling at least somewhat the shape of a football field is needed for satisfactory results. The principal object of the game is to slide the paper football using the thumb and forefinger of one hand in a motion similar to that used in shooting marbles, others may use a flicking motion with the pointer finger to give the "ball" extra spin, so as to come to rest with part of it extending from the end of the table adjacent to the opponent. There are many variations of how to "throw" the ball, such as flicking it with an index finger only, or sliding it by using two fingers, which is easier. This successful shot is a "touchdown" and worth six points. In some cases, it is unclear whether or not a touchdown has been scored, since only a small portion of the ball seems to be over the edge of the table. In this case, some players will "bring out the chains", so to speak, by running a pen or pencil vertically along the edge of the table. If the pen or pencil touches the ball and causes it to move, the touchdown is considered successful. In most versions of the game, if a touchdown was successfully scored, the opponent must then form his fingers into the shape of goalposts, and the player who has just scored the touchdown is then given the opportunity to hold the football on one point vertically at his end of the table and flick it toward the goalposts. If it passes between the opponent's outstretched fingers it is considered a "good" extra point. If not, the game continues.

Shots which fail to reach the end of the table allow the opponent to "receive possession", that is, to take his own shot from that point. Players generally alternate shots until one scores a touchdown or the paper football is knocked completely off the table. In some variations, a shot which results in part of the paper football extending over the side of the table results in a "first down", and the shooter is allowed another shot from that point. Shots which go entirely off the side of the table are considered "out of bounds", and the opponent is allowed a shot from the point at which the paper football went over the edge of the table, or an equivalent spot directly inward from that point.

Shots which go entirely off the end of the table result in the opponent being allowed to kick a "field goal", which employs precisely the same method as described above for "extra points" after touchdowns, except that it scores three points rather than one. In some variations, a shot that goes off the end of the table is scored an "off," and a player gets to attempt a field goal once their opponent has accumulated a pre-determined number of "offs," often three.

Games are not of any specific length and are usually played until one participant scores a predetermined number of points (often 21) and is then recognized as the winner. Games are generally played quite quickly unless the predetermined number of points required is very high. This game is widely practiced, generally by boys of primary and middle school age in the United States, as an informal recreation. At one point in time many schools attempted to ban it, perhaps as being an unauthorized football game, but now it is generally tolerated as the harmless pastime that it usually is and less violent than many other forms of informal recreation could easily be.

External links

* [http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,61243,00.html How to Make a Paper Football]