Paper Football is sometimes called Flick Football, Carta Football or Chinese Football, although the technique used to make the football uses the Japanese art form of origami. This game is known mostly by children because they play it to make time go by faster when they are in school.
How to Fold a Paper Football
First, you will need a piece of paper that is 8 ½ X11 inches. Place the piece of paper in front of you and fold it in half vertically (lengthwise), and then unfold it and either cut or tear the piece in half at the seam. Next, take one half of the paper and place it in front of you vertically (you can save the other half to make another football in the future) and fold it in half lengthwise. Now, take the lower right corner and fold it up and to the left, so that the edge is flush to the left side of the paper. It should look like a triangle. Continue folding the paper up until you reach the top being sure to keep the form of a triangle. Once you reach the top, take the last remaining piece of the paper and fold it into the pocket of the triangle to secure the football. If there is too much leftover, you can cut or tear a little piece of it off to make it fit place. Tape can be applied, if you want to make sure the football will not unravel, but in most cases it will not.
Playing the Game
The rules of Paper Football follow the same rules as American Football. You need two people and a table with a straight edge. The two opponents will sit across from each other, and a coin will be tossed to determine who will begin the game. The winner of the coin toss will start the game with a “kick off” by holding the football between his index finger and the table and flicking it to the other side with his opposite hand. Wherever the ball lands is where the opposite player will start the game. Each player gets three flicks to try and score a touchdown.
A touchdown is made when a player flicks the ball in flick football, and it lands with some of the football over the edge of the table. If the ball is flicked off of the table, the opposite player gets the ball. Once a player scores a touchdown, which is six points just like American Football, that player will try and score a field goal.
To get a field goal, which is one point, the opposite player will form a field goal with his hands, and the winner of the touchdown will hold the ball between his index finger and the table and flick it between the goal posts with his opposite hand.
The game can be played for as long you want. Have fun!
