Easy dad project: Football/rugby uprights

~ 25 November 2009 ~

Homemade football/rugby uprights using PVC pipe

I was always throwing stuff together as a kid, like homemade go-karts, bike ramps, forts, and other stuff that substantiated my existence as a boy. Now with boys of my own, it’s as if I’m remaking all that stuff again. Except it’s even more fun with kids.

One of the projects we put together recently was a simple, cheap set of football/rugby uprights. In football (American), the uprights at either end of the playing field are similar to those used in rugby. Seeing how tomorrow is Thanksgiving holiday here, when amateur “turkey bowl” games will be played in neighborhoods around the country, I figured some of you might be interested in knowing how we built ours.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Materials: (8) 5-foot sections of 1-1/2 in. PVC pipe, (4) 1-1/2 in. tees, (2) 1-1/2 in. elbows, and (2) unthreaded end caps
Tools: None, unless your local hardware store sells only 10-foot sections of PVC pipe. In that case, you’ll need a simple hacksaw or something similar to cut each section in half.
Time required to build: About 15 minutes
Total cost: About $20 USD

There isn’t much instruction needed beyond what you see in the photo below. Just piece everything together as shown:

You don’t need to glue the joints. They’ll hold together just fine with friction. Also, you can easily take it apart for storage when not in use.

This kind of article is bit off-topic for me, but I know many of you web and design folk are also dads and moms with kids around the house. If you find this helpful, I’ll consider posting other projects in the future, some of which are a little more complex (such as this homemade go-kart).

11 Comments

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Stock photography, type, and killer tees. Genuinely recommended by Authentic Boredom.

1 Paul Redmond ~ 25 November 2009

Awesome idea! I love anything that inspires kids to be outside getting exercise and using their imagination. Kudos. Did they get to help with the project?

2 Cameron Moll ~ 25 November 2009

Yes, though there really wasn’t much to do on this project. They did a lot more on the go-kart one.

3 Harold Emsheimer ~ 25 November 2009

Nice work Cameron! I really enjoy these little write-ups, I think it’s a reminder that creativity comes in many shapes and sizes.

4 Cam Trollope ~ 25 November 2009

Haha this is a great idea! Can’t wait to be a father so I can do this for my kids!

5 Steve Rose ~ 25 November 2009

I fully enjoy building stuff with PVC; I wish we had had it when I was a kid. I don’t think kids get much opportunity to create things from raw materials these days, and it’s too bad. When you take the PVC apart, you can also use it again for a different project.

6 Rob L. ~ 26 November 2009

+1 in votes column for “yes, post more like this in the future.”

7 Steve Wanless ~ 26 November 2009

Great post Cameron, it’s good to stop thinking work a minute and think about building for my boys when they are old enough.

8 Dave ~ 03 December 2009

How do you stop it from tipping over? The goalpost end is heavier than the other side…you need to anchor it down…

9 Michael Locke ~ 03 December 2009

Ok, c’mon…is there anything you can’t do? I want one, but to convert into a soccer net for my 3 yr old. Thanks for the idea. ;)

10 Cameron Moll ~ 03 December 2009

@ Dave: It hasn’t tipped over yet. The 3 pipes lying on the ground are heavy enough to prevent it from falling forward and wide enough to prevent it from falling backward.

11 Goran Aničić ~ 04 December 2009

;) great idea