EP3863740A1

EP3863740A1 - A free-kick wall system

Info

Publication number: EP3863740A1
Application number: EP19831922.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antwan Antonius Gerardus RIJKERS; Machiel DEBETS
Original assignee: Freekickpro Holding BV
Current assignee: Freekickpro Holding BV
Priority date: 2018-10-12
Filing date: 2019-09-23
Publication date: 2021-08-18
Also published as: WO2020076151A1; NL2021800B1; WO2020076151A8

Abstract

A free-kick wall system comprising: -a movable free-kick wall for mimicking a wall of players when taking a free- kick on a playing field; -a data register unit comprising historical data related to a plurality of historical free-kicks, preferably using said movable free-kick wall; -a data collecting unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, arranged for collecting data related to a free-kick to be taken using said moveable free-kick wall; -a determining unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, arranged for determining free-kick parameters for said free-kick to be taken taking into account said historical data and data collected related to said free-kick to be taken; and -a proposal unit, communicatively couple to said determining unit,arranged for providing a proposal to a user of the free-kick wall system for taking and/or blocking said free-kick to be taken.

Description

A free-kick wall system

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of sporting equipment and more specifically to a device for facilitating the training of soccer players. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to a device for simulating a condition of a free-kick, in a particular a direct free-kick, in soccer and provides a method for soccer players to train for free-kick scenarios.

Background of the Invention

For sportspersons, a lot of time goes into practice before the big day of a game. The time spent in practicing and sharpening skills clearly has an impact on the game during a match. In soccer, dead ball situations are particularly attractive since they present a unique opportunity to score a goal. Often such situations can present an opportunity to change the course of a game. Hence, it is really important to spend a good amount of time in practicing free-kicks, in particular direct free-kicks.

During an actual match, for a free-kick, the opponent team usually creates a wall acting as an obstacle in the direct path between the ball and the goal in order to protect a certain area of the goal. Coaches are known to employ training aids that simulate a wall during training sessions thereby allowing soccer players to practice taking free-kicks.

Current known techniques for free kick training merely employ a wall, that in some instances emulates the jumping of players upon taking a kick. More often the wall comprises static wall members that are plugged into the ground of the playing field. However, the known techniques do not, or at least only to a limited extent, provide coaches with a training tool that provides a relative realistic game situation. Summary of the Invention

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method to realise a relative realistic game situation.

The objective is achieved by the free-kick wall system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The free-kick wall system according to the present disclosure comprises:

a movable free-kick wall for mimicking a wall of players when taking a free- kick on a playing field;

a data register unit comprising historical data related to a plurality of historical free-kicks, preferably using said movable free-kick wall.

A free-kick wall is known from the prior art and mimics a wall of players standing in between the ball and the goal, thereby presenting an obstacle in the direct path of the ball towards the goal. The wall could be of any shape and size such that it presents an obstacle to the person taking the free-kick. The person skilled in the art is able to imagine any number of suitable shapes and sizes. The inventors consider that making the free-kick wall movable is an advantage in terms of offering mobility. The mobility may be achieved by using at least one wheel attached at the bottom of the free-kick wall. Alternately, the free- kick wall maybe designed and constructed using light-weight materials such that the wall may be lifted and placed at a convenient location by a user of the wall.

The present disclosure relates at least partly on the insight that data of a plurality of historical free-kicks, provided by a data register unit, preferably using said movable free-kick wall, allows a coach and/or a player to practise relative realistic game situation taking into account the historical data.

Preferably, the free-kick wall system comprises a data collecting unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, arranged for collecting data related to a free-kick to be taken using said moveable free-kick wall. A data collecting unit may be used to collect information of a free-kick to be taken and thereby allowing to expand the set of historical data using the movable free-kick wall. This is beneficial for allowing a coach and/or a player to practise relative realistic game situation. Preferably, the free-kick wall system further comprises:

a determining unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, arranged for determining free-kick parameters for said free-kick to be taken taking into account said historical data and data collected related to said free-kick to be taken; and a proposal unit, communicatively coupled to said determining unit, arranged for providing a proposal, preferably during use, to a user of the free-kick wall system for taking and/or blocking said free-kick to be taken.

The present disclosure relates at least partly on the insight that by providing a determining unit and a proposal unit, the coach and/or a player may be provided with a proposal comprising free-kick parameters before taking the free-kick to be taken. This is beneficial for allowing a coach and/or a player to practise relative realistic game situation taking into account the historical data. The proposal may for instance comprise a suggestion for a particular player for kicking the ball as a part of an offensive mode. As part of a defensive mode the proposal may for instance comprise a suggestion for a position of the goal keeper on the goal line and/or a position for the free-kick wall on the playing field.

In an embodiment of the free-kick wall system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, said movable free-kick wall comprises a plurality of wall members for simulating a plurality of soccer players and wherein said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to the number of wall members. For the purpose of practising it is beneficial if the free-kick wall resembles soccer players as closely as possible. In this respect, the free-kick wall may comprise a plurality of wall members whose outline resembles a human shape. It is advantageous if the historical data and/or the collected data relates at least to the number of wall members for allowing the coach and/or the player to practise relative realistic game situation taking into account the number of wall members.

In this regard it is beneficial if said movable free-kick wall further comprises member height adjustment means arranged for setting a height of each of the wall members separately and wherein said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to the height of each of the wall members. This is beneficial for realising a relative realistic game situation. In addition to realising a relative realistic game situation, a higher setting of the height of each wall members may present a bigger obstacle to the player taking the free- kick and can help in improving the free-kick abilities of the player. It is advantageous if the historical data and/or the collected data relates at least to the height of each of the wall members for allowing the coach and/or the player to practise relative realistic game situation taking into account the height of each of the wall members.

In an embodiment of the free-kick wall system, said moveable free-kick wall comprises a plurality of wall members for simulating a plurality of soccer players, wherein said movable free-kick wall further comprises:

vertical member movement means arranged for vertically moving each of the wall members separately thereby simulating jumping of each of the wall members separately;

jump height setting means in communication with said vertical member movement means and arranged for setting jump heights of said simulated jumps of each of the wall members,

wherein said vertical member movement means are further arranged for vertically moving each of the wall members based on said set jump heights respectively; and

wherein said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to the set jump heights of said simulated jumps of each of the wall members.

In order to realising a relative realistic game situation, it may be advantageous to include the vertical member moving means. The vertical member movement means is designed to individually move the individual members of the free-kick wall. The direction of the motion may be in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the playing field. Such a movement means may be a pneumatic or hydraulic piston, for example.

It may further be advantageous to include the jump height setting means to control how high each of the individual members moves. Such a setting may be applied uniformly to all the individual members forming the wall, or alternately each individual member may have its own setting. Such a setting may be realized by controlling the pressure in the pneumatic or hydraulic piston, for example. It is advantageous if the historical data and/or the collected data relates at least to the set jump heights of said simulated jumps of each of the wall members for allowing the coach and/or the player to practise relative realistic game situation taking into account the set jump heights of said simulated jumps of each of the wall members.

During a jump, the arms of a wall member may rotate or move as well to even more simulate a realistic scenario. The same is valid for, for example, the legs of a wall member.

Preferably, said moveable free-kick wall comprises a plurality of wall members for simulating a plurality of soccer players, wherein said plurality of wall members are arranged to be moveable in a horizontal direction for expanding the amount of simulated soccer players in said free-kick wall. In actual situations, a wall standing to prevent a free- kick may be formed of two or more players. Therefore, it may be advantageous for the wall to be able to expand in a horizontal direction

It is beneficial if said moveable free-kick wall comprises a moving unit, preferably a motor, arranged for moving said moveable free-kick wall over said playing field. It was the insight of the inventors that it may be advantageous to include a moving unit such as a motor that is arranged for moving the wall over the playing field. Such a motor may be coupled to the moving unit, such as a wheel already present in the wall. In a preferable embodiment, the motor is an electric motor and the free-kick wall contains an energy source such as a battery that is capable of driving the motor. In an embodiment the wall may include multiple motors to move the wall in multiple directions. Preferably, there are at least two motors configured to move the wall in at least two directions along the plane of the playing field.

It is noted that, with the presence of multiple motors, it may be advantageous to include a control unit necessary to individually control the multiple motors such as to achieve precise positioning in the playing field.

Preferably, said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to one of a player, a goal keeper, position of the ball on the playing field before kicking the ball, position of the goal relative to the movable free-kick wall and position of the goal keeper, before kicking the ball, relative to the goal. This is beneficial for allowing the coach and/or the player to practise relative realistic game situation taking into account at least to one of a player, a goal keeper, position of the ball on the playing field, position of the goal relative to the movable free-kick wall and position of the goal keeper, before kicking the ball, relative to the goal.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a player may be an identifier for identifying a particular player such as a name of the player.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a goal keeper may be an identifier for identifying a particular goal keeper such as a name of the goal keeper.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the ball on the playing field may be an exact or an approximate position of the ball on the playing field. The exact or an approximate position may for instance be determined based on the distance of the ball relative to the edges of the playing field.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the goal relative to the movable free-kick wall may be an exact or an approximate position of the goal relative to the movable free-kick wall.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the goal keeper, before kicking the ball, relative to the goal is to be understood as the position of the goal keeper relative to the goal before the ball is kicked.

In a very practical embodiment of the free-kick wall system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, said free-kick wall system further comprises:

a free-kick register unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, for registering free-kick data, by said data register unit, of a free-kick taken. The present disclosure relates at least partly on the insight that data of a plurality of historical free-kicks, provided by a data register unit, may be expanded by registering free-kick data of a free-kick taken using said movable free-kick wall. This allows a coach and/or a player to increasingly practise relative realistic game situation taking into account the historical data and registered free-kick data of a free-kick taken.

In this regard it is beneficial if said free-kick data relates at least to one of: position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal; position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the movable free-kick wall;

position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to at least one of said wall members;

position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal keeper; and position of the goal keeper, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal is to be understood as the position of the ball when the ball is crossing the goal line after a free-kick is taken, wherein the goal line may be a physical or imaginary line between the two goal posts.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the movable free-kick wall, is to be understood as the position of the ball when passing or hitting the movable free-kick wall after a free-kick is taken.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to at least one of said wall members, is to be understood as the position of the ball when passing or hitting the wall members after a free-kick is taken.

Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal keeper, is to be understood as the position of the ball when passing or hitting the goal keeper after a free-kick is taken. Within the context of the present disclosure data related to a position of the goal keeper, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal, is to be understood as the position of the goal keeper relative to the goal when the ball is passing or hitting the goal keeper after a free-kick is taken.

According to the second aspect the present disclosure relates to a method for providing a proposal to a user for taking and/or blocking a free-kick using a free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

collecting, by said data collecting unit, data related to a free-kick to be taken; determining, by said determining unit, free-kick parameters taking into account said historical data, comprised by said data register unit, and data collected, by said data collecting unit, related to said free-kick to be taken; and

proposing, by said proposal unit, said determined free-kick parameters to a user of the free-kick wall system for taking and/or blocking the free-kick to be taken.

In this regard it is beneficial in an embodiment of the free-kick wall system comprising a free-kick register unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, for registering free-kick data, by said data register unit, of a free-kick taken, if said method further comprises the step of:

registering, by said free-kick register unit, free-kick data of said free-kick to be taken after kicking the ball.

In this regard it is beneficial if said method further comprises the steps of: transferring, by said data collecting unit, said free-kick data of said free-kick taken to said data register unit; and

storing, by said data register unit, said free-kick data of said free-kick taken as part of said historical data.

Embodiments of the method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure correspond to embodiments of the free-kick wall system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The advantages of the method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure correspond to advantages of the free-kick wall system according to first aspect of the present disclosure presented previously.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is an illustration of elements of an embodiment of a free-kick wall according to the present disclosure.

Figure 2 is an illustration of elements of an embodiment of a free-kick wall according to the present disclosure.

Figure 3 is an illustration of elements of an embodiment of a free-kick wall according to the present disclosure.

Figure 4 is an illustration of elements of an embodiment of a free-kick wall according to the present disclosure.

Figure 5 is an illustration of an embodiment of a free-kick wall system according to the present disclosure.

Figure 6 is an illustration of an embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure.

Description

Referring now to figures 1 - 6, the following is observed. The free-kick system 1 according to the present disclosure comprises a free-kick wall 3 in use for practising, in use thereof, free-kicks. Such a free-kick wall 3 is an obstacle in the direct path between the ball 5 and the goal 7 in a free-kick scenario, wherein the goal is set at a goal line 8. Furthermore, the free-kick wall 3 is designed to simulate a free-kick situation during an actual soccer match. It may be desirable to incorporate a moving unit 9 on the free-kick wall 3. Such moving unit 9 may comprise wheels as shown in the figure which allow the free-kick wall 3 to be moved over the playing field.

The free-kick wall 3 may further be designed in such a manner that the wall 3 comprises of wall members 1 1 designed to emulate soccer players on a playing field. The wall members 1 1 may further be arranged to be height adjustable using height adjustment means 13. Such height adjustment means 13 may be adjusted manually or electrically. If height is to be adjusted electrically, the free-kick wall may further comprise of driving means, such as a linear motor or an electrical motor coupled with a suitable converter to convert the rotary motion into a linear motion to adjust the height. It may be understood that in case the free-kick wall 3 comprises of an electrical height adjustment means, the wall 3 shall further comprise an electrical energy source (not shown in figure). Preferably, such a source is a battery such that the portability of the free-kick wall is maintained.

Such a height adjustment means 13 may apply the preferred height adjustment to the overall free-kick wall 3. Alternately, the height of each the individual members 1 1 may be adjusted individually. Furthermore, the free-kick wall 3 may also employ vertical member-movement means 13. The purpose of the vertical member- movement means is to simulate a jumping action of the players forming the wall. The vertical member-movement means may employ the same physical entities as that used for the height adjustment means 13. When the free-kick fall comprises of vertical member- movement means arranged for simulating a jump of an individual member 11 forming the free-kick wall 3, the free-kick wall 3 may further comprise of jump height setting means (not shown in figure) arranged to determine the height jumped by each one of the wall members 1 1 forming the free-kick wall 3. Figure 4 shows a view of a device according to the present invention after the kicking the ball 5 at the moment the ball 5 passes the wall members 1 1 of the free-kick wall 3. It may be seen that different wall members 1 1 of the free-kick wall 3 have a different vertical height setting.

From a practical point of view, the individual members may be arranged one behind the another when the desired length is smaller than the current length of the wall. The person skilled in the art understands that the number of individual members forming the free-kick wall defines the length of the wall.

For example, if the wall currently constitutes three members (a first member, a second member and a third member) and it is desired to form a wall with only two individual members. The third member may be moved so as to be aligned behind the second member. The person skilled in the art is aware of various mechanisms available so as to realize this. The free-kick wall system may also comprise of a wireless communication unit (not shown in figure) arranged for communicating wirelessly with an external device such as server 23 communicatively connected to or comprising a data register unit 25, a determining unit 27 and/or a proposal unit 29. The wireless communication unit may communicate with a mobile device 15, for example. The mobile device 15 may be arranged as a data collecting unit 21 for collecting data related to a free-kick to be taken. To this end the mobile device 15 may comprise of a bespoke application that is arranged for collecting data related to the number of wall members 11 , height of each wall member 1 1 , jump height of the wall members 11 , a player 17, a goal keeper 19, position of the ball 5 on the playing field before kicking the ball 5, position of the goal 7 relative to the movable free-kick wall 3 and position of the goal keeper 19, before kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal 7. The data may be collected, by the data collection unit 21 , via manual entry of the data in the application provided on the mobile device 15 before kicking the ball 5.

The data register unit 25 comprises a registry of historical data related to a plurality of historical free-kicks using said movable free-kick wall. The historical data may relate to:

the number of wall members 1 1 ;

height of each wall member 11 ;

jump height of the wall members 11 ;

a player 17;

a goal keeper 19;

position of the goal keeper 19, before kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal

7;

position of the ball 5 on the playing field before kicking the ball 5;

position of the goal 7 relative to the movable free-kick wall 3; position of the ball 5, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal 7;

position of the ball 5, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the movable free-kick wall 3;

position of the ball 5, after kicking the ball 5, relative to at least one of said wall members 11 ;

position of the ball 5, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal keeper 19; and position of the goal keeper 19, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal 7.

The determining unit 27 is communicatively coupled to the data register unit 25 and arranged for determining free-kick parameters for said free-kick to be taken taking into account said historical data and data collected related to said free-kick to be taken. The proposal unit 29 is communicatively coupled to the determining unit 27 and arranged for providing a proposal before a player 17 kicks the ball 5, to a user of the free-kick wall system 1 for taking and/or blocking said free-kick to be taken. The proposal may be indicated by the mobile device 15 or alternatively by a remote work station (not shown).

The mobile device 15 further comprises a free-kick register unit 31. The free- kick register unit is communicatively coupled to said data register unit 21 for registering free- kick data, by said data register unit 21 , of a free-kick taken. The free-kick data relates at least to one of:

position of the ball 5, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal 7;

position of the ball 5, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal keeper 19; and

position of the goal keeper 19, after kicking the ball 5, relative to the goal 7.

The free-kick wall system 1 can be used as follows for providing a proposal to a user, such as a coach for taking and/or blocking a free-kick. The user may manually enter data of a free-kick to be taken using the data collecting unit 21 provided on the mobile device 15 as part of the bespoke application and thereby collect data 40, by said free-kick wall system 1 related to a free-kick to be taken. The user such as a coach may access the server 23 for instance via a web-based application either directly via the application available on the mobile device 15 or via a remote work station (not shown) and initiate a request for a proposal for taking and/or blocking the free-kick to be taken. Before proposing 60, by said proposal unit 29, the use of the free-kick wall system 1 for taking the free-kick by a player in an offensive mode and/or blocking the free-kick to be taken in a defensive mode, the free-kick wall system 1 determines 50, by said determining unit 27, free-kick parameters taking into account said historical data, comprised by said data register unit 25, and data collected, by said data collecting unit 21 , related to said free-kick to be taken. The proposal may for instance comprise a suggestion for a particular player for kicking the ball as a part of an offensive mode. As part of a defensive mode the proposal may for instance comprise a suggestion for a position of the goal keeper on the goal line and/or a position for the free-kick wall. After the ball 5 is kicked, results of the taken free-kick may be registered 70, by manually entering the free-kick data in the free-kick register unit 31. Subsequently, the free-kick data of the taken free-kick is transferred 80 to the data register unit 25 and added to the historical data comprised by the data register unit 25.

Alternatively it is conceivable that the free-kick wall system 1 may be used by executing the steps of determining 50 and proposing 60 while omitting the steps of collecting 40, registering 70 and transferring 80.

Claims

1. A free-kick wall system comprising:

a data register unit comprising historical data related to a plurality of historical free-kicks, preferably using said movable free-kick wall;

a data collecting unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, arranged for collecting data related to a free-kick to be taken using said moveable free-kick wall;

a determining unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, arranged for determining free-kick parameters for said free-kick to be taken taking into account said historical data and data collected related to said free-kick to be taken; and a proposal unit, communicatively coupled to said determining unit, arranged for providing a proposal to a user of the free-kick wall system for taking and/or blocking said free-kick to be taken.

2. A free-kick wall system according to claim 1 , wherein said movable free-kick wall comprises a plurality of wall members for simulating a plurality of soccer players and wherein said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to the number of wall members.

3. A free-kick wall system according to claim 2, wherein said movable free-kick wall further comprises member height adjustment means arranged for setting a height of each of the wall members separately and wherein said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to the height of each of the wall members.

4. A free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said moveable free-kick wall comprises a plurality of wall members for simulating a plurality of soccer players, wherein said movable free-kick wall further comprises:

vertical member movement means arranged for vertically moving each of the wall members separately thereby simulating jumping of each of the wall members separately; jump height setting means in communication with said vertical member movement means and arranged for setting jump heights of said simulated jumps of each of the wall members,

5. A free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said moveable free-kick wall comprises a plurality of wall members for simulating a plurality of soccer players, wherein said plurality of wall members are arranged to be moveable in a horizontal direction for expanding the amount of simulated soccer players in said free-kick wall.

6. A free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said moveable free-kick wall comprises a moving unit arranged for moving said moveable free-kick wall over said playing field.

7. A free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said historical data and/or said collected data relates at least to one of a player, a goal keeper, position of the ball on the playing field before kicking the ball, position of the goal relative to the movable free-kick wall and position of the goal keeper, before kicking the ball, relative to the goal.

8. A free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said free-kick wall system further comprises:

a free-kick register unit, communicatively coupled to said data register unit, for registering free-kick data, by said data register unit, of a free-kick taken.

9. A free-kick wall system according to claim 8, wherein said free-kick data relates at least to one of:

position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the goal; position of the ball, after kicking the ball, relative to the movable free-kick wall;

10. Method for providing a proposal to a user for taking and/or blocking a free- kick using a free-kick wall system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

11. Method according to claim 10 using a free-kick wall system according to claim 8, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

12. Method according to claim 11 , wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

transferring, by said data collecting unit, said free-kick data of said free-kick taken to said data register unit; and