GB2278703A

GB2278703A - A signalling device

Info

Publication number: GB2278703A
Application number: GB9411255A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Kennedy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-06-05
Filing date: 1994-06-06
Publication date: 1994-12-07
Also published as: GB9311684D0; GB9411255D0

Abstract

A signalling device for sports requiring the use of an off-field and an on-field judge comprising a radio transmitter 12, a receiver 16 and an element 19 adapted to vibrate and incorporated within a wrist band whereby in use, said transmitter 12 is operated 14 by an off-field judge upon the detection of a predetermined playing condition in order to send a signal to said receiver 16 whereupon said element 19 is activated to vibrate and hence the on-field judge who wears the wrist band is alerted. The invention finds particular application in the game of football. A referee may wear two wrist bands actuated by transmitters carried by two linesmen respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: A Signalling Device DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a signalling device and in particular to a signalling device for sports requiring the use of an off-field and an on-field judge.

The term judge' is used generally to refer to any person whose duties are to ensure that the various rules which apply to the game are adhered to during the play of the game and is intended to cover such terms as umpire, referee, touch judge etc.

The role of the off-field judge can be illustrated with reference to the game of football wherein there are three judges, the on-field judge better known as the referee and two linesmen or offfield judges. The off-field judges aid the on-field judge in the various decisions which have to be made and are vitally important in a fast moving game, such as football, wherein it is difficult for the referee to be always close to the action of the game.

One such example of the role of the off-field judges is to indicate an off-side position. The offside rule is that a free kick will be awarded to the defending side if the opposing side has a player in the so called off-side position wherein the player is closer to the defending sides goal line than any two of the defending side, one which may be the goalkeeper when the ball is played forwards.

The difficulty in making an off-side decision arises when the players are close together and the referee, together with the linesmen must decide whether the opposing player was in an off-side position at the precise moment the ball was passed to him ie the moment the ball left the previous player. The decision is made even more difficult by the fact that the ball may have been passed over a relatively long distance and in this situation it will be difficult for either the linesmen or referee to make a correct off-side decision.

It is, obviously, necessary for the linesman to be able to signal to the referee so as to indicate a decision or to draw the referee's attention to a certain play of the game ie a play situation, and this is achieved by the raising of a flag carried by the linesman. However, it is not always possible to attract the referee's attention immediately as, for example, he may be on a different part of the pitch or his attention may be distracted by a different play of the game.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to improve the communication between the off-field and on-field judge and as a consequence to ease the making of certain decisions relating to the play of the game.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a signalling device for sports requiring the use of an off-field and an on-field judge comprising an operable transmitter, a receiver and alarm means whereby in use, said transmitter is operated by the off-field judge upon the detection of a predetermined play situation in order to send a signal to said receiver associated with said on-field judge whereupon receiving said signal said alarm means are activated.

The alarm means may emit an audible sound and the sound may be communicated to the on-field judge by headphones. However, it is preferred that said alarm means incorporates an element which can vibrate and that the element is preferably positioned onto the body of the on-field judge such that activation of the alarm means results in the element vibrating and the vibrations being detected by the judge.

It is preferred that said transmitter is operable upon the press of a button although it may be voice activated. Conveniently, the transmitter may be built into a handle of a flag carried by the off-field judge and said button may be located on said handle. The receiver and alarm means may be built into a wrist band which may be strapped to a wrist of the on-field judge.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter is a radio transmitter and the receiver is a radio receiver. It is preferred that said transmitter emits a coded signal and that said receiver only activates said signalling means upon detection of said coded signal. It is preferred that said coded signal is a radio signal.

It is preferred that said sport is football and that there are two off-field judges and one on-field judge.

The on-field judge may carry two sets of receivers and alarm means and that each set is associated with a different transmitter carried by an off-field judge. Each set, comprising a receiver and alarm means, may be incorporated into a wrist band and worn one on each wrist. There may be a single receiver carried by the on-field judge and which controls the operation of two alarm means strapped one to either wrist.

The embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block circuit diagram of a signalling device according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a football pitch.

With reference to Figure 1 in the first instance, a signalling device is indicated generally by numeral 10. The signalling device 10 comprises a radio transmitter 12 operable by a press button switch 14, radio receiver 16 and alarm means 18 which includes element 19 which can be caused to vibrate.

In order to illustrate the use of the signalling device, reference will be made to the game of football and to Figure 2. The football pitch 20 is bordered by first line 22, second line 24 and goal lines 25, 26.

The pitch is divided into two halves 27, 28 and there is located at each end of the pitch a goal mouth 29,30.

In the game of football there are three judges which ensure that during the play of the game, the rules of the game are adhered to. The three judges are better known as the referee and the two linesmen. The referee has overall control of the game and is helped in his decision making by the two linesmen. The referee may go anywhere on the pitch but the two linesmen are each restricted to a side line and to one particular half, as indicated by arrows 32 and 34 which indicates the boundaries in which the linesmen operate. In this manner the entire length of the pitch can be covered by two linesmen and thus ensures that at least one linesman will be close to the action'.

The role of the linesmen is to aid the referee in his decision making. One particular role is to determine whether a player is off-side. A player is off-side if he is in an off-side position when the ball is passed forward to him. An off-side position occurs when an attacking player has either no member or only one member of the defending side, between himself and the defending side's goal line.

The decision becomes very difficult to make when the players are close together since it is difficult for either the linesman or referee to precisely determine whether the player in question was in an off-side position at the precise moment that the ball he received left the previous player since this requires the ability to watch both players at the same time.

The decision to award a free kick for violating the off-side rule becomes even more difficult when, for example, an attacking player is very close to a defending player in half 27 and the ball is passed to the player from a position within half 28. The fact that it would be almost impossible for either the linesman or referee to be watching both players ie the player in the possible off-side position and the player who possesses the ball, the likelihood that the referee will be certain of making the correct decision is small.

According to the invention, the referee will be provided with two receivers and associated alarm means in the form of wrist bands. A wrist band will be worn on each wrist with the element which can be caused to vibrate located next to the skin. Each of the wrist bands is paired with a transmitter located in the handle of flag carried by at linesman. A push button switch is conveniently located in each of the handles of the flags and is operable in order to activate said transmitter and transmit said coded signal.

Each transmitter will, upon operation, transmit a coded signal which will be received by its corresponding receiver and thereupon the receiver will cause said element 19 to vibrate and hence the referee will know that his attention is being sought by one of the linesman and will also be able to deduce which linesman it is by identifying which of his wrists can feel the vibrating element.

The signalling device can not only be used to attract the attention of the referee but is also particular useful in that it will be able to reduce the difficulty of making an off-side decision. If a linesman detects that a player is in a off-side position ie a predetermined play situation, then he depresses switch 14 which results in a signal being transmitted to and received by receiver 16 which causes element 19 to vibrate and hence the referee will realise that a player is in the off-side position. If the player moves back on-side then the linesman will release the button. The referee can then simply concentrate on the player with the ball and if the ball is passed forward to the player in the off-side position and at the precise moment of the pass, element 19 is vibrating then the referee can simply signal a free-kick with the certainty that his decision is correct.

In an alternative arrangement, there is a single receiver carried by the referee and the receiver can detect a coded signal received from either of the two transmitters. The receiver determines which transmitter has been activated and sends a control signal to the appropriate alarm means located on one of the wrist bands so as to cause said element to vibrate.

A detailed description of the transmitter and receiver is not provided here as it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that they are common in the art and also that there are many arrangements of transmitters and receivers which will satisfactorily perform the present invention.

Claims

1. A signalling device for sports requiring the use of an off-field and an on-field judge comprising an operable transmitter, a receiver and alarm means whereby in use, said transmitter is operated by the off-field judge upon the detection of a predetermined play situation in order to send a signal to said receiver associated with said on-field judge whereupon receipt of the signal activates said alarm means.

2. A signalling device according to claim 1 wherein said alarm means emits an audible sound.

3. A signalling device as claimed in claim 2 in which said device further comprises headphones by which said audible sound is communicated to the on-field judge.

4. A signalling device according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said alarm means incorporates an element adapted to vibrate upon receipt of said signal.

5. A signalling device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said element is positioned on the body of the on-field judge.

6. A signalling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said transmitter is operable upon the press of a button

7. A signalling device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said transmitter is voice activated.

8. A signalling device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said button may be located on said handle.

9. A signalling device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the transmitter may be built into a handle of a flag carried by the off-field judge.

10. A signalling device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the receiver and/or alarm means is built into a wrist band.

11. A signalling device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 wherein said transmitter emits a coded signal and that said receiver only activates said alarm means upon detection of said coded signal.

12. A signalling device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the transmitter is a radio transmitter.

13. A signalling device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the receiver is a radio receiver.

14. A signalling device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings