GB2370994A

GB2370994A - A ball game court and ball game

Info

Publication number: GB2370994A
Application number: GB0100664A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Alderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-10
Filing date: 2001-01-10
Publication date: 2002-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2021-01-10
Also published as: GB2370994B; GB0100664D0

Abstract

A games court comprises two halves 12 and 14 and separated by a barrier 29 surmounted by a crossbar 24 spaced above the barrier 29 with the court being surrounded by a wall 20. The solid wall of the games court may have target holes 30 in the corners above the surface of the court. The corners of the ball court may be cut off at a 45{ degree angle on all four corners of each halve with the target holes 30 in the cut off corners. The barrier 29 may be solid or a net on top of which may be mounted the second crossbar 24 on uprights 23, 26 and 28. Also included are rules for playing the game using the described court.

Description

BALL GAME AND COURT.

This invention relates to a ball game and to a court on which the game is to be played.

The present invention is a ball game played substantially in accordance with the rules and on a court substantially as described herein.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a perspective view of a court for playing a game according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, a court 10 for playing a game according to the present invention comprises two identical halves 12 and 14, each of which is substantially rectangular except that the four corners are cut off. A typical overall size for each of the halves is twenty feet long by eighteen feet wide. At the back of each half is marked a curved line 16 which is, in this embodiment, at the sides of the court, six foot six inches from the back of the court and at the middle of the court eight feet from the back.

Around the periphery of the court is a ten foot high wall 20, and across the centre of the court between the two halves are provided two crossbars 22 and 24 which extend between two uprights 23 at the sides of the court and are interconnected by two uprights 26 and 28.

The lower crossbar 22 is on top of a barrier 29 and is three foot four inches above the surface of the court while the upper crossbar is at the height of the wall 20. The two uprights 26 and 28 are each four feet from the sides of the court which, because of the cut off comers, is only fifteen feet wide at this point. The crossbars and uprights have a rounded profile.

In the cut off comers at the back of the halves of the court are provided, in this embodiment, target holes 30 which, in this embodiment, are fifteen inches in diameter and have centres seven feet above the surface of the court.

The game lasts for one hour, the players changing ends every fifteen minutes and having a two minute interval at each change. There may be one or two players at each end for singles or doubles. The ball used in the game is between eight and nine inches in diameter and weighs between ten and fourteen ounces. The players are advised to wear gloves and wrist supports for their protection and comfort.

When starting the game, the players must stand in the area behind the line 16 at their end of the court without their feet crossing the line until the ball has been served. The player serving, having been chosen by, for example, the toss of a coin, serves the ball by throwing it above head height and then striking it over arm with his hand so that the ball passes between the crossbars and the uprights. The server may choose to serve direct to the surface of the court in the opponents half or to bounce the ball once off the wall in the opponents half before the ball bounces on the surface of the court. In either case the opponent must play the ball after the first bounce on the court surface and before a second. If the server directly hits the holes 30 at the rear of the court then he scores two points, and if the opponent fails to return the serve to the server's half of the court then the server scores a single point. Also, if the serve fails to pass over into the opponent's half of the court then the opponent scores a point.

Following a valid serve play continues with each player returning the ball by hitting it back between the crossbars and the uprights. Any shot failing to do so or fails to stay within

the walls of the court scores a point for the other player. When a point is scored the game is restarted by a serve from the player against whom the point was scored.

During play, the ball may be volleyed or allowed to bounce only once on the surface of the court. During play the ball may be hit against all the walls of the court and the barrier below the lower crossbar, and a player can use the walls in his own half or the court to return the ball.

A player can touch the ball only once when attempting to return a shot except when the ball bounces back into his half of the court from an upright, crossbar or the barrier below the lower crossbar ; in that case a player can hit the ball a second time provided that the ball does not or has not hit the surface of the court more than once. If the player fails to return the ball at a second attempt the point is awarded to the opponent.

If a player is struck by an opponents shot no point is scored and the game is restarted by the last server reserving.

When a player hits a shot into his opponent's half and the ball comes back into the player's half without the opponent touching it, the ball is deemed still to be in play because it has not remained in the opponent's half to win the point.

All deflections off all uprights, crossbars and walls are part of the game as long as the ball still lands in play.

Two points are scored if a player successfully hits the target holes.

After the end of the time for the game the player with the highest score is the winner, and if the scores are equal then, after an interval, which may be two minutes, extra time often minutes each way is played. If the scores are then equal play continues until another point is scored, the scorer then being declared the winner.

When playing doubles, the rules are the same but the players of a team take alternate turns to serve for their side.

When striking the ball a player may use either hand but never both hands together, and a player may use any part of his hand, including a fist, and the arm up to the elbow.

The rules given above may be modified by allowing a player to play the ball using only his head or feet. The serve is effected by a drop kick and a maximum of two touches of the ball are allowed to return the ball to the opponent, an extra touch being permitted in the same circumstances as in the hand game. In this form of the game the rules are modified in doubles by permitting each player in the same side to make one of the permitted two touches.

The court may be modified by, for example, including uprights on the walls and crossbeams at the top of the walls, e. g. as indicated by the dotted lines in the drawing. Also the barrier 29 need not be a solid barrier but could be a net, for example.

Claims

1. A game court comprising two halves separated by a barrier surmounted by a crossbar spaced above the barrier, the court being surrounded by a wall.

2. A game court as claimed in claim 1, in which target holes are provided in the wall above the surface of the court.

3. A game court as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the barrier is solid.

4. A game court as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the barrier is a net at the top of which is a second crossbar.

5. A game court substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

6. A game played on a court as claimed in any preceding claim substantially in accordance with the rules set out hereinbefore.