GB2401231A

GB2401231A - An alarm device for a referee

Info

Publication number: GB2401231A
Application number: GB0411375A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Archibald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-21
Filing date: 2004-05-21
Publication date: 2004-11-03
Also published as: GB0411375D0

Abstract

Referees are provided with an alarm device 1, 10 that will deter defending players from pressurising the referee to accept shorter than the required minimum distance a, a' from the ball 2, 20 during a free-kick or penalty kick in a football or rugby match. The device ensures attacking players that the defending players are the appropriate distance from the ball during a free-kick or penalty kick. The alarm device 1, 10 comprises a measuring means for measuring the distance from the ball 2, 20 to a point a specific distance a, a' from the device, a detecting means for detecting the presence of an object located between the device 1, 10 and the point a, a', and an alarm means which is triggered when the detecting means has identified the presence of an object between the device 1, 10 and the point a, a'.

Description

2401 231 Alarm devices for referees This invention concerns alarm devices

for referees. More particularly, though not exclusively, this invention concerns telemeters modified to assist referees to deter defending players from pressurizing referees to accept shorter than the required minimum distance from the ball when a free kick or penalty kick is being taken during a football or rugby match.

When a free kick or penalty is awarded in a game of football or rugby, the rules of the game require the nearest defending player to be a minimum of 9.15m or tom, respectively, away from the ball. Referees often experience difficulties in measuring accurately or enforcing this minimum distance, as the means employed to measure this distance (e.g. visual estimation or a fixed number of strides) may be subjective, as they are dependent upon the individual referee, or the defending players may tend to pressurise the referee to accept a shorter distance.

FR-A 2670123 relates to an electronic pocket telemeter for assisting rugby or football match referees to measure the distance from the ball to the nearest defending player during free kicks or penalty kicks. The telemeter is disclosed to comprise an electronic measuring device, which employs ultrasonic radiation to measure the distance of 9.15m or 10 m from the telemeter to the wall of defending players. When the defending players are less than the required distance from the telemeter a red flashing indicator is illuminated on the telemeter, whereas when the defending players are at or beyond the required distance a green continuous indicator is illuminated on the telemeter. This telemeter suffers a number of problems, including i) the fact that the indicator is generally only visible to the referee, and SO offers no deterrent to the defending players; and ii) that the telemeter requires to be calibrated before each match as well as possibly during each match to accommodate changes in atmospheric humidity, pressure and temperature (the speed of ultrasound waves travelling in the atmosphere is affected by each of these atmospheric conditions, with the consequence that the measuring device may be subject to errors if it is not regularly calibrated for the ensuing atmospheric conditions).

Handheld laser telemeters are often used by surveyors to accurately measure distances e.g. to measure the dimensions of a room within a house. Laser telemetry is also used to improve the mobility of blind people, where the telemeter is adapted to detect obstacles and employs tactile or sonorous signals to assist the user (Laser Telemetry to improve the mobility of blind people: report of the 6 month training course; Farcy, Leroux, Damaschini, and Legras (Laboratoire Aime Cotton, CNRS, Bat 505, 91405 Orsay cedex, France); Bellik and Jacquet (LIMSI CNRS BP 133 91403, Orsay ceded, France) and Greene and Pardo (Association Valentin Hauy, 5 rue Duroc 75243 Paris ceder, France).

It is the object of the present invention to provide the referee with a device that will deter defending players from pressurizing the referee to accept shorter than the required minimum distance from the ball during a free kick or penalty kick in a football or rugby match. It is a further object of the present invention to provide the referee with a device that will assure attacking players that the defending players are standing the required minimum distance from the ball during a free kick or penalty kick in a football or rugby match.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an alarm device which is preferably adapted to be worn or carried by an official during a sporting event, e.g. a referee of a rugby or football match, said device comprising measuring means for measuring the distance from the device to a point at a specific distance from the device, detecting means for detecting the presence of an object located between said device and said point, and alarm means which is triggered when the detecting means identifies the presence of an object between said device and said point; characterized in that: the alarm is detectable by all persons having normal sight and hearing standing at least at or near to said point and near to said device.

Preferably, the official is a referee, the sport is rugby or football, and the persons having normal sight and hearing are players.

The alarm is is detectable by all persons standing within a distance of at least tom of said device, preferably within at least 12m of said device. In the case where the alarm is visual, e.g. a light image, it will be appreciated that the persons must have an unobscured view of the site for the alarm to be observed.

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an alarm device in the form of a laser telemeter adapted to be worn or carried by a referee during a football or rugby match, the device comprising measuring means for measuring the distance from the device to a point at a specific distance from the device, detecting means for detecting the presence of an object located between said device and said point, and alarm means which is triggered when the detecting means identifies the presence of an object between said device and said point; characterized in that: the alarm is detectable by all players having normal sight and hearing standing at least at or near to said point and near to said referee.

In one particular embodiment, the alarm device includes a laser which in use, that is when the device is held at approximately waist height by the referee above the ball at the time of a free kick or penalty kick with the alarm device pointing away from the referee, emits a beam of light which forms an image, such as a spot or line, of light visible on the ground at said point which is at a specific distance from the device. The image of light on the ground is visible to all players standing at or near to the point, wherein defending players are deterred from moving nearer to the ball than the point simply by the sight of the spot or light and attacking players can see that the defending players are standing at the point or further away from the point. Should the alarm device detect an object, such as a player or the ground, existing between the device and the point, the alarm is triggered: for example, a) the image may change from a red colour to a green colour or visa versa and/or b) the shape of the image may change shape e.g. from a spot to a line or an "X'.

In another particular embodiment, the alarm device includes a laser which in use, that iB when the device is held at approximately waist height by the referee at the time of a free kick or penalty kick and the referee is standing at a point which is a distance from the ball with the alarm device pointing at the ball, emits a beam of light which falls as an image, such as a spot or line, of light visible on the ball when the referee is standing at a point which is a specific distance from the ball. The image of light on the ball is visible to all players standing at or near to the point and near by the referee, wherein defending players are deterred from moving nearer to the ball than the point simply by the sight of the spot or light and attacking players can see that the defending players are standing at the point or further away from the point. Should the alarm device detect an object, such as a player or the ground, existing between the referee and the point, the alarm is triggered: for example, a) the light falling on the ball may change from a green colour to a red colour or visa versa and/or b) the shape of the image may change shape e.g. from a spot to a line or an "X'.

The alarm device may comprise means for adjusting the light emitted from the device such that the image of visible light which falls on the ball or on the ground is in the form of a customized pattern. The pattern may be in the form of e.g. wording, a trademark, a logo or other shape of corporate identity.

The device may also be capable of detecting objects, such as the ball, players or the ground, located further than the specific distance, in which case the device may emit a different alarm for the referee's attention. For example, for distances beyond the specific distance, if the device emits a light beam, the image formed may be a different colour or shape from the colour or shape of the image formed at the specific distance.

The alarm device may also be fitted with means for emitting an audible alarm which is triggered when the device detects an object between the device and specific point, which audible alarm may be heard by all players standing within a distance of at least 2 m, preferably at least tom, from the referee and/or the ball.

In another embodiment, the alarm device includes a transmitter which in use, that is when the device is held at approximately waist height by the referee above the ball by the referee at the time of a free kick or penalty kick, emits a beam of radiation detectable by a receiver connected to a loudspeaker e.g. in the public announcement system of the relevant stadium, which in turn emits an audible alarm when the device detects a defending player's body between the device and the point. Defending players hearing the alarm may tend to move away from the ball until the alarm stops, that is when they are beyond the specific point, without any encouragement of the referee, as they know the referee will not blow his whistle to progress the game until the alarm stops.

A person skilled in the art may readily adapt a conventional laser telemeter to an alarm device of the present invention.

The device is adapted to be worn or carried by an official during a sporting event.

For example, the device may be worn on the wrist like a watch, or the device may be formed in the shape of a handheld torch, which the official may carry in a pocket or on a neck chain until required.

Preferably, the alarm device includes controlling means for controlling the measuring and detecting means in such a way that the distance from the device to the specific point may be adjusted e.g. to enable the device to be used by both rugby and football referees or, indeed, in any other sport wherein fixed distances need to be measured.

The use of a laser telemeter is particular advantageous as the device does not need to be calibrated before or during each match: laser light is not affected by atmospheric conditions to any significant degree.

The light emitted by the alarm device is preferably also visible by TV cameras,which may be recording the game, which is particularly advantageous as it enables viewers to see as well as the players, by team managers and by other match officials.

The device may be programmed to accept up to 0.5 m tolerance on either side of the specific distance before the "underdistance" alarm is triggered and, if present, the additional (overdistance" alarm is triggered The invention shall now be described by way of exemplification and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig 1 is a perspective view illustrating the use of an alarm device according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Fig 2 is a perspective view illustrating the use of an alarm device according to another embodiment of the present invention Referring to Fig 1, an alarm device (1), which may be in the form of an elongate handheld torch approximately 15 cm long, comprises a measuring means, detecting means and alarm means (not shown) is held by the referee (not shown) a distance b, approximately waist height, above a football (2) on a football pitch (3). The alarm device (1) emits a laser beam (4) which will show as a visible line (5) approximately 30 cm long on the pitch (3) a fixed distance a from the ball.

This fixed distance is programmed into the device at 9.15 m (in a game of rugby, the distance a would be programmed into the device at 10 m).

If an object, such as a player, is detected between the device and the point at distance a away from the ball, the device emits an alarm which is visible and/or audible by the referee and at least the players at or near to the point. The alarm continues to emit until the object moves beyond the point.

In this particular case, the line of light on the ground changes from red, to indicate an object inside the distance, to green, to indicate no object inside the distance.

Further, if the alarm device is pointed towards the ground close to the referee such that the measuring device cannot measure a full distance of at least distance a, the line of light on the ground is red. The line of light turns green when the device is pointed towards the ground but further away from the referee enabling the measuring device to measure a full distance of at least distance a.

Players within the vicinity of the point will see the line on the ground and, knowing that the game will not continue unless the line shows green and that the referee will not blow his whistle to enable the game to continue unless the line shows green, will be deterred from moving too close to the ball and so causing the line to turn red.

Referring to Fig 2, an alarm device (10), which may be in the form of an elongate handheld torch approximately 15 cm long, comprises a measuring means, detecting means and alarm means (not shown) is held by the referee (not shown) a distance from a football (20) on a football pitch (30). The alarm iB held by the referee at a height b', approximately waist height, over the ground (30). The alarm device (10) emits a laser beam (40) which shows as a visible spot on the ball (20).

When the referee is standing distance a' or more from the ball (20) i.e. 9.15 m (in a game of rugby, this distance would be programmed into the device as 10 m), the light emitted from the device is imaged as a cross on the ball (20). If an object, such as a player, is detected between the ball and the point where the referee iB standing, the light image will change from a cross to a random blur. Similarly, if the distance between the referee and the ball (20) is less than a' or greater than a' (for example, if the distance measured by the device is greater than 9.65 m or less than 8.65m, the light image emitted is a random blur.

Players within the vicinity of the referee can see the cross on the ball (20) and, knowing that the referee will not blow his whistle to enable the game to continue unless the cross is clealy seen, will be deterred from moving closer to the ball than the referee and SO causing the cross to become a random blur.

Claims

Claims 1. An alarm device comprising measuring means for measuring the

distance from the device to a point at a specific distance from said device, detecting means for detecting the presence of an object located between said device and said point, and alarm means which iB triggered when the detecting means identifies the presence of an object between said device and said point; characterized in that: the alarm iB detectable by all persons having normal sight and hearing standing at least at and near to said point and near to said device.
2. An alarm device as claimed in claim 1, which device iB in the form of a laser telemeter adapted to be worn or carried by a referee during a football or rugby match.

IS
3. An alarm device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the device iB in the form of a handheld torch.
4. An alarm device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the alarm device includes a laser which in use, that iB when the device iB held at approximately waist height by the referee at the time of a free kick or penally kick, emits a beam of light which forms an image of light visible either on the ground at said point when the referee is holding the device over the ball, or on the ball when the referee is standing at said point.
5. An alarm device as claimed in claim 4, wherein when an object iB detected between the device and the point, the alarm iB triggered by changing the colour of the light or changing the shape of the image or both.
6. An alarm device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the alarm device includes a transmitter which in use emits a beam of radiation detectable by a receiver connected to a loudspeaker which emits an audible alarm when the device detects a defending player's body between the ball and the point.
7. An alarm device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the alarm device includes controlling means for controlling the measuring and detecting means in such a way that the distance to be measured from the ball to the specific point may be adjusted.