GB2566799A

GB2566799A - Sports aid

Info

Publication number: GB2566799A
Application number: GB1811924.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oldham Glen
Original assignee: Glen Oldham
Current assignee: Glen Oldham
Priority date: 2017-07-21
Filing date: 2018-07-20
Publication date: 2019-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-20
Also published as: GB2566799B; GB201811924D0; GB201711802D0

Abstract

A ball sports practice enclosure (10) positionable upon a playing surface, such that the playing surface internal to the enclosure and the enclosure together define an interior practice space (14). The enclosure comprises a wall (12) defining a perimeter of the enclosure, a lower edge (18) of the wall located on or adjacent the playing surface. The wall comprises a firm area (20) providing a rebounding surface for an impacting ball. A cushioning area (22) extends above the first firm area and provides a cushioning surface configured to absorb the impact force of an impacting ball. Preferably the wall is divided into eight sections forming an octagon. Preferably the cushioning area extends inwardly. The first firm area may comprise multiple boards, and a tilting mechanism for changing the rebound angle. Ideally a roof (66, figure 3) covers the enclosure to fully enclose the practice space.

Description

Sports Aid

The present invention relates to ball sports training apparatus. The present invention allows a user to learn and/or practise a range of ball sports skills without the need for training partners, or expensive or complex equipment.

It is often difficult to learn ball sports skills without at least one training partner, especially in sports like football which require players to move around a lot and to move in many different ways. Therefore, training for such sports on one’s own can often be an ineffective use of practice time. Moreover, even practice with a training partner can be quite restrictive in terms of what kinds of skills and movements can be practised, since the type of interactions between the players are limited, at least by how quickly the players can move relative to one another within the available space. Adding further training partners may go some way towards solving this issue, though is entirely dependent upon the availability of adequately skilled players; something which becomes more problematic as the player practising becomes increasingly advanced. A further problem is that it is essential to be able to practise sending, and possibly also receiving, long passes, though the space required to do so is not always available, especially in densely populated areas.

There is thus a need for an invention which enables an individual player to practice a range of ball sports skills on their own. Such an invention may also be useful in revealing the strengths and weaknesses of a player, something which, especially in football, is particularly advantageous for sports clubs when assessing whether a new player is worth acquiring by the club. Additionally, injured players are a group at particular risk of being pushed beyond their current capabilities by their training partners, which could easily worsen the injury. Given that the injured player is often

-2one of the best judges when it comes to knowing which movements might aggravate their injuries, an invention which allows an injured player to practise effectively alone, at their own pace, would also be of great benefit.

To date, efforts at solving the above problems, without using other players for 5 practice, have either been prohibitively complex and expensive (and thus not fit for wide-scale application), or overly simple, but in both cases have confined the player to practising a narrow range of skills. It is therefore a principal aim of the present invention to improve upon such existing methods to solve the problems identified above.

The present invention finds particular use as a ball sports training enclosure for practising football skills and will be primarily discussed in this context, though the present invention is not limited to such use.

According to the present invention there is provided a ball sports practice enclosure for practising sports skills by a player within the enclosure, the enclosure positionable upon a playing surface, the playing surface internal to the enclosure and the enclosure together bounding an interior practice space, the enclosure comprising a wall defining a perimeter of the enclosure and partially bounding the interior practice space, the enclosure supported on the playing surface, with a lower edge of the wall located on or adjacent the playing surface, wherein the wall comprises a first firm area to the interior of the practice space, adjacent the playing surface and which extends upward from the lower edge, away from the playing surface, the firm area providing a rebounding surface for an impacting ball:

-3and a second cushioning area which extends above the first firm area and providing a cushioning surface configured to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball.

The wall defining a perimeter should be understood as a boundary around that 5 part of the playing surface that is within the enclosure.

Furthermore, it should be understood that the firm area is one that is relatively hard and unyielding. That is, the firm area might absorb only a small proportion of the impact energy from a ball which hits it, thus ensuring that the ball is rebound by the rebounding surface of the firm area at approximately the same velocity as the ball prior to initial impact. The provision of a firm area, providing a rebounding surface, enables a player to practice short passes along the ground against a rebounding surface, and thus enables a player to make targeted shots against the firm area. The firm area also enables a player to practice receiving low rebounds, which may be fast or slow, and can thus mimic low passes from other players.

The cushioning area being configured to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball should be understood to mean that the cushioning area provides a damping effect to the ball’s motion. The extent of damping will depend upon the configuration of the cushioning area. The cushioning area may be configured to reduce the horizontal and/or vertical forces of the ball’s motion to, or close to, zero upon impact, in which case the cushioning area is highly damped. Alternatively, the cushioning area may be configured to absorb an approximate proportion of the ball’s impact energy, and therefore return the ball to a player at a reduced velocity, the reduced velocity being proportional to the impact energy absorbed.

-4The playing surface upon which the enclosure is positionable may typically be the ground and could be a grass or synthetic playing field, a hard floor such as a concrete floor or any other known ground surface. The wall or part thereof which forms an enclosure around the interior practice space may be completely solid or may comprise openings, such as a net, mesh or the like.

The cushioning area of the present invention may be capable of recreating a goal-like net in a panoramic fashion around the player. A player can therefore practice goal shots in almost all directions, from a wide range of starting positions and having first received the ball in a variety of ways. This can prepare a player for the high pressure and highly varied shooting situations that may occur during a match. As the cushioning area is configured to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball, the player is also able to practice very powerful shots against it, without fear that the rebound from such shots will hurt the player, damage nearby objects or be propelled a great distance. Following the ball’s impact with the cushioning area and the ball’s significant deceleration, the ball may rebound softly to the player, ready for another shot to be taken. This rapid and controlled rate of return ensures a fast practice feedback loop so that a player can refine specific details of their long-range shooting technique as they shoot in quick succession, without the unwanted interruption of having to retrieve the ball between shots or the need for multiple balls. The enclosure is thus very effective and economical for such practice.

Whether practising against the firm area or the cushioning area, a player is able entirely to dictate the intensity and variety of play to suit their skills and present injury status and is able to practise completely alone. Alternatively, the player may be instructed to perform a circuit comprised of a range of mixed passes, long shots etc in order to demonstrate their athletic and technical ability. In this way, an assessor can

-5judge the readiness of the player e.g., for hiring onto a team or for re-joining a team after injury. At all instances, the variety of possible play directions and return surface capabilities of the enclosure ensure that it is a very versatile practice tool.

In addition to the above, the enclosure may be particularly useful for practising football skills such as: volleys, headers, flicks, turns and first touch/control. The enclosure can also be a good test of a player’s reaction time in terms of how the player reacts to a rebounding ball, especially a fast one. Furthermore, the enclosure is not limited in its usefulness as a practice tool for only single players, and may also be useful for pairs or small groups of players.

The wall of the enclosure may be divided into two or more sections around the perimeter. Division of the wall into sections may permit the enclosure to be formed from smaller parts and be more easily assembled, disassembled and stored. The number of sections may generally dictate the shape of the enclosure, for instance, where there are three sections, the enclosure may be generally triangular; where there are four sections, the enclosure may be generally square or rectangular; where there are five sections, the enclosure may be generally pentagonal; where there are six sections, the enclosure may be generally hexagonal; and so on. The shapes formed by the number of sections may be regular or irregular.

Preferably the wall of the enclosure is divided into eight sections, arranged such that, relative to the interior practice space, the perimeter is generally octagonal. An octagon has been found to be an especially advantageous shape for a number of reasons. Firstly, an octagon permits a player, positioned at the centre of the enclosure to pass towards, and receive rebounds directly from, eight discrete directions relative to the player; front, rear, left, right and in between each of these directions. The firm

-6and cushioning areas located at these sections therefore accurately replicate all the directions in which a player would normally be expected to pass to or receive from in a football match. Though it would be possible to increase the number of possible directions of play (relative to the centre of the enclosure) by increasing the number of sections of the enclosure, this may result in a cumbersome structure with an unnecessarily high number of parts and one which is more complex to manufacture, without any real additional benefit.

Furthermore, when a player is positioned at the centre of the enclosure and passes a ball against the firm areas of any of these eight sections, the octagonal internal shape has been found to rebound the ball back to the player or within easy reach of the player. This is particularly useful for injured players for whom unnecessary movement incurs additional risk of causing pain and re-injury.

Additionally, even when a player is not playing from the centre of the enclosure and passes a ball at an angle against the firm areas of any of the eight sections, the ball again has been found to return fairly rapidly to or near to a player.

Preferably, the second cushioning area also extends inwardly towards the interior practice space. The cushioning area may curve inwardly towards the interior practice space so as to form an arc. The presence of an arc in the cushioning area allows a ball which is kicked against the cushioning area at an upward angle to travel around the arc and return to the player in a looping movement. The cushioning area may deform as the ball travels around the arc, which in turn may deform the arc and thus act to dissipate more of the ball’s impact energy, and therefore return the ball to the player in a more controlled fashion. Furthermore, the presence of the arc can

-7reduce the risk of a ball being kicked entirely out of the enclosure and being lost, or causing damage to nearby property.

Preferably, the profile and extent of curvature of the cushioning area is adjustable. Such adjustability ensures that the characteristics of the looping movement may be adjusted as required.

The wall may comprise at least one post. Preferably, a post is positioned at each section join. The or each post may be integrated into each section join, or may be connected internally of, or external to, the enclosure at the section join.

Further preferably, the or each post is connected to the cushioning area and 10 provides structural support for the cushioning area. Additionally, the or each post, when connected to the cushioning area, may provide support for the shape of the enclosure and/or the interior practice space. The or each post may comprise padding along some or all of its length.

Preferably, the or each post comprises a resiliently deformable member, the resiliently deformable member providing support for the cushioning area and being deformable in order to adjust the curvature of the cushioning area arc, in the region of the or each resiliently deformable member. The resiliently deformable member may comprise a flexible strut. The flexible strut may be interconnected with the cushioning area.

The firm area may comprise a generally vertically extending board. The board may be flat or may be curved to some degree along its length and/or width. There may be two or more such boards, arranged vertically with respect to each other that may be linked or independently moveable. The two or more such boards may also be spaced vertically from one another. Further preferably, there are three such boards.

-8One or more of the or each board may comprise a fixable tilting mechanism configured to permit tilting of a rebounding surface of said one or more board, relative to a vertical orientation, to enable an impacting ball to rebound at an angle relative to the direction of travel of the ball prior to impact. This provides increased functionality and variety in terms of possible ways that a ball may rebound. For example, where three boards are used, the lowermost board can be tilted such that the rebounding surface faces upwards, and the uppermost board can be tilted such that it faces downwards. In this configuration, a ball kicked at the lowermost board rebounds from it upwards, may then rebound again from the uppermost board and may travel back towards the player in a generally horizontal direction. Various other configurations are possible, and the rebounding angle of an impacting ball will in large part be determined by the angle that the rebounding surface (or surfaces) is fixed at.

Preferably, the tilting mechanism comprises a threaded member configured to move inwardly towards the interior practice space as a result of its rotation about its threads and due to its movement, configured to displace an edge of a board to cause the board to tilt. Such a tilting mechanism has the capacity to be robust, but also to provide an almost continuous range of tilted positions within the innermost and outermost limits of the threaded member. The or each board may comprise two tilting mechanisms as outlined above, configured to selectively tilt either the uppermost or lowermost edge of the or each board. As an alternative a board may be connected to the wall at an upper edge and the lower edge may rest on the playing surface. By adjusting the height at which the upper edge is connected to the wall and where the lower edge is located on the playing surface, the angle of the board relative to the wall can be adjusted.

-9The enclosure may be assembled, disassembled and reassembled as required. To permit such assembly and disassembly, the enclosure may comprise cooperating formations which permit connection and disconnection of parts of the enclosure.

The cushioning area may be arranged to absorb a significant proportion of the 5 impact force of an impacting ball due to this area having various configurations. For example, the cushioning area may be deformable. Further preferably, the cushioning area may be resiliently deformable to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball. The cushioning area may be deformable in other ways, and may, for example, be compressible. The cushioning area may alternatively be any combination of the above-mentioned configurations.

The cushioning area may comprise an interlaced mesh. The interlaced mesh may, for example, take the form of fabric netting, or wire mesh. The cushioning area may comprise a cushioning adjustment means to adjust the degree of cushioning of an impacting ball. For example, where the cushioning area comprises an interlaced mesh, the tension in the mesh may be adjustable. The rebounding area can also be formed of a net or mesh that is suitably tensioned to ensure appropriate rebound velocity.

Ideally the enclosure is covered with a roof. The roof may ensure that there are no gaps in the enclosure through which a ball can pass, in which case the interior practice space is fully enclosed. A fully covered enclosure minimises the risk of losing a ball or having to retrieve a ball from outside the enclosure, and also minimises the risk of damage to nearby property and/or nuisance to others nearby. Preferably, the roof is removable. The roof may be formed from a resiliently expandable material to facilitate stretching.

-10Further preferably, the roof comprises a connecting means which connects the roof to the cushioning area.

Preferably, in an embodiment where the cushioning area is curved, the connecting means is configurable to adjust the curvature. For example, the connecting means may comprise a drawstring mechanism to adjust the curvature of the arc. Tightening of the connecting means, by way of pulling the drawstring, may allow the cushioning area to constrict, thus increasing the curvature of the arc.

The enclosure may comprise a removable cover to shield the interior practice space. Preferably the removable cover is configured to shield the interior practice space from rain, and in order to do so may be impermeable. The removable cover may be opaque to shield the interior practice space from the sun.

An opening such as a door may be provided in the wall of the enclosure, providing access to the interior practice space from the outside of the enclosure.

Further preferably, the door, when closed, forms part of the rebounding and/or cushioning surface. This ensures that the provision of a door does not interfere with the overall functionality of the enclosure.

The maximum internal width of the enclosure may be between 1.5m and 9m. The maximum internal height of the enclosure may be between 1,5m and 4m.

The enclosure may be configured such that the surface area of the playing surface internal to the enclosure is between 3 m² and 36 m². Enclosures towards the smaller end of this range may be more appropriate for small children whereas enclosures towards the upper end of this range may be more appropriate for individual adult players or small groups of adult players. Enclosures within this range are especially useful in areas where space is limited, for example in densely populated

-11 cities. Therefore, the enclosure may be particularly beneficial to those who have limited available space and no desire to invest large sums of money in building complex, and perhaps permanent, structures for football practice. Where the enclosure may be disassembled, this feature provides particular benefit to those with little space, since the enclosure may be erected and deconstructed as desired, without interfering with the other activities which the same space is used for at other times. Enclosures larger than the upper end of this range tend not to benefit from the advantages associated with the enclosure as so far described, for example its compact nature, or potential ease of assembly, disassembly and storage. Larger enclosures also increase the distance that a player must travel to retrieve a ball from within the enclosure, and therefore may be less useful to injured players who wish to minimise such movement.

The enclosure may comprise a removable playing surface, locatable generally upon the ground internal to the enclosure. Preferably, the removable playing surface comprises a carpet or artificial grass.

The enclosure may comprise a securing mechanism to connect the enclosure to the playing surface. Such a securing mechanism allows the enclosure to be securely positioned upon a playing surface until such a time as the enclosure need be moved or disassembled.

In order that it be better understood, but by way of example only, the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a simplified plan view of an octagonal enclosure, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the octagonal enclosure of Figure 1;

-12 Figure 3 is a perspective view of an octagonal enclosure, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4a is a cross-sectional view of the firm area from a section of a wall of the enclosure of Figure 2, showing a first configuration;

Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view of the firm area from a section of a wall of the enclosure of Figure 2, showing a second configuration;

Figure 4c is a cross-sectional view of the firm area from a section of a wall of the enclosure of Figure 2, showing a third configuration; and

Figure 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a part of a wall of the enclosure 10 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

Figure 1 shows a simplified plan view of an octagonal enclosure, generally indicated 10, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. It can be seen that the wall of the enclosure, generally indicated 12, is divided into eight sections, arranged such that, relative to the interior practice space, generally indicated

14, the perimeter is generally octagonal. A player positioned at the centre 16 of the enclosure is able to pass and kick in eight discrete directions relative to the player and receive a direct rebound; front, rear, left, right and in between each of these directions, as indicated by the dashed arrows in Figure 1.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the octagonal enclosure 10 of Figure 1.

The enclosure is a ball sports practice enclosure 10 for practising sports skills by a player (not shown) within the enclosure 10. The enclosure 10 is located on a playing surface 17 (generally indicated), which as shown in Figure 2, is the ground. In use, the enclosure 10 is supported on the playing surface 17, with a lower edge 18 of the wall 12 located on or adjacent the playing surface 17.

-13On the interior side relative to the interior practice space 14, the wall 12 comprises a first firm area, generally indicated 20, adjacent the playing surface 17 and which extends upward from the lower edge 18, away from the playing surface 17. The firm area 20 provides a rebounding surface, generally indicated 22, for an impacting ball (not shown). The wall 12 also includes a second cushioning area, generally indicated 24, which extends above the first firm area 20 and provides a cushioning surface, generally indicated 26. The cushioning surface is designed to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball.

The wall 12 includes a post 28 positioned at each section join 30. Each post 28 is connected to the cushioning area 24 and provides structural support for the cushioning area 24. The firm area 20 of each section of the enclosure 10 is formed from three horizontally elongate boards, generally indicated 32, arranged vertically with respect to each other. The uppermost 34 and lowermost 36 boards comprise a fixable tilting mechanism 38 configured to permit tilting of a rebounding surface of the uppermost 34 and lowermost 36 boards, relative to a vertical plane/orientation, to enable an impacting ball to rebound at an angle relative to the direction of travel of the ball prior to impact. In an alternative embodiment the 3 boards can be linked to move together like a single larger board.

The tilting mechanism 38 comprises a threaded member 40 configured to move inwardly towards the interior practice space 14 as a result of its rotation about its threads and due to its movement, configured to displace an edge of a board 32 to cause the board 32 to tilt. The tilting mechanism 38 and threaded member 40 of Figure are the same as those illustrated in the embodiment shown in Figures 4a to 4c, as described in more detail below.

-14The cushioning area 24 comprises an interlaced mesh 42 which is flexibly deformable to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball. The mesh may in different embodiments also extend down to the floor behind the rebounding area. A door, generally indicated 44, is provided in the wall 12 of the enclosure 10 and this provides access to the interior practice space 14 from the outside of the enclosure 10. The door 44, when closed, forms part of the rebounding 22 and cushioning 24 surfaces.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an octagonal enclosure, generally indicated 60, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The enclosure 60 according to this second embodiment is largely the same as the enclosure 10 according to the first embodiment, save for a number of important differences which are clear from a comparison of Figures 2 and 3, and will be described below. To avoid repetition, where possible, reference numerals will be maintained for identical aspects between the first and second embodiments, though divergences from the first embodiment will be identified as new features with their own reference numerals in Figure 3.

In this second embodiment, the cushioning area, generally indicated 26, forms an arc, generally indicated 62, where the cushioning area 26 extends inwardly over the interior practice space 14. As in the first embodiment, the wall, 12, comprises a post 28 positioned at each section join 30. Each post 28 is connected to the cushioning area 26 and provides structural support for the cushioning area 26. Each post 28 comprises a resiliently deformable member in the form of a flexible strut 64 which provides support for the cushioning area 26. The strut 64 is deformable in order to adjust the curvature of the arc 62 of the cushioning area 26, in the region of each resiliently deformable member 64.

-15The enclosure 60 is covered with a roof 66. The roof is resiliently expandable to enable it to be stretched as required to cover the enclosure in a taut manner. The roof 66 includes connecting means 68 which connects the roof 66 to the cushioning area 26. The connecting means 68 includes a drawstring mechanism (not shown) to enable the curvature of the arc 62 to be adjusted. Tightening of the connecting means 68, by pulling the drawstring, allows the cushioning area 26 to constrict at the intersection between the cushioning area 26 and the roof 66. As a result of this tightening, the roof 66 shrinks to ensure the roof 66 and cushioning area 26 remain taut. As the drawstring is pulled, the resiliently deformable members 64 simultaneously flex inwardly and downwards towards the interior practice space 14 and in turn increase the curvature of the arc 62.

Figure 4a shows a cross-sectional view of the firm area 20, from a section of a wall 12 and only partially shown. The firm area 22 comprises a backing member 80 (shown in Figure 2 as the vertical planks arranged perpendicularly to the three boards

32 of the firm area 20 of each section). The uppermost 34 and lowermost 36 boards each comprise a threaded member 40 configured to move inwardly towards the interior practice space 14 as a result of their rotation about their threads. Due to their movement, each threaded member 40 is configured to displace either the upper edge 82 of the uppermost board 34, or the lower edge 84 of the lowermost board 36 about a hinge 86, to cause the respective board 32 to tilt. In the configuration shown in Figure 4a, each of the threaded members 40 are disposed in their outermost position relative to the interior practice space 14, such that the uppermost 34 and lowermost 36 boards lie substantially in the vertical plane.

Figure 4b shows a cross-sectional view of a second configuration of the firm area 20. In this second configuration, each of the threaded members 40 have been

-16moved inwardly towards the interior practice space, generally indicated 14, as a result of their rotation about their threads. This inward movement has taken the threaded members 40 partially along the length of travel allowed by their threads, and has resulted in the hinging of the uppermost 34 and lowermost 36 boards each to an angle of approximately 45° to the vertical. Also depicted is a ball 88, and two possible paths of motion of the ball shown as dashed arrows, both originating from the same initial ball 88 position. The first 90 envisages that the ball 88 is kicked approximately horizontally against the lowermost 36 board and thereafter is deflected upwards and back towards the player (not shown). The second 92 imagines the ball 88 being kicked at an upward angle towards the uppermost 34 board, and thereafter being deflected downwards and back towards the player.

Figure 4c shows a cross-sectional view of a third configuration of the firm area

20. In this third configuration, each of the threaded members 40 have been moved inwardly towards the interior practice space, generally indicated 14, as a result of their rotation about their threads to the innermost position allowed by the length of their threads. This inward movement has resulted in the hinging of the uppermost 34 and lowermost 36 boards each to an angle of approximately 60 ⁰ to the vertical. A ball 88 is again depicted, as is a possible path of motion 100. This path of motion indicates the ball being kicked approximately horizontally against the lowermost 36 board and thereafter the ball 88 is deflected upwards almost perpendicular to the initial direction of travel. The ball 88 then rebounds again off the uppermost board 34 in a perpendicular direction to the impacting direction, and thus deflects back toward the player (not shown) roughly horizontally, but above the horizontal direction of travel which led to the initial impact with the lowermost board 36.

-17 Figure 5 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of a part of a wall 12, of the enclosure of Figure 3. In Figure 5, only the lowermost board 36 has been tilted, such that the lowermost board 36 is disposed facing generally upwards. A path of motion 110 of a ball 88 is shown, which illustrates the looping movement 110 that a ball 88 may travel through as it interacts with the wall 12. The ball 88 begins at position ‘A’, whereafter it is forcefully kicked in an approximately horizontal direction against the lowermost board 36. The ball 88 then rebounds almost vertically upwards, and impacts the cushioning area, generally indicated 24. The upward motion of the ball 88 then carries the ball 88 around the arc 62 of the cushioning area 24 until the ball’s 88 upward component of motion comes to zero. At this stage, the ball 88 begins to drop downwards once more, whilst continuing to travel horizontally back towards the player (not shown) at the centre of the enclosure, generally indicated 16, and thus arrives at position ‘B’. The path of motion 110 of the ball 88 is of course incomplete, and the ball 88 would in actuality continue to travel downwards until it impacts the playing surface (not shown), before eventually coming to rest.

Claims

1. A ball sports practice enclosure for practising sports skills by a player within the enclosure,

5 the enclosure positionable upon a playing surface, the playing surface internal to the enclosure and the enclosure together bounding an interior practice space, the enclosure comprising a wall defining a perimeter of the enclosure and partially bounding the interior practice space, the enclosure supported on the playing surface, with a lower edge of the wall 10 located on or adjacent the playing surface, wherein, the wall comprises a first firm area to the interior of the practice space, adjacent the playing surface and which extends upward from the lower edge, away from the playing surface, the firm area providing a rebounding surface for an impacting ball;

15 and a second cushioning area which extends above the first firm area and providing a cushioning surface configured to absorb a significant proportion of the impact force of an impacting ball.

2. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second cushioning area also extends inwardly towards the interior practice space.

20

3. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the wall is divided into two or more sections around the perimeter.

4. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wall is divided into eight sections, arranged such that, with respect to the interior practice space, the perimeter is generally octagonal.

-195. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cushioning area curves inwardly towards the interior practice space.

6. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the extent of curvature is adjustable.

5 7. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wall comprises at least one post.

8. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 7, when dependent upon any of claims 3 to 6, wherein a post is positioned at each section join.

9. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein 10 the or each post is connected to the cushioning area and provides structural support for the cushioning area.

10. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, when dependent upon claims 5 or 6, wherein the or each post comprises a resiliently deformable member, the resiliently deformable member providing said support for the

15 cushioning area.

11. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 10, wherein the resiliently deformable member is deformable to adjust the curvature of the cushioning area.

12. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, 20 wherein the firm area is comprised of a board extending generally horizontally.

13. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 12, wherein there are two or more such boards, arranged vertically with respect to each other.

14. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any of claims 12 to 13, wherein one or more of the or each board comprises a fixable tilting mechanism

25 configured to permit tilting of a rebounding surface of said one or more board, relative

-20to vertical, to enable an impacting ball to rebound at an angle relative to the direction of travel of the ball prior to impact.

15. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tilting mechanism comprises a threaded member configured to move inwardly towards the

5 interior practice space as a result of its rotation about its threads and due to its movement, configured to displace an edge of a board to cause the board to tilt.

16. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the enclosure may be disassembled and reassembled, as required.

17. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, 10 wherein the cushioning area comprises an interlaced mesh.

18. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cushioning area comprises cushioning adjustment means to adjust the degree of cushioning of an impacting ball.

19. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim,

15 wherein the enclosure has a roof.

20. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 21, wherein the roof is integral with the cushioning area or is connected thereto by connecting means .

21. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 20, when dependent directly or indirectly upon claim 5, wherein the connecting means is configurable to

20 adjust the curve of the cushioning area.

22. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any of claims any preceding claim, wherein the enclosure comprises a removable cover to shield the interior practice space.

23. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, 25 wherein a door is provided in the wall of the enclosure, providing access to the interior

-21 practice space from the outside of the enclosure, and the door, when closed, forms part of the rebounding and/or cushioning surface.

24. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the enclosure comprises a removable playing surface, locatable generally

5 upon the ground internal to the enclosure.

25. A ball sports practice enclosure as claimed in claim 24, wherein the removable playing surface comprises artificial grass.

Intellectual

Property

Office