AU2013201082B2 - Field Hockey Training Aid - Google Patents

Abstract

21945 Complete Specification 16 Abstract The present invention relates to a field hockey training aid. The training aid is suitable for attachment to a goal. The training aid includes one or more attaching means and a rebound mat, the attaching means being adapted to enable the rebound mat to be secured 5 across the open goal face, the training aid being adapted to enable a ball colliding with the rebound mat to rebound away from the goal. 0 U,-

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: POLYVIOS PAUL ECONOMIDES & MATTHEW JOHN SMITH & CARL BRUCE ALTSCHUL Actual Inventor: POLYVIOS PAUL ECONOMIDES & MATTHEW JOHN SMITH & CARL BRUCE ALTSCHUL Address for Service; Chrysilion IP Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 114-115/Biztek 20 Dale Street Brookvale, Sydney NSW 2100 Invention Title: Field Hockey Rebound/Goal Scoring Training Aide The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: i:\docs\patcnts\applications\23289.doctp 21945 Complcto Specification 2 Field Hockey Training Aid Field of the Invention This invention broadly relates to an aid for training in the sport of field hockey. Background of the Invention 5 Field hockey is unique when compared to other sports including soccer, lacrosse or even water polo, as goal keepers are not permitted to gather and maintain possession of the ball. However, goal keepers are permitted to clear shots away from the goal. This may be achieved actively through, for example, the goal keeper kicking at the ball with their legs, stopping or deflecting the ball with their arms, pushing the ball away with the torso, 1o shoulder or hip, or hitting a ball on the ground with the goal keeper's stick, to rebound the ball back into play. The ball may also be cleared passively when it rebounds off the protective equipment of the goal keeper without an express or intentional movement by the goal keeper. The ball may rebound back into the field of play to a greater or lesser extent depending on 16 the direction and speed of the shot and the goal keeper's actions in clearing the ball. The following example will assist to illustrate this point. A goal keeper wears protective boots on the feet, called kickers, and pads on the legs. A goal keeper is permitted to kick at a ball when making a save; balls that are hit at a goal keeper around or above thigh height are generally stopped and deflected by the upper-body protection and gloves before being 20 cleared away, since a goal keeper is not pennitted to swing at elevated balls with the arms. Balls are therefore more likely to return deeper into the field of play as a result of the goal keeper actively kicking at the ball or hitting the ball on the ground with the stick after the ball has landed, as opposed to when balls strike the upper-body protection or gloves of the goal keeper 25 It is important for attacking players to learn the specific skill of reacting to rebounds, quickly gathering them and then having a subsequent shot on goal.

21945 Complete Specification 3 Traditionally, attacking players are trained using drills that require the presence of a goal keeper. However, goal keepers are not always available. The safety of goal keepers way also be risked during intensive goal or penalty scoring drills. There is therefore a need for a field hockey training aid which permits players to practise .5 -their rebounding and shooting skills without requiring the presence of a goal keeper. Goal blockers for training have been proposed in the sport of ice hockey. One goal blocker proposed includes a moulded plastic cover device which attaches to the frame of an ice hockey goal and features scoring targets. Another proposal is made of a reinforced canvass with scoring targets which uses multiple tethers to attach to the frame of an ice io hockey goal. The main purpose of these goal blockers is to block ice hockey pucks from entering the goal, except through scoring apertures located in designated places. The shooting accuracy of players-may be improved when they practice with goal blockers as they aim for the scoring targets in order to score a goal. Such proposals may be contrasted with the invention presently disclosed, in that the field 15" hockey training aid of the invention is specifically designed to permit players to practice both their rebounding and shooting skills. The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be and are not to be construed as statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above discussion does not relate to what is 20 commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior proposals is but one part. Summary of the Invention Orientational terms used in this specification and terms such as vertical, horizontal, top, 25 bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the horizontal crossbar of the field hockey goal uppermost. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a field hockey training aid suitable for attachment to a goal including an open goal face, the training aid including 21945 Complete Specification 4 one or more attaching means and a rebound mat, the attaching means being adapted to enable the rebound mat to be secured across the open goal face, the training aid being adapted to enable a ball colliding with the rebound mat to rebound away from the goal. The goal is preferably a three dimensional structure and includes a two dimensional open 5 goal face. The attaching means will preferably attach to the part of a goal frame defining the goal face, or any other part/s of the goal The goal face of the goal to which the training aid is to be attached may be defined by a regular polygon (eg. square,: rectangle, triangle, etc) or alternatively, a shape with curved S10 sides. According to a'second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a field Ihockey training aid suitable for attachment to a field hockey goal frame including a pair of vertical side posts, each having a base, and a horizontal crossbar extending between the vertical side posts, wherein attaching means includes a selection of side, upper, lower and 15 corner attaching means. The side attaching means are preferably for attachment to the vertical side posts, the upper attaching means for attachment to the horizontal crossbar, lower attaching means for attachment to the vertical side posts at or near the base, and corner attaching means for attachment to one or both corners of the frame at the junction of the vertical side posts and 20 the horizontal crossbar. The attaching means in this aspect of the invention is preferably adapted to enable the rebound mat to be secured across a face of the goal The term rebound mat is intended to refer to a material or surface which, when attached to the goal via the attachment means, enables a ball colliding with the rebound mat to rebound. This maybe achieved as desired, for example, by elasticity in the mat itself. 25 Preferably, however, the mat is not elastic and the rebound effect is provided by the attaching means, or the rebound mat and the attaching means acting in combination. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a field hockey training aid having a rebound mat including at least a first rebound zone and a second rebound zone - wherein the first rebound zone is adapted to rebound a ball colliding with the first rebound 21945 Complete Specification 5 zone at a higher speed than the speed at which a ball colliding with the second rebound zone is rebounded. The rebound mat of the third aspect of the invention may have more than one first rebound zone and/or more than one second rebound zone. Additionally, there may be one 5 or more third rebound zones adapted to rebound a ball at a speed different from the or each first and second rebound zones, for example the first higher speed rebound zone, the second lower speed rebound zone, and a third rebound zone which has a rebound speed higher than the first rebound zone or lower than the second rebound zone. The or each first (higher speed) rebound zone may include any suitable material or lo combination of materials to enable increased rebounding of the ball, and preferably includes layering of different materials. Preferably, one such layer is a high density rebound material, and another layer is a rigid backing layer, such as flexible polyurethane foam affixed to a nylon board. The rebound mat of the third aspect preferably comprises one second (lower speed) 15 rebound zone and one first (higher speed) rebound zone, the first rebound zone being located in a lower portion of the rebound mat adjacent the ground. In this way, the training aid of the third aspect may mimic the rebound speed experienced during play when a ball rebounds from an active deflection by a goal keeper. The rebound mat may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials to 20 assist in the training aid rebounding the ball, but in the first and second aspect and in certain embodiments of the third aspect, the rebound mat is preferably made of a uniformly composed material, such as coated polyester. The training aid of each aspect of the invention enables players to practice their rebounding and gathering skills by rebounding balls back into play. The training aid 25 thereby simulates the 'real life' experience of field hockey where the goal keepers must clear balls away from the goal rather than trapping or gathering the ball. In particular, the training aid of the third aspect can provide for an increased rebound effect when a ball hits a first (higher speed) rebound zone and thereby mimic the 'real life' result where balls rebound to a greater or lesser extent into the field of play, depending on where they strike 30 the goal keeper.

21945 Completo Speoofication 6 The training aid may include structural support elements, such as rods or struts which connect to the goal or adjacent ground. The structural support elements are preferably affixed to, or otherwise integrated with, the rebound mat to enhance the capacity of the rebound mat to rebound the balls. , The attaching means may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials, but preferably incorporates a material which has elastic properties, or a coil spring, or both. Preferably, the rebound mat and the attaching means are adapted to act in combination to enable a ball colliding with the rebound mat to rebound the ball away from the goal. io The training aid preferably includes heavy duty materials able to withstand outdoor conditions. The coated polyester referred to above is an example of a suitable material, The training aid is preferably adapted to rebound a ball back into the field of play and outside the area proximate to the goal face. The rebound mat may include reinforced areas where extra layers of high density foam or 1s other support materials are applied. It is to be understood that any or all of the three aspects of the invention may be combined in any combination. A field hockey goal preferably has the following features: the inside dimensions of the standard field hockey goal are 2.14 metres to the crossbar from the ground and 3.66 20 metres between the vertical side posts; each bar/post is 50 millimetres wide and 50 to 75 millimetres deep; there are sideboards and backboard each being 460 millimetres from the ground to the top; each sideboard is at least 1.20 metres deep, parallel with the other, and at right angles to the backboard; the backboard is 3.66 metres wide; the depth of the goal at ground level ise at least 120 metres; the depth at the height of the crossbar is at 2s least 900 millimetres. In one embodiment, the rebound mat is designed for a field hockey goal and is shaped with a series of alternating straight and curved line edges. In another embodiment, also for a field hockey goal, the rebound mat is shaped as a straight edged polygon, The 21945 Complete Specification 7 rebound mat may, alternatively, have a combination of straight and curved line edges. The rebound may also be designed for goals with a goal face defined by a square, triangle, etc. In one embodiment, the rebound mat has eight sides with alternating straight and curved line edges. In this embodiment, the upper, lower, left and right extremes of the mat are * straight edged and the other edges closer to the corners of the goal frame are curved inwardly (away from the frame). This embodiment provides four unprotected areas in each of the four corners of the goal face. In this same embodiment, three additional unprotected areas of the goal face are present: between the upper attaching means, the upper straight edge of the mat and the horizontal crossbar; between the left attaching 10 means, the left straight edge of the mat and the left vertical goal post; and between the right attaching means, the right straight edge of the mat and the right vertical goal post. In a third embodiment, the rebound mat preferably has six sides, each with straight line - edges, where the attaching means are located on five of the six sides of the mat. This embodiment, also designed for a field hockey goal, provides one generally unprotected 15 area located between the sides of the mat and the frame defining the goal face. In other embodiments, due to the rebound mat shape, other areas of the goal face are unprotected. It will be appreciated that, depending on the shape of the mat and form of the attaching means, unprotected areas may encompass a significant area, or alternatively may be insignificant or absent. 20 The rebound mat may also be shaped to include apertures within the mat or aid area itself Any unprotected areas of the goal face, whether they are areas between the edge of the rebound mat and the goal frame, or apertures within the rebound mat itself, are best located in places which are hard for the goal keeper to defend. Unprotected areas may' include any or all of the four corners of the goal face, areas of the goal face close to the 25 goal frame or other spots of the goal face which goal keepers find difficult to reach. The attaching means may include VelcroM straps, buckles, clips, hooks, catches, harnesses, clasps or other means which enable the rebound mat to attach to the goal and be stretched across the goal face. The number and placement of attaching means may depend on the number of sides of the rebound mat.

21945 Complete Specification In one embodiment, six VelcrorM straps are used to attach the upper, left and right sides of an eight sided rebound mat to the goal. In this embodiment, two buckles are further used to attach the lower edge of the mat to the vertical goal post at or near the base. For this first embodiment, attaching means are located only at intersection of the curved and 5 straight line edges. In another embodiment, only VelcroTM straps are used and located at the junction points of each edge, In a yet another embodiment, elastic shock cords and nylon clips are used - as attaching means, where the shock cords travel through eyelets. located- around the edges of the aid and loop around the frame of the goal face and connect into eyelets via clips. 10 Other embodiments may apply attaching means to other sections of the training aid and use any combination of VeloroTM straps, buckles; clips, hooks, catches, harnesses, clasps or other connecting means. In certain preferred embodiments, the attaching means. has elastic properties and, -incorporates rubber or elastic polymer materials. The attaching means can also 16 incorporate one or more springs or coils. Preferably, clips may be applied to connect the attaching means itself to the netting of the goal in order to assist the attaching means to remain in place as it loops around the goal frame,. In further preferred embodiments, struts are used as structural support elements to support 20 the training aid. In a particular embodiment, two struts are affixed to. the lower portion of the rebound mat and connect to the backboard or sideboard (present as part of the goal) on the inside of the field hockey goal. In one embodiment, the training aid has a rebound mat with a single rebound characteristic, so that substantially the same rebound may be experienced wherever the 26 . ball strikes the mat. The rebound mat in this embodiment is preferably made of a uniform material, such as coated polyester, which is adapted to be stretched across the goal face. Certain other preferred embodiments incorporate rebound zones with differing rebound characteristics.

21945 Complete Specification 9 - In such an embodiment, the aid includes a rebound mat having one first (higher speed) - rebound zone and one second (lower speed) rebound zone, the first rebound zone being located in a lower portion of the rebound mat. (It is to be understood that the rebound zones may be chosen to occupy different portions of the training aid depending on the 5 desired overall rebounding effect.) In this embodiment, the second (lower speed) rebound zone is made of a layer of uniform material such as coated polyester, The first (higher speed) rebound zone includes a layer of high'density material such as flexible polyurethane foam affixed to a first rigid backing layer made of a suitably rigid material such as a nylon board. Of course, other suitable 10 materials or combinations of materials may be used for the first rebound zone, or the second rebound zone. In this preferred embodiment, the first rigid backing layer includes a fixing means to secure the first rigid backing layer on one side of the rebound mat, to a second rigid backing layer on the opposite side of the mat. The second rigid backing layer may also be 16 made of nylon board or any suitable material or combination of materials. The first (higher speed) rebound zone of the rebound mat may apply alternative fixing means to attach to the rebound mat such as adhesives, clips, VelcroTM straps, buckles, hooks, catches, harnesses or clasps. In this preferred embodiment, the first and second rigid backing layers act together with the high density foam enable the higher speed rebound 20 effect. In other preferred embodiments, there may be more than one first (higher speed) rebound zones. In certain preferred embodiments, rebound zones may change incrementally across the rebound mat, so that, for example, the training aid provides a continuous increase in rebound speed moving closer to the centre of a specific rebound zone. In certain 25 embodiments, the first, second, third or additional rebound zones may be formed by varying the thickness of a rebound mat made out of a uniformly composed material, or combination of materials, to be thickest where the highest rebound speed is desired and thinnest where the lowest rebound speed is desired. However, the varying rebound characteristics may also be achived by the use of different materials (or combinations of so materials) with varying rebound characteristics where different speed rebound zones are desired.

21945 Completo Specification 10 Brief Description of the Invention Possible and preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be 6 construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. The drawings are not all drawn to the same scale It is further noted that the drawings depict-the rebound aid as it would be viewed from the perspective of a field hockey player on a hockey field facing the goal. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a first embodiment of a field hockey training aid according to the present 10 invention; Fig. 2 is a second embodiment of a field hockey training aid according to the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a third embodiment of a field hockey training aid according to the present invention, 16 Detailed Description of Embodiments In Figure 1, a first embodiment of the field hockey training aid 1 OA is depicted as attached to a field hockey goal with two vertical goal posts 5 and one horizontal crossbar 7. In this embodiment,.the rebound mat 15A has four straight line edges 17 and four curved line edges 18, leaving seven unprotected areas 19. For convenience, only one each 20 of the straight line and the curved. line edges are labelled, and only two of the unprotected areas are labelled in Figure 1. The unprotected areas 19 are in the four corners of the goal face, in the upper, left, and right segments of the goal face. In the embodiment presented in Figure 1, the training aid 1 OA has VelcroTM side attaching means 22, VelcroTM upper attaching means 20, and buckled lower attaching means 24. In 25 this embodiment, six straps with VelcroTM 32 are applied and two straps with buckles 34 are used. For convenience, only two of the Velcro

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4 straps and one of the buckle. attaching means have been labelled. In this embodiment, there is only one rebound zone which is effectively the entire front facing surface area of the rebound mat 15A, 21945 Completo Specification In Figure 2, a second embodiment of the training aid 10B is depicted as attached to a standard field hockey goal. The rebound mat ISB has ten straight line edges 17, For convenience, only four of the straight line edges have been labelled. In the arrangement presented in Figure 2, there are ten unprotected areas 19 of the goal 5 face. In addition to the seven unprotected areas 19 located between the attaching means and the goal frame, there are three apertures within the area of the rebounding mat 15B. There is one rectangular aperture 40 in the central lower portion of the rebounding mat and another two triangular apertures 42 located near the left and right side attaching means 22. For convenience,.only three of the unprotected areas 19 located between the 10 attaching means and the goal frame are labelled. In the second embodiment, the training aid 1 OB has VelcroTM attaching means only. That is, VelcroTM straps 32 are used for the upper attaching means 20, the side attaching means 22, the lower attaching means 24 and the corner attaching means 26. For convenience, only two of the Velcrorm straps 32 have been identified in Figure 2- As in the embodiment 15 presented in Figure 1, in the second embodiment, there is only one rebound zone. In Figure 3, a third embodiment of the field hockey training aid 1OC is depicted as attached to a field hockey goal. The rebound mat 15C has six straight line edges 17. For convenience only two of the edges have been labelled. There is one generally unprotected area 19 of the goal face, which is located between the 20 straight line edges 17 of the training aid IOC and the goal frame 4. The unprotected area 19 is reduced by the elastic shock cords 22A and 12 nylon clips 22B which comprise the attaching means. For convenience, only two of the elastic cords 22A and two of the nylon clips 22B have been labelled, and only four of the elastics cords 22A are depicted in Figure 3. 25 The elastic cords pass through eyelets 23 in the perimeter of the rebound mat 15C, and around the goal frame 4, and nylon clips 22B are are connected into the eyelets 33 to create tension in the elastic cords. The nylon clips 22B are located at one extremity of the elastic cord 22A; at the other extremity the cord 22A is knotted, altered or plugged in such a way to ensure it cannot pass through an eyelet 23.

21945 Complete Specification 12 In this embodiment of the training aid 10C, there is one first (higher speed) rebound zone 60 located in the lower portion of the rebound mat 1SC and one second (lower speed) rebound zone 50. The training aid 1 OC consists of a rebound mat 15C which is stretched across the goal face via the attaching means 22A & 22B. The third embodiment of the 5 rebound mat 15C includes a layer of high density foam which is glued to a nylon board. The section of high density foam defines the first rebound zone 60 of the rebound mat 15C. The second rebound zone 60 is therefore the remaining area of the rebound mat 15C protecting the goal face. In use, the training aid is secured across the goal face of a goal. Where a player strikes a 10 hockey ball in the direction of the goal face, there are usually two results. Either the ball passes into goal through the unprotected areas or apertures in the training aid, or alternatively the ball makes contact with the training aid and rebounds back into the field of play. Of course, the collision of the ball with the training aid is not perfectly elastic, as the approaching ball's kinetic energy converts to other forms of energy (eg. heat), so the 15 speed of the rebounded ball will be to some extent lower than speed of the ball on approach. It is possible that balls may hit an edge of the rebound mat, or an attaching means, or the goal frame, or some combination or multiplicity of these things, in which case the ball may deflect into the goal or away from it with. less predictability. It will be appreciated that in the case of first and second rebound zones, where a ball strikes a first 20 (higher speed) rebound zone of the training aid, it will rebound into the field of play to a greater extent than where it strikes a second (lower speed) rebound zone. The above described rebounding effect of the field hockey training aid will be valuable in various drills or exercises for hockey players. One example is in the context of training for penalty corners where one attacking player shoots the ball in the direction of the goal 25 face and the players must ready themselves to gather rebounds and take subsequent shots on goal. The training aid may also be used by a single player to practice shooting and gathering rebounds. The training aid of the present invention can be used with or without a goal keeper.

21945 Complete Specification 13 Now that preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in some detail, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the training aid may offer at least the following advantages. At least in some embodiments, the field hockey training aid is capable of rebounding s shots in a manner that replicates reality of field hockey, where shots can be deflected but not gathered by the goal keeper. In these embodiments, it therefore enables players, individually, or as a group, to develop their reflexes and alertness around goal and improve skills in gathering shot rebounds and preparing for subsequent shots on goal. It further enables players to hone their goal shooting precision through aiming for any 1o unprotected areas of the goal face, and permits the continuation of goal scoring training when goal keepers are absent or safety reasons preclude their participation. In certain embodiments, the rebounding effect of the training aid will have additional value because it will rebound balls at varying rates depending on whether the ball hits a first, second or third rebound zone (if present). It thereby simulates the 'real life' effect of 15 a goal keeper clearing balls away with varying efficacy depending on where the shot is aimed relative to the goal face, Also, the training aid is easy to set up, transport and store when not it use. In preferred embodiments, the field hockey training aid is easy to set up with attaching means that are able to be applied quickly and easily. In certain embodiments, the 20 attaching means may assist in the compact storage and easy transportation of the training aid. In these embodiments, when the mat is rolled up on or folded over itself, the attaching means wrap around the rolled or folded mat and permit it to be transported and stored as a more compact and manageable package. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations 25 may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims (14)

1. A field hockey training aid suitable for attachment to a goal including an open goal face, the training aid including attaching means and a rebound mat, the attaching means being adapted to enable the rebound mat to be secured across the open goal face, wherein: 5 the attaching means is adapted to elastically absorb energy of a ball colliding with the rebound mat and thereby return energy to the ball to cause the ball to rebound away from the goal face; and the training aid includes one or more first rebound zone(s) and one or more second rebound zone(s), the first rebound zone(s) being adapted to rebound a ball at a higher 10 speed than the second rebound zone(s).

2. A field hockey training aid according to claim 1, suitable for attachment to a field hockey goal frame including a pair of vertical side posts, each having a base, and a horizontal crossbar extending between the vertical side posts, wherein the attaching means includes a selection of side, upper, lower and corner attaching means. 15

3. A field hockey training aid according to claim 2, wherein the goal frame has a corner formed at a junction of the vertical side posts and the horizontal crossbar, each vertical side post has a base, and the side attaching means are for attachment to the vertical side posts, the upper attaching means are for attachment to the horizontal crossbar, the lower attaching means are for attachment to each vertical side post at or near the base thereof, 20 and the corner attaching means are for attachment to one or both corners of the frame.

4. The field hockey training aid according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the training aid is adapted to rebound a ball colliding with one of the one or more first rebound zone(s) located in a region near the perimeter of the rebound mat at a speed which is higher than the rebound speed of a ball colliding with one of the one or more 25 second rebound zone(s) located in a central region of the mat.

5. The field hockey training aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one of the one ore more first rebound zone(s) is located in a lower portion of the rebound mat.

6. The field hockey training aid of any one of the previous claims, which includes one or more third rebound zones, adapted to rebound a ball at a speed different from the or each 30 first and second rebound zones. 15

7. The field hockey training aid according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the rebound zones change incrementally across the rebound mat.

8. The field hockey training aid of any one of the previous claims, wherein one or more of the rebound zones includes a layering of one or more different materials. 5

9. The field hockey training aid of any one of the previous claims, wherein the or each first rebound zone includes a layer of high density material.

10. The field hockey training aid of any one of the previous claims, wherein the or each first rebound zone includes a layer of high density material in combination with a rigid backing layer. 10

11. The field hockey training aid of any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the training aid includes structural support elements adapted to connect to the goal frame or an adjacent ground surface to enhance the capacity of the training aid to rebound balls.

12. The field hockey training aid of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rebound mat is made of heavy duty materials able to withstand outdoor conditions. 15

13. The field hockey training aid of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rebound mat is stretched across the goal face.

14. The field hockey training aid of any of the preceding claims, wherein the rebound mat includes apertures within the mat.