AUSTRALIA Patents Acts 1990 14 SPECI FICATION THE ACCURATE FOOTBALL KICKER Application No 2011253550 The invention is described in the following statement THE ACCURATE FOOTBALL KICKER PART ONE (1) THE INVENTION 1. The essential parts of this invention are downward curved tops and inward curved sides, all of the short diameter of Soccer, Rugby and Australian Rules (A.F.L.) footballs. 2. The Accurate Football Kicker confronts the basic question: "Why is it that so many football players cannot kick accurately in their desired direction?" it sets about answering and solving the problem. 3. The reason inaccuracy occurs so often, in all football codes, is because the human foot is the wrong shape to give 100% boot to ball contact when kicking. That is, when the boot's outside is merely a thin material covering which takes on the shape of the foot. With the tremendous forces involved with hard kicking even small differences of uneven or unsuitably sloping-to-the-side surfaces, inefficient contact of boot to ball will give misdirectional results. This boot Is designed to go as far as possible to "cupping" boot to ball on striking the ball when kicking. 4. For maximum accuracy, the boot shape needs to be exactly a mirror Image of the ball being kicked. This applies to all football codes, soccer, rugby and Australian Rules (A.F.L). 5. The great design features of the Accurate Football Kicker enables players to do more diverse types of kicking; either by more accurate top-of-boot kicking and by a versatile range of kicking off the sides of boots. Football players notably Soccer Players, have been executing side of boot kicking for many years. Because of this they have needed better design shaped boots over that time, to achieve more accurate directional kicking and it is surprising that better Inwardly curved sided and downwardly curved topped boots have not been designed and provided for Soccer players. There Is an urgent need for such boots to be available. Soccer players need these boots for either low velocity short gentle ball dribbling/kicking and for hard kicking and goal scoring for about the last one hundred years. 6. Also in recent years other codes of football have seen players innovating with various new types of kicking. This Is both A.F.L. and Rugby players. It is now not unusual to see players executing both full-side-of-boot, from the Instep to boot sole cupping, and side of boot at the boot toe kicking. In recent years there is a 1 definite trend by Australian Rules (A.F.L.) Football players to kick side of boot right angled, close- to-goal, kicks and scoring well. 7. Some leading A.F.L. players have Initiated this and others are quickly following this new trendlinnovation. Thus their playing trend is preceding the supply of appropriately shaped boots with inwardly curved sides. 8. At present these players are achieving improved accuracy In all Football Codes, by kicking off the natural inward curve of the lower side of their feet with basic boots, taking advantage of the shape of their feet. (For clarity the instep is defined as the top of the foot and the lower mid foot is the arch). 9. In Rugby for goal shooting It is frequently the player, using place kicking, and kicking off the front Inside of their boot. Thus Rugby kicking would be more accurate with a boot design with an inwardly curved inside front of boot/or toe-end boot. It is typical of Rugby codes, for many years, to do place kicks by coming In running to the ball with an angled/curved approach and kicking off the Inside and front of their boot. 10. Thus perceptive observers, and users of football kicking, are aware of all football codes urgently requiring more versatile design of boots for their innovative kicking. 11. A unique innovation with the Accurate Football Kicker boot is the new method of securing the inwardly curving tops and sides in place. This design has strong thin broad internal strappings (see Diagrams Nos. AB,C,D,E,F; No.9) which prevent the inwardly curving sides, and top, from "popping" outwards when hard kicking occurs, on the opposite side. If not held inward all curving top and sides may pop outwards and stay outwards, and thus defeat the benefit of design and also make the boot immediately over-sized and loose fitting and quickly ineffective. These strappings are also designed to keep the boot shape when the players flex the boot when they stand on or run on their toes. 2 12. It Is important to clarify another innovation In the Accurate Football Kicker boots. Practical experience shows that the squared grid-trip surface covering the boots needs to be covered all over with a thin but very touah strong rubberised transparent skin. This Is necessary to prevent playing field soil/mud/sand/grt from entering the numerous cracks between the grid-trip and rendering this surface less flexible and thus defeating its effectiveness in its re-shaping and efficiency in gripping footballs. 13. Another feature to provide for the maximum gripping of the football, as well as Inward curved top, for top of boot kicking and Inwardly curved sides, for side of boot kicking we have shown the boot sole stops extending the side curve to the bottom of the stops (see Diagrams Nos. AB,C,D,E,F and No. 7). All these inward curves add to 1 the maximum "cupping" effect, of a mirror image of the football. Extending the "cupping" curve to the boot-sole-stops gives much extra strong gripping of footballs with side of boot kicking. 14. For side-of-boot-foot kicking the Accurate Football Kicker greatly enhances the mirror image shape and cupping effect grip on the ball and thus is suitable for Soccer, Rugby and Australian Rules Football (A.F.L.). 15. This boot is designed to bend and flex with player's feet when starting from stopped, running, accelerating, stopping, jumping, twisting and turning. it is designed to be versatile for all movements and for all codes of football. 16. After examining football boots over the history of the football codes we claim the Accurate Football Kicker boot design is a great advance in boot design. 17. For the first time in football history, all players can accurately control their kicking direction, with phenomenal accuracy. 3 18. This gives players correspondingly Improved confidence and distance of kicking. Confidence with accuracy results In confidence in harder-long distance kicking to their Intended target. 19. Persons skilled in the art of football will be able to perform with even greater skill with this Invention. 3 20. This invention has the potential to change the world of football. The "Accurate Football Kicker" invention may be better understood with reference to figures and numbers as shown in the Illustrations: Figure A is a front cross section of boot/shoe of player's right foot. Figure B is a widest cross section of boot/shoe of player's right foot. Figure C Is a mid-cross section of boot/shoe of player's right foot. Figure D Is a front cross section of boot/shoe of player's left foot. Figure E is a widest cross section of boot/shoe of player's left foot. Figure F Is a mid- cross section of boot/shoe of player's left foot. Figure G is a top plan of boot/shoe of player's right foot. Figure H is a top plan of boot/shoe of player's left foot. Figure J is a side elevation of cut away section of boot/shoe which is similar on both sides. The "The Accurate Football Kicker" In Figures A, B, C, D, E and F shows the parts of this Invention with No. I which is the square grip surface grid comprising a strong tough "rubberised" like plastic grip surface. The slits between the squared grid-grip extend Inwards only two-thirds of the thickness of the grid-grip. This gives more strength to the squared grid-grip material. There are small nipples No. 2 for ball grip around the sides and top surfaces of the boot/show. The boot/shoe Is impregnated with a tough build up material No. 3 to create a downward curving top No. 4. The laces are tied through holes No. 6 at the centre of boot/shoe. The outline of the foot No. 6 Is shown to determine the built up area No. 3. The bottom sole, and stops No. 7 are generic. The inward curved sides No. 8 on both sides of right and left foot boots. The strong internal permanently-In-place wide strapping No. 9 attached to both sides and to top and downward bottoms of boots/shoes. 4 / 69A? 4A Figures G and H are the top plans of the right and left boot/shoe showing the outline, nipples No. 1, grid No. 2 and lacing No. 5 of "The Accurate Football Kicker". Figure J is the side elevation with cut away section, showing the extent of the "rubberised" surface Nos. 1 and 2, which is similar on both sides of the boot/shoe, the downward curved top No. 4, the foot section No. 6, with the generic No. 7, heel, sole and stops and the Internal strong strapping No. 9. However, the stops are now improved by extending the Inwardly curved sides right down to the bottom edges of the stops. Thus extending the "cupping" effect to the maximum possible. 5