EP1933953B1

EP1933953B1 - Device for mastering the skills of ball-playing, preferably soccer

Info

Publication number: EP1933953B1
Application number: EP06748145A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Volodymyr Timofeyevich Makovetskiy
Original assignee: Chernyshov Sergiy Ivanovich; Shnyrkov Volodymyr Ivanovich
Current assignee: Chernyshov Sergiy Ivanovich; Shnyrkov Volodymyr Ivanovich
Priority date: 2005-05-27
Filing date: 2006-05-05
Publication date: 2009-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-05
Also published as: EA200702337A1; EP1933953A4; EP1933953A1; WO2006126976A1; EA012360B1; BRPI0610703A2

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to devices intended for training the sportsmen, in particular, those engaged in soccer, volleyball, lawn-tennis etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In many kinds of sports whose sporting gear is a ball, one of major tasks to be accomplished by the sportsman in the course of game, is to re-forward a randomly flying ball to a game-specified target such as goal-coverage in soccer, or to a definite area of lawn tennis-court. In order to practice the skills of precise kicking the soccer ball, sportsmen have to do much training exercise under conditions maximally approximate to real soccer playing conditions, for which reason a great variety of different training devices have been developed. What all of them have generally in common is a necessity to collect soccer balls, directed by a kicking sportsman toward the target, and a need to return them back to player's kicking area, in order to carry out a follow-on exercise.
There are known devices intended for returning the soccer ball from the target back to player, which devices include a training area-located target and a sloped surface adjacent hereto, over which a target-rebounded ball, under force of gravity, rolls downward back to training-site kicking area ( U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,083,561 ; 4,286,786 ; 4,615,528 etc.). A common disadvantage of said devices is that kinetic energy applied to the soccer ball by the sloped surface, is weak and the soccer ball usually stops not far from the target, due to braking against the training-site surface, especially grass cover. Therefore, in the process of training, a player, having kicked several soccer balls, must replace all over the training site in order to collect soccer balls and to deliver them back to the kicking-area, resulting in loss of scheduled time and affecting the training-effectiveness. Moreover, the known devices do not provide a player with feasibility to practice the "shoot on the wing" ball- kicks, i.e., kicking a flying soccer ball or a rolling soccer ball that possess some speed typical for real game-like situations, which also adds to restrictions against training efficiency.
The above-said disadvantages have been, to some extent, avoided through application of the device ( U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,820 ) which, in addition to the sloped surface, is equipped with a collector trough. Discharge end of the trough is immediately adjacent to a soccer ball-throwing device. Said device allows one to collect and to guide, in direction of the player, the balls having hit the target; yet this device is not intended to collect balls that pass by the target.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,106 describes a soccer training device that permits soccer kicking skill practice, comprising a training area possessing a target-location line, and right and left edges. Said soccer training device also includes a target to be hit by the soccer ball, which is situated on the target-location line, as well as a screen intended to stop the kicked soccer balls. Between the screen and the kicking area, there is located a ramp whose front surface is inclined gradually upward from the kicking-area surface in direction of the screen, and which ramp ends up with its rear vertical wall. Between the screen and the rear wall of the ramp, there is provided a trough whose bedding is provided as a slope descending gradually down to a soccer-ball elevating conveyor whose upper end meets guide-rails that receive lifted soccer balls therefrom.
This known device also permits to collect the soccer balls having hit the target, and to guide them in direction of a player at an appropriate speed; yet the device's drawback is in restricted dimensions of the training-site area. As a result, the player is deprived of feasibility to practice one's kicks in most of game-like situations, which may multiply arouse on the soccer field. Besides, said known device does not provide a feasibility to practice kicking the soccer balls in flight.
The document US 070018A describes the invention, which relates to tennis training and especially to half courts automated to serve and to retrieve tennis balls that are returned by a player. Ball retrieval is accomplished at a low berm disposed beneath the net and over which the return balls passing either over or below the net. But the disadvantage of this device is that tennis balls hitting the vertical screen, made of firm material can bounce off the screen not getting into the ball feeder. Besides, such mechanism for stopping and collecting balls cannot provide the effective collecting of the balls passing beyond the right edge and the left edge of the court.
The document US 3989246A describes a tennis practice apparatus consisting of an enclosure providing a playing area and having a regulation-height net member at one end located in front of a cage-like structure forming the end of the apparatus. The screen for stropping the tennis balls is an open mesh-type netting, which has a concave form and which is provided at its lowest point with a conduit connection leading to a pneumatic ball collecting and propelling mechanism. Yet the device's drawback is in restricted dimensions of the training-site area, beyond which the collection of balls is impossible. Besides, the screen for stopping the tennis balls concurs with the target area of the device, which provides less chances for the tennis balls, which the player hits sideways of the net, to get into collection enclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to create a such art of device for practicing the skills of playing ball, generally soccer, which device would be free from the above-mentioned disadvantages, and which would enable a feasibility to practice the kicks immediately on the soccer playfield, over entire variety of game-like situations.
Thus posed object of the invention is accomplished by a device as defined by the appended claims.
In more detail, the present invention is explained by the relevant Figures demonstrating:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 - top view of a soccer-field equipped by thus claimed device;
Figure 2 - top view of a portion of the soccer-field equipped by thus claimed device;
Figure 3 - general view of a portion of the soccer-field equipped by thus claimed device;
Figure 4 - side view of a portion of the soccer-field equipped by thus claimed device;
Figure 5 - schematic side view of a portion of the soccer-field equipped by thus claimed device;
Figure 6 - schematic rear view of a portion of the soccer-field equipped by thus claimed device;
Figure 7 - schematic view of disposition of lateral troughs, forkings and the soccer-ball throwing devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device shown by Fig. 1 is intended for mastering the practical soccer-play skills immediately on the soccer-field which, in this case, is a training-site kicking area as well. The soccer-field under question possesses regular soccer-field configuration and dimensions, a pair of opposite goals, standard marking lines and other elements typically relevant to this kind of sporting facilities. The soccer-field may be furnished with one thus claimed device about any of two goals, or with two such devices about both of them. Examples of embodiment of the present invention shown by Figures 2 to 6, include the training site as a portion of playing-field 1, which training site is formed by the target-disposition line 2, as well as right edge 3 and left edge 4. Over the line 2, there is situated the target intended to be hit by the soccer ball, which target is actually a goal 5 furnished with standard soccer-goal netting. Behind the target-disposition line 2, presumably five to six meter off the goal 5, there is situated the screen 6 for stopping the soccer balls, made generally as a vertical sheet of netting fixed to the system of posts 7. The screen netting 6 is oriented generally across any possible trajectory of soccer ball movement at kicker's efforts to hit the goal 5 herewith. To meet these requirements, it would suffice that along its length, the screen 6 protrudes somewhat beyond the right edge 3 and left edge 4 of the soccer-field, whereas the screen top edge may make up presumably seven to eight meter high. Line of disposition of posts 7 may be either straight in parallel to the line 2; or may be broken in two straight lines joined together at an obtuse interior angle opposite the goal as is shown in Figures 2 and 3; or may be arcuate and embracing freely the line 2; or otherwise else to provide that netting of the screen 6 for stopping the soccer balls would overlap the space above, beneath and beside the goal, and to ensure that every soccer ball kicked by players into the goal and failing to hit it, would be effectively intercepted. It is noteworthy that netting 6 of the screen is not stretched elastically over posts 7, and is instead fixed with its top edge to crossbars of posts 7, hanging down loosely.
Between the screen 6 and the line 2, in either side of the goal 5, there is situated a ramp 8 with its front face 9, which is elevating gradually from the plane of the training site 1 toward the screen 6. Said front face 9 of the ramp 8 is made up of an elastic soccer ball-impermeable material such as plastic-sheet, fabric or netting being stretched on a carcass of an appropriate form. From its rear side, the ramp 8 is bordered by its vertical rear wall 10 made of metal, plastic, netting or whatever else material to provide the soccer ball-impermeability. Between the rear wall 10 of the ramp 8 and bottom portion of the screen 6, there is situated the sloped surface 11, which, together with the rear wall 10 of the ramp 8 makes up a configuration of trough 12 whose bedding is made of rigid material such as sheet of plastic or metal.
The trough 12 can be provided to have several sections, each having a bedding sloped down from the goal 5 to soccer field-edges. Between ends of the follow-on sections of the trough 12 oriented in the same direction, and by the ends of the trough 12, there are situated soccer ball-elevators 13, intended to augment the potential energy of soccer balls, in order to ensure a reliable soccer ball-rolling down the follow-on section of the trough 12. By the corners of the training-site, ends of lateral troughs 14 adjoin the ends of the trough 12; said lateral troughs 14 are situated along the soccer-field edges and, in their turn, are also distributed in several sections. Between adjacent sections of the trough 14, there are also situated soccer ball-elevators 13.
In lieu of the system construed of sloped troughs 12, 14 and soccer ball-elevators 13, device the object of invention may be equipped with mechanical or whichever else transporter, which would forcibly replace soccer balls, intercepted by the screen 6 and captured in the trough 12, to any pre-set point of delivery.
The space behind the goal 5 is covered by at least one sloped netting 15, descending gradually towards the trough 12.
In front of soccer ball-elevators 13 situated by the corners of playing site and along the edges 3 and 4 of the soccer field, there are installed PC-controlled forkings 16, intended to ensure, under operator's command, a dispatch of soccer balls rolling along the troughs, not to soccer ball-elevators 13, but instead, to depots of soccer ball-throwing devices 17 situated at the same area.
Beside these, device the object of invention is also equipped with other kinds of monitoring and control instruments, that ensure a maximum effect of sportsmen' training process. These may involve either transducers sensitive to the target-hits; or soccer ball-counters within soccer ball-thrower depots; or devices to control direction and speed of soccer ball-throwing by devices 17; or video-control cameras to be coupled to coach's control-panel equipped with a PC downloaded with a relevant software package to enable an implementation of one or several pre-developed players' training programs.
Prior to start of a training-session, the soccer balls will be loaded into depots of soccer ball throwers 17; then an appropriate program will be selected and a practicing player will be shown a specific kicking area on the soccer-field where one should be positioned in order to begin one's kicking exercise. The coach will choose a relevant training program to set up frequencies, consequence of performance of any thrower 17 involved, speed and direction of soccer ball's flight; and to manage the performance of forkings 16 in a manner that provides soccer balls' availability in depots of any thrower 17 required at the moment to rush the soccer balls toward the player.
According to a program to be pre-set by the coach, the soccer balls will consequently be thrown by relevant throwers 17 in a chosen direction and at predetermined initial speed into the player's disposition area. The player, having intercepted the soccer ball in flight and/or having processed it, should kick it to a definite zone of the goal 5 announced by the coach. Some soccer balls enter the goal and reside there so far. Some soccer balls fly over or beside the goal, to eventually hit the screen netting 6 at non-elastic resistance; whereby said netting damps soccer balls' speed; whereas the soccer balls fall down the sloped netting 11 or netting 15, thus entering the trough 12. The low-trajectory soccer balls or those rolling on the ground, having not hit the goal 5 anyway, get on the front surface 9 of the ramp 8, roll over it and eventually enter the trough 12.
Soccer balls having fallen in the trough 12 are rolling from the goal towards to the soccer ball-elevator 13 which lifts the soccer balls to the upper end of the follow-on section of trough 12, and so on. In front of elevators 13 situated along the side lines, there are provided forkings 16 which, under command of the control program, forward soccer balls either to the upper end of the follow-on sections of lateral troughs 14, or into throwers' 17 depots, from where they are "center-fired out" towards the kicking player. After player's kicks, the soccer balls enter the trough 12 again thus continuing the whole process.
Player's preparation to a kick and the very instant of the kick are monitored by a video-system, and recorded by information-processor for a subsequent analysis of the training process. In order to ensure a correction of the training process in on-line mode, there is provided an audio-communication link between the coach at the desk and a player practicing one's kicks against soccer balls in motion.
If quantity of soccer balls involved in a training-session is sufficient, the player may be "center fired" upon by the soccer balls during any desired period, and practically in non-stop regime. Neither coach nor player will need to pay one's time or effort to collect soccer balls scattered over the field, to load them into throwers' depots. Soccer balls that fail to get into trough 12, remaining instead within goal or having somehow flown off the netting 6, may be gathered during planned breaks between training/ playing sessions, to avoid unfruitful time losses in the course of scheduled training. The control system is arranged so as to enable the coach, just in the course of training, to change its settings through variation of relevant software parameters. The control system's software, in its turn, may be designed so as to ensure a flexible correction of training conditions by method of statistical processing the data on player's kicking effectiveness, with purpose to reveal drawbacks in one's practicing performance and to emphasize the exercises intended to cope with said drawbacks.
An expert in this field may see that device of present invention is not limited to the scope of example of its implementation being mentioned here, and is capable of possessing other aspects of its implementation to differ by a form of provision of individual components of device in question; with materials used etc., within the framework of claims attached hereto. For example, using thus claimed device, there may be arranged training exercises of defensive players and half-backs, such as "reflecting an attack with practicing the primary pass without processing the soccer ball" and so on, according to individual coach's scenario.

Claims

A device for mastering the practical skills of playing soccer on the training site area as a portion of playing-field (1), having target-disposition line (2), right (3) and left edges (4); which device comprises:
a target to be hit by soccer balls and which target is situated on the line (2) of target-disposition,

a screen (6) for stopping the kicked soccer balls,

a ramp (8) situated between the screen (6) and training site area; which ramp (8)comprises a front surface gradually ascending up from the training site-plane toward the screen (6) and which ramp (8) is ending with its rear wall (10),

a trough (12) situated between the screen (6) and the rear wall (10) of the ramp (8),

a means to convey soccer balls captured within the trough (12) to at least one pre-set point of soccer balls' delivery,
whereby the screen (6) for stopping the soccer balls is provided as a generally vertical netting (15) being fixed to a system of posts (7), which netting (15) is generally intercepting any possible trajectory of soccer balls movement at kickers' efforts to hit the target herewith,
characterized in that there is a sloped surface (11) made of a resilient material to guide the netting-stopped soccer balls into the trough (12), the sloped surface (11) being placed between the rear wall (10) of the ramp (8) and the bottom edge of the screen netting (15),
and in that the netting (15) of the screen (6) for stopping the soccer balls is overlapping any space above and below the target, same as space from the left and the right target's sides as well, the screen (6) protruding beyond the right edge (3) and left edge (4) of the soccer-field.
The device of claim 1, characterized in that the netting (15) of the screen (6) for stopping the soccer balls extends generally in right and left directions from the target, up to the right (3) and the left edges (4) of the playing site.
The device of claim 2, characterized in that the netting (15) of the screen (6) for stopping the soccer balls partly embraces the right (3) and the left edges (4) of the playing site.
The device of claim 1, characterized in that front edge of the ramp (8) is made of a resilient soccer ball-impermeable material such as plastic sheet, fabric or netting (15).
The device of claim 4, characterized in that the sloped surface (11) is made of a resilient soccer ball- impermeable material such as plastic sheet, fabric or netting (15).
The device of claim 1, characterized in that the soccer ball-conveying means is made as a sloped surface (11) of the trough (12) bedding.
The device of any of claims 1 through 5, characterized in that the soccer ball-conveying means is made as at least one transporter that ensures a forced replacement of soccer balls in direction of their delivery-place.
The device of any of claims 1 through 5, characterized in that the soccer ball-conveying means is made as at least one combination of a sloped surface (11) within trough-bedding, and a relevant device to augment potential or kinetic energies of soccer balls.
The device of claim 1, characterized in that the target is a soccer goal (5).
The device of claim 1, characterized in that the ramp (8) is positioned so that it's front edge is exterior in regard to the training-site area being restricted by the goal-line (2).
The device of claim 10, characterized in that the ramp (8) is provided with a gap to insert the goal (5) herein.
The device of claim 11, characterized in that space behind the goal (5) is covered by at least one sloped netting (15) that gradually descends down to the trough (12).
The device of claim 1, characterized in that there is a soccer ball throwing device installed in soccer balls delivery area.
The device of claim 13, characterized in that there are a plurality of soccer balls delivery areas with the soccer ball throwing devices.
The device of claim 13, characterized in that soccer ball throwing devices are intercommunicated through an electronic control system enabling a feasibility to pre-set sequence, direction and speed of throwing the soccer balls by such throwing devices.