Abstract:
One embodiment of the ball catching system for training soccer players having a frame with a rigid horizontal member and two vertical members, a soccer training net having a width that is a predetermined multiple of the horizontal member length and secured with elastic attachments to the frame and the ground. The soccer training net has a plurality of pockets throughout the rectangular surface. The pockets consist of two rectangular nets, a front net with a predetermined aperture larger than the diameter of a soccer ball and a rear net with a predetermined aperture smaller than the diameter of a soccer ball. The ball catching system can capture and hold at point of impact soccer balls hitting either the front or back of the soccer training net, whereby several drills to improve shooting skills and accuracy can be conducted simultaneously, saving valuable coaching time and increasing player participation.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Not Applicable 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to a ball catching system for training soccer players. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Soccer is a major global professional and recreational sport. According to a National Geographic study in 2006, soccer was played by more than 120 million regular players and countless others on beaches, playgrounds and streets. 
     Professional teams are more likely to have practice or training sessions 3 or 4 times per week. Amateur level teams usually have an organized training session at least once a week. In the local youth soccer leagues, training sessions usually take place at a local park, where the number of local youth teams having a practice session at the same time often limits training space. To make full use of the available field space and time (approximately a 60-90 minute session), a soccer coach must carefully plan the training drills. 
     At the youth level, one of the major functions of a soccer coach is to teach beginning players the basic individual skills required to become a good soccer player. An important skill for a soccer player to develop is shooting and scoring. Shots must be both accurate and powerful. Other skills include correctly connecting with the ball when shooting, heading, volleying, receiving and passing. These drills require lots of repetitive practice. At this early stage of a player&#39;s development, a coach will usually feed a ball to the player who would then kick, volley or head the ball forward. The distance the ball travels is not important here. The idea is for the young player to develop the art of making correct contact with the ball and understanding how the contact with the ball affected the trajectory of the ball. 
     In the game of soccer, a goal is awarded when the whole of the ball has crossed the goal line. When practicing penalty shots and direct free kicks, it is important to know exactly where the ball crosses the goal line. In practice sessions, this is more important than seeing where the ball hits the back of a regular goal net. However, it is difficult if not impossible for the coach or player to judge where the ball crossed the goal line and thus obtain feedback on the shooting or heading technique. 
     Soccer coaches use a variety of practice drills to further develop the skills of young players. A good example of this is the circuit drill, which involves a number of players and very often the whole squad of players. Several versions for setting up for this type of group drill are used. 
     One example is to have a group of players stand in a line approximately 25 yards out from the goal. The coach is positioned about 10 yards in front of and at an angle to the first player in the line. The coach will have lots of soccer balls at his feet. To start the drill the coach will pass a ball to the first player in the line who then dribbles around several cones before shooting at the goal net. The player then sprints to the back of the line of players to wait his/her turn to repeat the drill. Depending on the skill levels and the number of players involved the waiting time could be from 1 to 2 minutes. During this time, the players tend to become distracted and start to lose focus on the drill they are working on. 
     During soccer training sessions, it is not unusual for precious training time to be wasted. Wasted training time can be caused by a number of reasons, for example, retrieving stray balls that have been kicked beyond the boundaries of the practice area, players having to stand in line waiting for their turn to perform certain individual drills such as heading, shooting, dribbling, and shooting practice at a soccer goal with or without a net. When the player&#39;s shot misses the goal completely the soccer balls have to be retrieved for as much as 10 to 30 yards behind the goal. 
     In order to provide coaches and players greater feedback during their practice sessions and more effectively utilize the limited field and training time, several devices or practice nets have previously been proposed, but they suffer from several deficiencies. One such common net, which has a mesh size smaller than the diameter of a soccer ball, is suspended in a vertical plane and serves to stop the ball projected at it by the practicing soccer player. This soccer net thus serves, as with practice nets for other games, merely to provide an early termination of the ball trajectory so that practice is conveniently confined within a small space. 
     One disadvantage of such practice nets lies in the fact that the ball after striking the net and delivering up its kinetic energy immediately falls to the ground so that the exact place at which it struck the net is not recorded, but must be judged by eye. The absence of this information is a drawback so far as the soccer player is concerned since during training sessions it is important to know if the ball is consistently and accurately being directed to a particular location on the goal opening. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,444 discloses a training net that hangs vertically and that incorporates a limited number of relatively large pockets located in four or five locations that are judged important to develop a player&#39;s shooting skills. The limited number of pockets and the size of the opening for these pockets decrease the feedback the players receive during their practice sessions. Unless the ball enters the pocket, the player does not know how close the ball came to the target pocket. Since the pockets are at a limited number of fixed locations, the player is limited in terms of developing skills that will enable them to direct the ball at any location in the goal opening. Furthermore, this net an only be used from one side of the net, the side with the opening to the pocket, thereby limiting the type and number of practice drills and the number of players able to use the net at one time. 
     British patent GB2057895, discloses the construction of a ball game practice net that will capture a moving ball and retain it in the region in which the ball struck the net. In this disclosure, horizontal hanging pockets are created by appropriately joining two nets of different mesh sizes. The front large mesh net with an aperture larger than the diameter of the practice ball allows the ball to enter. The back net with an aperture smaller than the diameter of the practice ball retains the ball. The greater amount of the back net that is attached to the front net results in the creation of a pocket with a drooping form that serves to retain a captured ball, but also facilitates such capture when struck by the ball to absorb energy and avoid rebound. The construction of the pocket is illustrated in the three figures contained in GB2057895, reproduced below and designed as Prior Art  FIG. 1 , Prior Art  FIG. 2  and Prior Art  FIG. 3 . 
     Prior Art  FIG. 1  is a front elevation of one embodiment of a practice device constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     Prior Art  FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the device of Prior Art  FIG. 1 , and 
     Prior Art  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portion of the practice device of Prior Art FIG.  1  and Prior Art  FIG. 2 . 
     In order to verify the performance of the pocket design for a soccer training device, a net, with outside dimensions identical to the dimensions of the soccer frame, was constructed in accordance to the claims of the pocket design contained in patent GB2057895. This net was attached to the frame using traditional net fastening techniques such as ropes, hooks or non-extensible straps. Trials with this net demonstrated that up to 70% of the balls hitting the front of the net, the side with the large aperture mesh net, are retained by the pockets. However, it was also observed that about 30% of the time when the ball hits the net and is captured by a pocket, it initially bounces or slides away from the impact point and ends up falling into pockets that are immediately adjacent to the impact point or into pockets that could be two or three pockets away and around the impact point. Therefore, while the net captures up to 70% of the balls, only about 50% of the total balls hitting the net are captured and retained at the actual point of impact. When using the backside of the net for this performance evaluation session, it was observed that pockets, at the point of impact, capture about 40% of the balls hitting the back of this net. The back of the net is defined as the ball first hitting the small aperture net, pushing this net through the large aperture mesh net and falling into this inverted pocket. 
     It appears that the pocket design, claimed in British patent GB2057895, does not sufficiently absorb the kinetic energy of the ball and about 50% of the time the ball rebounds from the impact point and either falls to the ground or in some situations is subsequently caught in another pocket. 
     The pocket design disclosed in patent GB2057895 relies on the ball to drop into a pocket created out of the excess vertical material of the small aperture mesh net. However, in order for the ball to drop into this pocket, a certain amount of the net, a cone, parabolic like shape, has to wrap around the ball, travel in the direction of the ball, decelerate the ball and in the process remove the kinetic energy of the ball. Only after the ball has lost most of its kinetic energy, will the ball be able to drop or slide down the rear small aperture net and become trapped by this extra small aperture mesh. If the net does not wrap around the ball and absorb the kinetic energy of the ball, the net will act as an immovable object and the ball will rebound from the net without sliding down into the drooping pocket. 
     This low capture percentage for the front and back of the net with pockets made in accordance with GB2057895 would not provide the required training feedback to players making the net unsuitable for soccer training purposes and hence, commercially unattractive. 
     The present invention is directed to overcoming the problems encountered in the aforementioned patents 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a soccer ball catching system comprises a soccer training net having a plurality of pockets for retaining a soccer ball and appropriate bungee or elastic cords and metal chains to attach the soccer training net to a rigid frame. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
       The following drawings form part of the specifications and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of various embodiments. The embodiments may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed descriptions of specific embodiments and their operations. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the soccer ball catching system with the soccer training net deforming following the capture of a soccer ball. It is suggested that  FIG. 1  be included on the front page of the patent application publication and patent. 
         FIG. 2  shows a front view of the soccer ball catching system, which includes a soccer training net, attached with appropriate bungee rings, bungee cords and metal chains to a soccer frame and examples of several pockets each with one ball and several target flags attached at random to the net. 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of the soccer training net with drooping pockets and the elastic cords and metal chain components required to attach the training net to a frame and the ground. 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of the net with the large mesh that comprises the front net in the soccer training net. 
         FIG. 5  shows a front view of the net with the small mesh that comprises the back net in the soccer training net. 
         FIG. 6  shows a front view of the soccer training net with the large mesh net, illustrated as the large squares with darker &amp; thicker shaded lines, placed on top of the smaller mesh net, illustrated as the small squares with dark and thinner shaded lines. 
         FIG. 7  shows a front view of a pocket of the soccer training net with dark thick lines representing the aperture of the large square mesh of the front net and the thin lines representing the apertures of the small square mesh of the rear net. 
         FIG. 8  shows a front view of the elastic “Bungee” cord with both ends inserted and secured in a plastic ball. 
         FIG. 9  shows a front view of an endless elastic loop or “Bungee” ring shown in two configurations. 
         FIG. 10  shows a front view of small section of the soccer training net and the method of securing the soccer training net with the elastic “Bungee” cord with a plastic ball and an endless elastic loop or “Bungee” ring to the horizontal crossbar of a soccer goal. 
         FIG. 11  shows a front view of the bottom right section of the soccer training net and the method of securing the soccer training net with an endless elastic loop or “Bungee” ring and a metal chain to the vertical post of a soccer goal. 
         FIG. 12  shows a front view of the bottom section of the soccer training net that is secured to the ground with an elastic or “Bungee” cord attached to the soccer training net and to a spike driven into the ground. 
         FIG. 13  shows a front view of the back of a target flag with two mutually adhesive or “Velcro” tapes. 
         FIG. 14  shows a front view of the target flag attached to one of the pockets of the soccer training net. 
         FIG. 15  shows a perspective view of the soccer ball catching system used with a circuit drill, which combines receiving a pass whilst running, running with the ball, shooting at a target then finishing with a fitness sprint to the other side of the net. 
         FIG. 16  shows a front view of the soccer ball catching system used with a penalty practice drill, which allows the player to develop several target areas for placing the penalty shot. 
         FIG. 17  shows a front view of the soccer ball catching system used with a direct free kicks drill, which can be practiced from any angle and distance and is the drill for developing the art of bending the ball. 
         FIG. 18  shows a perspective view of the soccer ball catching system used with a shooting at random drill, which allows players to have fun by shooting at random from any distance and any angle from both sides of the net. 
         FIG. 19  shows a perspective view of the soccer ball catching system used with the shooting on the volley and half volley drill, which allows players to practice the technique of hitting the ball while it is in the air (volley) or when it hits the ground (half volley). 
         FIG. 20  shows a perspective view of the soccer ball catching system used with the heading practice drill, which allows players to learn how to connect and subsequently direct the trajectory of the ball. 
         FIG. 21  shows a front view of the portable soccer ball catching system, which includes the soccer training net and a portable rectangular frame. 
         FIG. 22  shows a front view of the disassembly of the portable goal frame. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Reference Numerals 
     The following three and four digit reference numerals form part of the specifications and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of various embodiments. The first number of the three digit reference numerals represents the figure number. The first two numbers of the four digit reference numerals represents the figure number. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 230 
                 soccer ball catching system 
                 966 
                 bungee ring 
               
               
                 332 
                 training net 
                 967 
                 bungee ring configuration 
               
               
                 234 
                 rectangular frame 
                 1172 
                 post chain 
               
               
                 235 
                 crossbar 
                 1274 
                 ground spike 
               
               
                 237 
                 vertical goalpost 
                 1276 
                 ground stretch bungee cord 
               
               
                 336 
                 top edge 
                 1278 
                 snap hook 
               
               
                 338 
                 bottom edge 
                 1280 
                 split ring 
               
               
                 340 
                 left side 
                 1282 
                 metal ring 
               
               
                 342 
                 right side 
                 1384 
                 target flag 
               
               
                 444 
                 front net 
                 1386 
                 hook 
               
               
                 546 
                 back net 
                 1388 
                 loop 
               
               
                 748 
                 pocket 
                 2189 
                 portable goal system 
               
               
                 750 
                 corner stitch 
                 490 
                 aperture of front net 
               
               
                 752 
                 corner stitch 
                 591 
                 aperture of back net 
               
               
                 754 
                 stitch 
                 2192 
                 portable rectangular frame 
               
               
                 756 
                 stitch 
                 493 
                 net line 
               
               
                 758 
                 stitch 
                 2294 
                 crossbar pipe 
               
               
                 760 
                 stitch 
                 2296 
                 crossbar pipe 
               
               
                 864 
                 bungee cord 
                 2298 
                 crossbar pipe 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Embodiment 
     One embodiment of the ball catching system for soccer training is a soccer ball catching system  230  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The soccer ball catching system  230  has a rectangular soccer training net  332 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , with a plurality of pockets, attached to a rigid rectangular frame  234 , a frame that is typical of fixed goals on soccer fields. 
     The soccer training net  332 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , has a top edge  336 , a bottom edge  338 , a left side  340  and a right side  342 . The top edge  336  and bottom edge  338  have a length that exceeds by 1.1 to 1.5 times the crossbar width  235  of the soccer frame  234 . In this embodiment, the top edge  336  and bottom edge  338  have a length between 1.33 and 1.375 times the crossbar width  235  of the soccer frame  234 . For a full size soccer frame with a crossbar width  235  of 7.31 m (24 ft), top edge  336  and bottom edge  338  of the soccer training net  332  have a length of 10.6 m (33 ft). 
     The left side  340  and the right side  342  of the soccer training net  332  have a length that is equal to or exceeds the height  237  of the soccer frame  234  by a factor of 1.2. In this embodiment, the left side  340  and right side  342  have a length equal to the height of the soccer goal. For a full size soccer frame, the height is 2.4 m (8 ft) and the length of the left side  340  and right side  342  of the soccer training net  332  is 2.4 m (8 ft). 
     The soccer training net  332  contains a pocket design disclosed in British patent GB2057895 and described in Prior Art  FIG. 1 , Prior Art  FIG. 2  and Prior Art  FIG. 3 . 
     In this embodiment, the soccer training net  332  is made by connecting together a front net  444 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , with a back or rear net  546 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The length of the rear net  546  measured in the vertical direction exceeds the corresponding length of the front net  444  by between 75% and 150%. In this embodiment, the excess is 100%. Front net  444  is 2.4 m (8 ft) and rear net  546  is 4.8 m (16 ft). 
     In this embodiment, the nets  444  and  546  are stitched together as shown in  FIG. 6  using nylon or polyester or any other natural or synthetic fiber suitable for a thread. The netting is made of knitted nylon, cotton, hemp, polypropylene, rayon, polyester or any other natural or synthetic fiber suitable for netting. The use of natural or synthetic fiber netting allows the soccer training net  332  to be lightweight. In this embodiment, the thread and netting is made with polyester and contains appropriate chemicals that provide enhanced ultra violet protection. 
     The square mesh in net  444  has an aperture  490 , with a width and height greater than the diameter of a soccer ball in the range of 20.32 cm (8 in) to 35.56 cm (14 in). In this embodiment, the square mesh has a width and height of approximately 30.48 cm (12 in). The square mesh in net  546  has an aperture  591 , with a width and height less than the diameter of a soccer ball in the range of 1.27 cm (0.5 in) to 17.78 cm (7 in). In this embodiment, the square mesh has a width and height of approximately 2.54 cm (1 in). The diameter or thickness of the net line  493  is in the range of 0.08 mm ( 1/32 in) to 6.35 mm (¼ in). 
     The net  444  and net  546  are colored differently so as to clearly define the pockets in the soccer training net  332 . 
     In this embodiment, net  444  and net  546  are joined together to form a pocket  748  as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     A corner  750  of a large square mesh on net  444  is stitched or attached on top of a corner of a small square mesh on net  546 . A corner  752 , to the right of the corner  750 , of the large square mesh on net  444  is stitched on top of the corner of the 12 th  horizontal small square mesh on net  546 . A corner of the 5 th  square mesh down of net  546  from the corner  750  is stitched at  754  to the left vertical side of the large square mesh on the front net  444  A corner of the 24 th  small square mesh down of net  546  from corner  750  is stitched to a corner  756  of the large square mesh on net  444 . A corner of the 5 th  square mesh down of net  546  from the corner  752  is stitched at  758  to the right vertical side of the large square mesh on the front net  444 . A corner of the 24 th  small square mesh down of the net  546  is stitched to a corner  760  of the large square mesh on net  444 . 
     This process is repeated for the full width and length of the soccer training net  332 . The outside perimeter of the assembled soccer training net  332  is serged with either nylon or polyester thread. 
     In this embodiment, the top edge  336  of the soccer training net  332  is attached to the crossbar  235  of the soccer frame  234  with a bungee cord  864  and a bungee ring  966  that is first attached in a configuration  967  to the top edge  336  adjacent to corner  752  as attached to the back net  546 . In this embodiment, the bungee ring  966  is approximately 5.08 cm (2 in) in diameter and the bungee cord is approximately 0.48 cm ( 3/16 in) in diameter. The bungee cord  864  is secured with a knot to the bungee ring  966 . In this embodiment, the bungee cord  864  is approximately 30.48 cm (12 in) in length. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bungee ring  966  and bungee cord  864  combinations are attached at each point  752  along the top edge  336  and the corner points  750 , or in this embodiment, every 30.48 cm (12 in). The bungee cord  864  is then secured to crossbar  235  of the soccer frame  234 . As the width of the soccer training net  332  is greater that the length of the crossbar  235 , the spacing between each bungee cord  864  attached to the crossbar  235  is less than the width of the square mesh net  444 . In this embodiment, the spacing between each of the bungee cords  864  attached to the crossbar  235  is between 20.32 cm (8 in) and 22.86 cm (9 in). The bungee cord  864  is tightly secured to the crossbar  235  of the goal frame  234  in order that the distance between each bungee cord  864  attached to the crossbar  235  remains between 20.32 cm (8 in) and 22.86 cm (9 in). 
     The left side  340  and the right side  342  of the soccer training net  332  are secured at the bottom left and right side to the vertical goalposts  237  of the goal frame  234 .  FIG. 11  shows a bungee ring  966  in a configuration  967  that is secured to a mesh in the bottom pocket and then a post chain  1172 , with a snap hook on one end, is passed through the loop on the bungee ring  966  in the configuration  967  and around the vertical goalpost  237 . The post chain  1172  is of sufficient length to freely slide up and down the goal post  237  of the goal frame  234 . 
     The bottom edge  338  of the soccer training net  332  is secured to a ground spike  1274  as shown in  FIG. 12  with a ground stretch bungee cord  1276  that has a snap hook  1278  on one end that attaches to a split ring  1280  secured to a mesh on the soccer training net  332 . The other end of the ground stretch bungee cord  1276  is attached to a metal ring  1282 . The ground spike  1274  slides through the metal ring  1282  and then the ground spike  1274  is driven into the ground to secure the ground stretch bungee cord  1276  and the soccer training net  332 . 
     If the size of the goal frame  234  is up to 50% of the width of a full size goal, the bottom edge  338  of the soccer training net  332  requires either 0 or 1 ground stretch bungee cord  1276  attached to a ground spike  1274 . During windy conditions, the soccer training net  332  requires one ground stretch bungee cord  1276  attached to a ground spike  1274 . If the size of the goal frame  234  is between 50% and 100% of the width of a full size goal, the bottom edge  338  of the soccer training net  332  requires between 2 to 4 ground stretch bungee cords  1276  attached to ground spikes  1274 . In this embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , two ground stretch bungee cords  1276  are attached to two ground spikes  1274 . 
     A target flag  1384  as shown in  FIG. 13  made with flexible natural or synthetic material such as nylon, polyester or cotton can be attached to any pocket on the soccer training net  332 . The target flag  1384  has a width and length that is smaller than the dimensions of the square mesh of the front net  444 . On one side of the target flag  1384  are attached two Velcro strips, one strip with hooks  1386  and the other with loops  1388 . The target flag  1384  is secured to the front net  444  as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     The target flags  1384  can have different colors to highlight different target areas on the soccer training net  332 . 
     The soccer training net  332  is portable. It is easily rolled up into a compact shape and may be easily transported and stored in a draw-string bag or other small container. 
     Operation of First Embodiment 
     The manner of using the soccer ball catching system  230  is similar to that for nets in present use. In use, a practicing player will project a ball towards the soccer training net  332  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The ball will first pass through one of the apertures  490  of the front net  444  and then strike the back wall of the horizontal pocket  748  provided by the rear net  546  where it will give up its kinetic energy and fall into the lower portion of such pocket. However, in order to create this pocket, a certain amount of the soccer training net  332 , a cone, parabolic like shape, has to wrap around the ball, travel in the direction of the ball, decelerate the ball and in the process remove the kinetic energy of the ball. Only after the ball has lost most of its kinetic energy, will the ball be able to slide down the rear small aperture net  546  and become trapped by this extra small mesh and the bottom of the net  444 . If the net does not wrap around the ball and absorb the kinetic energy of the ball, the small net  546  will act as an immovable object and the ball will rebound from the small net  546  without sliding down into the drooping pocket. 
     In this embodiment, the top edge  336  and bottom edge  338  as shown in  FIG. 3  have a length between 1.33 and 1.375 times the cross bar width  235  of the soccer frame  234 . The excess width of the soccer training net  332  relative to the crossbar  235  width of the soccer frame  234  provides the excess loose net that allows a pocket in the soccer training net  332  to wrap itself around the ball on impact and create a cone that moves in the direction of the ball. 
     The kinetic energy of the ball is then absorbed by the soccer training net  332 , the elastic bungee rings  966 , the bungee cords  864  and the ground stretch bungee cords  1276 . The metal post chains  1172  allow the soccer training net  332  to freely travel up and down the vertical posts  237  of the soccer frame  234 , thereby enabling the soccer training net  332  to further absorb the ball&#39;s kinetic energy. Unlike the prior art in GB2057895, this embodiment provides several means of decreasing the kinetic energy of ball. 
     In this embodiment of the soccer ball catching system  230 , when the ball hits the front of the soccer training net  332  and first passes through the large aperture  490  of the front net  444 , the ball capture percentage at the point of impact is as high as 90%. 
     In this embodiment of the soccer ball catching system  230 , when the ball hits the back of the soccer training net  332  and hits the small apertures  591  of the rear net  546 , the ball capture percentage at the point of impact is as high as 80%. When the ball hits the small apertures  591  of the rear net  546 , this rear net  546  is pushed through the large mesh aperture  490  of the front net  444  and then the ball falls into this inverted pocket. 
     In this embodiment, the length of the rear net  546  measured in the vertical direction exceeds the corresponding length of the front net  444  by 100%. The amount of the excess in the vertical length of rear net  546  determines the depth of the pocket  748  in  FIG. 7 . If the excess of the rear net  546  exceeds by 150% the length of the front net  444 , then a soccer ball contained in a pocket will be positioned directly behind the top part of the pocket that is located immediately below the pocket containing the ball. It has been observed that when a soccer ball hits the pocket located below the pocket already containing the soccer ball, this soccer ball will frequently rebound or ricochet off the soccer ball contained in the above pocket. In this embodiment, the pocket depth helps minimize rebound and contributes to the high ball capture percentages. 
     This ball capture percentage provides the required training feedback to players and coaches making the soccer ball catching system  230  suitable for training purposes and hence, commercially attractive. 
     It is a primary object of this embodiment to provide a soccer ball catching system  230  that may rapidly increase a player&#39;s foot and heading skills by providing information as to where the ball crossed over the goal line which could be anywhere in the rectangular opening created by the soccer goal frame  234 . A further object of this embodiment is to provide a soccer ball catching system  230  that provides reliable ball capture information when the ball hits the front of the soccer training net  332 , front being defined as the ball first going through the large aperture  490  of the net  444  and then hitting the small apertures  591  of the net  546 . Another object of this embodiment is to provide a soccer training system  230  that can be used from both sides of the soccer training net  332  thereby increasing player participation and providing a superior cardiovascular workout for the players. Still another object of this embodiment is to provide a soccer ball catching system  230  that provides reliable ball capture information when the ball hits the back of the soccer training net  332 , back being defined as the ball first hitting the small apertures  591  of the net  546 , pushing this net  546  through the large mesh aperture  490  of the net  444  and then falling into this inverted pocket. Still another object of this embodiment is to provide a soccer ball catching system  230  with movable target flags  1384  whose use would allow the practice of entertaining exercises as well as competitive games that are enjoyable and are designed to enhance soccer skills. 
     Soccer players, using the soccer ball catching system  230 , can remove balls caught by the soccer training net  332  by placing their hand under the ball and the pocket and flicking their wrist upward. 
     This embodiment of the soccer ball catching system  230  enables players and coaches to use drills that involve a greater number of participants than prior art embodiments. A circuit drill illustrated in  FIG. 15  is designed to allow the use of both sides of the soccer training net  332  simultaneously. This high-energy circuit drill, which provides a superior workout, combines receiving a pass while running, running with the ball, shooting at a target, then finishing with a fitness sprint and repeating the process on the other side of the soccer training net  332 . As there are two circuit drills occurring simultaneously, the waiting time to participate is reduced by up to 50%, thereby increasing player involvement and concentration. 
     Most practice drills that can only be performed using only one side of prior art embodiments can now be performed on both sides of this embodiment of the ball catching soccer system  230 . Several examples are illustrated in  FIG. 16 ,  FIG. 17 ,  FIG. 18 ,  FIG. 19  and  FIG. 20 . 
     In the game of soccer a goal is awarded when the whole of the ball has crossed the goal line. When practicing penalty shots as shown in  FIG. 16  and direct free kicks as shown in  FIG. 7  it is important to know exactly where the ball crosses the goal line. In practice sessions this is more important than seeing where the ball hits the back of a regular goal net. When a penalty kick is awarded during a soccer game it becomes a one on one situation between a single player (shooter) and the goalkeeper of the opposing team. The ball is placed on the penalty spot located 10.97 m (12 yards) out from the centre of the goal. When given the signal by the referee, the shooter attempts to kick the ball past the goalkeeper and into the goal net. In this embodiment of the soccer ball catching system  230  the ball will land in a pocket  748  and will be held directly above the goal line indicating exactly where the ball crossed the goal line. The feed back from this situation shows the captured ball&#39;s vertical distance from the crossbar  235  and the captured ball&#39;s horizontal distance from the vertical goal post  237 . If the ball is held in a pocket  748  close to one of the vertical goal posts  237  it would also indicate the probability of the ball being out of the goalkeepers reach. To improve the shooting skills and accuracy of the penalty taker a number of target flags  1384  can be hung on the net. Once a player can consistently hit their chosen target flags  1384  that player will have developed accuracy and confidence when called upon to take a penalty shot during a soccer game. This embodiment of the soccer ball catching system  230  will enable players to quickly and effectively develop their own personal variety of penalty shots. 
     These principles can also be applied to the free kicks/bending the ball drill as shown in  FIG. 17 , a direct free kicks/bending the ball drill that enables players to practice direct free kicks from any angle and distance. This is an excellent drill for developing the art of bending the ball. 
     In  FIG. 18 , a shooting at random drill is a good drill to start a soccer training session. 
     In  FIG. 19 , a shooting on the volley/half volley drill provides players with the opportunity to master the art of shooting on the volley. This drill is designed to practice the technique of hitting the ball while it is in the air (volley) or when it hits the ground (half volley). The drill enables advanced players to fine-tune their shooting accuracy. 
     In  FIG. 20 , a heading drill provides players the opportunity to practice an important and valuable skill. 
     Additional Embodiments 
     Another embodiment of the ball catching system for soccer training is a portable ball catching soccer system  2189 . The portable ball catching soccer system  2189  has a rectangular soccer training net  332 , described in the first embodiment, and attached to a portable rectangular frame  2192  as shown in  FIG. 21 , a frame design that is typical of commercially available portable goals. The frame  2192  can be easily disassembled as shown in  FIG. 22  and all components can be easily transported in an appropriate bag. After the crossbar pipes  2294 ,  2296  and  2298  are disassembled, the soccer training net  332  is not removed from these crossbar pipes. The crossbar pipes  2294 ,  2296  and  2298  are folded on each other and the soccer training net  332  is rolled up. This rolled up configuration of the soccer training net  332  is then secured further to the folded crossbar pipes  2294 ,  2296  and  2298  with bungee cords similar to the bungee cords  864 . 
     The ball catching soccer system  2189  is portable as the disassembled frame and all components can be easily transported in an appropriate bag. 
     Advantages: 
     From the descriptions above, a number of advantages of some embodiments of soccer ball catching system become evident:
         The ball capture percentage at the point of impact for the front of the ball catching soccer system is approximately 80% higher than the ball capture percentage of the prior art embodiment utilizing a similar pocket design.   The ball capture percentage at the point of impact for the back of the ball catching soccer system is approximately 100% higher than the ball capture percentage of the prior art embodiment utilizing a similar pocket design.   The embodiments of the soccer ball catching system feature approximately 264 target pockets for a full size soccer goal frame, the largest number of pockets as compared to any prior art embodiments. These 264 pockets are available to a player using either the front or the back of the ball catching soccer system.   With the large number of pockets, a player can practice shooting the ball at any part of the goal opening.   As the soccer ball catching system can be used from both sides, drills can be fast paced, thereby maintaining the interest of soccer players, while providing a superior cardiovascular workout to both young and older players.   Target flags can be attached to any of the pockets, thereby providing players a challenging and fun way to improve their shooting and heading skills.   The portable soccer ball catching system can be set up on the field by two individuals in about 5 minutes.   Soccer players can easily remove balls caught by the soccer training net by placing their hand under the ball and the pocket and flicking their wrist upward.       

     CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF INVENTION 
     The two embodiments of the soccer ball catching system  230  and the portable soccer ball catching system  2189  provide a more versatile, effective and productive soccer training system that can be used by coaches or individual players on soccer pitches, parks or in backyards. 
     In these two embodiments, the ball capture percentage at the point of impact is as high as 90% when the ball hits the front of the soccer training net  332 . When the ball hits the back of the soccer training net  332 , the ball capture percentage at the point of impact is as high as 80%. These high ball capture percentages are the result of various features incorporated into the ball catching soccer system embodiments  230  and  2189  to effectively decrease the kinetic energy of the soccer ball in order that the pockets described in prior art can retain the ball instead of acting as an immovable object and rebounding the ball. 
     While the above descriptions contain many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of several preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, the portable soccer ball catching system  2189  can be utilized for golf, football, baseball, tennis, polo and volleyball by modifying the dimensions of the pockets in the soccer training net  332  to accommodate the dimensions of balls used in these sports. For tennis and indoor activities, the base of the rigid portable rectangular frame  2192  would be secured to the tennis court or gym floor with appropriate weighted containers rather than with the use of ground spikes.