System and method for confirming and correcting offensive and/or defensive postures in a team ball game

A system for analyzing offensive and defensive patterns of teams in team sports incorporates a device for inputting data on offensive/defensive patterns to be analyzed including data on individual player actions; a device for displaying the offensive/defensive pattern data including at least a graphical representation of a playing field with the data on the individual player actions represented thereon; a device for recording and playing back video images of an actual game for analysis; and a device for synchronizing at least the playing back of the video images from the recording and playing back device with the displaying of the offensive/defensive pattern data, whereby video images of the game are extracted and displayed in coordination with outputting and displaying of offensive/defensive pattern data selected for viewing. The displaying of the playing field representation and of the offensive/defensive patterns that are selected for viewing thereon synchronized with the displaying of selected video images related to the selected offensive/defensive pattern representations allows the viewing and analysis of the graphical representation with the video images.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of Industrial Application 
This invention relates to a method and a system for confirming and 
correcting an offensive and/or a defensive posture in a team ball game 
wherein a ball or similar materials in soccer, American football, 
basketball, rugby, volleyball, hockey and the like are employed. 
2. Prior Art 
As described above, it is not too much to say that victory or defeat in a 
team ball game is often decided based upon the use of a particular 
offensive and/or defensive formation composed of all the players in a team 
at a key point during the game. In other words, it becomes a key to the 
score to prepare a formation against that of the other party as a result 
of seeing promptly through the formation on the other side, i.e., the 
defensive formation when one is on the offensive side, and the offensive 
formation when on the defensive side. 
Under such circumstances, it was heretofore common for the manager or 
leader of one of the opposing teams to call a meeting so as to confirm the 
use of an offensive and/or defensive formation. Specifically, such 
meetings are typically composed of discussions as, for example, on a 
defensive side, "if the offensive side uses, for example, the offensive 
formation of pattern A, we will oppose to it by using the defensive 
formation of pattern A; if the offensive side takes and offensive 
formation of pattern B, we will take the defensive formation of pattern B. 
" 
Typically, such meetings may be carried out using, for example, "blue" 
magnetic tips representing players on an offensive side and "red" magnetic 
tips representing players on a defensive side to illustrate either a 
certain offensive or defensive pattern with the tips being positioned on a 
steel board, in conjunction with discussion in the meeting. 
However, there are an infinite variety of offensive and defensive 
formations of a team which may be suitably changed depending upon the type 
of game, the teams opposing one another, the progress of a game and the 
like, so that such formations are not unitary. 
In this regard, one way of improving the above conventional system is to 
adopt a video image system as a better means for grasping, recording, and 
analyzing the changes in offensive and/or defensive patterns of a certain 
team. Furthermore, recorded video images may be used to comparatively 
examine the changed pattern of an opposing team with a pattern of one's 
own team. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,295 (issued on Feb. 2, 1993) discloses that model 
acting and the like have previously been recorded as video images, and 
these model acting video images are overlapped with an acting video image 
of a person who is to be coached by means of arithmetic processing or the 
like to obtain a stereoscopic video image, whereby a suitable coaching is 
conducted. 
While this prior invention is suitable for sports or activities which 
proceed in comparatively "slow" pace as compared with the other sports, 
e.g., golf play, grasping and analyzing offensive/defensive patterns in 
team sports were substantially impossible to achieve, particularly in 
violent sports such as soccer and rugby. 
Typically, over time, teams will change formation patterns, both offensive 
and/or defensive patterns, that are peculiar to or inherent in their team, 
and particularly with teams in violent sports like soccer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, if it is possible to see through offensive and/or defensive 
patterns of an opposing team and utilize that information for developing 
tactics for one's own team, such information becomes an effective weapon 
that will lead to victory. The method and the system of the present 
invention is directed to making possible the ability to easily see through 
offensive and defensive patterns of an opposing team, wherein offensive 
and defensive postures of the opposing team can be easily grasped and 
easily analyzed. 
In the present invention, details of all or part of a game, as needed, are 
recorded by means of a video camera to grasp offensive and defensive 
patterns of the opposing team as described above, while required data or 
information on the game is synchronously inputted to a personal computer 
with the video images recorded by the aforesaid video camera. A 
characteristic feature of the method and the system according to the 
present invention resides in that, for example, when entry of information 
into the personal computer at the time of scoring a point is intended 
after finishing the game, the video images at that time can be 
simultaneously outputted with the information entry, whereby the 
formations as well as offensive and defensive patterns of both teams team 
can be grasped and analyzed. 
For example, in the case of soccer, when a miss in passing a ball results 
in one losing a point, information on the offensive and defensive patterns 
at the instance of the miss described above may be obtained for analysis. 
However, in such a team game, and particularly in case of a violent sport, 
it is substantially impossible to promptly input the information concerned 
to a personal computer and to store the information therein. Accordingly, 
another characteristic feature of the present invention resides in that 
only major information or data is inputted during a game, and after 
finishing the game, the video image is reproduced from the above-described 
video deck, so that further required information obtained thereby can be 
inputted again to the personal computer. 
A further characteristic feature of the present invention resides in that 
basic offensive and/or defensive patterns under a certain period of time 
or certain conditions can be outputted on the display of a personal 
computer (PC) together with a variety of information and data entered via 
the keyboard of the PC or other input devices into the PC, whereby any of 
the basic patterns can be compared with a pattern from an actual game 
taking place by viewing the patterns either side by side, or in an 
overlapped manner. 
In addition to the above, a still further characteristic feature of the 
present invention resides in that the basic patterns in the form of video 
images stored in the personal computer as well as video images of an 
actual pattern recorded through a videocassette recorder system are not 
outputted as still-frame images, but as moving video images so that 
differences in motion between the patterns can be identified and analyzed. 
One feature of the present invention is that, in the situation where an 
offensive pattern of the opposing team used against a particular defensive 
pattern of one's own team resulted in the opposing team scoring, the 
simultaneous comparison of the two patterns may be used to identify and 
correct the deficiencies in the defensive pattern in countering the 
opposing team's use of that particular offensive pattern in the future. 
Therefore, the present invention can be used for correcting such 
deficiencies as missing a ball that was passed between players, and 
missing a ball that was being shot in a goal scoring attempt, such as in 
soccer or other similar games. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that it allows one to 
identify and understand the flow of offensive and defensive patterns used 
by the opposing team during the entire game, whereby the resulting 
information may be utilized for planning and developing future defensive 
and offensive patterns for one's own team, as well as strategies for 
countering the opposing team's particular flow of offensive and defensive 
patterns. 
Further, the present invention may be used to identify and analyze the 
characteristics of a particular player on the opposing team, such that 
countermeasures against patterns in which that particular player is used 
or actions/maneuvers for which that player is recognized as an expert may 
be developed. Accordingly, as described above, the present invention may 
be used to generate a considerable amount of information for developing 
and/or improving the offensive and defensive patterns of one's team that 
may in turn advantageously lead to greater success in competition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to the figures, like reference characters will be used to 
indicate like elements throughout the several embodiments and views 
thereof. In particular, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the general 
system for implementing the present invention wherein reference numeral 
(1) designates a videocassette recorder containing a videotape. In this 
example, while an EVO-9650 videocassette recorder for Hi-8 videotape 
manufactured by Sony K.K. in Japan has been used in one embodiment of the 
present invention, any other videocassette recorder having equivalent 
performance as known in the art may, of course, be employed. 
Reference numeral (2) designates a controller which is attached to the 
videocassette recorder (1), whereby desired scenes are searched, and 
still-frame video images or moving video pictures are outputted on a 
display. Controllers as known in the art may be used for implementing the 
controller (2). 
Reference numeral (3) designates a personal computer for controlling and 
processing data either stored therein or inputted thereinto. In the 
present example, while PC-9801FA personal computer manufactured by Nihon 
Denki K.K. has been used in one embodiment of the present invention, it is 
to be noted that the personal computer (3) is not limited thereto, but any 
other personal computer device known in the art having equivalent 
performance may be employed. In addition, other computer or data 
processing devices as known in the art, i.e., laptop computers, 
minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. may also be used in implementing 
the present invention. 
Furthermore, reference numeral (6) denotes a video image printer by which a 
video image can be printed in hard copy. It is, however, not required to 
provide the printer in the case where no such hard copy is necessary. 
Otherwise, the video image printer (6) may be implemented using any 
printer device that is capable of interfacing with a computer and/or with 
a video cassette recorder as known in the art. 
Reference numeral (7) designates an input device connected to the personal 
computer (3), such as a keyboard. Alternatively, the input device (7) may 
be implemented using a touch-panel operated by a touch-pen, a mouse or 
other similar device known in the art. 
FIG. 2 illustrates an example initial menu screen shown on the monitor 
display (4) of the personal computer (3) where the present invention is 
applied to a soccer game. 
The initial screen is the menu displayed when entering required 
information. In the example of a soccer game, the information to be 
entered includes a wide range of items from the start time of kickoff to 
the ending time of the game. In the initial screen, there is a group of 
required data displayed (8) on the upper part of the monitor display (4). 
The required data is shown at least in alphanumeric form and includes at 
least the data number of a game (81), a starting time of the game (82), a 
finishing time of the game (83), a timer (84), and the names of the teams 
playing (85). 
A ground display (9) on one side of the monitor display shows the assigned 
positions (91) of the players on the field. In this example, the ground 
(9) corresponds to a half of the actual soccer field, representing an area 
extending from the central position of the field to the goal position of 
one team with eleven players on one team displayed. 
When a touch panel or mouse is used as the input device (7), the initial 
screen may also include a group display of dedicated entry keys (10) 
operating as a graphical interface for entering required information on 
the other side of the monitor display (4). These dedicated entry keys (10) 
are not limited to those illustrated in the figure, but they may be 
suitably selected or configured as required by the particular application. 
The display as described above is configured so in order that the position 
and movement of various players in a pattern to be graphically displayed 
is determined by the position of the ball as in the case of soccer or 
other similar games. Generally, during play the ball will always belong in 
either the side of the field controlled by one's own team or the opposing 
team. As such, displaying only one-half of the field is sufficient. 
However, displaying a representation of the entire field may also be done 
in order to accommodate a specific application or specific requirements 
thereof. 
As noted above, reference numeral (91) refers to indicators of the ground 
(9) display corresponding to the positions of the players with their 
respective names, which was previously inputted, displayed. Similarly, 
reference numeral (92) refers to indicators for reserve players (five 
members in case of soccer) displayed on the lower part of the ground (9) 
display of the monitor screen. When one of those player indicators (91 or 
92) is actuated via the input device (7), i.e., touched with a touch-pen 
or pointed to with a mouse, additional information on the corresponding 
player that was previously inputted will be displayed. 
As described above, the dedicated entry key group display (10) may be 
configured or selected as required by the particular and/or desired by the 
user. However, the entry key group display (10) should at least include 
the respective keys to allow the quick and efficient entry of such 
information as the start time of a game (101), occurrence of a direct free 
kick (102), occurrence of an indirect free kick (103), occurrence of a 
corner kick (104), occurrence of a goal kick (105), occurrence of a throw 
(106), occurrence of a cut in passing (107) and occurrence of the hike. In 
addition, respective keys for inputting additional information such as 
termination time of the game (108), check 1 (109) and check 2 (110) which 
will be described hereinafter, occurrence of a miss in passing (111), 
occurrence of a shot being taken (112), clear (113), occurrence of a foul 
play (114), being subjected to foul (115), and occurrence of an offside 
situation (116) should also be included. 
The above-enumerated types of information defined for the individual entry 
keys in the group display (10) are designed primarily to input the 
corresponding data for one's own team. However, the respective keys in the 
group display (10) may also be defined for inputting information on the 
opposing team, such as entry keys for inputting at least a start time 
(117), a termination time (118), and the above-mentioned check 1 (119) and 
check 2 (120). 
As noted above, the group display (10) includes a start time of the game 
entry key (101). In operation, when a game begins play, the start entry 
key (101) displayed on the monitor display (4) is activated. Synchronous 
with that key entry, the starting time of the game display (82) is 
activated, and the above described videocassette recorder (1) begins 
recording video images of the game. 
As the game progresses, as events such as direct free kicks, indirect free 
kicks, corner kicks, goal kicks, ball throws, or cuts in passing performed 
by one's own team occur, information on those events is entered using the 
appropriate entry keys (102) through (107). Furthermore, events such as 
misses in passing, shots, clear, actions in fouling, actions in being 
subjected to foul, occurrences of out-of-bounds and the like are also 
entered by means of the entry keys (111) through (116), as appropriate. 
The entry keys are used to mark and record at least the times when the 
specific events they designate occur. 
The entry keys for check 1 (109) and check 2 (110) are spare entry keys for 
inputting other information to be monitored or recorded from the game as 
required by the particular application or as desired by the user. With 
respect to the opposing team, similar additional information may be 
inputted through the entry keys check 3 (11) and check 4 (120). For 
example, data on events of notable plays and the like involving particular 
players is entered using the entry keys check 3 (119) and a check 4 (120). 
When the game ends, the recording by the videocassette recorder (1) stops, 
while the entry of information via the group display entry keys (10) is 
completed. As one may well appreciate, in fast-moving games such as 
soccer, entering all the data to be recorded into the PC (3) only while 
the game is still progressing is substantially impossible. However, other 
games such as golf that are far slower, the entry of relatively large 
amounts of data into the PC (3) is considerably easier. For this reason, 
the videocassette recorder (1) that recorded the game is provided. The 
videocassette recorder allows a user to enter additional information while 
viewing the recorded video images of the game long after the game itself 
has already ended. 
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a reentrant system 
according to the present invention that is composed of the PC (3), another 
monitor display (11), a converter (12) for converting the signals from the 
PC (3) into video signals to be recorded, a first video deck (13) 
connected by means of a dedicated cable, and a second video deck (14) 
connected by means of a rank cable. The first video deck (13) is used to 
play back or reproduce the video images of the game that was recorded, 
while the second video deck 14 is used to record those video images from 
the first video deck 13 combined with images (e.g., text, animation, 
symbology, data monitor displays) generated by the PC (3) in conjunction 
with the video images from the first video deck (13). In the general 
operation of this system, signals from the first video deck (13) that 
contains a videocassette of the recorded game are transmitted to both the 
PC (3) and the second video deck (14). As the PC (3) generates images to 
be superimposed or otherwise combined with the video images from the first 
video deck (13), the images from the PC (3) are first processed through 
the converter (12) and then recorded with the second video deck (14) in 
combination with the video images from the first video deck (13). The PC 
(3) further outputs control signals to control the operation of the second 
video deck (14) and image signals to be displayed on the monitor display 
(11). 
In order to replay specific events recorded during the game, from the 
initial menu screen of FIG. 2, the corresponding entry key for the event 
is activated. At that point, the PC (3) switches to the reproduction menu 
screen (15) as illustrated in FIG. 4, and the video images related to that 
event are displayed on the monitor display (11). For example, to observe 
the occurrence of a miss in passing, the corresponding entry key (111) is 
selected. The reproduction menu screen (15) is displayed on the display 
(4) of the PC (3) while the video images of the miss in passing are 
outputted to the monitor display (11). 
In the reproduction menu screen (15), on the left half of the display, a 
panoramic ground (151) view of the playing field is displayed. The right 
half of the display includes a search key (152) for searching for the time 
leading to the event to viewed (i.e., the miss in passing), and a 
plurality of dedicated graphical interface operation keys for displaying 
information such as the name of a team (153), the name of the player(s) 
involved in the event being viewed (i.e., the player who missed the 
passing of the ball) (154). The right half of the display also includes a 
window (155) which can be used to display alphanumeric or graphical data 
related to the event being viewed, for example, the circumstances leading 
to the miss in passing. Other dedicated graphical interface operation keys 
incorporated in the right half of the display are those for accessing data 
and images of actions such as passes (156), dribbles (157), shots (158), 
in-goals (159) and no-goals (160) such that those actions may be 
graphically arranged and represented on the panoramic ground view (151), 
as will be further explained hereinbelow. 
Based on the operation of the present invention as described above, 
information on the occurrence of certain events during the game (i.e., the 
miss in passing the ball) can be used to determine and analyze the cause 
for those events. However, other features of the present invention may be 
used to further analyze and illustrate those events, such as by 
graphically illustrating the actions and/or behavior of the players before 
and during the event. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the reproduction menu screen (15) further includes 
dedicated graphical interface operation keys A-D that activate different 
modes in the reproduction menu screen (15). As illustrated, activation of 
the mode A operation key will access and display data on the game being 
viewed, including, for example, activation of the initial menu screen 
illustrated in FIG. 2. Activation of the mode B operation key will access 
system information, including for example activation of other menu screens 
directed to the general operation of the PC (3). 
When mode D is activated, data may be inputted into the system to analyze 
the game or events being viewed. In particular, in the panoramic ground 
view (151), the positions and actions of the players involved in the event 
may be graphically drawn or represented to further illustrate the 
circumstances that resulted in the event being viewed. For example, 
individual players represented by their jersey numbers may be illustrated 
as boxes other icons on the playing field. Different arrows or other 
graphical symbols may then be added to represent their actions, or the 
actions/movements of the ball during the event. Such different arrows or 
symbols are accessed through activation of the operation keys (156) to 
(160). For example, when the pass operation key (156) is activated to 
input the occurrence of a heading pass, an arrow with a solid line may 
then be drawn by the user between icons representing the players. 
Similarly, when the dribble operation key (157) is activated in the case 
of representing a dribbling pass, an arrow with a dotted line may be drawn 
by the user. 
When the operation key for mode C is activated, the data inputted during 
mode D may be accessed and displayed on the reproduction menu screen (15). 
The actions of each player involved in the event being viewed may be 
graphically represented, whereby the flow and sequence of actions leading 
to the event being viewed may be displayed in the panoramic ground view 
(151) or in the window (155). In mode C, the operation keys (156) to (160) 
are used to access the data and graphical representations inputted during 
mode D. In addition, as is being done above for the actions and positions 
of players on one's own team in mode D as explained above, the formations, 
actions and/or positions of players on the opposing team may also be 
graphically inputted in mode D and then displayed in mode C. 
For example, as graphically illustrated in FIG. 4, in mode C, when the pass 
operation key (156) is activated in conjunction with selecting the time 
when the ball being passed was missed, the reproduction menu screen (15) 
will display the graphical representations inputted as explained above. As 
shown in FIG. 4, the ball is passed from a player represented by icon 8 to 
a player shown by icon 12. The player shown by icon 12 is passing the ball 
to a player shown by icon 9 while dribbling the ball. Thereafter, the 
player shown by icon 9 tries to pass the ball to a player shown by icon 10 
at which point the miss in passing the ball occurs resulting in the ball 
falling into the hands of the opposing team. 
In a typical application of the present invention, the system would be 
operated by a manager or a leader on the team concerned with the cause of 
certain events during a game, with how certain formations or actions are 
being executed, etc. The information provided by the present invention 
allows such a user to analyze the specific details that caused the events 
to occur or that result in certain formations of actions being successful 
or unsuccessfuil in actual use. The information may therefore be used to 
correct problems and deficiencies such that they may be avoided in future 
games. 
As in the example of the miss in passing the ball, the user of the present 
invention may find that the formation used during the games was inferior 
to that of the opposing team, wherein that inferior formation allowed the 
presence of an opposing player that interfered with the passing between 
the players identified by icons 9 and 10. Accordingly, a user would use 
the present invention to understand, devise and illustrate the tactics 
necessary to counter the presence of an opposing player when that 
formation is used again. 
While the present example has been described with respect to soccer, it is 
not limited thereto but also applicable to ball games such as American 
football, basketball, rugby, volleyball and the like as well as to even 
any other team sports wherein other types of balls besides those for the 
games mentioned above are employed, such as hockey and the like. The 
system of the present invention is applicable to such other sports in a 
manner similar to that set forth in the above-described example, wherein 
the software program of the present invention would be modified suitably 
for rules, offensive and defensive patterns for a specific game as would 
be understood by one of skill in the art. Further, the implementation of 
the present invention not otherwise disclosed and detailed above are 
consistent with implementations of software and graphical operations as 
known and understood in the art.