Game apparatus

A game apparatus includes a generally rectangular playing field defined within a pair of spaced, parallel baselines and a pair of spaced, parallel sidelines. A pair of support posts are positioned outside the playing field, each such post being positioned adjacent the midpoint of a respective one of the sidelines. A support line extends between the pair of support posts and is attached to the posts adjacent their upper ends. The support line bisects the playing field and extends generally aparallel to the baselines. A tether line is attached to the support line by means of a tether line ring. A playing ball is attached to the opposite end of the tether line, whereby the playing ball may be struck by one or more players on either side of the support line and caused to travel repeatedly over the support line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to athletic games and, more particularly, to 
game apparatus which may be set up in a relatively small area, played by 
teams including a number of players, and in which movement of the game 
ball is restrained by a tether line. 
Various games have been developed in which a ball, similar to a volley ball 
or a soccer ball, is tethered. Games of this sort are ideal for confined 
areas, such as a small, residential back yard, in that the movement of the 
ball is restricted. It is well known to attach a tethered ball to an 
upright pole. With such apparatus, the ball is struck with the hand or 
fist during play of the game and the tethered ball rotates around the 
support pole in a relatively limited arc of travel. Thus, such a game is 
not appropriate for play by more than a few players. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,497, issued Oct. 5, 1982, to Warehime discloses a 
tethered ball arrangement for practicing soccer. In one embodiment, a pair 
of balls, defining a goal therebetween, are attached together by a tether 
line. Also attached to the tether line is a rope which is attached, at its 
opposite end, to the game ball. 
While games using a tethered ball have been played in confined areas, a 
need exists for game apparatus which permits play by a number of players 
simultaneously, which facilitates eye-hand coordination and player 
movement, and which is simple and durable in construction. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTON 
Game apparatus includes a generally rectangular playing field defined 
within a pair of spaced, parallel baselines, and a pair of spaced, 
parallel sidelines. A pair of support posts are positioned outside the 
playing field. The posts each are positioned adjacent the midpoint of a 
respective one of the sidelines. A support line extends between the pair 
of support posts and is attached to the posts adjacent their upper ends. 
The support line bisects the playing field and extends generally parallel 
to the baselines. A tether line means is attached at its first end to a 
tether line ring which engages the support line. A playing ball is 
attached to the second end of the tether line means, whereby the playing 
ball may be struck by one or more players on either side of the support 
line and caused to travel repeatedly over the support line. 
The tether line ring may comprise an inner, annular ring encircling the 
support line, and an outer, annular ring engaging the first end of the 
tether line means. The outer, annular ring surrounds the inner, annular 
ring and is substantially concentric therewith. A plurality of support 
spokes extend between the inner, annular ring and the outer, annular ring. 
The tether line means may comprise a single tether line. Alternatively, the 
tether line means may comprise a pair of tether lines. 
The playing ball may include an inflatable ball, and an attachment means, 
secured to the inflatable ball, for engaging the second end of the tether 
line means. The attachment means may comprise a plate which is adhesively 
attached to the inflatable ball and which defines at least one slot for 
receiving the second end of the tether line means. The tether line means 
may comprise a pair of tether lines. In such a case, the plate defines a 
pair of slots, each of which receives a respective one of the tether 
lines. 
The attachment means may include one or more bands encircling the 
inflatable ball and defining at least one slot for engaging the second end 
of the tether line means. 
The generally rectangular playing field may be divided into a plurality of 
sections of equal size by lines extending parallel to the sidelines 
between the baselines. Each half of the playing field to either side of 
the support line may be divided into side courts adjacent the sidelines 
and a midcourt therebetween. Each of the side courts and midcourts is, in 
turn, divided into a front area adjacent the support line and a rear area 
adjacent a baseline. The front area and the rear area are substantially 
equal in size. 
The game apparatus may further include limit means, attached to the support 
line inwardly from each of the support posts, for limiting movement of the 
tether line ring along the support line. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide game 
apparatus which includes a tethered game ball for play in areas of 
restricted size; to provide such game apparatus which may be played 
simultaneously by a number of players; to provide such game apparatus in 
which player eye-hand coordination and agility are enhanced; and to 
provide such game apparatus which is simple in construction. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the 
following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 illustrates the general construction of the game apparatus of the 
present invention. The apparatus includes a generally rectangular playing 
field 10 which is defined within a pair of spaced, parallel baselines 12, 
and a pair of spaced, parallel sidelines 14. The baselines are 
approximately 21 feet long and the sidelines are approximately 20 feet 
long. A pair of support posts 16 are positioned outside the playing field. 
Each of the posts 16 is positioned adjacent the midpoint of a respective 
one of the sidelines 14. 
A support line 18 extends between the pair of support posts 16 and is 
attached to the posts adjacent their upper ends approximately six feet 
above the playing field. The support line 18 bisects the playing field and 
extends generally parallel to the baselines 12. The support line 18 is a 
rope or cable made of nylon or other suitable material. The support line 
preferably extends through openings in the upper ends of the support posts 
16. The ends of the support lines extending from the openings in the posts 
16 are clamped to the main portion of the support line 18 by means of rope 
clamps 19. Appropriate clamps for this use are disclosed in applicant's 
co-pending application Ser. No. 660,342 filed Oct. 12, 1984, CABLE OR ROPE 
CONNECTION INCLUDING CLAMP DEVICE. Alternatively, the free ends of the 
support line may be tied to the main portion of the support line 18 or 
attached to the support posts in any other known fashion. 
A tether line means including tether lines 20 and 22 is attached at its 
first end to a tether line ring 24 which engages the support line 18. The 
tether lines 20 and 22 are approximately 14 feet in length. Tether line 
ring 24 defines a center opening 26 through which the support line 18 
extends. The opening 26 is substantially larger than the support line 18 
such that the tether line ring 24 is free to rotate and to move along the 
support line 18 between the limits 28. Limits 28, described below, are 
secured to support line 18. A playing ball 30 is attached to the second 
end of the tether line means. As shown by the representations of the 
playing ball 30 and the tether line means in solid and dashed lines in 
FIG. 1, the playing ball may be struck by one or more players on either 
side of the support line 18 and caused to travel repeatedly over the 
support line 18 in a manner similar to play in volley ball. 
The tether line ring 24 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in greater detail. The 
ring includes an inner, annular ring 32 encircling the support line 18 and 
an outer, annular ring 34 which engages the first end of the tether line 
means. The outer, annular ring 34 surrounds the inner, annular ring 32 and 
is substantially concentric therewith. The tether lines 20 and 22 extend 
through openings 36 and are secured to the tether line ring 24 by knots 38 
and 40 which are substantially larger than the openings 36. A plurality of 
support spokes 42 extend between the inner, annular ring 32 and the outer, 
annular ring 34. In an alternative configuration of the game apparatus, 
only a single tether line 44 is used to attach the ball 30 to the tether 
line ring 24. For such an arrangement, the ring 24 may be reconfigured as 
shown in FIG. 4 with only a single opening 36. 
FIG. 5 is a side view showing one type of playing ball which may be used in 
the present invention. The playing ball includes an inflatable ball 46 and 
an attachment means 48 which is secured to the inflatable ball 46 and 
which engages the second end of the tether lines 20 and 22. The attachment 
means may include one or more bands 50 which encircle the inflatable ball 
46 and which, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, define one or more slots 52 for 
engaging the second ends of the tether lines 20 and 22 or 44. The slots 52 
are defined within a plate 54 which is secured to the inflatable ball 46 
by the bands 50. Plate 54 may, alternatively, be adhesively secured to the 
inflatable ball. 
In either event the knotted ends of the tether lines are inserted in the 
slot or slots 52 prior to inflation of the ball 46. The knots are then 
securely engaged within the slots 52 after the ball 46 is fully inflated. 
The ball 46 may be made of rubber or other appropriate synthetic material 
and is inflatable through a fill valve 56 of conventional design. 
An alternative construction for the playing ball 30 is shown in FIGS. 8-10. 
In this construction, the bands 58 define a single slot 60 within which 
both of the tether lines 20 and 22 are received. Note that the plate 54, 
utilized in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7, is eliminated from this 
structure. Slot 60 is widest adjacent its center area and tapered toward 
each end so as to receive both of the tether lines. If desired, fill valve 
openings 56 may be positioned in the slots 60. FIG. 10 illustrates a 
slightly modified version of the playing ball of FIGS. 8 and 9 in which 
the bands 58 define a slot 62 which is tapered toward only one of its 
ends. This version is intended for use with game apparatus having only a 
single tether line 44. 
Yet another configuration of playing ball is illustrated in the partial 
sectional view of FIG. 11, in which the bands 50 and 58 are eliminated and 
the slot 64 is defined within the ball itself. An inner layer 66 
completely bridges the slot 64 and defines pockets 68 into which the 
knotted ends of the tether lines 20 and 22 are received prior to full 
inflation of the ball 46. As shown, the layer 66 may also define a fill 
valve 70. 
FIG. 12 illustrates one construction for the limit 28 which, as mentioned 
earlier, is attached to the support line 18 inwardly from each of the 
support posts 16 so as to limit movement of the tether line ring 24 along 
the support line. The limit means consists of an upper element 72 and a 
lower element 74 which are attached together by means of threaded bolts 
76, thereby clamping the line 18 therebetween. 
The generally rectangular playing field, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 
13-16, is divided into a plurality of sections by lines 78 and 80 which 
extend parallel to the sidelines 14 between the baselines 12. Lines 78 and 
80 divide each half of the playing field to either side of the support 
line 18 into side courts 82 adjacent the sidelines 14 and a midcourt 84 
therebetween. Each of the side courts and midcourts is divided into a 
front area 86 adjacent the support line 18 and a rear area 88 adjacent a 
baseline 12. The front area 86 and tne rear area 88 are substantially 
equal in size. 
It has been found that the game apparatus described above lends itself to 
playing a number of different challenging and exciting games. FIGS. 13-16 
illustrate player movement patterns with two teams of three players each. 
Play is initiated by the player in the midcourt (for example, player P5 in 
FIG. 13) serving the playing ball in volley ball style over the support 
line 18 from behind the baseline 12. The receiving team, consisting of 
players P1, P2, and P3, must then strike the ball to cause it to pass back 
over the support line 18 and into the serving team's half of the playing 
field. Each team can strike the ball no more than twice before causing it 
to pass over the support line. Additionally, no player can strike the ball 
twice in a row. 
If the playing ball 30 is not caused to pass over the support line in the 
required fashion, or if it lands outside of the playing field defined by 
the baselines 12 and the sidelines 14, a point is awarded to the opposing 
team. When a serving team wins a point, it continues to serve, with change 
of serve occurring only when a point is lost by the serving team. An added 
challenge to the game is created by a rule requiring no more than two 
players in a team to be in the front area or the rear area at the time 
that the ball is struck by a team member. Thus, the three players must be 
positioned as shown in FIGS. 13-16 in a staggered arrangement. Further, 
one player must be positioned in each side court and in the midcourt. 
Players may change their respective positions between successive strikes 
of the ball. If desired, it may be helpful to provide a pair of referees 
90 as shown in FIG. 16 in order to ensure that the player formations are 
properly maintained. Failure to comply with player formation rules results 
in the award of a point to the opposite team. 
Play continues in this fashion until one of the teams reaches a score of 
21. If desired, the rules may provide that the game is awarded if one team 
reaches 7 points before the opposing team scores a point, or if one team 
reaches 14 points before the opposing team scores 5 points. As a 
supplementary rule, it may be required that the winning team yell "Ace," 
"Best," or "Game," upon reaching the 7--0, 14--4, or 21 point winning 
scores, respectively. If the winning team fails to yell the appropriate 
word, then play continues. 
FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 illustrate player patterns where the teams consist of 
two players each. In this case, only a pair of side courts 82 are 
utilized, with no midcourt. FIG. 19 illustrates the court configuration 
for playing only one player per team. Only the midcourt 84 is utilized for 
such a game. 
While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred 
embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is 
not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be 
made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is 
defined in the appended claims.