Abstract:
A game in which one stand is used for each team, the stand having at least two cross bars. Teams take turns throwing a game piece, a “bola,” at the stand(s), trying to hang the bola on one or more bars, and are awarded points based on which bars are engaged by the bola(s). Teams can be individual players or multiple players, and each team or even each player can have multiple bolas.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0002]    There are many outdoor games on the market, each offering aspects of skill and pleasure. Many such outdoor games require permanent equipment installations or have cumbersome temporary equipment installations involving complicated assembly and disassembly. 
         [0003]    Embodiments offer a new, challenging game employing easily assembled and disassembled, light weight equipment in the form of one or more stands and a plurality of playing pieces. The equipment can be packed into a carrier, such as a carrying bag, and easily transported. The playing piece is referred to as a bola and includes two balls connected by a length of strapping, rope, cable, wire, or the like such that it can be thrown from a playing distance at an assembled stand to try to score points. In embodiments, an exact desired point value must be achieved to win, with a team exceeding the desired point value having its score reset to a setback value. Points are awarded based on which bar or bars of a stand about which a player can wrap the bola(s) thrown on his/her turn. Embodiments contemplate one or more players on each team and can employ a single stand at which teams take turns throwing their bolas, or can employ a stand for each team. Preferably, two stands are employed and are separated by about the playing distance. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of a stand according to embodiments. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  shows a side elevation of a stand according to embodiments. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  shows a plan view of a stand according to embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  shows a play piece according to embodiments. 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  shows two stands with their front cross pieces separated by the playing distance, a player standing at the front cross piece of one to throw at the other. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    The equipment for the game in embodiments includes two stands  1 , each of which can be configured like the stand shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . Each stand  1  comprises a frame with a support portion  10  and an upright portion  20 . The support portion comprises two parallel support bars  11  joined at their front ends by a cross piece  12 . Embodiments can have another cross piece at their back ends, though embodiments can also have caps on the back ends of the support bars  11 . The upright portion  20  comprises two parallel upright bars  21  extending from the support bars  11  and dividing the support bars into front and rear foot portions  13 ,  14 . The upright bars  21  are joined at their tops by a top cross bar  22 , and include at least a first cross bar  23  between the top bar  22  and the support portion  10 . Preferably, there are a total of three cross bars between the upright bars including the top bar  22  and first and second horizontal bars  23 ,  24 , the spacing between the top bar  22  and the first bar  23  being a first distance, the spacing between the first bar  23  and the second bar  24  being a second distance, and the spacing between the second bar  24  and the ground or the support portion  10  being a third distance. Embodiments preferably also include at least one stiffening cross piece  15  between the support bars  11  in their front foot portion  13  between the front cross piece  12  and the point from which the upright bars  21  project. An additional stiffening cross piece  16  can be included at the point from which the upright bars  21  project. The front foot portions  13  are preferably longer than the back foot portions  14 , the back foot portions  14  acting primarily to prevent the stand  1  from tipping backward. 
         [0010]    All pieces of the stand  1  can advantageously be made from PVC pipe for lightweight, yet sturdy, construction. Further, the pieces are preferably sized so that the entire disassembled stand  1  can be easily packed in a carry case or bag (not shown) for transport from play location to storage and back. Connectors, such as elbow connectors  2  and tee connectors  3 , are employed to join the support bars  11  to the end piece(s)  12 , stiffening cross piece(s)  15 ,  16 , and uprights  21 , as well as to connect the cross bars  22 ,  23 ,  24  to the uprights  21 . More specifically and preferably, the end piece(s)  12  are connected to the support bars  11  with elbow connectors  2 , as is the top bar  22  to the uprights  21 , the remaining cross bars  23 ,  24  and stiffening cross piece(s)  15 ,  16  are connected to the uprights  21  and support bars  11  with tee connectors  3 , and the uprights  21  are connected to the support bars  11  with tee connectors  3 . 
         [0011]    The different bars  22 ,  23 ,  24  across the uprights preferably include indicia  25 ,  26 ,  27  to mark them as having different point values for play and to aid in assembly of the stand. For example, the top bar  22  can have first indicia  25 , such as blue markings, representing a first point value, the first bar  23  can have second indicia, such as green markings, representing a second point value, and the second bar  24  can have third indicia  27 , such as red markings, representing a third point value. In play, one or more playing pieces  40 , such as that shown in  FIG. 4  and herein referred to as a “bola,” is thrown at a stand  1  from a playing distance in an attempt to score as many points as possible. A turn for a player could include, for example, three throws, and the playing distance is preferably from 30 to 70 feet, with 50 feet being a preferred playing distance. The playing distance can be reduced for players of lower skill or of lesser age. For example, when children are playing, the paying distance can be reduced to 25 feet. If the player is able to wrap a single bola around more than one of the top, first, and or second bars  22 ,  23 ,  24 , the player receives the total number of points represented by the bars. In embodiments, the first distance is more than the second distance, and both are less than the length of the bola. However, to make the game more challenging, the first distance can be more than the length of the bola. Preferably, the first distance is 14 inches, the second distance is 12 inches, and the third distance is 18 inches when the length of the bola strap is 15 inches. 
         [0012]    While the game can be played with a single stand  1  with teams taking turns at throwing their bolas  40  at the one stand  1 , embodiments also comprise providing one stand  1  for each team. For example, as seen in  FIG. 5 , two teams can play using two stands  1 ,  1 ′ set up facing each other so that their front cross pieces  12 ,  12 ′ are separated by the play distance. One team then stands at the front cross piece  12  of the first stand  1 , throwing their bolas  40  at the second stand  1 ′, while the other team stands at the front cross piece  12 ′ of the second stand  1 ′, throwing their bolas  40  at the first stand  1 . It should be noted that the teams can be single players or multiple players. 
         [0013]    The bola  40  preferably comprises two weights  41  connected by a connecting member  42 , such as a length of rope, strapping, cable, wire, or the like  42 . In embodiments, such as the example shown in  FIG. 4 , the weights  41  are golf balls and are connected to a strap  42 . Preferably, the connecting member  42  simply passes through bores in the balls. The returning portion  43  of the connecting member  42  can be secured, such as by a knot, by attaching it to the main body of the connecting member  42 , or by another suitable manner, such as stitching  44 . 
         [0014]    To play, teams take turns throwing their bolas until one team reaches a desired number of points. In embodiments, the desired number of points is 100, but this could vary. Further, embodiments provide that if a team exceeds the desired number of points, the team does not will, but returns to a setback point value. In embodiments, particularly embodiments in which the desired point value is 100, the setback point value can be 50. Thus, in more challenging embodiments, a team must score exactly the desired point value in order to win. 
         [0015]    It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. It will also be appreciated that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.