Abstract:
A won/lost record system for an athletic event includes awarding the team accumulating a greater score during a first period standing points for that period, awarding the team accumulating a greater score during a second period standing points for that period, awarding the team accumulating a greater score during a third period standing points for that period, awarding the team accumulating a greater score during a fourth period standing points for that period, awarding the team having a greater score at the end of the game standing points for the game, and summing the standing points awarded throughout the game to obtain a game record total for each team.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not applicable  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     This invention relates to athletic events having independent periods constituting a game, and, specifically, to a won/lost record system for such athletic events.  
         [0005]     2. Prior Art  
         [0006]     A number of athletic events are known that have independent periods constituting a game. For example, basketball and football have four quarters and soccer has two halves. Hockey, likewise, has three periods, with the puck being dropped at center ice at the start of each period. In all these instances, the score from the previous periods is carried over to the next period.  
         [0007]     In games such as those described above, a team is awarded a “win” if it has the highest accumulated score at the end of the game. The National Hockey League has a modified system in which each team is awarded one point for a tie, and the teams play an overtime period with the team winning the overtime period being awarded an additional point. This system was apparently designed to encourage the teams to attempt to “win” in the overtime period, since prior to such a scoring system there was a tendency for teams to play defensively in the overtime period in order to preserve the point awarded for a tie.  
         [0008]     Such scoring systems (including the hockey scoring system) could be improved. Fans frequently complain, for example, that professional basketball teams simply “go through the motions” early in the game, particularly during the regular season. The victory in those regular season games then goes to the team that finally takes charge, usually in the last quarter. Particularly in regular season games, one of the teams may get off to a much better start, so that the other team basically “folds”, conceding the second half (and the game) to its opponent. The winning team in such a situation also has an incentive to “coast”. Similar situations naturally arise in other sports. Unfortunately, such games (sometimes referred to as a “blow-out”) are not enjoyable for the fans in attendance (or watching the game on television). Fans leave the game or, if watching on television, change the channel. This situation is unsatisfactory to the fans, to the concessionaires, and to the advertisers.  
         [0009]     Although the problem of lack of intensity in early periods can occur in many games, it is particularly prevalent in basketball. (Football seems less prone to the problem, probably because of the smaller number of games played during the regular season.) The lack of intensity problem, however, does not usually occur during playoffs, probably due to the higher stakes involved. In any event, present scoring systems fail to address this problem.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Among the various objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of a won/lost record system for an athletic event that provides an incentive to both teams to maximize their effort throughout the game.  
         [0011]     A second object and feature is the provision of such a system that results in more interesting and exciting athletic events.  
         [0012]     A third object and feature is the provision of such a system that is readily and inexpensively implemented.  
         [0013]     Other objects and features are in part pointed out and in part apparent from the following description of the invention.  
         [0014]     A won/lost record system of the present invention is designed for an athletic event having independent periods constituting a game. The athletic event has first and second teams that accumulate respective first and second scores throughout the athletic event in accordance with rules of the athletic event. The system includes awarding the team accumulating a greater score during a first period “standing points” for the first period (the term “standing points” is used to distinguish the record being kept from the “points” or “score” of the actual game). The system also includes awarding the team accumulating a greater score during a second period standing points for the second period, and awarding the team having a greater score at the end of the game standing points for the game. The standing points awarded throughout the game are summed to obtain a game total of standing points for each team. For example, in basketball, a team could win standing points for accumulating the most points during the first period, standing points for accumulating the most points during the third period, and standing points for accumulating the most points at the end of the game. If each period standing points has a value of “1” and the game standing points has a value of “3”, the team would be awarded “5” standing points under the above scenario. (The opposing team would be awarded “2” standing points.) As will become apparent, it is desired that the standing points be allocated such that the majority of standing points are awarded to the team that wins the game, even though the other team may have won more quarters. For example, a team that wins three of four quarters but loses one quarter and the game could be awarded three standing points (one for each quarter it one), while the opposing team could be awarded four standing points (one for the quarter it one and three for the game). Any similar scoring system could be used.  
         [0015]     The above system has a great deal of built-in flexibility, as will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention below. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a scoreboard used to illustrate the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows the relevant scores at the end of a first period of an athletic event.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows the relevant scores at the end of a second period of the athletic event.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows the relevant scores at the end of a third period of the athletic event.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows the relevant scores at the end of a fourth period of the athletic event.  
     
    
       [0021]     Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     Turning to the drawings, the present invention will be described in connection with a scoreboard  11 , although the present invention does not require the use of any particular piece of equipment. It will also be described in connection with the sport of basketball, although it should be understood that it is readily usable as well with soccer, football, or hockey.  
         [0023]     Scoreboard  11  includes conventional first and second displays  13  and  15  for displaying the total accumulated home team and visitor scores for the athletic event (in this case the basketball game). Scoreboard  11  also includes a second set of displays  17  and  19  for displaying the home team and visitor scores accumulated during the individual periods of the game. The scoreboard also includes conventional means  21  for indicating the current period.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows the appearance of scoreboard  11  at the end of the first period, with a score of 26-20 in favor of the home team. Note that displays  13  and  17  display the same score (“26”) as do displays  15  and  19  (“20”). Using the present invention, the home team is awarded a number of standing points for accumulating the greater score during the first quarter.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows the appearance of scoreboard  11  at the end of the second period, with a score of 48-50 in favor of the visiting team. Displays  13  and  17  no longer display the same score. Display  13  displays the total accumulated score for the game (“48”) while display  17  displays the accumulated home team score for the second quarter (“22”). Likewise, displays  15  and  19  display different visitor scores—display  15  displaying the total accumulated score for the game (“50”) while display  19  displays the accumulated visitor score for the second quarter (“30”). Using the present invention, the visiting team is awarded a number of standing points for accumulating the greater score during the second quarter.  
         [0026]     At the end of the third period, scoreboard  11  displays the total accumulated scores for the game (“80” to “80”) in displays  13  and  15 , and displays the scores accumulated in the third quarter (“32” to “30” in favor of the home team) in displays  17  and  19 . Although the game is tied at this point, the home team is awarded a number of standing points since the home team accumulated the greater score during the third period.  
         [0027]     Similarly,  FIG. 5  illustrates the situation at the end of the fourth quarter (which is also the end of the game). The home team has accumulated 100 points for the entire game while the visiting team has accumulated 99. The home team is, therefore, awarded a number of standing points for accumulating the highest score during the entire game. It is also awarded a number of standing points for the quarter because it outscored the visiting team “20” to “19” during the fourth quarter.  
         [0028]     For the game, using the present invention, the visiting team is awarded the standing points for the second quarter, and the home team is awarded all the other standing points.  
         [0029]     It should be understood that the numeric values for the standing points can be set as desired to promote interest in the athletic event. For example, one standing point could be awarded for each period and the three or more standing points could be awarded for the game. It is desirable that the game standing points have a maximum value not greater than seven times the value of a period standing points.  
         [0030]     In addition, a period standing points can be divided in various ways in those cases where both teams accumulate the same score during a period. For example, if each team scores twenty points during the third period of a basketball game, the standing points for that quarter could be split evenly between the teams. Or, if desired, no standing points could be awarded for that period. In the case of overtime periods, it is preferred that the only points awarded for winning an overtime period would be the standing points for the game. Other systems could be used.  
         [0031]     Various schemes for awarding standing points can be compared by using a sequence of numerals for the standing points in which the last numeral represents the game standing points. For example, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3 represents a scheme in which all the period standing points have a value of “1” and the game standing points has a value of “3”. For a two-period scheme (where each half is considered to be the period, rather than each quarter), 1, 1, 2 would represent a standing points having a value of “1” for each period and a game standing points having a value of “2”. It should be understood that any particular sequence could be used, but it is desired (but not required) that the standing points for each period be equal.  
         [0032]     There could be reasons, however, to use a system in which one of the periods has more standing points. This could be done, for example, to encourage an intense, rapid start to a game by assigning the first standing points (the standing points associated with the first period) a larger value. This scheme could be 3, 1, 1, 1, 4, for example.  
         [0033]     Although the smallest value in the above examples is “1”, the present invention is not limited in that way. The scheme could be 2, 2, 2, 2, 5 (a value of “2” for the periods and a value of “5” for the game standing points). Although different periods could have more than two different values, such as in the scheme 1, 2, 2, 3, 6, this could be confusing and is not preferred. Alternatively, it may be desirable for the standing points values to decease as the game progresses, such as in the scheme 3, 2, 2, 1, 7, so long as the game standing points has a sufficiently high value.  
         [0034]     It is preferred that standing points be small whole numbers to facilitate calculation and comprehension.  
         [0035]     The value of the standing points awarded can also be based upon the difference in scores accumulated during a period.  
         [0036]     The above examples are directed to athletic events with four periods. Using the example of football and taking the halves as the relevant periods, the basic scheme is 1, 1, 2 (or any other combination that provides more standing points for the winner of the game).  
         [0037]     Of course, if the halves were assigned standing points with different values or if it were deemed desirable to award more standing points to a team that did not win the game many more schemes could be considered, but such complicated schemes are not preferred.  
         [0038]     The system of the present invention is particularly useful in providing an incentive for the players of the athletic event to vigorously compete during each period. In addition, it facilitates the relative ranking of teams in a league. For example, the standing points for each game are added together for all the games played by the team and that sum is compared to the corresponding sums of standing points for other teams in the league to determine relative rankings of teams playing the athletic event.  
         [0039]     Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the currently preferred embodiments of the invention. It is believed, however, that the present invention is particularly suited for use during the regular season, and that it would probably be unnecessary during the playoffs.  
         [0040]     There are numerous variations or modifications that can be incorporated into other embodiments of the learning aid and that are known to and within the understanding of persons skilled in the art. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. It should be understood that the examples given above are illustrative only and are not to be taken as limitations on the scope of the present invention.