Abstract:
A method of authorizing participation in a game played on a substantially level and smooth surface, having rectangular shape and length and width of smaller dimension than any standard conventional basketball court, and rings vertically raised from the surface and disposed adjacent each end of the surface, each of the rings having slightly larger diameter than any standard conventional basketball, includes applying for authorization; reviewing to determine rejection or allowance; granting authorization only if the step of reviewing determined allowance; permitting entry for next participation only if and after performing the step of granting; and discerning the authorization prior to participation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates generally to systems and methods for sport games and, more particularly, to sport game systems and methods including courts, round bouncing balls, hoops, and backboards, together with selective markings and rules for play within confined spaces.  
           [0002]    Basketball has become one of the major world sports on both the professional and amateur level. In spite of its continued growth, the game of basketball has remained essentially unchanged over the years, excepting some minor changes in rules and court lines and markings. Professional, collegiate and many amateur courts are 94 feet in length by 50 feet in width with similar placement of backboards, baskets, free throw lines and lanes, and center circles. Many American high schools play on courts 84 feet in length and fifty feet in width with markings similar to the NCAA court. Court standards for international amateur play are frequently 49 feet 2 inches width by 91 feet 10 inches in length. Although there are slight variations in court dimensions and markings, the standard of competition is for two teams of five players each.  
           [0003]    For example, the NCAA and the NBA courts are almost identical with the exception of minor court markings relating to rule variations and with the most significant being the different three point lines, 19 feet 9 inch radius for NCAA and 23 feet 9 inch radius for NBA. The court and method for playing the game was designed for the standard of ten players on the court, five per team, engaged in competition. Professional and amateur, including collegiate and Olympic, have the same fundamental characteristics and method of play.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Embodiments of the invention variously provide variation of conventional American basketball that demands virtually all of the athletic skills of conventional basketball, but which is faster paced, played in less space than that of the conventional basketball court, and played with fewer players than conventional games (e.g., only three players per side). In the embodiments, each team attempts to place a basketball successfully through a ringed-basket, slightly larger than the basketball, at an opposing end of court, as the other team seeks to prevent it. Moreover, embodiments provide multiple courts for simultaneous play in a single facility or housing, and include systems and methods for authorizing participants and teams and groups of participants. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 illustrates a court of relative scale with respect to human sport participants, according to embodiments of the present;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 illustrates a covered-housing system containing multiple courts of FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 illustrates the court of FIG. 1, including dual elements for sport play and competition, according to embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 illustrates a method of playing a sport using the court of FIG. 1, together with the dual elements of FIG. 3, according to embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 illustrates a method of scoring a sport using the court of FIG. 1, together with the dual elements of FIG. 3, according to embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 illustrates a method of ascertaining proper authorization for play of the method of FIG. 5, using the court of FIG. 1, together with the dual elements of FIG. 3, according to embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 illustrates a court of relative scale with respect to human sport participants, according to embodiments of the present invention; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 illustrates a layout of two of the court of FIG. 1, within the confines and bounds of a traditional basketball court, according to embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring to FIG. 1, a court  100  is rectangular in shape, as marked by parallel length markings  102   a,b  and parallel width markings  104   a,b.  The court  100  is a substantially level ground or surface. The court  100  can include any of a variety of hard, resilient surface materials, including, for example, concrete, compacted soil, clay, asphalt pavement, Laykold, or other material. Throughout the surface of the court  100 , the surface is consistently smooth and symmetrical, at least within the markings  102   a,b  and markings  104   a,b.    
         [0015]    Centrally adjacent the markings  104   a,b  and extending between the markings  104   a,b  and the markings  102   a,b  are oppositely disposed key portions  106   a,b.  The key portions  106   a,b  have rectangular shape and fit within each opposing half of the court  100 . At an end of each key portion  106   a,b  extending inward to the court  100  and centrally disposed to the court  100 , the ends of each key portion  106   a,b  include respective semicircular portions  108   a,b  as outlined by markings each semi-encircling the key portions  106   a,b.    
         [0016]    The court  100  is, for example, fifty feet in length and forty-seven feet in width. The center circle and mid-court expanse typical of conventional basketball courts is not included in the court  100 . The court  100 , being shorter than conventional basketball courts, includes the semicircular portions  108   a,b  having a radius on the order of 6 foot, whereby marking of the semicircular portions  108   a,b  intersect the inwardly extending corners of each key portion  106   a,b  and terminate at the respective width markings  104   a,b.    
         [0017]    Referring to FIG. 2, the court  100 , and preferably multiple ones of the court  100 , are located in a court arena  200 . In the court arena  200 , the court  100 , or multiple ones thereof, can be situated inside a covered housing  202 , although the covered housing  202  is not absolutely required and the court  100 , or multiple ones thereof, can additionally or in lieu of the covered housing  202  be located within a secured area  204 . In any event the covered housing  202 , or other secured area  204 , secures the court  100  (or courts, as applicable) from entry by persons not properly authorized for entry, as hereinafter further discussed.  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 3, the court  100 , and each court if multiple courts are located within a single covered housing  202  or secured area  204 , has located at adjacent ends outside the width markings  104   a,b  of the court  100 , dual raised baskets  302   a,b.  Each of the raised baskets  302   a,b  includes an upright pole  304   a,b,  a backboard  306   a,b  affixed to the respective upright pole  304   a,b  at a desired location above the surface of the court  100 , and a ring-basket  308   a,b  affixed centrally to the respective backboard  306   a,b.  Each ring-basket  308   a,b  affixed with the respective backboard  306   a,b  may, but need not necessarily, be variable in location along the respective upright pole  304   a,b.  For example, the ring-basket  308   a,b  affixed with backboard  306   a,b  can be located along the upright pole  304   a,b  so as to be situated at a height of 10 feet above the court  100 . Alternately, the height above the court  100  can be variable from 10 feet can be securedly fixed at other than 10 feet. Moreover, the backboard  306   a,b  can alternately be suspended or otherwise disposed at desired height and location, with or by means or structures other than the uprights pole  304   a,b.    
         [0019]    The ring-basket  308   a,b  is slightly larger than a conventional basketball, if a conventional basketball is to be passed therethrough. The backboard  306   a,b  is of sufficient size and shape to permit a conventional basketball to be selectively directed to and deflected by the backboard  306   a,b  from within a location above the surface of the court  100 . Alternate sizing and shapes for the ring-basket  308   a,b  and the backboard  306   a,b,  together with the upright pole  304   a,b,  are possible depending upon the application or as otherwise desired for use of the court  100  as hereafter discussed.  
         [0020]    Referring to FIG. 4, the court  100  (or multiple ones thereof) contained within the covered housing  202  or other secured area  204  is useable only by an authorized participant duly authorized and participating according to the method  400 . Hereafter, the terms “authorized participant”, “participant”, “individual”, and the like are described and used primarily with respect to discussion of a single person or individual; however, the terms are intended to and should be construed in broader manner to include multiple individuals or persons, teams, groups, pools of teams or individuals, and any other combination or multiple of individuals or groups. The terms are merely chosen here for purposes of simplification of discussion, but the terms are not limited solely to single persons and should not be so construed.  
         [0021]    In the method  400 , a human individual seeks access into the covered housing  202  or other secured area  204  in a step  402 . The step  402  includes ascertaining whether or not the human individual is an authorized participant (as further detailed later herein with respect to FIG. 6). If it is ascertained in the step  402  that the human individual is an authorized participant, the human individual, together with other human individuals also having been determined to be authorized participants, is including in a step  404  of selecting teams.  
         [0022]    In the step  404  of selecting teams, all authorized participants are pooled and selections are made in a step  406  from among the pool, of at least three immediate participants. Although at least three immediate participants are selected in the step  406 , more than the three immediate participants can be selected. Based on the step  406  of selecting, at least two teams comprising the at least three immediate participants are obtained.  
         [0023]    As previously mentioned, authorization of participants can alternately or additionally take place or proceed with teams, groups, or other multiples. References herein to single individuals or persons as participants are merely intended for simplification of discussion here. In every event, the terms “participant”, “authorized participant”, as well as “individual” or “human individual”, as used herein, have the broadest possible meanings and construction in the context, and such terms include single persons, multiple persons, teams, groups, or other pools or multiples or combinations.  
         [0024]    In a step  408 , two teams from the at least two teams obtained in the step  406  participate in tossing a coin. One of the two teams elects either “heads” or “tails” for the coin, the coin is tossed, and the resulting display of the coin [as either “heads” or “tails”showing, upon the coin thereafter becoming and remaining stationery] dictates whether the electing team or the other of the two teams can choose to next attempt to make a goal.  
         [0025]    Thereafter, in a step  410 , one of the teams commences attempting to make a score (also referred to as “goal”) by passing a basketball through the ring-basket  308   a  or  b,  at an opposite end of the court  100 . The basketball is passable and dribbleable between and among participants of the attempting team, in conventional manner of basketball play. Participants on the team attempting to make the goal can move or locate throughout the surface of the court  100 , however, participants can only be located within the key portion  106   a,b  of the court  100  for not in excess of 3 consecutive seconds at a time. Conventional rules of basketball play apply, in which any violation by participants of remaining within the key portion  106   a,b  for in excess of 3 consecutive seconds at a time results in conversion of the basketball to the non-violating team (e.g., in the method  400 , the occurrence of such a violation is treated as an “out of bounds” step  416 , hereafter described).  
         [0026]    As the participants of the team attempt to make the goal in the step  410 , the participants of the other team attempt to prevent the passing of the basketball through the respective ring-basket  308   a,b.  The participants can attempt to convert or recover the ball from the attempting team and, if successful, then the participants so converting or recovering proceed next to the step  410  of attempting to pass the basketball through the ring-basket  308   a,b  oppositely disposed thereto adjacent the end of the court  100 .  
         [0027]    In each instance of the step  410  performed by a team, there are three possible occurrences, each with the result that the basketball is converted or recovered by the other team which then proceeds again with the step  410  but using the oppositely disposed ring-basket  308   a,b.  The three possible occurrences are as follows:  
         [0028]    Foul:  
         [0029]    Conventional basketball games are played according to certain rules for violations referred to as “fouls”, as known to those skilled in the art. In a step  412  of the method  400 , one or more of these fouls occurs according to those rules. For example, a team participant attempting to prohibit the basketball from being passed through the ring-basket  308   a,b  by the other team&#39;s participants bodily encounters one of the other team&#39;s participants. If the fouling in the step  412  is a first occurrence for the respective teams, then the team then performing the step  410  recommences to again perform the step  410 . If, however, the fouling in the step  412  is a second occurrence, then a step  420  is performed by the non-violating team in which the fouled participant attempts to pass the basketball through the ring-basket  308   a  or  b,  as applicable, from the inwardmost extension of the key portion  106   a  or  b.  In the step  420 , the violating team is prohibited from attempting to prohibit the step  420 . If the basketball is passed through the ring-basket  308   a  or  b  in the step  420 , then the violating team next converts or recovers the basketball and proceeds to the step  410  as if having passed through a step  414  of scoring. If, however, the basketball is not passed through the ring-basket  308   a  or  b  in the step  420 , then a step  422  of rebounding is performed by both teams. In the step  422 , both teams attempt to convert or recover the basketball and proceed to the step  410 .  
         [0030]    Score:  
         [0031]    Another possible occurrence in the step  410  is that the attempting team is successful in passing the basketball through the appropriate opposing ring-basket  308   a  or  b.  If the basketball is so passed therethrough by a participant located outside the respective semicircular markings  108   a  or  b,  then    2   points are awarded the team of the participant. If the participant is located withing the markings  108   a  or  b,  however, then 1 point is awarded the team of the participant. In either event, the method  400  proceeds to the step of  410  after the step  414 .  
         [0032]    Out of Bounds:  
         [0033]    Another possible occurrence in the step  410  is that either team knocks the basketball from within the court  100  in a step  416 . The basketball is thereafter converted or recovered by the team that did not cause the out of bounds in the step  416 , and the method  400  proceeds to the step  410 .  
         [0034]    The method  400  continues until a step  418  of winning. In the step  418 , one of the two teams accumulates at least 25 points with a 2 point lead over the points accumulated by the other team. Thereafter, the method  400  (i.e., the game) is stopped and has been completed.  
         [0035]    Referring to FIG. 5, a method  500  of scoring is performed for both teams in conjunction with the method  400  of FIG. 4. In the method  500 , “pt” is initially valued 0 and “score” is also initially valued 0 for each team. A step  502  of adding the score is performed in which “pt” and “score” are summed to obtain a new “score” for each team. Thereafter, in a step  504 , a team passes the basketball through the respective opposing ring-basket  308   a  or  b.  The particular team then receives a goal or score in the step  506  of receiving. In the step  506 , a determination is made among three possible outcomes, as follows: (a) if the goal was made in regular play by a participant within the key portion  106   a  or  b  of the court  100 , the “pt” is valued as 1; (b) if the goal was made in regular play by a participant within the key portion  106   a  or  b  of the court  100 , the “pt” is valued as 2; or (c) if the goal is made by virtue of a foul shot, the “pt” is valued as 1.  
         [0036]    After the step  506 , the basketball is converted or recovered in a step  514 , corresponding to the step  410  after the steps  412 ,  414 , or  416  in the method  400  of FIG. 4, by or to the non-scoring team. Next, the method  500  returns to the step  502  for adding and determination of a new score for the scoring team. The method  500  continues for the non-scoring team either through the next step  504  or a step  516  of losing the basketball by conversion or recovery by the other team. If the step  516  occurs, then the method  500  thereafter returns to the step  504 , albeit for the team that did not lose the basketball in the step  516 .  
         [0037]    If at any time after the step  514  any team has obtained a score of at least 25 with a 2 point lead over the score then obtained by the other team, the method  500  proceeds to the step  518 . The step  518  corresponds to the step  418  of the method  400  of FIG. 4. The team obtaining the score of at least 25 with the 2 point lead is the winner.  
         [0038]    Referring to FIG. 6, a method  600  of checking authorization of participants for entry to the court  100  of FIG. 1 is commenced with a step  602 . In the step  602 , a participant submits or inputs an application for authority. In a step  604 , the application is reviewed and determination is made either to allow or to reject. If the determination is “rejected”, then the method  600  returns to the step  602 . If the determination is otherwise “allowed”, then the method  600  proceeds to a step  606  of granting authorization.  
         [0039]    Once the step  606  is completed, a step  608  of next participating is performed. In the step  608  of next participating, the participant having received appropriate authorization is permitted entry to the court  100 , such as for participating on a team in a basketball game. In a step  610 , authorization is discerned for the entrant to the court  100 . If in the step  610  it is determined that the entrant does not have authorization, then the method  600  returns to the step  602 . Otherwise, the method  600  is completed and the authorized participant can be included as a performer of the method  400 , for example.  
         [0040]    Of course, the method  600  of authorizing participants can include various requirements in the step  602  of applying for authorization. Particularly, a request for adequate monies for authorization, either on a per entry basis, monthly fee basis, initiation fee basis, or other arrangement, can be included in the step  602  and the reviewing step  604 . The method  600  is believed particularly desirable and applicable in use for a membership-based admission and use application, such as a health or sports club including the court  100  or multiple ones thereof.  
         [0041]    Referring to FIG. 7, certain embodiments of the court have particular dimensions. These dimensions are listed in the Figure. Although certain specific dimensions are stated, it is to be understood that alternative, modified, varied, and other dimensions and arrangements are possible in keeping with the scope of the invention.  
         [0042]    Referring to FIG. 8, a typical-sized basketball court  800  is marked for layout of two separate ones of the court  100  (shown in FIG. 1) as the courts  802 ,  804 . In the embodiment, the basketball court  800  includes the court  802  on a half of the court  800 , and the other of the court  804  on the other half of the court  800 . It is noteworthy that each court  802 ,  804  is laid perpendicular to the length of the court  800 . Dimensions of each court  802 ,  804  are as appropriate and desired for this layout.  
         [0043]    Numerous alternatives are possible in the embodiments. For example, the conventionally recognized rules of American basketball (e.g..NBA or NCAA) can be used in the methods and systems. These rules can be altered, as appropriate, for example according to the aforementioned allowances for reduced-sized court and variation and implementation of scoring. Although each team preferably is comprised of three player participants on the court at any given time during regulation play, more or less players or possible, for example, standard NBA, NCAA, American high school, and International basketball rules require five players per team during regulation competition and similar a rules can apply in the systems and methods. Furthermore, the size of the shortened court can be varied or adapted, such as the court can be half the size of any regulation five-on-five court, for example, the court can be smaller than any NBA &amp;-NCAA, American high school, International court standard, or other conventional court.  
         [0044]    In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can -be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0045]    Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. As used herein, the terms “comprises, “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.