Patent ID: 7611148

Claim:
A sports goal, comprising: a structure comprising a plurality of struts interconnected to hollow connectors defining nodes between the struts comprising: one or more struts defining a crossbar; two or more struts defining respective goal posts; a plurality of ground struts adapted to lie along the ground to define the bottoms of respective left and right sides and a rear of the goal; bracing struts interconnecting ground struts with the nodes at which crossbar struts and goal post struts are connected to form a corner of the goal; and struts defining at least one generally triangular bracing structure interconnected with ground struts defining the rear of the goal and cantilevered to the crossbar at a point intermediate the length of the crossbar; the struts being formed of a tubular material adapted to be pneumatically filled from a pneumatic pump, said at least one generally triangular bracing structure serving, when all of the struts are pneumatically filled, to support the crossbar intermediate its ends to resist sagging thereof; each connector being formed with short lengths of stub pipe, the ends of lengths of tubular material defining respective struts being coupled to respective stub pipes; and one or more valves provided in the structure to enable the struts to be so filled from said pump.