Background to the Invention It is known to provide an apparatus which allows a person to kick a ball or hit a ball with a racquet, in a small area of space, without need for that person to run after the ball once struck.

For example, in W088/07881, there is provided a device to allow a person to kick a football, or hit a tennis ball, basketball, volleyball or other ball, in order to train skills without the ball moving a significant distance from the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a frame, comprising a telescopic member which includes a tether having a ball at one end thereof, the tether being connected to the telescopic frame. Thus, a user would kick the ball at the end of the tether, or hit the ball with a racquet, in order to train their skills, and increase coordination and/or power. As the ball is connected to the tether, which is in turn connected to the frame, the ball is prevented from travelling a significant distance from the apparatus. The apparatus described in W088/07881 does not include any target area towards which the user may direct the ball, to improve accuracy and provide more enjoyment.

In other known apparatus, a target area is provided, which allows a user to direct the ball in a given direction and

area, in order to improve accuracy, and add more enjoyment to use of the apparatus. For example, in FR 2741541 there is provided an apparatus comprising a post which includes a number of differently shaped targets having apertures therein, through which a user may kick or hit a ball as desired. Again, the ball of the apparatus is attached to the post by a tether. However, in this apparatus, and in other known apparatus, the tether is such that when the ball is struck, and if the ball enters one of the targets, the tether wraps round the support post of the apparatus and can become additionally entangled within a target of the apparatus, thus leading to the situation wherein the user must untangle and unthread the tether before using the apparatus a second time.

There is therefore a need to provide a ball game apparatus which provides a target enabling a user to increase his or her accuracy, but which apparatus does not result in the situation of the tether line of the ball becoming entangled with the support of the apparatus and/or the target.

It is therefore an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to overcome or mitigate at least one problem of the prior art, whether expressly disclosed hereinabove or not.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a ball game apparatus comprising a support, a target mounted on the support and a tether connected to the apparatus by way of a tether anchor, the tether comprising a ball at a

free end thereof, wherein the tether and tether anchor are movable around the support and movable through the target from one side of the target to the other.

Suitably the support is an elongate support. Preferably the support is movable to increase and decrease the length of the support.

Preferably the support comprises a telescopic elongate member.

The support may comprise means to secure the support to a surface. Preferably the means to secure the support to a surface comprise means to secure the support in the ground, which means may comprise a sharpened end of the support, and which means may include a threaded portion to facilitate rotational insertion of the support into the ground. The grounds securement means may include restriction means for restricting the depth to which the support can be inserted into the ground. The restriction means may comprise a restriction member which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the support.

Suitably the target comprises a frame member having an aperture therethrough, and may be any suitable shape, such as a square, rectangle, triangle, circle, and or hexagon.

Most preferably the target is a substantially circular hoop.

The target may comprise a plurality of frame members, detachably connectable to form the target. When the target is a hoop, preferably the hoop comprise two

substantially semicircular members which are detachably connectable to form the substantially circular hoop.

The tether may be any suitable flexible, elongate member, such as a cord or rope, for example. Preferably the tether is an elastic member, such as an elasticated cord or elasticated rope, for example.

The ball may be any suitable ball intended to be kicked or thrown by a user, or hit with a racquet, and is preferably a round ball, such as a football, baseball, basketball, tennis ball or golf ball, for example, or may be an oval ball such as a rugby ball or American football, for example. Preferably the ball is a round ball.

Suitably the ball is connected to the tether, such that it is rotatable in at least one direction.

Suitably a tether anchor connection member is connected to the apparatus between the support and the target.

Suitably the tether anchor connection member is a ball race.

The tether anchor connection member preferably comprises one or more channels around which the tether anchor is movably located, the or each channel being oriented to allow rotation of the tether anchor and tether substantially 360° around the support, and allow rotation of the tether and tether anchor through the target from one side of the target to the other.

Suitably, the channels comprise an open region extending there along, from which the tether is arranged to protrude.

Thus the tether anchor connection member may comprise a first channel oriented axially around the circumference of the support, and a second channel, perpendicular to and in communication with the first channel and which bisects the target to allow the tether anchor and tether to pass through the target.

Preferably the first channel is a substantially circular channel. Preferably the second channel is a substantially semicircular channel.

Suitably the tether anchor connection member is detachably connected to the support and/or the target.

Suitably the channels of the tether anchor connection member are substantially circular in cross-section, having an arc removed to define or slot from which the tether is arranged to protrude, and the tether anchor is dimensioned such that it is retained in the channel, in use.

The tether anchor connection member may comprise means to allow the removal of the tether anchor and tether from the tether anchor connection member.

Suitably the tether anchor comprises a bearing, connected to the end of the tether not comprising the ball.

Alternatively the tether anchor may comprise the rounded end of the tether not comprising the ball, the rounded end having a diameter greater than the diameter of the tether.

The support, target and tether anchor connection member preferably comprise a metal (including alloy) or a plastics material. Suitably the support, target and tether anchor connection member are constructed from aluminium, steel, stainless steel or alloys thereof.

Brief Description of the Drawings For a better understanding of the invention and to show how embodiments of the same may be put into effect, the various aspects of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a preferred embodiment of a ball game apparatus of the invention, inserted into the ground; Figure 2 illustrates a close up view of the ball race and target hoop of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a cross side cross sectional view of the ball race shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4A illustrates a cropped down cross sectional view taken through the line A-A of Figure 3; and Figure 4B illustrates a cropped down cross section view of the ball race of Figure 3 taken through the line B-B.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment We refer firstly to Figure 1. A preferred embodiment to the ball game apparatus 2 of the invention comprises a support 4 which is telescopic in order to enable the length of the support be shortened or lengthened.

Connected to the upper end of the support 4 is a target in the form of a hoop 6, which includes an inner metal frame 22 surrounded by an outer plastics casing 20. The support 4 and hoop 6 are connected by an intermediate tether anchor connection member in the form of a ball race 14, in which is located a tether anchor 12, a tether 8 extends from the tether anchor 12, culminating at the distal end thereof in a ball 10. The support 4 includes a sharpened end 18, adjacent to a threaded portion 16, which together form a securement means in order to facilitate securement of the ball game apparatus 2 into the ground, as shown in Figure 1. The securement means also includes a restriction means in the form of plate 17, which is oriented perpendicular to the axis of the support 4, and which, as shown in Figure 1, restricts the insertion of the support 4 into the ground to a certain extent.

We refer now to Figures 2,3, 4a and 4b, which illustrate cross sectional views of the tether anchor connection member 14.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the ball race 14 includes a first channel 26 which extends circumferentially around the ball race 14, and which has a substantially circular cross section with a segment of the periphery removed to form an open portion running substantially

circumferentially around the ball race 14 the periphery of which is defined by inwardly turned lips 42 and. 44. The first channel 26 separates a lower hemisphere 34 of the ball race 14 from upper segments 36 of the ball race 14.

The connection member 14 also includes a second channel 28 which is a semicircular channel extending perpendicular to the first channel 26, forming a bridge from one side of the first channel 26 diametrically across the ball race 14 to the opposite side of the first channel 26, as shown in Figure 4B.

The upper segment 36 and lower hemisphere 34 of the ball race 14 are joined by a central boss 32, the exterior of which defines the interior boundaries of the first channel 26 and the second channel 28. Extending into the upper segments 36 and central boss 32 are left 38 and right 40 hoop connection sockets. The support 4 is connected to the ball race 14 by way of a socket 31 located in the lower hemisphere 34 of the ball race 14 into which a bolt 33 of the support 4 is inserted. An adjustable connection nut 30 is used to ensure tight connection of the bolt 33 into the socket 31.

The hoop 6 is provided in two semicircular portions which in use are connected together via a connection member 24.

The two sections of the hoop 6 are connected to the ball race 14 by inserting one end of each of the two semicircular portions into the hoop connection sockets 38 and 40 as shown in Figure 3. The other ends of the two semicircular portions of the hoop 6 are then connected together by the connection member 24 in order to form a substantially circular hoop 6, having an aperture therethrough.

The tether anchor 12 is in the form of a spherical bearing, which is located in the first 26 and second 28 channel, and has a spherical diameter slightly less than the spherical circumferential diameter of the interior of the channels 26 and 28. The tether is connected to the tether anchor 12 by a nut and bolt arrangement (not shown), with the tether extending out of the channels 26 and 28 through the opening formed by the removed segment of the circular periphery of the channels. Thus, the tether anchor 12 has free movement around the first channel 26 and up through the second channel 28 which bisects the hoop 6 and bridges one side of the first channel 26 to the other side of the first channel 26 across the central boss 32 of the ball race 14. The tether anchor 12 is prevented from falling out of the channel 26 and 28 by the inwardly turned lips 42 and 44 which define the periphery of the removed segment of each of the channels 26 and 28.

Use of the ball game apparatus 2 of the preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to all of the figures. A user firstly inserts the ball game apparatus 2 into the ground by screwing the support 4 into the ground via the sharpened end 18 and threaded portion 16 at the free end of the support 4, until the restriction plate 17 abuts the ground level, as shown in Figure 1. The user then kicks the ball 10 which is attached to the tether 8, towards the aperture defined by the hoop 6. If the ball misses the hoop 6 and travels outside the outer periphery of hoop 6, the tether anchor 12 travels around the first channel 26 around the support, until the ball loses momentum and falls back to the ground

level. At this point the user may then kick the ball towards the hoop a second time. If the ball 10 is kicked through the aperture of the hoop 6, the tether anchor is forced to travel round the first channel 26 and up round the second channel 28, such that the tether anchor and the tether 8 follow the ball 10 through the hoop, after which point the tether anchor is located on the opposite side of the first channel 26 to the start position and may then rotate around the first channel 26 as needed. In this way, both the tether anchor and the tether pass through the hoop from one side to the other, without the tether anchor or part of the tether being retained on the periphery of the hoop, and without the tether being coiled round the support 4. Thus, the invention provides a ball game apparatus 2 in which a user need not stop after a single kick of the ball in order to untangle the tether and/or hoop.

In alternative embodiments of the invention, the ball may be replaced by an oval ball, such as a rugby ball or American football, which again can be kicked through the hoop 6. In yet other alternative embodiments of the invention, the ball may be replaced by a ball which needs to be hit by a racquet or golf club through the hoop 6.

In further embodiments of the invention the hoop 6 may be replaced by a target of differing shape, such as a square framework, an oval framework, a triangular framework, a hexagonal framework, or any other shape framework, having an aperture therethrough.

Alternatively, the target may comprise a crossbar which is arranged horizontally in use when the support is inserted

into the ground, the crossbar having end bars perpendicular to the crossbar and being directed upwardly in the direction of the support 4, thus forming a"rugby post"type frame, in which case the ball when kicked or thrown is intended to pass over the crossbar through the end bars.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims,

abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.