Football

Abstract

The improved football contains a sighting device that serves to help either an offensive player or a defensive player to ascertain the direction of flight for the football. The football also contains a contrasting colored, continuous stripe that extends completely around the football in an arcing pattern. When the football is thrown or kicked in a spiral fashion, the sighting device will spin, creating a target with a circular type image at or near the center of the spiral against a contrasting background. Players may then adjust their respective actions based on the their judgments as to whether or when the football will be within their reach.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . A prolate spheroidal football, comprising: 
 a body having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis;    a contrasting colored, continuous stripe extending completely around the body in an arcing pattern, a portion of the stripe being perceived as a first circle at a time when the body is spinning about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion; and    a sighting device on each of a first and a second end of the longitudinal axis of the body, the sighting device contrasting with the color of the body and being perceived as a second circle located inside the first circle at a time when the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.    
   
   
       11 . The football of  claim 10 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of panels and includes a tip at each of the ends of the longitudinal axis formed by an intersection of a plurality of seams between the plurality of panels.  
   
   
       12 . The football of  claim 11 , wherein the continuous stripe is spaced a distance apart from the sighting device.  
   
   
       13 . The football of  claim 11 , wherein the continuous stripe does not reach the intersection of the plurality of seams at each end of the body.  
   
   
       14 . The football of  claim 10 , wherein the football further comprises: 
 a plurality of laces on the outer surface of the body, and the continuous stripe extends from a first location on the body between the plurality of laces and the intersection of the plurality of seams at the first end of the body to a corresponding second location on the bottom of the body near the intersection of the seams at the second end of the body and back to the first location on top of the body between the laces and the intersection of the seams at the first end of the body.    
   
   
       15 . The football of  claim 10 , wherein the location of the inner circle with respect to the outer circle varies depending on the trajectory of the football.  
   
   
       16 . The football of  claim 10 , wherein the sighting device is in the shape of a cross.  
   
   
       17 . The football of  claim 10 , wherein the outer circle forms a ring, and the inner circle forms an enclosed circle.  
   
   
       18 . The football of  claim 17 , wherein the ring and enclosed circle form imagery resembling a bull's-eye at a time when the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.  
   
   
       19 . A prolate spheroidal football, comprising: 
 a body having a longitudinal axis;    a continuous stripe extending around the body in an arcing pattern, a portion of the stripe perceived as a ring at a time when the body is spinning about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion; and    a sighting device on at least one of a first and a second end of the longitudinal axis of the body, the sighting device contrasting with the color of the body, and perceived as being located inside the ring when the football is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.    
   
   
       20 . The football of  claim 19 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of panels and includes a tip at each of the ends of the longitudinal axis formed by an intersection of a plurality of seams between the plurality of panels.  
   
   
       21 . The football of  claim 20 , wherein the continuous stripe is spaced a distance apart from the sighting device.  
   
   
       22 . The football of  claim 20 , wherein the continuous stripe does not reach the intersection of the plurality of seams at each end of the body.  
   
   
       23 . The football of  claim 20 , wherein the football further comprises: 
 a plurality of laces on the outer surface of the body, and the continuous stripe extends from a first location on the body between the plurality of laces and the intersection of the plurality of seams at the first end of the body to a corresponding second location on the bottom of the body near the intersection of the plurality of seams at the second end of the body and back to the first location on top of the body between the laces and the intersection of the seams at the first end of the body.    
   
   
       24 . The football of  claim 19 , wherein the location of the sighting device with respect to the ring varies depending on the trajectory of the football when the body is plun about the longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       25 . The football of  claim 19 , wherein the sighting device is in the shape of a cross.  
   
   
       26 . The football of  claim 19 , wherein the sighting device forms an enclosed circle where the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.  
   
   
       27 . The football of  claim 26 , wherein the ring and enclosed circle form imagery resembling a bull's-eye at a time when the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.  
   
   
       28 . A prolate spheroidal football, comprising: 
 a body having a longitudinal axis;    a continuous stripe extending around the body; and    a contrasting shape on at least one of a first and a second end of the longitudinal axis of the body, the contrasting shape perceived as being located inside a ring formed by a portion of the continuous stripe when the football is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.    
   
   
       29 . The football of  claim 28 , wherein the football further comprises: 
 laces on the outer surface of the body;    wherein the body comprises a plurality of panels and includes a tip at each of the ends of the longitudinal axis formed by an intersection of a plurality of seams between the plurality of panels, and the continuous stripe extends from a first location on the body between the laces and the intersection of the plurality of seams at the first end of the body to a corresponding second location on the bottom of the body near the intersection of the plurality of seams at the second end of the body and back to the first location on top of the body between the laces and the intersection of the seams at the first end of the body.