Scale Sports Court and Equipment

Abstract

A scale sport playing court or floor and associated equipment are provided for persons of a smaller stature or height than the collegiate or professional players of the standard-size version of the sport. Teams are selected with players' height restricted to a maximum height (e.g., 72 inches) or less. The game is played according to normal rules except that the court size, goal (or net) and ball size are reduced by a scale factor S related to the height of the smaller stature players to the average height of the professional or collegiate players. In a scale basketball game, the court size, hoop diameter, height of the hoop, distance from the free throw line to the backboard, three point arc, and other dimensions are the product of the scale factor S times the standard dimension. The scaling matches the court and equipment to the athleticism of the players.

1 . Method of playing a game of basketball in which teams of adult players of restricted maximum height play the game on a court with apparatus for playing basketball, and dimensioned for play by adult players of restricted maximum height wherein
 said court is formed on a horizontal floor surface and has a length L and width W defined by side lines and end lines;   a goal is placed at each end of the court, with each goal comprising a hoop of a diameter D supported on a backboard that projects in onto the court a predetermined distance past the respective end line, such that the hoop is positioned at a height H over the floor surface;   a free throw area is formed at each end of the court and having a free throw line that is disposed a distance F from a line projected onto the floor by a front plane of the respective backboard, and extending laterally a distance G; and   an arcuate three-point line is centered on a point on the floor surface directly beneath a center of said hoop, and has a radius R from said point; and   wherein said game is played using a ball having a circumference C;   said method including:
 Selecting players having a stature not to exceed a prescribed maximum height restriction, where the maximum height restriction is no greater than 74 inches; 
 Forming teams of such players; 
 Having each of said team of players attempt to place the ball through the goal hoop while on said court while members of the another team are attempting to prevent the first team placing the ball through the goal hoop; and 
 Awarding points when said players successfully place the ball through said goal hoop; 
   and wherein to accommodate the players' limited-height restriction, further comprising reducing the dimensions of the court, equipment, and ball by scaling down the aforesaid dimensions D, H, F, and R of said court and equipment and the circumference C of said ball from corresponding standard dimensions as prescribed by an athletic authority governing a basketball league, according to a scaling factor S for all said dimensions, where S is less than unity, and which is a ratio of an average height of the players of said teams to an average height of basketball players in said basketball league.   
   
   
       2 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein said hoop diameter D and height H are equal to said scale factor S times eighteen inches and one hundred twenty inches, respectively. 
   
   
       3 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein said free throw line distance F is equal to said scale factor S times fifteen feet. 
   
   
       4 . Method according to  claim 3  wherein said free throw line width G is equal to said scale factor S times twelve feet. 
   
   
       5 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein said three-point radius R is equal to said scale factor S times twenty-two feet, nine inches. 
   
   
       6 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein said three-point radius R is equal to said scale factor S times nineteen feet, six inches. 
   
   
       7 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said ball circumference C is equal to said scale factor S times thirty inches. 
   
   
       8 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein said scale factor is in a range of 0.8 to 0.9. 
   
   
       9 . Method according to  claim 8  wherein said scale factor is substantially 7:8. 
   
   
       10 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein said length L and width W are respectively equal to said scale factor S times 94 feet and 50 feet. 
   
   
       11 . Method of playing a game in which teams of adult players occupy a court and are awarded points for placing a ball into a goal on said court, and in which the teams are composed of players of smaller stature,
 the court comprising a floor formed of a horizontal playing surface with a length L and width W defined by side lines and end lines;   the equipment therefor including a goal positioned at a predetermined location on the court, the goal having a height H and a width D;   and said ball for playing said sport having a circumference C;   said method including
 Selecting adult players for said teams wherein the players have a physical stature that does not exceed a height restriction, wherein the height restriction is in the range of 72 to 74 inches. 
 said teams of players attempting to place said ball into said goal during play; 
 awarding points when said players successfully place said ball into said goal; and 
 accommodating the smaller stature of the players of the teams by scaling the dimensions of the playing surface, the goal, and the ball downward to a reduced size relative to a standard full-sized court, full-sized goal, and full-sized ball as prescribed by an athletic authority for a full-scale version of said game; 
   wherein said dimensions L, W, H, D, and C are selected to be reduced in size from the corresponding standard dimensions as prescribed by said athletic authority according to a scaling factor S, where S is less than unity, and which is a ratio of an average height of members of said teams to an average height of players of the full-scale version of said game.   
   
   
       12 . Method according to  claim 11 , wherein said scaling factor S is substantially 7:8. 
   
   
       13 . Method according to  claim 11 , wherein said scaling factor S is substantially 13:16.