Ball game played in a body of water

Abstract

A method of playing a ball game in a body of water, such as a swimming pool, and equipment for the game are provided. The game includes a throwing a ball against a coping surface to generate a fly ball, and attempting, by a fielding team, to catch the fly ball without the fly ball first contacting a surface of the body of water. A strikepad may include a flat main body for lying on a surface adjacent the body of water; a downward extending surface; and a curved strike surface, which may be convex or concave, projecting from the downward extending surface and facing the body of water so as to provide a bouncing surface for the ball. A backstop that may be positioned adjacent the body of water behind the strikepad and including a net or a meshing for catching a ball is also provided.

1 . A method of playing a ball game in a body of water, the method comprising:
 throwing, by a thrower of a team at bat, a ball towards a coping surface positioned at a first side of the body of water for bouncing the thrown ball from the coping surface in an attempt to generate a fly ball flying directly to a fair playing area; and   attempting, by a fielding team, to catch the fly ball without the fly ball first contacting a surface of the body of water.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises counting a strike against the thrower when the thrower fails to generate the fly ball, and installing another player as the thrower when a first number of strikes is accumulated. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
 accruing an out for the team at bat when the thrower fails to generate the fly ball within the first number of strikes, and accruing the out for the team at bat when the fly ball is caught by the fielding team without the fly ball first contacting a surface of the body of water; and   counting up to a second number of outs for the team at bat, and when the second number of outs is counted then installing the team at bat as the fielding team and installing the fielding team as the team at bat.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the fair playing area is divided into a first area, a second area, a third area and a home run area, the first area being an area of the fair area in the body of water nearest the coping surface, the second area being an area in the body of water more remote than the first area from the coping surface, the third area being an area in the body of water more remote than the second area from the coping surface, and the home run area being at least one of an area of the body of water most remote from the coping surface or a previously determined object positioned on a second side of the body of water opposite the first side,
 wherein an imaginary first base exists, an imaginary second base immediately follows the imaginary first base, an imaginary third base immediately follows the imaginary second base, and an imaginary home base immediately follows the imaginary third base, and any runner that is deemed to reach the home base counts as a scored point,   wherein the thrower stands in a batting area inside the body of water, and the method further comprises keeping score by keeping track of runners on base as follows:   when the thrower generates the fly ball that contacts the surface of the water in the first area without first being caught by the fielding team, then deeming every runner on the first base, second base and third base to advance to an immediately following base and deeming the thrower to be a runner at the first base;   when the thrower generates the fly ball that contacts the surface of the water in the second area without first being caught by the fielding team, then counting every runner on the first base, the second base and the third base as having scored and deeming the thrower to be the runner at the second base;   when the thrower generates the fly ball that contacts the surface of the water in the third area without first being caught by the fielding team, then counting every runner on the first base, the second base and the third base as having scored and deeming the thrower to be the runner at the third base; and   when the thrower generates the fly ball that contacts the home run area without being first being caught by the fielding team, then counting the thrower every runner on the first base, second base and third as having scored.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coping surface comprises a curved strikepad surface of a strikepad positioned at an edge of the first side of the body of water. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the curved strikepad surface is convex. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the home run area is divided from the third area by a home run wall. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a net is positioned adjacent the first side of the body of water and behind the coping surface, and wherein the method further comprises:
 accruing a strike for the thrower when the ball lands in the net; and   installing another player as the thrower when the out is accrued.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the body of water is a swimming pool. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first team and the second team each comprise at least two players. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fair playing area excludes an area immediately adjacent the coping surface. 
   
   
       12 . A strikepad for a ball used in ball game played in a body of water, the strikepad comprising:
 a flat main body having a main extent configured to lie on a surface adjacent the body of water;   a downward extending surface transverse to the main extent of the main body and positioned so that the downward extending surface and the main body together hug the surface; and   a curved strike surface projecting from the downward extending surface and facing the body of water so as to provide a bouncing surface for the ball.   
   
   
       13 . The strikepad of  claim 12 , wherein the strike surface comprises a convex surface. 
   
   
       14 . The strikepad of  claim 12 , wherein the downward extending surface comprises a first leg starting at a first lateral side of the main body and a second leg starting at a second lateral side of the main body. 
   
   
       15 . The strikepad of  claim 12 , wherein the strikepad is comprised primarily of metal. 
   
   
       16 . The strikepad of  claim 12 , wherein the strikepad is comprised primarily of a plastic material. 
   
   
       17 . The strikepad of  claim 12 , wherein the strikepad comprises a strikepad assembly comprising:
 a top portion including a top surface of the main body and at least a portion of the curved strike surface; and   a bottom portion including the downward extending surface and a lower surface of the main body configured to directly contact the surface adjacent the body of water.   
   
   
       18 . The strikepad of  claim 12 , wherein the strikepad comprises a hollow cavity configured to contain water inside the strikepad. 
   
   
       19 . A copeball kit comprising the strikepad of  claim 12  and a backstop including a net or a meshing configured to stop the ball, the backstop configured to be positioned adjacent the body of water behind the strikepad. 
   
   
       20 . A copeball kit comprising the strikepad of  claim 12 , further comprising a ball configured to be thrown against the strike surface.