Sports-training ball assembly

Abstract

A sports-training ball assembly including a ball having an outer surface. The ball is a manually operated sports ball. The assembly includes an elastic cover coupled about the ball, wherein the elastic cover has a resting volume smaller than the volume of the outer surface of the ball such that the elastic cover is tightly coupled thereto. The cover completely encloses the ball. The cover includes an outer surface having a coefficient of friction smaller than a coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the ball such that the cover is slick compared to the ball. The elastic cover includes an elastic aperture therethrough sized to permit entry and exit of the ball therethrough so that the ball may be removed from and installed within the cover. The elastic cover includes elastane fibers. The cover consists of a single layer of fabric.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sports-training ball assembly, comprising:
 a. a ball having an outer surface; and   b. an elastic cover coupled about the ball, wherein the elastic cover has a resting volume that is smaller than the volume of the outer surface of the ball such that the elastic cover is tightly coupled thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the cover has a coefficient of friction that is smaller than a coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the ball such that the cover is slick compared to the ball. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover completely encloses the ball. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the ball is a manually operated sports ball selected from the group of manually operated sports balls consisting of: footballs, basketballs, baseballs, handballs, volleyballs, dodgeballs, rugby balls, and tetherballs. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic cover includes an elastic aperture therethrough sized to permit entry and exit of the ball therethrough so that the ball may be removed from and installed within the wrap. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic cover includes an inner surface having a higher coefficient of friction as compared to an outer surface of the cover such that the cover is slick to hold but grips tightly to the outer surface of the ball. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic cover includes elastane fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover consists of a single layer of fabric. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a slit. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes two planes of fabric coupled to each other about their perimeters. 
     
     
         11 . A training cover for sports balls, comprising an elastic shell having a slit therethrough, wherein an outer surface of the shell is slick as compared to rubber and leather used in sports balls. 
     
     
         12 . The cover of  claim 11 , further comprising a slit through the elastic shell. 
     
     
         13 . The cover of  claim 12 , wherein an inner surface of the shell has a coefficient of friction that is higher than a coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the shell. 
     
     
         14 . The cover of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic shell is shaped to form a tight fit against a sports ball selected from the group of sports balls consisting of: footballs, basketballs, baseballs, handballs, volleyballs, dodgeballs, rugby balls, soccer balls, and tetherballs. 
     
     
         15 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the elastic shell includes two interlocking planes of material that are coupled to each other about their respective perimeters. 
     
     
         16 . The cover of  claim 15 , wherein the elastic shell includes woven elastane fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The cover of  claim 16 , wherein the two interlocking planes are 8-shaped. 
     
     
         18 . The cover of  claim 17 , wherein the two interlocking planes are coupled together by at least one of the following coupling structures selected from the group of coupling structures consisting of: stitching, ultrasonic welds, and heat bonds. 
     
     
         19 . The cover of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic shell includes two round planes of material and one rectangular plan of material. 
     
     
         20 . A sports-training ball assembly, comprising:
 a. a ball having an outer surface, the ball being a manually operated sports ball selected from the group of manually operated sports balls consisting of: footballs, basketballs, baseballs, handballs, volleyballs, dodgeballs, rugby balls, and tetherballs; and   b. an elastic cover coupled about the ball and completely enclosing the ball, the elastic cover being a single layer of woven elastane fibers and including:
 i. an outer surface of the cover that has a coefficient of friction that is smaller than a coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the ball such that the cover is slick compared to the ball; 
 ii. an elastic aperture therethrough sized to permit entry and exit of the ball therethrough so that the ball may be removed from and installed within the wrap; 
 iii. an inner surface having a higher coefficient of friction as compared to an outer surface of the cover such that the cover is slick to hold but grips tightly to the outer surface of the ball; 
 iv. wherein the elastic cover has a resting volume that is smaller than the volume of the outer surface of the ball such that the elastic cover is tightly coupled thereto.