Soccer training court and methods of play

Abstract

A soccer training court and methods for game play therein. A soccer training court that includes a cuboidal form with an end wall, a pair of side walls, a rear wall, an overhead wall, and a floor is provided. A box soccer game can be played within the court to aid players in increasing proficiency with ball striking, reading opponents actions, and understanding ball-travel characteristics. The box soccer game requires a player to strike the ball against the end wall causing it to rebound toward one or more additional walls and to rebound therefrom. A second player attempts to intercept the ball with a one-touch strike that sends the ball back toward the end wall to start the volley over. If the ball completes a predetermined number of wall contacts, the striking player is awarded a point.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for training soccer skills, the method comprising:
 providing a box-soccer court having an end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a rear wall opposite the end wall, an overhead wall, and a floor, and including a ball disposed therein;   receiving a first player and a second player in the box-soccer court; and   enabling the first player and the second player to engage in a box-soccer game in the court, the box-soccer game including steps of   selecting a wall count that, when achieved, results in a point being awarded to a possessing player, the wall count being a total number of walls that are contacted by the ball when struck by the possessing player before the ball is struck by a non-possessing player;   performing a service strike on the ball by the first player, the first player being the possessing player, and the service strike directing the ball toward the end wall to cause the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward one of the first side wall, the second side wall, or the overhead wall; and   achieving a total number of contacts by the ball with one or more of the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall equal to the wall count and awarding a point to the first player; or   striking the ball by the second player before the total number of contacts achieved is equal to the wall count, the second player being the non-possessing player and becoming the possessing player upon striking the ball, the first player becoming the non-possessing player.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein striking the ball by the second player before the total number of contacts achieved is equal to the wall count further comprises:
 causing the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward one of the first side wall, the second side wall, or the overhead wall; and   achieving a total number of contacts by the ball with one or more of the end wall, first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall equal to the wall count and awarding a point to the second player; or   striking the ball by the first player before the total number of contacts achieved is equal to the wall count, the first player becoming the possessing player and the second player becoming the non-possessing player upon striking the ball by the first player.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein striking the ball by the first or second player comprises kicking or touching the ball with a foot, head, or body with a single touch. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wall count is equal to 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the striking the ball by the first player results in the ball contacting one of the first side wall, the second side wall, the overhead wall, or the rear wall before contacting the end wall, and wherein the first player becomes the non-possessing player and the second player becomes the possessing player. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein striking the ball by the first player toward the end wall causes the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward the overhead wall, wherein the ball does not contact the first side wall or the second side wall immediately after contacting the overhead wall, and wherein the first player becomes the non-possessing player and the second player becomes the possessing player. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ball stops moving before being struck by the non-possessing player, and wherein the possessing player is awarded a point. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein striking the ball by the first player toward the end wall causes the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward and into contact with the rear wall without contacting the first side wall or the second side wall therebetween, and wherein the first player becomes the non-possessing player and the second player becomes the possessing player. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall are planar, substantially rigid, and continuous surfaces, the overhead wall is formed from a substantially rigid mesh or grid material, and at least a portion of the rear wall is formed from the mesh or grid material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end wall and the rear wall are less than about 15 feet in length, the first side wall and the second side wall are less than about 25 feet in length, and the end wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall are less than about 10 feet in height, and wherein the area defined by the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, and the rear wall is less than approximately 400 square feet. 
     
     
         11 . A method for training soccer skills, the method comprising:
 providing a box-soccer court having an end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a rear wall opposite the end wall, an overhead wall, and a floor, and including a ball disposed therein;   receiving a player in the box-soccer court; and   enabling the player to engage in a box-soccer game in the court, the box-soccer game including steps of   selecting a maximum wall count that, when achieved, ends a training sequence, the wall count being a total number of walls that are contacted by a ball struck by the player before the ball is struck by the player a subsequent time;   performing a service strike on the ball by the player to initiate a training sequence, the service strike directing the ball toward the end wall to cause the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward and into contact with one of the first side wall, the second side wall, or the overhead wall; and   striking the ball by the player before the total number of contacts achieved by the ball with one or more of the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall is equal to the maximum wall count, the striking completing a successful volley; or   achieving a total number of contacts by the ball with one or more of the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall equal to the maximum wall count and ending the training sequence.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein striking the ball by the player before the total number of contacts achieved is equal to the maximum wall count further comprises, striking the ball toward the end wall to cause the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward one of the first side wall, the second side wall, or the overhead wall. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 repeating the step of striking the ball until the total number of contacts equal to the maximum wall count is achieved, the total number of contacts being reset to zero each time the ball is struck.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein performing the service strike on the ball by the player causes the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward and into contact with the rear wall without contacting one of the side walls, and wherein the training sequence is ended. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 counting a total number of volleys completed before the training sequence is ended; or   counting a total number of volleys completed within a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         16 . A soccer skills training court comprising:
 an end wall, the end wall including a substantially rigid, planar, and continuous surface;   a rear wall disposed opposite the end wall and having at least a first portion formed from a substantially rigid, planar, and continuous surface, and at least a second portion that includes a plurality of apertures extending therethrough;   a first side wall extending orthogonally between first edges of the end wall and rear wall, the first side wall including a substantially, rigid, planar, and continuous surface;   a second side wall extending orthogonally between second edges of the end wall and rear wall and parallel to the first side wall, the second side wall including a substantially, rigid, planar, and continuous surface;   an overhead wall extending between top edges of the end wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second sidewall, the overhead wall being substantially rigid and having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough;   a floor extending between bottom edges of the end wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the floor having an area less than approximately 400 square feet;   and a ball disposed in an interior of the court defined by the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, the overhead wall, and the floor.   
     
     
         17 . The soccer skills training court of  claim 16 , wherein one or more of the second portion of the rear wall and the overhead wall comprise a substantially rigid mesh or grid material. 
     
     
         18 . The soccer skills training court of  claim 16 , wherein the floor includes a first indicia defining a front area and rear area of the floor, and a second indicia that defines a service spot from which a ball is to be served. 
     
     
         19 . The soccer skills training court of  claim 16 , wherein the court is configured to enable a first player and a second player to play a box-soccer game therein, wherein the box-soccer game is played by
 selecting a wall count that, when achieved, results in a point being awarded to a possessing player, the wall count being a total number of walls that are contacted by the ball when struck by the possessing player before the ball is struck by a non-possessing player;   performing a service strike on the ball by the first player, the first player being the possessing player, and the service strike directing the ball toward the end wall to cause the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward one of the first side wall, the second side wall, or the overhead wall; and   achieving a total number of contacts by the ball with one or more of the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall equal to the wall count and awarding a point to the first player; or   striking the ball by the second player before the total number of contacts achieved is equal to the wall count, the second player being the non-possessing player and becoming the possessing player upon striking the ball, the first player becoming the non-possessing player.   
     
     
         20 . The soccer skills training court of  claim 16 , wherein the court is configured to enable a player to play a box-soccer game therein, wherein the box-soccer game is played by
 selecting a maximum wall count that, when achieved, ends a training sequence, the wall count being a total number of walls that are contacted by the ball struck by the player before the ball is struck by the player a subsequent time;   performing a service strike on the ball by the player to initiate a training sequence, the service strike directing the ball toward the end wall to cause the ball to contact the end wall and rebound from the end wall toward and into contact with one of the first side wall, the second side wall, or the overhead wall; and   striking the ball by the player before the total number of contacts achieved by the ball with one or more of the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall is equal to the maximum wall count, the striking completing a successful volley; or   achieving a total number of contacts by the ball with one or more of the end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall, and the overhead wall equal to the maximum wall count and ending the training sequence.