Elastic tethered practice balls

Abstract

Tethered practice ball apparatus including: an elastic tether; ball or a ball substitute for the game being practised operatively secured to the elastic tether; and a harness for securing the tether to a practising athlete, the harness including a body mount forming a termination for the tether and which may be selectively and securely positioned on a user's torso whereby the rebound force vector applied by a stretched tether will direct the returning practice ball toward a selected target on or adjacent the practising athlete.

1 . A tethered practice ball apparatus including:
 an elastic tether;   a ball or a ball substitute for a game being practised operatively secured to the elastic tether; and   a harness for securing the tether to a practising athlete, the harness including a body mount forming a termination for the tether and which may be selectively and securely positioned on a user's torso whereby the rebound force vector applied by a stretched tether will direct the returning practice ball toward a selected target on or adjacent the practising athlete.   
     
     
         2 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein swivel means is provided between the harness and the ball for dissipating torsional loads which may be induced in the elastic tether. 
     
     
         3 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the swivel means is incorporated in the elastic tether. 
     
     
         4 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the swivel means is incorporated in the mounting to the ball. 
     
     
         5 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the swivel means is incorporated in or adjacent the body mount such that the elastic tether extends only from the swivel to the practice ball. 
     
     
         6 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the swivel means includes a through passage in the body mount through which the tether may extend and be terminated such that it is not restrained from rotating within the through passage. 
     
     
         7 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the tether is terminated within a bearing shell adapted for free rotational location within the through passage. 
     
     
         8 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the harness includes height adjusting means which may be adjusted to selectively position the body mount on a user. 
     
     
         9 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the harness includes one or more an adjustable torso straps which extend directly from the body mount so that in use, the torso strap or straps may be tightened to hold the body mount firmly against a user's torso whereby loads applied by the stretched elastic tether to the body mount may be taken directly by the torso strap or straps. 
     
     
         10 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein each torso strap is an assembly of strap portions extending from opposite sides of a back panel. 
     
     
         11 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the ends of the strap portions extending from the assembly terminate by respective opposite side parts of a slide-in clip assembly which forms the body mount. 
     
     
         12 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the slide-in clip assembly has a central receiving part for receiving the opposite side parts and being provided with a substantially centrally disposed swivel mount at which the tether is terminated. 
     
     
         13 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the swivel mount is a through passage supporting a retained rotatable sleeve through which the tether may pass to an enlarged portion which may be constituted by a knot in the tether or other attachment to the tether. 
     
     
         14 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the central receiving part has side recesses therein to receive and secure spaced latching prongs of the respective side parts. 
     
     
         15 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection of the tether to the practice ball is a connection formed centrally in the laced bladder opening of a football which is a reinforced part of the football remote from its preferred foot contact zone. 
     
     
         16 . The tethered practice ball apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the connection is a releasable connection such that the football may be released and used in conventional play or practice. 
     
     
         17 . A method of practising football by securing an elastically tethered football to a user in a manner whereby the tether is adjustably retained on the user for retention at selected positions of the upper torso of the user and adjusting the position of the tether mount such that the rebound force vector applied by a stretched tether will direct the returning practice ball toward a portion of the user's body selected for practising a particular catch. 
     
     
         18 . A harness for securing an elastically tethered practice ball to a user, the harness including:
 a body mount for securing a tether;   height adjusting means for selectively adjusting the height of the body mount on a user's torso; and   an adjustable torso strap assembly which connects directly to the body mount so that in use, the torso strap assembly may be tightened to hold the body mount firmly against a user's torso.   
     
     
         19 . The harness according to  claim 18 , wherein the body mount includes swivel means for rotatably securing a tether thereto which may include a through passage in the body mount rotatably supporting a hollow retainer in which an enlarged end portion of a tether may be substantially confined for retention therein. 
     
     
         20 . A football having a laced bladder opening providing access to the bladder and apertures at opposite sides of a bladder flange, a tether connection being provided by an elastic cord passed through the apertures and tied off so that the elastic cord bridges the bladder opening.