Basketball stopping wall

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a basketball stopping apparatus arranged for attachment to a basketball goal assembly. In some embodiments, the basketball stopping apparatus is configurable between a first position and a second position, the first position being arranged for the deflection of errant basketball shots and the second position being arranged for storage of the basketball stopping apparatus before and/or after use. Additionally, some embodiments include a wall coupled to base arms that are pivotably mounted to a bottom end of the basketball goal assembly.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of using an apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, comprising:
 attaching an upper edge of a flexible wall of a net material to a top end region of a post of a basketball goal, the flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions, said wall portions defining left and right wall upper perimeter edges;   pivotally connecting a left base arm to a bottom end region of the post, the left base arm having a length secured along a bottom edge of the left wall portion;   pivotally connecting a right base arm to the bottom end region of the post, the right base arm having a length secured along a bottom edge of the right wall portion;   spreading the left and right wall portions of the flexible wall laterally away from the post to form a wall to stop an errantly shot basketball by pivoting the left and right base arms from a vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration wherein said left wall upper perimeter edge extends in an outward and downward direction away from the top end region of the post, and said right wall upper perimeter edge extends in an outward and downward direction away from the top end region of the post to the spread open configuration;   gathering the entirety of the flexible wall near the post by pivoting the left and right base arms from the horizontal configuration to a vertical configuration; and,   storing the flexible wall and the left and right base arms in a gathered position adjacent the post.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the left and right wall upper perimeter edges include a flexible perimeter member.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the flexible perimeter member is a cord.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 in the spread open configuration intermediate portions of the left and right wall upper perimeter edges are spread upward and away from the bottom end region of the post.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 in the horizontal configuration the left and right base arms are generally parallel to a supporting surface.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the left and right wall portions are separate nets.   
     
     
         27 . A method of operating an assembly for stopping an errantly shot basketball, comprising:
 radially spreading an assembly attached to a basketball goal so as to stop an errantly shot basketball, the assembly including a flexible wall of a net material having an upper portion secured to an elevated portion of the basketball goal and left and right wall portions, the left wall portion having a bottom edge secured along a length of a left base arm and the right wall portion having a bottom edge secured along a length of a right base arm, the left and right base arms pivotally connected to a bottom end region of the basketball goal and wherein when spread said wall includes a left wall upper perimeter edge extending in an outward and downward direction away from the elevated portion of the basketball goal, and a right wall upper perimeter edge extending in an outward and downward direction away from the elevated portion of the basketball goal; and,   radially collapsing the assembly to a vertical configuration in which the entirety of the flexible wall and left and right base arms are gathered near a basketball post of the basketball goal by pivoting the left and right base arms to the vertical configuration.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the left and right wall upper perimeter edges include a flexible perimeter member.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the flexible perimeter member is a cord.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein:
 in a spread open configuration intermediate portions of the left and right wall upper perimeter edges are spread upward and away from the bottom end region of the post.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising
 selectively securing the left and right base arms and the flexible wall in a gathered arrangement for storage.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the left and right base arms are rigid along their length.   
     
     
         33 . A method of using an apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, comprising:
 pivotally connecting a rigid left base arm to a bottom end region of a post of a basketball goal, the left base arm having a length secured along a horizontal edge of a left wall portion of a flexible wall of a net material;   pivotally connecting a rigid right base arm to the bottom end region of the post, the right base arm having a length secured along a horizontal edge of a right wall portion of the flexible wall;   attaching an upper edge of the flexible wall to a top end region of the post, wherein each wall portion defines a horizontal edge parallel to a base arm, a vertical edge parallel to the post and a perimeter edge extending from an upper portion of the post to a base arm end distal from the post;   spreading the left and right wall portions of the flexible wall laterally away from the post to form a wall to stop an errantly shot basketball by pivoting the left and right base arms from a vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration such that said perimeter edges extend in an outward and downward direction away from the top end region of the post; and   gathering the horizontal, vertical and perimeter edges of the flexible wall near the post by pivoting the left and right base arms from the horizontal configuration to a vertical configuration.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the right and left rigid base arms pull the perimeter edges taut when the left and right rigid base arms are in the horizontal configuration; and   wherein the perimeter edges are gathered when said base arms are in the vertical configuration.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the perimeter edges include a flexible perimeter member.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the flexible perimeter member is a cord.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 when the left and right base arms are in the horizontal configuration, the perimeter edges of the flexible wall define a semi-octagonal shape.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the edges of the flexible wall are spread along the entirety of their lengths when the left and right base arms are in the horizontal configuration.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the perimeter edge of at least one of the left or right wall portions includes a segment extending diagonally relative to the horizontal edge of the wall portion when the left and right base arms are in the horizontal configuration.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the left and right wall portions are portions of a continuous section of the net material.