Octagon ball game apparatus and method thereof

Abstract

A game system includes a ring with a front, back, inner, and outer surface, a front member coupled to a back member, a stand with a top and bottom portion, a connector that fixes the ring to the stand, a base affixed to the bottom portion of the stand, and at least one ball. The ring may be composed of four segments, each defining two sides of an octagon. The stand may have an adjustable height and may include a telescoping mechanism. The game system may also include markings or sensors on the ring to record successful ball passages electronically. A method for providing a game to be played by multiple users is also disclosed, involving assembling the ring, providing a ball and a stand, and instructing users to form teams and play a game involving serving and returning the ball through the ring.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A game system, comprising:
 a ring having a front surface, a back surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface, wherein the inner and outer surfaces each have at least one side;   a front member comprising the front surface coupled to a back member comprising the back surface;   a stand having a top portion and a bottom portion;   a connector that fixes the ring to the top portion of the stand;   a base configured to be affixed to the bottom portion of the stand; and   at least one ball.   
     
     
         2 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one side is eight sides forming an octagon. 
     
     
         3 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the base is a tripod and wherein the stand is configured to place the connector at a fixed height or an adjustable height. 
     
     
         4 . The game system of  claim 3  wherein the maximum height of the connector is at least 62 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The game system of  claim 2 , wherein the ring is composed of four segments, each segment defining two sides of the octagon. 
     
     
         6 . The game system of  claim 5 , wherein each segment has a first end and a second end wherein the first end has a female slot having a tab hole and the second end has a male end and a tab wherein the male end is configured to be inserted into the female slot of an adjacent segment and lock into place with the tab in the tab hole. 
     
     
         7 . The game system of  claim 6 , wherein the tab and tab hole are located on the outer surface of the ring. 
     
     
         8 . The game system of  claim 3 , wherein the stand is configured to have an adjustable height and comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the height of the ring when the game system is assembled. 
     
     
         9 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a weight compartment to enhance stability during use. 
     
     
         10 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the connector allows the ring to rotate during gameplay. 
     
     
         11 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring is made of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, aluminum, and composite materials. 
     
     
         12 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a suction base or clamps to secure the apparatus to the ground or another surface. 
     
     
         13 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the ball is a light weight padded ball, or which is made of light weight padded material or rubber filled with air. 
     
     
         14 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises markings or sensors on the ring to record successful ball passages electronically. 
     
     
         15 . A method for providing a game to be played by a plurality of users, the method comprising the acts of:
 providing a plurality of ring segments configured to be assembled into a ring, each ring segment having a front member and a back member;   providing a ball and a stand configured to support the ring at a desired height;   fixing the front member to the back member in each ring segment;   instructing the users to:
 form at least two opposing teams on opposite sides of the ring standing at a distance from the ring; 
 serve the ball from a specified distance from the ring through the ring to the opposing team; 
 prevent the ball from hitting the ground and hit the served ball back through the ring to the opposing players; and 
 award a point to a team when the opposing team allows the ball to hit the ground when the ball has passed to their side of the ring. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the desired height is the approximate height of the players. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising instructing the users to avoid hitting the ball through the ring from an area within a specified distance from the ring. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the specified distance is three feet. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising instructing the users that a team receives a point when an opposing player touches the ring.