Pickleball Court Marking and Process for Improved Line Calling

Abstract

This disclosure describes a pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint for pickleball, pickleball courts formed using the marking tape or paint, and pickleball ball inbounds or out of bounds determinations using the marking tape or paint. The marking tape or paid is configured to, when set on the playing surface of a pickleball court, generate a visually detectable temporary localized variation, in the color or the like, of the marking tape or paint at the point of contact by a pickleball ball. The temporary localized variations enable clear determination of whether the pickleball ball is inbounds or out of bounds during game play.

1 . A pickleball court comprising a playing surface with at least baselines and/or sidelines comprising a pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint, wherein the pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint is configured to, responsive to a pickleball ball contacting one of the baselines and/or sidelines, generate a visually detectable temporary localized variation responsive to the contacting by the ball. 
     
     
         2 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the visually detectable temporary localized variation is a temporary change in color at a point of the contact on the marking tape or paint. 
     
     
         3 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to be insensitive to the contacting when the contact by the ball is outside of the marking tape or paint. 
     
     
         4 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to generate the temporary localized variation when a size of an area of the contact is below a threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to generate the temporary localized variation when an amount of pressure imposed by the contact is above a threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to generate the temporary localized variation when an area of the contact is below a first threshold and an amount of pressure imposed by the contact is above a second threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint comprises chemical materials sensitive to pressure from the contact. 
     
     
         8 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint includes a magnetic material sensitive to pressure from the contact. 
     
     
         9 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking is configured to change an electrical property in response to pressure from the contact. 
     
     
         10 . The pickleball court according to  claim 9 , wherein the electrical property is resistance or capacitance, and wherein the marking tape is illuminated at a point of the contact in response to the pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to automatically reverse the localized variation in response to a pressure of the contact being removed for a time interval. 
     
     
         12 . The pickleball court according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint set on one or both side areas adjacent to the first marking tape or paint, wherein the second pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint is configured to generate a second visually detectable localized variation when the contact is on the second pressure-pressure sensitive marking tape. 
     
     
         13 . A pressure-sensitive pickleball court marking tape or paint configured to, responsive to a pickleball ball contacting the marking tape or paint set on a pickleball court, generate a visually detectable temporary localized variation responsive to the contacting by the ball. 
     
     
         14 . The pressure-sensitive pickleball court marking tape or paint according to  claim 13 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to change color at a point of the contact in response to the contacting. 
     
     
         15 . The pressure-sensitive pickleball court marking tape or paint according to  claim 13 , wherein the marking tape or paint corresponds to dimensions of pickleball court baselines and/or sidelines. 
     
     
         16 . A method of building a pickleball court comprising applying a pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint on a playing surface to one or more baselines and/or sidelines of the pickleball court, wherein the pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint is configured to, responsive to a pickleball ball contacting one of the one or more baselines and/or sidelines, generate a visually detectable temporary localized variation responsive to the contacting by the ball. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the visually detectable temporary localized variation is a temporary change in color at a point of the contact on the marking tape or paint. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to generate the temporary localized variation when an area of the contact is below a first threshold and/or an amount of pressure imposed by the contact is above a second threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the marking tape or paint is configured to automatically reverse the localized variation in response to a pressure of the contact being removed for a time interval. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , the method further comprises applying a second pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint on one or both side areas adjacent to the first marking tape or paint, wherein the second pressure-sensitive marking tape or paint is configured to generate a second visually detectable localized variation when the contact is on the second pressure-pressure sensitive marking tape.