The invention relates to a padel court construction for playing padel, the padel court construction comprising a padel field; at least two panels configured to at least partly enclose the padel field; and at least one strut configured to connect the at least two panels to each other. The padel court construction further comprising a ground profile configured to guide the at least two panels in relation to each other, and an adjustment element configured to displace at least one of the panels in relation to the ground profile.

Biodegradable tennis balls are described. A biodegradable tennis ball includes a core forming a hollow interior chamber, the core made of a blend of a rubber based material, a first petroleum based material, and a first biodegradable additive. The biodegradable tennis ball also includes a felt layer overlaying a surface of the core, the felt layer made of a second blend of a second petroleum based material and a second biodegradable additive. In some cases, the biodegradable tennis ball may include an adhesive layer adhering the felt layer to the core. In some cases, the felt layer may further include wool.

The present invention proposes a court, which is a half- or full-court in which ball sports, such as soccer (penalty kicks), foot volleyball, volleyball, and basketball (33 basketball), can be played. The court allows balls to be automatically and rapidly supplied in the case where it takes time to resume a game, such as a case where a game is replayed or a case where a ball is out according to the characteristics of each type of sport, or in the case where serve-reception practice is required, and also allows balls to be naturally collected and lifted because the court is inclined and allows the balls to be automatically classified according to the types of balls and to be supplied to the court.

A game net for playing a game involving hitting an object back-and-forth between players located on opposite sides of the net. The game net has a netting or panel that is supportable on a frame or otherwise above a ground surface and is movable from location to location. The netting or panel has an opening or window formed completely therethrough to provide passage of the object through the netting or panel when hit by one or more players located on opposite sides of the netting or panel. With the game net, players must direct the object more accurately through the window with a higher degree of precision than what is required to pass an object over existing game nets.

An apparatus comprising a practice device for practice of hitting a tennis ball includes a server configured for serving the tennis ball to a user, a net disposed to intercept a flight of the tennis ball after the tennis bell has been hit by the user using a racket and to direct the captured tennis ball back towards the server to be served again to the user, an image detector configured to observe the tennis ball as the tennis ball hurtles towards the net, and a processor. The processor determines, based at least in part on image frames received from the image detector, data indicative of the tennis ball's virtual landing spot. This virtual landing spot is an estimate of where the tennis ball would have landed on an opposing court had the tennis ball not been intercepted by the net.

A tennis ball retriever for retrieving a tennis ball on and about a tennis court and for controllably releasing the ball includes a front-end ball collector having two spaced-apart blades defining a ball collection space. The retriever includes a means for gripping and securing a ball positioned at the fore end, and one or more detents for retaining the collected ball in the collection space until a programmed or manually-directed release toward a target location such as a tennis baseline. The retriever includes a processor-controller for controlling and directing the retriever during a retrieval session. The retriever may be remote-controlled such as by voice commands.

This disclosure relates to a let calling system and method, which is configured to determine that a let has occurred based on ball flight characteristics, as opposed to, for example, monitoring for changes in the net. In an example method, following a serve of a tennis ball, the method indicates that contact between the tennis ball and a tennis net has occurred when a flight characteristic of the tennis ball changes by a predetermined threshold amount in an area adjacent the tennis net.

It is disclosed a method, and a device (10) capable of localizing ball impacts on a surface of an environment. Based on differences between any two consecutive video frames of the video, one or more blurs in the video are detected (704). Parameters of the ball are compared (706) with parameters of the detected one or more moving blurs. When the parameters being compared match, the moving blur for which the parameters match, is associated (708) with ball. Dimensions of the matching blur are determined (710). Based on a change in the dimensions of the moving blur, a ball impact is detected (712). Localizing (714) of the ball impact on a surface, is based on the change in the dimensions of the moving blur being associated with the ball, and environmental parameters. It is an advantage that localization of ball impacts does not require the ball to be continuously visible.

An upright configured such that the widest portions of the upright are adapted to be in line with a net line tension. An upright may also be configured such that its flat inner sides are adapted to be substantially perpendicular to a net line tension, which may also space the thinnest portions of the upright away from a net line tension. Furthermore, an upright may have a sloped top surface and an improved pin connection with an inner extension pole. As a result of any or all of these features, exemplary embodiments of an upright, an associated assembly with an extension pole and/or a net, and a related assembly method may provide improved resistance to net line tension.

A sporting display device comprising circuitry configured to control a plurality of electronic display elements to display one or more electronic images in response to a detection by detector circuitry of an occurrence of a predetermined event associated with a sport, the plurality of electronic display elements being attachable to a sports net associated with the sport in a configuration such that the one or more electronic images are displayed on the sports net.