Systems for detecting a successful field goal are described herein. More specifically, the systems are directed at automated detection for a field goal attempt. The systems evaluate whether the football was kicked within the designated area (e.g., above the cross bar and between the two upright poles). The detection is performed through the use of cameras, lasers and detectors associated with the field goal post. In this way, the systems assist referees in determining the success of the field goal attempt.

Methods and systems for use in automating or assisting umpiring of a baseball or softball game are described herein. A location of a strike zone is determined based on video images of a batter standing next to home plate captured by a camera. Locations of a ball traveling towards the batter, and locations of the bat being held by the batter, are autonomously tracked using computer vision based on video images captured by at least two cameras having different positions. Additionally, there are autonomous determinations of whether a location of the ball intersects with the strike zone, and whether the batter made a genuine attempt to swing the bat at the ball, and based one at least one of these determinations, there is an autonomous determination of whether a “strike” or a “ball” occurred. Additionally, an indication of whether a “strike” or a “ball” occurred is autonomously output.

A variable-color region (106) of an information-presentation structure extends to an exposed surface (102) at a surface zone (112), normally appears along it as a principal color, and includes pressure-sensitive color-change structure (132) and pressure-spreading structure (242) having an internal pressure-spreading surface (244). An object (104) impacts the zone at an object-contact area (116). The pressure-spreading structure spreads pressure of the impact along a distributed-pressure area (256) of the pressure-spreading surface. A segment (142) of the pressure-sensitive color-change structure responds to the excess internal pressure along the distributed-pressure area by causing an impact-dependent portion (138) of the variable-color region to temporarily appear along a print area (118) of the zone as changed color materially different from the principal color if the excess internal pressure meets excess internal pressure criteria. The print area thereby closely matches the object-contact area in size, shape, and location.

An athletic training system (200) has a data recording system (202) and a data engine (204). The data recording system (202) is configured to record an athletic competition event. The event may have a first team of players competing against a second team of players. The data engine (204) is configured to receive data associated with the recorded athletic competition event. The data engine (204) processes the data and displays the data as a replay of the event in animated form.

Batting practice systems and methods that allow a baseball batter to match the timing of the batter's swing to the pitch speed of a pitcher.

An athletic timing device includes a housing carrying a touch-less sensor. The device is self-contained and can be easily placed at generally any point on a surface used for athletic activities, e.g., a football field, basketball court, or a track. The collective design of the sensor and the housing facilitates activation of the sensor without interfering with normal athletic activities, i.e., activities can be performed and timed under normal conditions without physical contact between the timing device and objects involved in the athletic activity. Example activities that can activate the sensor include snapping a football, kicking a soccer ball, or sprinting away from (or back to) the device.

Principal and secondary regions (106 and 108) of an information-presentation structure extend to an exposed surface (102) respectively at principal and secondary surface zones (112 and 114) variously impacted by a spherical object (104) that rebounds from the surface. The principal region normally appears along the principal zone as a principal color. An impact-dependent portion (138) of the principal region responds to the object impacting the principal zone at an object-contact area (116) by temporarily appearing along a print area (118) of the principal zone as changed color materially different from the principal color. The print area closely matches the object-contact area in size, shape, and location. The secondary region fixedly appears along the secondary zone as a secondary color. Restitution matching is provided across the two zones so that the rebound characteristics of the object are largely independent of whether it contacts the principal or secondary zone.

An automated officiating and player development system for a game played on a court with a net. The system utilizes arrays of optical imaging devices that are positioned near the net and face outwardly toward the two halves of the court. Each of the arrays scan across the court in two scan fields, wherein a first scan field projects across the court in an area below the an elevated second scan field. The second scan field is positioned a few inches above the first scan field. In this manner, any object that contacts the court from above must pass through both the first scan field and the second scan field. Separate arrays of optical detecting devices are positioned along the net. All the arrays produce pixilated images of any object they scan. A processor analyzes the pixilated images to identify the pixilated images of the detected objects.

An apparatus for use in an American football type game includes an elongate structure defining a generally tubular body having a length extending between two opposing ends, a width, and a handgrip portion located between the ends. The width of the tubular body is generally uniform along the entire length of the body. An attachment mechanism removably receives the elongate structure at an attachment point and limits movement of substantially the entire elongate structure to that of the attachment mechanism at the attachment point. The attachment mechanism is configured to release the elongate structure therefrom when a force that overcomes an attachment force provided by the attachment mechanism is applied to the handgrip portion.

Embodiments relate to an elastically deformable item of sports equipment (100; 200; 250; 300; 500), comprising at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure (104; 204; 254; 304; 504) arranged around a curved surface (102; 106; 202; 206; 252; 256; 302; 306; 502; 506) within the item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure has an elongation reserve corresponding to a maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment.