Abstract: A sports glove includes a wrist portion defining an opening, a palm portion having a palm side and a backside, a thumb stall and a plurality of finger stalls extending from the palm portion. The palm side comprises a fabric layer bordering an interior of the glove, and a resilient polymer layer on an outer surface of the fabric layer. At least first and second grooves are formed into the polymer layer. The finger stalls include an index finger stall, a middle stall, a ring finger stall and a pinky stall. The first groove forms a thumb base bending line extending from at or adjacent to the opening along the palm portion to a juncture of the thumb stall and the index finger stall. The second groove forms an upper mid-palm bending line extending across the palm portion adjacent at least the pinky finger stall and the ring finger stall.

Abstract: An American-style football may include a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis, an outermost layer about the bladder, a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer and an intermediate sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to decrease a MOI of the football.

Abstract: A ball bat, extending along a longitudinal axis and configured for impacting a ball, may include a handle portion, an end cap, a barrel and a tubular insert. The barrel longitudinally extends along the longitudinal axis between the handle portion and the end cap. The barrel has a distal end and an inner surface, a portion of which proximate the distal end forms an insert mounting portion. The tubular insert may have a cantilevered portion having an outer surface separated from the inner surface. The cantilevered portion is cantilevered from the insert mounting portion independent of the end cap and forms a majority of a length of the tubular insert.

Abstract: A ball bat configured for impacting a ball. The ball bat extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a bat frame and a pivot joint. The bat frame includes a handle portion coupled to a barrel portion. The barrel portions has a distal region. The pivot joint is coupled to the distal region of the barrel portion. The pivot joint movably supports the barrel portion relative to the longitudinal axis such that the distal region of the barrel portion may pivot towards and away from the longitudinal axis about the pivot joint.

Abstract: A racquet including a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion. The head portion is a tubular structure including inner and outer peripheral walls, each having inner and outer surfaces. The head portion of the racquet being formed of a fiber composite material. The fiber composite material includes a plurality of ply arrangements. Each includes a pair of plies defining first and second angles with respect to a composite axis. A section of the outer peripheral wall from the inner surface to the outer surface includes at least three ply arrangements overlaying each other, and the first and second angles of at least two of the at least three ply arrangements being at least 35 degrees. When the racquet is tested under a racquet torsional stability test, the racquet has an angular deflection of less than 5.5 degrees about a longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A tennis ball including a spherical hollow elastomeric core having a specific gravity of less than 1 and a thickness of at least 4.5 mm, and a textile layer covering the spherical elastomeric hollow core. The spherical hollow core has an initial internal pressure of no greater than 5 psi. The tennis ball has a first tennis ball rebound height when measured at a first time when the tennis ball is unused and a second tennis ball rebound height measured after the tennis ball is exposed to atmospheric pressure for four months following the first time and is unused. The second tennis ball rebound height being at least 96% of the first tennis ball rebound height.

Abstract: A ball bat configured for impacting a ball. The ball bat extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a unitary bat frame and a pivot joint. The unitary bat frame includes a handle portion and a barrel portion having a distal region. The pivot joint is coupled to the distal region of the barrel portion. The pivot joint movably supports the barrel portion relative to the longitudinal axis such that the distal region of the barrel portion may pivot towards and away from the longitudinal axis about the pivot joint.

Abstract: A racquet extends along a longitudinal axis and is capable of being tested under a racquet lateral bending test and a racquet torsional stability test. The racquet lateral bending test includes mounting the racquet in a first orientation to a first test fixture at a first longitudinal location, attaching a clamp to the racquet at a second location, operably engaging a deflection indicator to the clamp, applying a first predetermined weight to the racquet at a third location, and removing the first weight to obtain a lateral deflection measurement of the racquet with respect to the longitudinal axis. The racquet torsional stability test includes mounting the racquet to second and third test fixtures at sixth and seventh locations of the racquet, respectively, placing a third predetermined weight on an arm extending from the second test fixture, removing the third predetermined weight to obtain an angular deflection about the axis.

Abstract: A tennis ball may include a spherical hollow elastomeric core having a specific gravity of less than 1 and a thickness of at least 4.5 mm and a textile layer covering the spherical hollow core.

Abstract: A sports paddle including a head portion coupled to a handle portion. The head portion includes at least one core layer positioned between first and second face plates. The first and second face plates have first and second outer surfaces, respectively. The head portion defines a plurality of through-head portion holes extending from the first outer surface to the second outer surface and a plurality of grooves extending into the first and second face plates. The head portion can include first and second face plates having first and second outer surfaces, respectively, and the handle portion can include a grip. Each of the first and second outer surfaces can include a roughened region and a generally smooth region. The smooth region of the first outer surface can space apart the grip from the roughened region of the first outer surface.

Abstract: An automated objective American-football evaluation system may include an American-style football, at least one sensor carried by the football, and electronics to: (a) receive a string of sensor signals from the at least one accelerometer; (b) determine a time of an initial impact of the football with a receiver based upon the received string of sensor signals; and (c) output a catch quality, the catch quality being based upon a portion of the string of sensor signals that is based upon the determined time of the initial impact of the football with the receiver.

Abstract: A racquet extends along a longitudinal axis and is capable of being tested under a racquet lateral bending test and a racquet torsional stability test. The racquet lateral bending test includes mounting the racquet in a first orientation to a first test fixture at a first longitudinal location, attaching a clamp to the racquet at a second location, operably engaging a deflection indicator to the clamp, applying a first predetermined weight to the racquet at a third location, and removing the first weight to obtain a lateral deflection measurement of the racquet with respect to the longitudinal axis. The racquet torsional stability test includes mounting the racquet to second and third test fixtures at sixth and seventh locations of the racquet, respectively, placing a third predetermined weight on an arm extending from the second test fixture, removing the third predetermined weight to obtain an angular deflection about the axis.

Abstract: A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis and configured for testing under an accelerated break-in test. The bat includes a barrel portion that includes an inner surface and is formed of a fiber composite material having wall thickness of at least 0.100 inch. The fiber composite material includes at least first and second plies. The first ply includes a first plurality of fibers aligned adjacent to one another and a first resin, and the second ply includes a second plurality of fibers aligned adjacent to one another and a second resin. The inner surface of the barrel portion defines at least one annular groove. The at least one annular groove creates an ABI fuse region of the barrel portion. The ABI fuse region forms a crack initiation location when the bat is subjected to the accelerated break-in test.

Abstract: An automated objective American-football evaluation system may include an American-style football, at least one sensor carried by the football, the at least one sensor comprising at least one accelerometer carried by the football and electronics. The electronics are to: (a) receive a string of sensor signals from the at least one sensor; (b) determine a characteristic of a throw of the football based upon the received string of sensor signals; (c) determine an identity of a football player associated with the throw of the football; (d) assign the determined characteristic of the throw of the football to the determined identity of the football player; and (e) output the determined characteristic of the throw, the determined identity of the football player and the assignment of the determined characteristic of the throw of the football to the determined identity the football.

Abstract: A tennis racquet extending along the longitudinal axis and capable of being tested under a forward/rearward bending test and a torsional stability test includes a frame having a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head portion and the handle portion. The head portion forms a hoop that defines a string bed plane. At least the head portion and the throat portion of the racquet are formed at least in part of a fiber composite material. The throat portion includes a pair of throat elements. When the racquet is tested under the forward/rearward bending test, the racquet has a forward/rearward deflection with respect to the longitudinal axis of at least 9.0 mm when measured in a direction that is perpendicular to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. When the racquet is tested under the torsional stability test, the racquet has an angular deflection of less than 5.5 degrees about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A game ball configured for organized, competitive play and having a total mass. The game ball includes an inflatable bladder, a layer of reinforcing material surrounding the bladder, an elastomeric layer surrounding the bladder, and a plurality of cover panels positioned over the layer of reinforcing material and the elastomeric layer. The bladder has a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass. The elastomeric layer and the layer of reinforcing material have a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass. The game ball is formed without one or more of electronics, batteries and charging coils.