ATHLETIC ARTICLE FOR USE IN FLAG FOOTBALL
An athletic article to be worn while, and used in, playing flag football. The athletic article includes a garment having a waist band adapted to extend about a wearer's waist and a pair of leg members extending from the waist band and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs. A first fastener member is secured to the garment. The athletic article also includes a flag member having an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to the elongate flag portion. The second fastener member releasably mates with the first fastener member to releasably couple the flag member to the garment.
The present invention relates to athletic equipment, particularly, athletic equipment and attire used in playing flag football.
Flag football is a sport enjoyed by people of all ages and gender as a safe alternative to tackle football. The sport is played much like the game of American football except that, rather than tackling the carrier of the football, the opposing team attempts to seize a flag dangling from the waist area of the carrier. The flag is secured to the sides of the waist area of each of the players by a belt that is worn around the waist. The belt is worn over the clothing and the flags are secured, by hook and loop fasteners to a location on the belt. The belt typically includes a simple dual ring belt buckle around which the loose end of the belt is looped and pulled tight.
Unfortunately, the belts are often uncomfortable, do not fit, come loose during play or require constant adjustment. Improper fit of the belt can result in improper positioning of the flags on the player's body. For example, when a smaller player pulls the belt tight, the flags may be positioned in front of the body, rather than at each side. This can result in giving the player an unfair advantage because the flags are harder to reach and access to the flags is blocked by the body during forward movement down the field. In addition, the belts often move about the waist thereby causing the flags to migrate from the side of the body to the front and back of the body. Also, when the belt is worn with pants or shorts not having belt loops, the loose end of the belt can be a hazard. The loose end of the belt can dangle from the waist allowing another player to inadvertently grab or step on the loose end of the belt. This can result in a sudden over-tightening of the belt and significant discomfort.
SUMMARYThe present invention provides athletic equipment and attire used in playing flag football. In one embodiment, the invention provides an athletic article to be worn while, and used in, playing flag football. The athletic article includes a garment having a waist band adapted to extend about a wearer's waist and a pair of leg members extending from the waist band and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs. A first fastener member is secured to the garment. The athletic article also includes a flag member having an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to the elongate flag portion. The second fastener member releasably mates with the first fastener member to releasably couple the flag member to the garment.
In another aspect, the athletic article includes a garment having a waist region adapted to extend about a wearer's waist, a hip region extending from the waist region, and a pair of leg members extending from the hip region and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs. A first fastener member is secured to the hip region of the garment. The athletic article also includes a flag member having an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to the elongate flag portion. The second fastener member releasably mates with the first fastener member to releasably couple the flag member to the garment.
In still another aspect, the athletic article includes a garment having a waist region adapted to extend about a wearer's waist, a hip region extending from the waist region, and a pair of leg members extending from the hip region and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs. A first fastener member is secured to the garment. The first fastener member is adapted to releasably mate with the flag football flags to releasably couple the flag football flags to the garment.
The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe embodiments hereinafter disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following description. Rather the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize its teachings.
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In use, the participants in a flag football game put on garment 10 and secure closure member 28. With garment 10 on, first fastener members 20 are properly positioned at opposing lateral sides of the wearers' waists. The wearers then couple flag members 24 to each side of waist by coupling second fastener member 26 to first fastener member 20. Accordingly, flag portions 24 are dangling from the proper position on the wearers' waists. During the flag football game, rather than tackling the ball carrier, the opposing team attempts to pull flag member 22 from the ball carrier's waist. Because flag members 22 are coupled to first fastener members 20 directly on garment 10, the erroneous positioning and migrating of flag portions 24 along the waist is avoided, and certainty of fit and flag placement is assured. In addition, the need for a separate belt is avoided, thereby avoiding over-tightening, inadvertent loosening and discomfort associated with the use of traditional flag football belts.
It should also be understood that, although the embodiments of
Although the embodiments illustrated in
It should be understood that the first fastener may be positioned at alternative locations on the garment. For instance, if the garment is equipped with belt loops at the appropriate locations, the first fastener may be secured to the belt loop. Alternatively, the first fastener may be positioned anywhere on the leg portion of the garment.
It should also be understood that the garment of the invention need not be in the form of pants, as illustrated in the embodiments shown in
While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.
Claims
1. An athletic article to be worn while, and used in, playing flag football; the athletic garment comprising:
- a garment having a waist band adapted to extend about a wearer's waist and a pair of leg members extending from said waist band and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs;
- a first fastener member secured to said garment; and
- a flag member having an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to said elongate flag portion; wherein said second fastener member releasably mates with said first fastener member to releasably couple said flag member to said garment.
2. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said first fastener member is secured to said waist band of said garment.
3. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said garment further includes a hip region extending between said leg portion and said waist band, and said first fastener member is secured to said hip region.
4. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said garment further includes a belt loop positioned on said waistband, and said first fastener member is secured to said belt loop.
5. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said first and second fastener members comprise a hook and loop fastener.
6. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said first and second fastener members comprise snaps.
7. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said leg members extend to a point adjacent the wearer's knee, such that said garment is in the form of pants.
8. The athletic article of claim 1 wherein said leg members extend to a point above the wearer's knee, such that said garment is in the form of shorts.
9. The athletic article of claim 1 further including a third fastener member, and wherein said garment further includes a hip region extending between said leg portion and said waist band, said first fastener member being secured to said waist band of said garment and said third fastener member being secured to said hip region, and wherein said second fastener may be selectively mated with either of said first fastener or said third fastener to releasably couple said flag member to garment.
10. An athletic article to be worn while playing flag football; the athletic garment comprising:
- a garment having a waist region adapted to extend about a wearer's waist, a hip region extending from said waist region, and a pair of leg members extending from said hip region and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs;
- a first fastener member secured to said hip region of said garment; and
- a flag member having an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to said elongate flag portion; wherein said second fastener member releasably mates with said first fastener member to releasably couple said flag member to said garment.
11. The athletic article of claim 10 wherein said first and second fastener members comprise a hook and loop fastener.
12. The athletic article of claim 10 wherein said first and second fastener members comprise snaps.
13. The athletic article of claim 10 wherein said leg members extend to at least a point adjacent the wearer's knee, such that said garment is in the form of pants.
14. The athletic article of claim 10 wherein said leg members extend to a point above the wearer's knee, such that said garment is in the form of shorts.
15. The athletic article of claim 10 further including a third fastener member, and wherein said third fastener member being secured to said waist region, and wherein said second fastener may be selectively mated with either of said first fastener or said third fastener to releasably couple said flag member to garment.
16. An athletic article for use with flag football flags while playing flag football; the athletic garment comprising:
- a garment having a waist region adapted to extend about a wearer's waist, a hip region extending from said waist region, and a leg covering portion extending from said hip region and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's legs;
- a first fastener member secured to said garment; wherein said first fastener member is adapted to releasably mate with the flag football flags to releasably couple the flag football flags to the garment.
17. The athletic article of claim 16 wherein said athletic article includes at least one flag member, said flag member comprising an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to said elongate flag portion, said second fastener member adapted to releasably mate with said first fastener member to releasably couple said at least one flag member to said first fastener member.
18. The athletic article of claim 17 wherein said first and second fastener members comprise a hook and loop fastener.
19. The athletic article of claim 17 wherein said first fastener member is secured to said waist region and further including a third fastener member secured to said hip region of said garment, and wherein said second fastener may be selectively mated with either of said first fastener or said third fastener to releasably couple said flag member to garment.
20. The athletic article of claim 16 wherein said leg members extend to a point adjacent the wearer's knee, such that said garment is in the form of pants.
21. An athletic article to be worn while, and used in, playing flag football; the athletic garment comprising:
- a garment having a body portion adapted to cover at least a portion of the wearer's torso, said body portion having a pair of opposing side regions adapted to cover at least a portion of the lateral sides of the wearer's torso;
- a first fastener member secured to said garment; and
- a flag member having an elongate flag portion and a second fastener member secured to said elongate flag portion; wherein said second fastener member releasably mates with said first fastener member to releasably couple said flag member to said garment.
22. The athletic article of claim 21 wherein said garment includes a pair of sleeve members extending from said body portion and adapted to extend along at least a portion of the wearer's arms.
23. The athletic article of claim 21 wherein said first and second fastener members comprise a hook and loop fastener.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 15, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 16, 2009
Inventors: J. Roe Hitchcock (Carmel, IN), Shelby Jay Goldblatt (Carmel, IN)
Application Number: 11/872,209
International Classification: A63B 71/02 (20060101);