Sports statistical analytic device

Abstract

A system and method of web-based computer software and hardware is disclosed for recording and analyzing sports statistics to allow a sports team to evaluate the efficiency of its team, players, lineups, games, plays, playbooks, and other related attributes. Computerized algorithms analyze thousands of complex event outcomes based on various user specifications to produce innumerable statistical results. The system is optimized for use on a touch-screen tablet computer but can also be accessed via any computing device with a web browser and an Internet connection. The invention is designed to be used in real-time, but can also be used after the game to record event information or analyze previously recorded data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A method for recording sports play outcomes using a tablet computer or other internet-capable device to connect to a web-based application server and database system where the recorded outcomes are stored on the database and can be recalled and analyzed to determine the efficiency of one or more sports plays, players, or teams during a sport contest, comprising:
 a) identifying the play that was called using a tablet computer or other client-side computing device by selecting from the playbook data stored on the online database;   b) identifying the outcome of the play (in points and shot types) using a tablet computer or other client-side computing device by selecting from the outcome choices stored on the online database;   c) recording the play that was selected, the outcome that was selected, and any other information that that the user identified using the tablet computer or other client-side computing device to the online database;   d) performing an analysis on a collection of recorded plays and outcomes that are stored in the online database by processing said collection through the application server to obtain a statistical result for said collection comprising the following steps:
 1) Adding up the total number of points scored for each type of play that was recorded; 
 2) Dividing the total number of points for each play in the collection by the number of times the play was called in the specified time period; 
 3) Displaying the resulting ratio for each play type in the collection. 
   
     
     
         2 ) The method in  claim 1 , wherein the user can identify a variety of details about each event, comprising:
 a) identifying the season, date, opposing team, and venue for the current game;   b) identifying the players on the court at the time a play occurs, which player or players created the outcome or outcomes of the current play, and the location on the floor where the event or events of the play occurred;   c) specifying the outcome of the play by indicating whether the player made or missed a 2 or 3 point shot, whether the player made or missed one, two, or three free throws after being fouled while attempting a 2 or 3 point shot, whether the play ended in a turnover, or that the play resulted in no outcome, meaning that there was no shot attempted and no change of possession.   d) indicating that the player got an offensive rebound and scored 1, 2, or 3 points in the resulting free throw, free throws, or field goal attempt.   
     
     
         3 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user can view a graphical shot chart to display the location of each made or missed shot attempt, comprising:
 a) displaying a green or red basketball on an image of a basketball court, with green indicating a made basket and red indicating a missed basket;   b) indicating the player that took the shot by displaying that player's uniform number inside the green or red basketball.   c) allowing the user to select which player's or players' shots will appear on the shot chart.   d) displaying a shot chart representing the data for the current game, whether the game is still ongoing or has already been completed.   
     
     
         4 ) The method in  claim 1 , wherein the user can view various statistics and analytics for the current game, whether it is still underway or has already been completed, comprising:
 a) basic game statistics for both teams, including the number of 2 and 3 point field goals made, the number of free throws made, and the number of turnovers committed;   b) The team's current game OER, current season OER, and all-time OER   c) The team's current game DER, current season DER, and all-time DER   
     
     
         5 ) The method in  claim 1 , wherein the user can view the most recent plays that have been entered into the system, edit or delete recent outcomes, and where recent plays are displayed by play type, outcome, and chronology. 
     
     
         6 ) An apparatus for recording and analyzing basketball event outcomes, comprising:
 a) A tablet computer or other computing device for storing and running a web browser application, connecting to the internet, loading the hosted application from the server, operating the application within the web browser, receiving and processing information inputs from the user, and displaying the results to the user via the graphical user interface.   b) A cloud server environment to host the web proxy server, application server, and database server, which can support the necessary http requests and database queries.   
     
     
         7 ) The apparatus in  claim 6 , wherein the user can use the computing device to access the application server to identify the play that was called, identify the outcome of the play, and then save that outcome to the database. 
     
     
         8 ) The apparatus in  claim 6 , wherein the user can use the computing device to access the application server to perform an analysis on a collection of recorded plays and outcomes that are stored on the database, comprising the following steps:
 a) Adding up the total number of points scored for each type of play that was recorded in the database;   b) Dividing the total number of points for each play in the collection by the number of times the play was called in the specified time period;   c) Displaying the resulting ratio for each play type in the collection.   
     
     
         9 ) The apparatus in  claim 6 , wherein the user can use the computing device to access the application server to identify a variety of details about each event, comprising:
 a) identifying the season, date, opposing team, and venue for the current game;   b) identifying the players on the court at the time a play occurs, which player or players created the outcome or outcomes of the current play, and the location on the floor where the event or events of the play occurred;   c) specifying the outcome of the play by indicating whether the player made or missed a 2 or 3 point shot, whether the player made or missed one, two, or three free throws after being fouled while attempting a 2 or 3 point shot, whether the play ended in a turnover, or that the play resulted in no outcome, meaning that there was no shot attempted and no change of possession.   d) indicating that the player got an offensive rebound and scored 1, 2, or 3 points in the resulting free throw, free throws, or field goal attempt.   
     
     
         10 ) The apparatus in  claim 6 , wherein the user can use the computing device to access the application server to view a graphical shot chart to display the location of each made or missed shot attempt, comprising:
 a) displaying a green or red basketball on an image of a basketball court, with green indicating a made basket and red indicating a missed basket;   b) indicating the player that took the shot by displaying that player's uniform number inside the green or red basketball.   c) allowing the user to select which player's or players' shots will appear on the shot chart.   d) displaying a shot chart representing the data for the current game, whether the game is still ongoing or has already been completed.   
     
     
         11 ) The apparatus in  claim 6 , wherein the user can use the computing device to access the application server to view various statistics and analytics for the current game, whether it is still underway or has already been completed, comprising:
 a) basic game statistics for both teams, including the number of 2 and 3 point field goals made, the number of free throws made, and the number of turnovers committed;   b) The team's current game OER, current season OER, and all-time OER   c) The team's current game DER, current season DER, and all-time DER   
     
     
         12 ) A computer for recording and analyzing basketball event outcomes using a tablet computer connected through an internet connection to an online database where recorded events are stored and analyzed, comprising:
 a) A computing means for storing and running a web browser application, connecting to the internet, loading the hosted application from the server, operating the application within the web browser, receiving and processing information inputs from the user, and displaying the results to the user via the graphical user interface;   b) A computing means for hosting a cloud-based server environment that can support a web proxy server, application server, and database server, as well as process the necessary http requests and database queries;   c) A software means for web-based application environment capable of being hosted on the cloud server environment, accessed from any internet connection, and executed on any device using any web-browser application.   
     
     
         13 ) The computer of  claim 12 , wherein the user can use the computing means to access software means of the application server to identify the play that was called, identify the outcome of the play, and then save that outcome to the database. 
     
     
         14 ) The computer of  claim 12 , wherein the user can use the computing means to access the software means of the application server to perform an analysis on a collection of recorded plays and outcomes that are stored on the database server, comprising the following steps:
 a) Adding up the total number of points scored for each type of play that was recorded in the database;   b) Dividing the total number of points for each play in the collection by the number of times the play was called in the specified time period;   c) Displaying the resulting ratio for each play type in the collection.   
     
     
         15 ) The computer of  claim 12 , wherein the user can use the computing means to access the software means of the application server to identify a variety of details about each event, comprising:
 a) identifying the season, date, opposing team, and venue for the current game;   b) identifying the players on the court at the time a play occurs, which player or players created the outcome or outcomes of the current play, and the location on the floor where the event or events of the play occurred;   c) specifying the outcome of the play by indicating whether the player made or missed a 2 or 3 point shot, whether the player made or missed one, two, or three free throws after being fouled while attempting a 2 or 3 point shot, whether the play ended in a turnover, or that the play resulted in no outcome, meaning that there was no shot attempted and no change of possession.   d) indicating that the player got an offensive rebound and scored 1, 2, or 3 points in the resulting free throw, free throws, or field goal attempt.   
     
     
         16 ) The computer of  claim 12 , wherein the user can use the computing means to access the software means to generate customizable reports to perform an analysis on a collection of recorded plays and outcomes by processing said collection to obtain a statistical result for said collection by allowing a user to specify the parameters and view the results of the analysis on a tablet computer or other computing device, comprising:
 a) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays and outcomes during a specified season or seasons.   b) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays and outcomes against a specified opponent or opponents.   c) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays and outcomes during a specified game or games.   d) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays and outcomes created by a specified player or players.   e) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays and outcomes from a specified playbook or playbooks.   f) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays for a specified outcome or outcomes.   g) analyzing the efficiency and frequency of different plays and outcomes for a specified amount of time or times left on the shot clock.   
     
     
         17 ) The computer of  claim 12 , wherein the user can use the computing means to access the software means of the application server to add or update various categories of information that are stored in the online database to help organize the team's data and create more accurate analytical results, comprising:
 a) creating and editing playbooks, groups of plays, individual plays, individual play images, and individual play descriptions and making the plays and groups of plays available for identification as part of the method in  claim 1 ;   b) creating and editing a team schedule by specifying the name of the schedule, each game on the schedule, the opponent for each game, the venue for each game, the game type or season for each game, and making the schedule available for identification as part of the method in  claim 1 );   c) creating and editing a team roster by identifying whether the roster is active or inactive, identifying an individual player, identifying the player's first and last name, identifying the player's position and jersey number, uploading and attaching the player's photograph, and making the rosters and players available for identification as part of the method in  claim 1 );   d) creating and editing a team's season by identifying the name of the season and specifying whether or not it is the team's current season;   e) creating and editing a team by identifying the team's name, hometown, league conference, league division, and making the team available for identification as part of the method in  claim 1 );   f) creating and editing a sports venue by identifying the venue name and the venue location, and making the venue available for identification as part of the method in  claim 1 );   g) creating and editing a team's account users by identifying the user's first name, last name, email address, username, password, and identifying whether the user has verified their username and email address.