Ball Tag
Set-Up
Organize a large rectangular play area with clear boundaries and enough room for children to run. Select 5-10 students who will be the ball taggers. These players can be identified by them wearing colored pinnies.
Demonstrate safe tagging with a ball:
The ball must be thrown at players below the waist
Students must use appropriate force when throwing the ball
Demonstrate under and over-arm throwing techniques. When students get hit by the ball below the waist, they go into jail. If they accidentally get hit above the waist, they are still in, and the thrower must go into jail for 30 seconds.
Review the boundaries, the jail, and the consequence of going outside them (you automatically go into jail).
How to Play
The students identified as ball taggers must try to throw the ball and hit as many students as possible below the waist. When a ball tagger has a ball in their hand, they cannot move. They can throw the ball to other ball taggers and work as a team to get it nearer the students they are attempting to reach.
If the ball goes outside the area, a ball tagger can go to retrieve it.
The game finishes when the ball taggers have hit all the students with a ball. Or when a designated time has elapsed.
Rotate the ball taggers, and start a new game.
Variation
Rotate the ball taggers quicker by playing until five students have been hit by a ball.
Students stuck in jail can be freed by other students catching a ball that the ball-tagger threw.
The Game Encourages
Participation & Team Work
Physical Activity
Ball Eye-Coordination
Reaction
Set-Up & Equipment
Soft dodgeballs
Ten students
Domes & Cones
Coloured Pinnies