Yard Games in PE: Fun Physical Activity for Everyone

Yard Games in PE: Fun Physical Activity for Everyone

AAHPERD National Convention, 2014

Drs. Helion, Cramer and Cummiskey

Excerpts from: Cummiskey, M. (2013). Yard games in secondary physical education. Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, 26(4), 25-30.

Kubb

Kubb is a game of Swedish origin (U.S. National Kubb Championship, 2012). It is played on a rectangular court of varying sizes depending on the competition and skill level (see figure 1). The field is divided in two halves with a king kubb in the center and five base kubbs evenly spaced along each baseline. There are also six throwing batons and four corner markers. Team sizes range between one and six players but generally consist of one, two or three individuals.

To determine which team throws first, one member of each team throws one baton attempting to land it closest to the king kubb without knocking it over. Assume for demonstration purposes, team one was the closest. The game starts by team one throwing four batons from behind their baseline at the base kubbs of team two. Tosses are underhand only and the kubb must tumble end-over-end and not side-to-side. After all four batons have been thrown, team two picks up the toppled base kubbs and tosses them so they land on team one’s half of the field. Team one stands up the kubbs, now called field kubbs, where they landed. Team two then attempts to knock over the field kubbs using six batons; only in the first round are participants limited to four batons. If successful in knocking down all field kubbs, team two may then attempt to knock over team one’s base kubbs with any remaining batons. Team one picks up any toppled kubbs and likewise, tosses them to team two’s side. However, if team two in the previous round was unable to topple all of the field kubbs, team one now has the advantage of being able to throw from the nearest upright field kubb instead of the baseline. The game continues until one team has toppled all of the field and base kubbs of the other team. At this point, the leading team attempts to knock over the king kubb thus winning the game. If either team prematurely knocks over the king kubb, the game is over.

Several elements of strategy exist in Kubb. For example, when throwing toppled kubbs, some teams attempt to land the kubbs nearest the midline making them easier to knock over. Other teams prefer to throw them far so if unsuccessful, the opposing team does not gain too much advantage. Another strategy is to land kubbs close together making them easier to topple with one baton. A free, detailed rules document is available online from the U.S. National Kubb Championship (2012). There is a national Kubb Championship held yearly in Wisconsin and a bi-annual magazine titled Kubbnation. Kubb sets are available online and may be constructed at home using lumber from most home improvement centers.

Washers

Washers is a game similar to horseshoes although safer and more suited to the muscular strength of school-age students. There are several variations including Pit Washers and 3-hole Washers; the version presented in this article is Box Washers. Required equipment includes two scoring boxes (see figure 2) and four large industrial washers (approximately 2.5 inches wide, 1 inch hole in center). The size of a scoring box varies but is typically 18 or 24 inches wide. The “floor” consists of 3/8 inch plywood and may be covered by exterior carpet if desired. The sides are constructed of 2X4 or 2X3 lumber. In the center of 18 inch scoring boxes is a 6 inch PVC coupling pipe (figure 2). In the center of 24 inch scoring boxes is often an empty paint can. The center piece is fixed to the plywood floor using screws and/or 90-degree corner braces.

The game is typically played by two individuals, each with two washers spray painted different colors to distinguish their ownership. The scoring boxes are placed anywhere from 10 to 25 feet apart depending on the skill and age of participants. The objective of the game is to toss washers into the scoring box (1 point) or into the center circle (3 points). Both players start at the same box, player one tosses the first washer and tosses alternate thereafter. Tosses may be executed underhand or sideways from behind the front of the scoring box; overhand throws are not permitted. After all four washers have been thrown, both players walk to the other scoring box and score the throws. The points accrued by one player cancel those for the other. For example, if player A tossed two washers into the scoring box, the total equals two points. If player B tossed one washer outside the scoring box (zero points) and one washer inside the center piece, the total equals three points. The two points player A scored are subtracted from the three points player B scored. Therefore, player B earns one point for the first round and player A earns zero. The player who scored most recently throws the first washer for each succeeding round. The game continues until one player accumulates 15 or 21 points. If playing with four individuals, there are two players per team who remain at separate starting boxes. There are no “official” rules so physical educators may adapt them as needed.

One basic strategy in Box Washers is selecting the type of throw. Some players toss washers similar to Frisbee while others toss them underhand with a flick motion causing the washers to rotate backwards. Some players toss washers high into the air aiming to create a soft landing while others use low trajectories to bounce the washer off the center piece or back “wall.” Players vary the type and trajectory of toss depending on their objective; some aim for the center piece with every throw while others aim to land washers in the box.

A similar toss game to Box Washers is Baggo. It is played using two raised wood platforms with three holes in a straight line. Players toss bean bags from one platform to the holes in the other. The points earned vary by the hole the bean bag enters. The procedures and rules share many similarities with Box Washers.

Ladder Golf

Ladder Golf is played using two sets of ladders and six bolas divided into two colors (see figure 3). The ladders are set up 15 feet or 5 paces apart. The objective is to throw bolas from one ladder and land it on the rungs of the opposite ladder. A coin tossed is used to determine who throws first. Players throw all three bolas consecutively; throws are not alternated. Players must throw from behind the ladder, not its footers.

The top rung is worth three points, the middle two and the bottom one. Participants may score one additional point by landing all three bolas on the same rung or one bola on each rung. The first player to score exactly 21 points wins. If a player earns more than 21 points, all the points from that round are negated. For example, if a player has 18 points and scores five additional points, the player’s score remains at 18 for the next round. Players may knock the bolas of their opponent off the ladder. After each round, players walk to the opposite end and retrieve their bolas; players alternate who throws first in each round. If using four players, there are two teams of two and each player remains at the same ladder throughout.

Ladder golf kits are available through traditional “brick and mortar” stores such as Target and Dick’s Clothing and Sport Goods. They are also available through Amazon.com and other online retailers. If choosing to create a homemade ladder golf kit, purchase the following: 16 feet of ¾” PVC elbow joints, 6 ¾” T joints, 12 feet of 3/8” nylon rope and 12 solid core balls. Assemble the PVC pipes using plumbing cement. Drill holes through the solid core balls and tie knots on either end to fix the location of each ball on the end of the string

Bocce

The rules of Bocce are established by the United States Bocce Federation (n.d.) but have been modified below for use in physical education. The equipment is relatively simple, eight solid core balls slightly over four inches in diameter divided into two different colors and one pallino or jack (figure 4). The pallino is smaller and of a different color than the bocce balls. Bocce may be played between two players or two teams of up to four players. The objective is to roll the bocce balls so they come to rest as close to the pallino as possible. Teams toss a coin to determine who bowls first. The team that won the coin toss tosses the pallino into an open area not less than 10 yards but not more than 25 yards away. The team that tossed the pallino bowls first from behind the bowling line followed by alternating bowls thereafter. The toss must be underhand and may not be lofted into the air above shoulder height. According to official rules, the bocce balls are bowled in one direction and then back again. In physical education, the instructor may allow, depending on space available, that the pallino be tossed in any direction after each round. After the eighth ball has been bowled, teams examine the bocce balls to determine who is closest; tape measures may be provided to measure close distances. One player from each team is allowed to examine and measure distances at any point during the round. The team with the closest ball scores one point; first team to 12 wins. If two balls from opposing teams are equidistant to the pallino, no point is awarded. If a player disturbs any of the bocce balls prior to the final measurement, that team automatically loses the point. Physical educators may also consider a British variation of Bocce called Bowls in which the balls are biased and therefore roll in a curved arc. The winner of each round may score multiple points depending on how many balls are closest before a ball belonging to the opposition.

Strategy plays an important part in Bocce. Teams may knock opposing bocce balls out of the way. Teams may bowl short balls that block the opposition from a clear path to the pallino. Still other teams try and actually hit the pallino to move it to another location. Physical educators do not need to purchase official equipment. Softballs approximate bocce balls well and a golf ball is an excellent substitutes for the pallino.

KanJam

from Wikipedia

The game is broken up into turns, with an equal number of turns for each team. The goals ("kans") are spaced approximately 50 feet apart. A team consists of two people each standing at opposing ends of the playing field. One player throws the disk, while the other acts as the "deflector," who is free to move anywhere, unlike the thrower, but the deflector may not catch, carry, or double hit the disc. The original deflector then throws the disc back to the original thrower from his end in order to score, and then the next team takes their turn.

No points are awarded if the thrower goes over the line, or if the disc hits the ground before reaching the goal. Three points are awarded to the attacking team if the opposition 1 points, respectively.

Points are awarded for a Dinger, when the flying disc is deflected into the side of the kan (1 point), a Deuce (a.k.a. "direct hit" or "direct"), when the flying disc hits the side of the kan without help from the deflector (2 points), or a Bucket, when the flying disc is deflected into the middle of the kan through the top or the front slot (3 points). In addition, when a player throws the disc into the middle of the kan through the front slot or the top without help from the deflector, he scores a "chog" for an instant win.

The game is over when a team scores exactly 21 points – if a team scores more than 21 after a turn, then the score returns to 17 points. In the event of a tie, each team has one more turn and the winner is the team that scores the most points. A team must achieve an exact score of 21 points to win, and teams must complete an equal number of turns (except when an Instant Win is scored).

http://www.kanjam.com/Game/HowToPlay.aspx

Teaching and Assessment Strategies in Physical Education

As lifetime activities, yard games are suitable for middle and high school physical education. They can either be taught in a traditional unit format or as a bridge between longer units. Since the rules are relatively easy to understand, the games can be presented to students and then immediately put into practice. Teams sizes should remain as small as possible (1 v. 1 or 2 v. 2) to promote activity time and opportunities to learn (OTLs). Instead of having all students engaged in the same activity, teachers may also have each yard game act as a station where students rotate from one yard game to the next. The advantage in this approach is that fewer game sets must be purchased or created. Teachers may incorporate pedometers to record student activity levels and there are smartphone apps that can assist with keeping score.