Setting: Curricular
Season: Fall
Activity Goal
Participants apply game strategies for a striking-/fielding-type game while engaging in a fun activity in a fall environment. Participants build healthy relationships and social connections with others while working as a team.
For participant safety, please review the contents of the Beyond the Walls: Safety Considerations page for information on Safety Standards, Fall Safety Considerations, and Outdoor Playing Areas and Surfaces.
Equipment
- 3 Bases or outdoor mats or non-slip colourful thin discs
- 1 Home plate/pylon
- Soccer ball or soft colourful dodge ball
Before Play
- Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
- Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area and share them with participants.
- Divide participants into teams with a minimum of 8 players per team.
- Set up bases and home plate in the shape of a baseball diamond.
- If available, you may play the game with large outdoor mats instead of bases.
- Select a player from the offensive team to be the pitcher for the team.
- Each kicker is allowed three chances to kick. Players must kick in the same order each inning.
- A player is out if they miss their three kicks, is hit below the waist with the soccer ball before they arrive at their base, if the ball is caught in the air after a hit, and if a player leads off the base and is tagged before returning to the base.
- A point is awarded to the offensive team every time a player crosses the home plate.
- Once there are three outs, the offensive team will then go to the field and the defensive team will now become the kickers.
During Play
- One player from the kicking team pitches to their own team by rolling the ball towards the kicker standing by the home plate.
- Each kicker has three chances to kick the ball.
- Once the ball is kicked, the kicker runs to the bases/outdoor mats in order of first, second, third, home. The fielders can either catch the fly ball to get the player out, or pass the ball to the first, second, third base, or home plate fielder to get the player out. The kicker is out if they are hit below the waist with the ball before they arrive at their base.
- After three outs, the fielding and kicking teams switch.
After Play
Use the following prompts for participants to reflect on how they adapted games to fall conditions, how weather and outdoor clothing affected their movement and game strategy, and how their game can be played with friends and family to stay active in fall.
Question prompts:
- What did you determine to be the best method to get a player out at a base or home plate?
- Which fielding strategy worked best for your team? Did it matter where the player stood in the field when waiting for a kicked ball?
- What is the most effective way to get an offensive player out?
- Does the trajectory of the kicked ball affect the success of the kicker and then runner?
- How does the strategy change for this game versus a regular-rules softball game?
- How did your strategy change based on the weather conditions (e.g., angle of the sun, direction of the wind, field conditions)?
- How might you further adapt the traditional game of softball to play with friends in other settings to be active outside in the fall?
Adaptations
Consider these tips to maximize the challenge and the fun for participants.
- Have the pitcher stand further back to make it more challenging.
- Increase the distance between the bases.
- Add a rule that the ball must be kicked into the outfield by the kicker.
- Increase the number of players on the field to make fielding the ball easier.
Modifications
Consider these tips to maximize inclusion and fun for all participants.
- For participants with a physical disability, with challenges sending an object from a pitch, allow the game to be played where the player sends the object by throwing it or rolling it into open space.
- Play with a large, lighter, and more colourful ball that is easier to kick, see, and catch.
- Play with a ball that makes noise for hearing challenged players.
- For participants with a cognitive disability, invite other participants to adapt the game or rules to be inclusive of all skill levels.