Bank It

TGfU Category: Zone Games

Locations: gymnasium, outdoor space (e.g., field, tarmac)

Game/Sport Connections

Zone games are activities that involve controlling an object, keeping it away from opponents, and moving it into position to score. Both offensive and defensive players share the same playing area as they work to prevent the other team from scoring. By playing these games, participants develop skills and tactics to play other zone games or games that require the application of similar skills, concepts, and strategies (e.g., soccer, handball, ultimate Frisbee, football, basketball, hockey, goalball, wheelchair basketball, lacrosse).

Activity Overview

Participants learn and practise working as a group to move into an opponent’s space to score a goal.

Key Movement Skills, Concepts, and Strategies

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies to effectively move into the opponent’s area while defending their own. Note that this list is not exhaustive and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Considerations

• Incorporate some or all of the variations listed in the “Variations” section while planning the activity. This will help to best meet the diverse backgrounds, identities, needs, and interests of participants and maximize the fun, inclusion, participation, and success of everyone.
• To elevate participant voice and choice, periodically pause the activity and share the variations with participants. Ask them to determine how they would like to change the activity to maximize the fun, inclusion, meaningful participation, and success for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.

Equipment

• 2 balls of various sizes and textures
• 4 nets (e.g., basketball, hockey, pop-up soccer, garbage cans, pylons)
• 4 sets of pinnies (1 set for each group)

Safety

• Inspect the equipment and activity area to identify and remove hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction.
• Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area at a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Share the boundaries with participants.
• Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
• Instruct participants to be aware of their surroundings, including the locations of other participants during play.

How to Play

• Divide participants into 4 groups. Each group wears a set of pinnies.
• Participants set up 2 activity areas with a net/target/scoring area at each end.
• Place each net/target/scoring area in a position where the participant can score after bouncing against the wall (e.g., place the net face down with the bottom of the net open to the wall).
• Participants create a crease area (line) a safe distance from the net/target/scoring area. Participants cannot cross the line to score or play defence.
• Participants attempt to score on their opponents’ net/target/scoring area while working together to defend their own net/target/scoring area.
• Participants can maintain possession of the sending object for 3 seconds, 3 steps, or 3 bounces before passing or shooting. The ball must be passed at least 3 times before attempting to score.
• To score 1 point, participants send the ball (e.g., throw, roll, kick it with the ball maintaining contact with the ground), so that it “banks” off the wall into the net//hitting the target/landing in the scoring area.
• Groups keep track of how many points they score.
• After a period of play, provide participants with some or all of the variations. Ask them to decide how they might change the game to enhance their fun, challenge, and success. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.
• Consider having groups share their variations and select another variation to try with their group.

Image: Visual Depiction of the Activity Instructions

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, ask open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement skills, strategies, and tactical solutions. Examples include:

• What skills are you using to maintain possession of the ball?
• How can you position your body when sending and receiving to increase your chance of success at receiving the object?
• What strategy are you using to defend your area?
• How can you best defend your space and make it difficult for your opponents to score?
• How do you work together as a team to successfully defend both goals and gain possession of the ball?
• Which games or sports have you played or know about that use similar rules and strategies to the ones used in this game?

Variations

• Create zones that participants stay within so they are encouraged to pass the ball.
• Increase or decrease the size of the target/crease area around the target.
• Allow more time, bounces, or steps when participants are in possession of the ball.
• Decrease the amount of time, bounces, or steps when participants are in possession of the ball.
• Have fewer participants (e.g., only 1) defending the net/target/scoring area at all times.
• Score a point by sending the ball into the net/hitting the target/landing the ball in the scoring area without using the wall.
• Increase the number of balls in the game.
• Increase the number of times participants pass the ball before attempting to score.
• Choose various objects to play the game (e.g., rubber chicken, beanbag).
• Change the manipulation to dribbling and kicking or a combination of both at the same time.
• Use cones as goals. Place them in the middle of the playing area to require participants to defend their goal from an object sent from any direction.