TGfU Category: Striking/Fielding Games
Location: outdoor space (e.g., field, tarmac)
Game/Sport Connections
Striking/Fielding games are activities in which players score points by striking an object and move to designated playing areas or prevent opponents from scoring by retrieving the object and returning it to stop the play. By playing these games, participants develop skills and tactics to play other striking/fielding games or games that require the application of similar skills, concepts, and strategies (e.g., baseball, cricket, rounders, softball).
Activity Overview
Participants learn about and practise striking an object with an implement into an open area. Participants learn about and practise fielding an object to prevent their opponent from scoring points.
Key Movement Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies to help participants strike an object with an implement into an open area and field an object. Note that this list is not exhaustive and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.
Movement Skills and Concepts
Manipulation skills and effort awareness: applying a controlled force to send an object (e.g., standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with most of the body weight on the back foot, moving body weight forward toward incoming object by pushing back hip, and applying a controlled force using a striking implement to send an object into open space).
Movement Strategies
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As a batter, understanding and developing tactics to bat an object into an open space to score a point (e.g., varying the distance the ball is hit to avoid it being caught by the fielders).
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As a fielder, understanding and developing tactics such as working as a group to cover the space and being ready to move to be in the optimal body position and location to successfully catch or retrieve an object.
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
- 1 implement for striking per group (e.g., foam bat, lollipop foam paddle, flat-sided bat, racquet, tennis racquet)
- 1 batting tee or large pylon per group
- 1 bucket for each fielder (e.g., pail, upside-down pylon, lacrosse stick, scoop, baseball glove)
- 3 balls per group (e.g., tennis balls, foam balls, wiffle balls, beach balls, soft-skinned balls)
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 small groups (e.g., 3 – 6).
- Each group divides into 1 batter and 2 – 5 fielders.
- Each group sets up a batting tee or large pylon with a ball in a safe space away from other groups. Participants may require help to set up their space.
- Provide each fielder with a bucket (e.g., pail, upside-down pylon, lacrosse stick, scoop, baseball glove) to field the ball.
- Fielders spread out in their playing area.
- The batter chooses a ball (e.g., tennis ball, foam ball, wiffle ball, beach ball, soft-skinned ball) and an implement for striking (e.g., foam bat, lollipop foam paddle, flat-sided bat, racquet, tennis racquet) the ball off the batting tee or pylon and toward the fielders. Batters may switch their choice of ball and/or implement for striking at any point during play.
- If a fielder fields the ball before it hits the ground, they are awarded 1 point.
- If the batter succeeds in having the ball hit the ground before a fielder can field it, they are awarded 1 point.
- Participants can create a different point system for their group (e.g., 10 points for fielding the ball before it hits the ground, 5 points for fielding the ball after 1 bounce, 1 point for fielding the ball when it is rolling).
- Once the fielders have fielded 3 balls, the round is over, and one of the fielders takes a turn as the batter with the batter assuming the fielder’s position.
- Play continues for as many rounds as there are participants. Once all rounds have been completed, groups play again to try to beat their 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 during the activity. Examples include:
- As a batter, where do you aim to send the ball to make it challenging for the fielders?
- As a fielder, where do you position yourself so that you are successful at fielding the ball?
- How much force do you have to use when you strike the ball to send it into open space? Does this change with the type of ball/implement you select?
- How do you communicate to safely field the ball if it is hit close to two fielders?
- Which games or sports have you played or know about that use similar rules and strategies to the ones used in this game?
Variations
- Send the ball by kicking or throwing, instead of batting it.
- Start in a sitting position and get up once the ball is hit when in the fielding position.
