Argentine Pato on Foot: Ball Through the Vertical Hoop

Pato is Argentina's national game, with gaucho roots, in which two teams on horseback battle for a ball with handles and try to put it through a vertical hoop. This on-foot version keeps its most distinctive rule: the ball carrier must hold the ball out at arm's length so the opponent can challenge for it.

How to play

1. Explain pato's origins in the Argentine countryside, its modern rules and its status as the national game; demonstrate the negada rule (3 min).
2. Tie a hoop vertically to the crossbar of each team handball goal and mark two 30 x 20 m fields; teams of six or seven in pinnies (3 min).
3. Drill in threes: the carrier moves forward holding the ball in one hand with the arm stretched out to the side; the defender tries to take it by touching only the ball (5 min).
4. 6v6 game: move the ball by passing or by carrying it at arm's length for up to five steps; a goal counts when the ball goes through the hoop (14 min, switching opponents halfway).
5. Wrap-up: each team identifies which strategy helped them reach the hoop and how many negadas were called (5 min).

Rules

• Negada: holding the ball against the body or hiding it so it can't be challenged is a foul and means losing possession.
• Only the ball may be touched, never the carrier's arm or body.
• If two players grab the ball at once, they let go on the signal and there's a jump ball.
• No one may stay inside the goal area to guard the hoop.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair user: carries the ball on their lap with no step limit, and opponents may only intercept passes.
• Hearing impairment: the student referee signals a negada by raising a colored pinnie.
• Overweight or low fitness: play with free substitutions every 3 minutes.

Learning goals

• Apply attacking and defending principles in a team invasion game.
• Respect a rule built on fair play and an honest contest for the ball.
• Learn about a traditional Latin American game and how it became an organized sport.

Equipment for a class of 25

• team handballs: 2
• hoops: 4
• goals: 4
• cones: 16
• pinnies: 14

Teacher tip

If you can't tie hoops to the goals, fasten the hoop between two sticks stuck into weighted cones. A team handball with two duct-tape handles is closer to the original and makes the extended-arm rule easier.

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