Fall Smart on Skates: Knees, Hands and Back Up

Students learn to fall forward onto their gear and get up without help before skating faster. It lowers fear and cuts down on backward falls, which are the most dangerous.

How to play

1. Already geared up, easy glide in one direction with arms forward and knees bent (2 min).
2. On mats, standing still: fall forward onto one knee, then the other, then onto the wrist guards (3 min).
3. Get up in three steps: on all fours, plant one skate in front, hands on that knee and stand (2 min).
4. Gliding slowly, on one clap: drop into a squat; on a second signal, a controlled knee fall off the mats (3 min).
5. Final round: three falls and get-ups in a row without help (2 min).

Rules

• Always fall forward; if you lose balance backward, bend your knees and bring your weight to the front.
• Falls happen only on the teacher's signal.
• Keep two arm lengths from everyone.
• Anyone without knee pads and wrist guards does the mat part without skates.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with low vision: work along the wall with a guide partner who calls out free space.
• Knee injury: practice only standing up from a bench and the bent-knee stance.
• Very fearful students: practice the full sequence without skates first, then with one skate.

Learning goals

• Fall forward while protecting head and hips.
• Get up independently on skates.
• Lose the fear of a controlled fall.

Equipment for a class of 25

• inline skates: 28
• helmets: 28
• knee pads: 28
• wrist guards: 28
• mats: 6

Teacher tip

Stress that falling backward is what causes head bumps and broken wrists. If you lack mats, use grass or folded yoga mats.

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