Kickball: Lightning Tournament Run by a Student Committee

A committee of four students runs a four-team kickball tournament on two fields: schedule, timing, referee and scorekeeper assignments, standings and fair-play points. Everyone else plays and officiates as the committee decides.

How to play

1. The committee, prepared in the previous class, presents the bracket (round robin in three rounds), the tournament rules and which team officiates each game while resting (3 min).
2. Round one: two games at once, two innings or 10 minutes each; the committee keeps time and collects the scorekeepers' reports (11 min).
3. Round two with new opponents and officials; the committee updates the standings on a card everyone can see (11 min).
4. Short round three of one inning per game to settle the standings; add the fair-play points given by the umpires (0 to 3 per game) (7 min).
5. The committee announces the final standings and each team rates the tournament's organization in one sentence (3 min).

Rules

• The committee's decisions on timing and tiebreakers are final during the class.
• Every game has an umpire and a scorekeeper from the team not playing.
• The two fields are at least 10 m apart, with kicking directions pointing away from each other.
• Balls are thrown at runners only below the shoulders.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility or injury: joins the organizing committee, a full leadership role.
• Autism: gets the tournament schedule in advance and always knows what comes next.
• Hearing impairment: the committee signals round changes with a colored card as well as by voice.

Learning goals

• Plan and manage a sports event with defined roles.
• Officiate and score games independently.
• Value fair play as part of the standings.

Equipment for a class of 25

• rubber balls: 4
• bases: 8
• cones: 20
• pinnies: 24
• whistles: 4
• cards: 8
• pencils: 8
• stopwatch: 2

Teacher tip

Meet with the committee for a few minutes at the end of the previous class to prepare the bracket. Your job is to oversee safety and support the committee without taking over its decisions.

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