Lights Out Zones Game
An invasion game on a field split into six colored zones; when the teacher holds up a colored card, that zone goes dark and nobody may step in it. Students practice reading space, cutting into open zones, and quickly adjusting both offense and defense.
How to play
- Make 4 teams of 6 (one of 7) and set up 2 fields of 30 x 20 m split into 6 zones of about 10 x 10 m, each marked with cones of one color.
- Play with hand passes, 3 steps, and 3 seconds. A team scores by passing to a teammate who catches the ball behind the opponents' end line.
- The teacher holds up a card matching one zone's color: that zone goes dark and everyone has 3 seconds to get out. Nobody steps in it or bounces the ball in it.
- Change the dark zone about every 40 seconds; sometimes turn off two zones at once.
- If a player steps into a dark zone with the ball, possession goes to the other team. Play 3 blocks of 4 minutes, switching opponents in the second.
- Between blocks, ask: where did play shift when a zone went dark, and where was the open space?
Rules
- When a zone goes dark, walk out quickly while looking around, without pushing.
- No contact: win the ball by intercepting.
- Passes may fly over a dark zone but may never bounce in it.
- Everyone accepts the teacher's call about who stepped in first.
Variations
Easier
Turn off only one zone at a time and call the color out loud as well as showing the card.
Standard
Turn off one zone every 40 seconds and sometimes two at once.
Harder
Dark zones change every 20 seconds, and a goal only counts after the ball has passed through three different zones.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student has a personal zone that never goes dark and can always pass from it.
- Visual impairment: call the color name out loud and mark zones with large, high-contrast cones.
- Fitness level: students who tire may stay in the zone closest to their end; skilled players may only pass to zones other than their own.
Learning goals
- Spot open space and move into it to receive the ball.
- Adjust team organization when the available space changes.
- Pay attention to visual signals without losing track of the game.
Equipment for a class of 25
- colored cones: 48
- cardstock: 6
- pinnies: 13
- foam ball: 2
Teacher tip
Use very different colors for each zone and large cards. At first students get distracted watching the teacher; coach them to take a quick glance and get back into the game.
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