Mat Bunker Dodgeball

Two teams play dodgeball on a court with folding mats standing on end as bunkers to hide behind; anyone who is hit isn't out but switches to the other team. Students work on throwing, dodging, and deciding when to leave cover.

How to play

1. Divide the court into two halves with cones and set three folding mats standing up in a zigzag on each side, about 10 feet from the center line (3 min).
2. Make two teams with different-colored pinnies and line up six foam balls on the center line (1 min).
3. On the whistle, students run for the balls, return behind their 10-foot line, and start throwing; only hits below the shoulders count (2 min).
4. Anyone hit without catching the ball puts on the other color pinnie and joins the other team; if someone catches a ball in the air, the thrower switches teams (6 min).
5. Nobody may stay behind a bunker for more than 5 seconds: the teacher counts out loud when someone is hiding (3 min).
6. Play two games of two and a half minutes with a break; the team with more players at the end of each game wins (5 min).

Rules

• Throws must hit below the shoulders; a head hit doesn't count and the thrower switches teams.
• Mats aren't moved, pushed, or used to hit anyone.
• Nobody leans on a standing mat, so it doesn't tip over.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students who use wheelchairs: play from their own bunker, and hits on the chair don't count.
• Students who are deaf or hard of hearing: start and stop are also signaled with a raised pinnie.
• Students with less skill: get an extra life, shown with a scarf tucked in at the waist.

Learning goals

• Throw accurately at a moving target.
• Decide when to take cover and when to step out and throw.
• Accept switching teams as part of fair play.

Equipment for a class of 25

• mats: 6
• foam balls: 6
• pinnies: 26
• cones: 8

Teacher tip

Check that the mats stand on their own in a zigzag. Since nobody sits out, the game ends on time.

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