School Cestoball: Argentina's Basket-Post Game
A school version of cestoball, an Argentine sport similar to basketball in which players shoot at a basket with no backboard set on a post and surrounded by a no-entry zone. Students work on quick passing, getting open, and accurate shooting with no contact.
How to play
- Court about 90 x 50 ft with a basket at each end (a low hoop with no backboard or a hoop on a post at about 8.5 ft) and a 6-ft circle around it marked with cones.
- Teams of 5 in pinnies; two courts plus one team refereeing and rotating in. Start with a jump ball or a throw from center.
- With the ball in hand: no more than 3 steps and 3 seconds to pass or shoot. A single dribble is allowed to escape a defender, with no second dribble after catching it.
- No player, on offense or defense, may step into the basket circle. A basket is 2 points; a shot from beyond 20 ft is worth 3.
- After a basket, the team that was scored on inbounds from the end line. Play 6-minute games; the winner stays on and the refereeing team comes in.
- Take a 1-minute timeout halfway through each game to plan who to look for.
Rules
- No contact: defend at arm's length and never rip the ball out of someone's hands.
- Do not hang on the rim or hit the post.
- Stepping into the circle means a turnover on offense or a free throw for the other team on defense.
- Everyone must touch the ball before the team's third basket.
Variations
Easier
Allow two dribbles and 5 seconds of possession, and every basket is worth 2.
Standard
Three steps, 3 seconds, one dribble, and a no-entry basket circle.
Harder
No dribbling at all, and shots only count after receiving a pass on the move.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: add a lower basket on the sideline that only this student shoots at, and their baskets are worth 3.
- Autism or shyness: give the student a set role as passer or shooter and preview it with cards.
- Lower fitness: allow free substitutions every 2 minutes with the waiting team.
Learning goals
- Pass quickly while following the step and time rules.
- Get open to receive in a good shooting position.
- Learn about a sport from Argentina and compare it with basketball.
Equipment for a class of 25
- low basketball hoops: 4
- team handballs: 2
- pinnies: 25
- cones: 24
Teacher tip
Without cestoball posts, a low basketball hoop works, but a shot off the backboard does not count. The sport was traditionally played mostly by girls, so encourage them to lead teams.
PatioLab has "School Cestoball: Argentina's Basket-Post Game" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Middle School
1-2-3 Touch Cooperative Rally
Two groups of three, one on each side of the net, work together to keep the longest rally possible in three phases: one touch, two touches, and three touches per side.
1-on-1 Mini Volleyball Up and Down the River
One-on-one mini volleyball duels on 3 x 3 m courts under a rope 2 m high, using a receive, self-set and send rule.
1-on-1 Self-Pass Volleyball
One-on-one games on narrow 10 x 20 foot courts where each player must self-pass before sending the ball over.
1-on-1 Side-Step Square Duels
In pairs, inside 5 x 5 m squares, an attacker holding a football tries to get from the starting side to the far side without the defender pulling a flag.
1v1 Four-Gate Soccer Duels
In a square with a gate on each side, two players go head to head and score by dribbling through any of the four gates.
2-on-1 Fast Break with a Chasing Defender
Two attackers push a fast break against a defender waiting at the basket while a second defender chases from behind with a few yards' head start against them.