Setup on the Move: Warm Up by Building the Tournament Courts

Each team builds a tournament mini-court from a layout card, carrying equipment relay-style, then warms up by moving along its lines. Students get moving and learn to set up an event space quickly and correctly.

How to play

1. Teams of 5 get a card with a drawing of their mini-court: sizes in steps and where each cone goes (1 min).
2. Relay setup: equipment is in the middle; each student jogs out for one piece, places it according to the layout, and jogs back (4 min).
3. Cross-check: each team inspects another team's court against its card and points out mistakes without moving anything (2 min).
4. Warm up on your own court: side shuffle, backpedal, and zigzag along the lines and between cones (3 min).
5. The teacher announces how long the class took to get the tournament ready; write it down to beat next time (2 min).

Rules

• Two pieces per trip at most, and no throwing equipment.
• Look before crossing areas where other teams are working.
• When checking another team's court, point only; don't fix it.
• When backpedaling, make sure the space behind you is clear.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: holds the card and directs where each piece goes.
• Visual impairment: a teammate describes the layout and guides placement verbally.
• Unsure or new students: work with a partner who knows the yard.

Learning goals

• Warm up with varied movement.
• Read a layout and set up a playing area.
• Work together to prepare an event quickly.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 24
• disc cones: 30
• layout cards: 6

Teacher tip

Laminate the cards once and you can reuse them for every tournament this year. Common mistake: overlapping courts; chalk an X at the center of each court before starting.

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