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Team Rock-Paper-Scissors: Decide and Chase

Two teams huddle in secret in their zone, choose a shared rock-paper-scissors gesture plus a backup, and line up face to face at the center line. After the count, the winners chase and the losers run to their safe zone; anyone caught switches teams, so nobody is knocked out.

Illustration of the PE activity Team Rock-Paper-Scissors: Decide and Chase
PhaseWarm-up
Duration10 min
Ages16–18
SpaceOutdoor yard
Equipmentcones
IntensityHigh

How to play

  1. Mark a center line and two safe zones 12 m away on each side; explain the full-body gestures: rock crouched, paper with arms wide and scissors with legs split (2 min).
  2. Practice round at an easy pace to learn the gestures and the route (1 min).
  3. Competitive rounds: each team has 15 seconds to choose a main and a backup gesture (on a tie, everyone switches to the backup); on three, gestures are shown and the chase begins (5 min).
  4. Closing dynamic mobility in pairs mixing both teams and a quick chat: how did you try to predict the other team's choice (2 min).

Rules

Variations

Easier

Chase at a brisk walk with the safe zone 8 m away.

Standard

Full-body gestures with a backup, a chase to the safe zone and team switching.

Harder

Each team has a captain who can change the gesture at the last second with a secret signal.

Adaptations

Learning goals

Equipment for a class of 25

Teacher tip

This works well as a warm-up before any strategy game: ask teams to explain whether they followed a pattern. Make sure there is enough room to slow down beyond the safe zone.

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