The Silk Road: Caravans, Escorts and Bandits
One team carries goods (balls) along a route with three safe oases while the other team, the bandits, tries to pull the carriers' flags. The merchants decide how many carriers and escorts to send in each caravan and along which stretch, and the bandits set up ambushes; then the teams switch roles.
How to play
- Mark a route of about 60 m with three oases (3 x 3 m cone squares) where nobody can be attacked and a destination box at the end (4 min).
- Two teams of 14 wear flag belts; the merchant team names a caravan leader and plans for 2 minutes how many balls to send out each time (3 min).
- Round 1: each carrier holds one ball; escorts carry nothing and may block by walking between bandit and carrier without contact; if a bandit pulls a carrier's flag, the ball goes into the bandits' loot (8 min).
- Switch roles and plan again (3 min).
- Round 2, also 8 minutes, then count the balls delivered to the destination (8 min).
- Analysis: which carrier-to-escort ratio worked best and which stretch saw the most losses (4 min).
Rules
- Only pull the flag; no grabbing clothes, bodies or the ball.
- Escorts block by positioning, without pushing or using their arms.
- No attacks inside an oasis, but nobody may stay there more than 10 seconds.
- Anyone who loses a flag goes back to the start, puts it back on and may set out again.
Variations
Easier
Shorten the route to 40 m and let bandits act only on two marked stretches.
Standard
A 60 m route with three oases, carriers, escorts and bandits with flag belts.
Harder
Add a merchant spy on the bandit team whom each caravan may ask where the ambush is, with the risk that the spy lies.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: serve as caravan leader or bandit lookout from a fixed point, giving instructions.
- Overweight students: may play escort, a positional blocking role that needs fewer sprints.
- Hearing impairment: phase changes are shown with a colored flag visible from the whole route.
Learning goals
- Plan how to split attacking and protecting roles.
- Cooperate on the move to protect teammates.
- Analyze where risk is concentrated and adapt the strategy.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 30
- pinnies: 28
- foam balls: 20
- flag belts: 28
- boxes: 2
Teacher tip
Put a student referee on each stretch. If the bandits win too easily, let carriers pass the ball to each other inside the oases.
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