Traffic Light Diamond: Base Running on Signals

A warm-up on four small diamonds where students run the bases on colors the teacher calls out. It gets everyone moving and teaches the start from home, running through first and rounding the bases.

How to play

1. Four diamonds with 12 m sides and a base on each corner; seven students per diamond lined up behind home plate. Easy jog around the outside of the bases (2 min).
2. Signals: "green" means run to the next base and step on it; "yellow" means go back; "red" means freeze in a runner's stance, knees bent (3 min).
3. Batter's start: from home, drop an imaginary bat to the side and sprint to first, running through the bag and veering outside the line instead of stopping on it (2 min).
4. Rounding: on "double," swing out in a curve before first, touch the inside corner of the bag and keep going to second (2 min).
5. Dynamic hip and shoulder mobility while walking the bases (1 min).

Rules

• Leave home one at a time, about two seconds apart.
• Always run in the same direction: home, first, second, third.
• No diving into bases: step on them standing up, no sliding.
• If someone is stopped on a base, go around them on the outside.

Variations

Adaptations

• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: the teacher holds up colored cones or cards instead of calling signals.
• Students with limited mobility: use a smaller inner diamond and respond to signals at their own pace.
• Students with ankle soreness: jog the straight lines and walk the rounding turns.

Learning goals

• Warm up gradually.
• React quickly to a signal.
• Learn the base path and the proper run to first.

Equipment for a class of 25

• bases: 16

Teacher tip

No bases? Flat hoops or cardboard squares taped down work fine. The usual mistake is braking on top of first base: keep reminding them to run through it and peel off outside the line.

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