Bumball Activity Guide

Transcription

1 /12 Bumball Activity Guide Introducing the Game What is Bumball? Bumball is an innovative ball game for both children and adults which is easy to learn and fun to play. The basic principle of the game is that it is easily adjusted to match players physical and motor function skills. The game has a wide range of applications depending on player skills and location. It suits everybody including those who do not normally enjoy ball games. How to play Bumball Like most other ball games, Bumball involves two opposing teams and the team with the highest score wins. Both teams must wear the Bumball gear which makes it possible for players to catch the ball with their chest or bum. The ball is caught with either the chest or the bum and the ball is passed with the hands. A team scores a goal when the ball is caught in a scoring spot. Players pick up the ball from the ground by sitting on it, and the opponents pursue the player with the ball stuck to his or her bum. Who can play Bumball? As the game is easily adjusted to match players skills and level, it suits everybody. See the Adjustments section for inspiration regarding intensity and level of physical contact. In this way, people who are new to the game or who are no longer agile may easily join the game. Where to play the game Bumball is an in- and outdoor game. Outdoors, any surface hard, grass or sand can be used. Still, players should avoid muddy/wet lawns or lawns with loose grass as this may stick to the Velcro on the Bumball gear. Any indoor environment can be used e.g. gyms with low ceilings and indoor arenas.

2 The Bumball Story From player to rulemaker The Bumball concept was conceived as a wish to make people reflect on the physical exercise surrounding them. Equally important is the wish to create a basis for physical exercise that is adjustable to suit players needs and skills. It is a game of development that ideally changes in line with the physical environment and players age and skills. Bumball calls for experiments and easy adjustments to the game rules as there is no fixed definition of the correct way to play the game. The process of creating new rules and testing them is positive in a number of ways. Players learn to solve conflicts, negotiate and critically assess other players suggestions. Therefore players are provided with valuable experience of evaluation, negotiation and problem solving. Why Bumball? The game demands great physical activity, movement and coordination skills. The soft ball and the game rules give players who are not experienced in ball games an opportunity to join in. Bumball players may catch the ball with their bum with their eyes closed provided the ball is passed well. Players may invent small games, set up running tracks and practice their defense and passing the ball. The game is great for parties and events when you need to break the ice. Players get in close physical contact moving bum first to catch a ball on the ground. When players move around with a ball awkwardly attached to their bum, this will call for smiling faces and an informal atmosphere. 2

3 Rules All players put on the Bumball gear with Velcro fitted to chest and bum. Location The location may be a gym, an indoor arena, a lawn or a beach. Large areas may be delimited using cones to indicate side lines. Goals Goals are typically small rug pieces or hula hoops evenly distributed around the field. There must always be one goal more than the total amount of players at one team. If two teams e.g. consist of 5 players each, there must be at least 6 places to score. If no rugs are available, small mattresses, tape, chalk lines or anything at hand may be used instead. Please beware that Hula hoops may be slippery on smooth surfaces. Passing the ball In Bumball, players are not allowed to catch a passed ball with their hands. The ball must always be caught with the chest or the bum. Players may catch the ball when it bounces off the ground. Players will often find that short passes are easily caught with their bum after the ball has bounced once. A player who catches the ball must immediately tear it off with his/her hands. Players are not allowed to move holding the ball but must pivot instead (similar to basketball). The ball can then be passed to another member of the team by throwing it. Tip Skilled Bumball players holding the ball in their hands will take their time to pass a high ball allowing team members to find a good position. Team members should try to run away from the player passing the ball and find vacant areas on the field to receive a pass. Players will often be more successful catching a ball safely than trying to score goals constantly. Scoring and points Scoring happens when a player catches a passed ball while touching or standing on one of the scoring spots/ goals of the game. Bum scores are awarded 3 points whereas chest scores are awarded 1 point. Touching the scoring spot with one foot is sufficient (A). A pass must be at least two metres and must be caught in a scoring spot to be awarded. Otherwise, it will simply be considered a passed ball. There are no breaks between scores in Bumball; the scoring team keeps the ball and may continue the game. However, players need to wait 10 seconds before scoring in the same spot twice. A game consists of 3 sets of 11 points. 3

4 A B C D 4

5 E1 E2 E3 fig. E Players are not allowed to score by running towards the goal with the ball attached to the bum. Defense No hands are allowed as a defense, only the body and the head (B). All players must stand at least 1 metre away from the player in possession. No physical contact is allowed. The ball is conquered by either intercepting a pass from the opponents with the Velcro, or by picking up a ball on the ground using the bum. If side lines are applied, the ball can be conquered if the opponent team throws the ball off the field. Players who run with the ball attached to their bum can be attacked by the opponents by hitting the ball or tearing it off. However, the ball must neither be torn out of the hands of the player in possession, nor stolen from a player who has already caught it. High ball High ball is used at the beginning of a game, or whenever the two teams disagree on a verdict (similar to the high ball in basketball). 2 players stand back-to-back and the rest of the players stand at least 3 metres away. The ball is thrown in the air between the two players who try to catch it with their bum. If the ball lands on the floor, both players are allowed to pick it up. If the two teams disagree on a verdict, the dispute is settled by throwing a high ball (C). Balls on the ground When a ball is on the ground or is rolling on the floor, all players may pick it up but only with their bum. This is best practiced in a continuous movement using the arms for support (fig. E). The player who picks up the ball from the ground is not allowed to tear it off the Velcro him-/herself. A team member must tear it off (with his/her hands). In this way, the player in possession must run towards his/her team members with the ball sticking to his/her bum (D). The player who picks up the ball must try to get on his/her feet immediately after touching the ball. Players are not allowed to sit on the ball and wait for team members to get there. However, the ball cannot be stolen by opponents before the player picking up the ball is on his/ her feet (fig. E3). Tip Use your arms rather than your legs for support when picking up the ball. Turn around for a sprinting position arms still on the ground before starting to run. Once the ball has been picked up, players may kick themselves in the bum to make the ball stick firmly. 5

6 Fouls If a player commits a foul, e.g. by picking up or catching the ball with his/her hands, by kicking the ball, or by running with the ball in his/her hands, the ball must immediately be passed to the other team. Penalty Penalties are applied when a team is prevented from scoring against the rules. The player who shoots the penalty stands in one scoring spot and aims at a team member s bum in another scoring spot. The target stands with his/her back facing the player throwing the ball and should not move. Scoring this way is awarded 3 points. Fair play Bumball is characterized by fun, speed and fair play. If a foul is committed, the ball should be passed without question to the opponents to allow the game to continue. Bumball Variety Less physical contact, more good passes In this variety of the game a wrong pass* may only be picked up by the opponent team. This will prevent fighting on the ground and the pressure to get up quickly. The speed of the game will be more controlled focusing on nice, high passes. The result will be a Bumball game with a nice rhythm and more balls being caught, i.e. a better introduction to the game. In addition, it will greatly reduce the risk of injury. However, the ball will still have to be picked up with the bum, and can only be torn off by a member of the same team. Elderly or less agile players who find it difficult to reach for balls on the ground may be allowed to slightly bend their knees while lifting the ball by hand from the ground to make it stick to the bum. Players may be allowed to pick up the ball from the ground to make it stick to the bum in a jumping movement ball squeezed between the feet (see pictures). More or alternative scoring spots may be added. To encourage more goals scored with the bum, the points awarded for this type of goal may be increased. Teams may agree that the opponent team gets in possession when a goal is scored. Tip Invent your own varieties to improve the game and increase the fun. * A wrong pass is defined as a pass which is not caught even if an opponent used his/her head to nudge the ball to the ground. 6

7 Small Games Scoring Game Two teams play in a limited area. Points are scored when the ball is passed to a member of the same team. Passing to the chest is awarded 1 point whereas bum passes are awarded 3 points. The winning team is the one which reaches 25 points first. Example: if a team loses possession of the ball having scored 7 points, the team adds to its 7-point score when it regains possession. If the ball is dropped on the floor or leaves the field, it must be passed to the opponent team. Catch the Tail All players take turns having the ball attached to their bum and must try to run from one end of the field towards the far end, avoiding that the ball is stolen. The number of attackers should be adjusted according to the participating players skills. Alternatively, the game is completely open with all players being opponents using all available balls. Players should try to steal a ball and keep it as long as possible. Having conquered a ball, it is attached to the bum and the player becomes the subject of other players attempts at stealing it. The ball must not be covered using hands. Pass the Buck! (A minimum of two balls required the more, the better) In this game the idea is to get rid of the ball by pursuing other players and attaching/throwing the ball to their Velcro on the bum/chest (the ball must stick). Players are not allowed to cover the Velcro using their hands. When playing with two or more balls, the game can be timed. When time is up, the winning team is the one with the fewest balls. Mattress Ball Two teams play against each other in an indoor arena with a mattress centered 4 meters from each end of the room. Scoring happens when the attacking player catches the ball in the air and then lands on the mattress. The mattress must not be used for setting off. No defending players are allowed on the mattress or in the space above it. Having scored, the attacking player leaves the ball on the mattress and the other team is allowed to launch an attack. If the ball is dropped on the floor, the team which sits on the ball first gets in possession. Just like Bumball, this is a no-contact game. Breaking the rules is sentenced with a penalty. Penalties are applied when the ball is thrown from your own mattress to a player who starts moving from the side line towards the mattress in the other end this player is now allowed to score without any defense by catching the ball and subsequently landing on the mattress. 7

8 Quick Guide Getting started Starting the game Two opponent players stand back-to-back when the high ball is thrown in the air. All other players surround them in a circle. Passing the ball The ball is torn from the chest, and pivoting is allowed before passing the ball. Receiving the ball Balls may only be caught with the chest or bum. When a ball is caught, the player in possession is allowed to tear it off and pass it on. Goals There is always one goal more than the total amount of players on one team. Scoring Scoring happens when a player catches a passed ball in a scoring spot. Bum scores are awarded 3 points whereas chest scores are awarded 1 point. The scoring team stays in possession and the game continues immediately after scoring. Balls must be passed in a scoring spot. A 10-second break is required before scoring in the same spot twice. Picking up the ball Balls that land on the floor can only be picked up with the bum. All players are allowed to pick up balls which have landed on the floor and must subsequently rise as quickly as possible. The player who picks up the ball is not allowed to tear it off the Velcro him/herself but may instead run with it. All players are allowed to attack a ball attached to the bum of a player. Defence No physical contact is allowed. No hands are allowed as a defense, only the body and the head. Points There are three 11-point sets. Side lines When balls leave the field, the team which did not touch it last gets in possession. 8

9 Fouls When a player has committed a foul, the ball must be passed on to the nearest opponent player, who continues the game. Disputes Disputes are settled with a high ball. We hope you enjoy playing Bumball an entertaining game with high intensity, fair play and a soft Velcro ball School Specialty P.O. Box 8105 Mansfield, OH USA All right reserved Customer Service (800) Or reach us via e at: customercare@schoolspecialty.com 1-YEAR GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION See more fun activity guides for other great Sportime products at 9