This game is like Capture the Flag but with “tag balls” (mini soccer or basketballs).
Split the students into two teams. Place the two flags on either side of a large area. Give each member a “tag ball”. If there are more players than balls then those free handed players can concentrate more on capturing the flag and bringing it back to their base. The players with the balls run around trying to tag their opponents by throwing the balls at them which freezes them and the player that is hit with a “tag ball” has to drop their ball if they were holding a ball. A droped ball can be picked up by anyone and used. A frozen player can be touched (by hand not by “tag ball) and freed to continue playing. No player can carry more than one “tag ball” at a time. Optional – only one player guarding their flag. Game is won by bringing your opponents flag back to your flag base.
This will hopefully be a big hit for your students.
Archives by: Michael Humphrey
Capture The Flag – Tag Ball Variation
Baseball – Tag Ball Style
This one is just like regular baseball but with some fun things added. You’ll need a Nerf ball the size of a softball or some kind of ball you can throw at people with out hurting them. I would also suggest using a big goofy bat like a child’s big plastic bat. We use my daughter’s old plastic bat.
You’ll basically play this game like regular Baseball but since you are using a ball you can throw at people you can get runners out by hitting them with the ball (tagging them out by hitting them). You won’t need catching gloves because the ball is soft so you can catch it barehanded.
This game can also be played indoors since the ball will be soft like a Nerf ball or Gator Skin ball. Please fill free to make up your own rules to make the game even goofier.
Tag Ball
This game is played like tag but with a mini soccer or basketball or some kind of ball you can hold in one hand and throw at people with out hurting them (“tag ball”).
The person with the ball is “it” and must chase after and hit someone else. The person that was hit is then “it”. You can play this game as long as you want. Finding good hiding places is good for resting or catching your breath. Watch out for “head hunting” (the person who is “it” trying to chase down only one particular person).
Have fun.
Tag Ball – Last Man Standing Variation
This game is played with mini soccer or basketballs.
Give each player a “Tag Ball” and let them know that each player is on their own, no teams.
The players run around trying to “tag” each other out by hitting them with a “Tag Ball”. A thrown ball can be caught, like in “dodge ball” but does not eliminate the player who threw it, and used. A thrown ball can also be blocked with a ball in hand by the attacked player. Play this game until there is only one player left making that player the “Last Man Standing of Tag Ball”.
Watch out for ball hogging (players trying to carrier more than on ball at a time). Don’t allow this because it takes away from a player who has thrown his/her ball. “Tag Balls” that have been thrown and missed their targets should be fair game for a empty handed player to use.
You can also play this game as teams.
Make up rules as you see fit and have fun.
Tag Ball – Elimination
For this game you’ll need plenty of Nurf balls, Gator skin balls, or some kind of ball that can be held in one hand and wont hurt when you hit someone with it.
Play in a big open room like a gymnasium or a fellowship hall. If you have the kind of tables with the folding legs set a few of them up by setting up one side of the table legs so that they can be placed in an upright position to make a sort of hidding base. Spilt your group in to two teams and give each one a “tag ball”. Start them on either side of the big room. The object is for one team to eliminate all of the other team. When a person is hit they are out. A player can only carry one “tag ball” at a time. Thrown balls are fair game for empty handed players. Make up rules as you see fit and have fun.
Gauntlet Tag Ball
The students of our student ministry and I have come up with all these different versions of “Tag Ball”, a childhood game I played growing up. Here’s another version:
Like the other versions of “Tag Ball” you’ll need a few Nerf, Gator Skin, or some kind of balls that can be thrown without hurting someone.
In our Fellowship Hall we have this long narrow hall way and sometimes we use it for “Gauntlet Tag Ball”. Have two teams of about three people each starting out with a “tag ball”. Have the two teams stay at each end of the hallway, no advancing towards the other team. From there each team will try to eliminate each player of the other team by hitting them once with a “tag ball”. The team that has at least one player left in the game that has not been tagged is the winning team. Be careful because if you have a narrow hallway like we do the space will get tight so dodging incoming “tag balls” will be a great challenge but fun to watch. If you have a big number of students interested in playing this game then you can have an elimination tournament. Make up rules as you see fit and have fun.
Foot Hockey
You’ll need a pretty big room and a tiled floor for this game. If your church as a fellowship hall or gym that would be best. You’ll also need an old coaster or jelly jar top to use as a puck. We found some hard rubber coasters at Target that work great and they won’t break. You’ll also need some small cones and duct tape to set up the goals.
Set up two goals on either side of the room with small cones and some duct tape or your own creative way of making a goal. Split the group into two teams and play Foot Hockey. You just use your foot to kick the puck so that it slides around on the floor and to pass it to a teammate. Watch out for players trying to step on the puck and slide it while under their foot to advance the puck. That takes away from the fun and if you have someone who is a little stronger than the rest then they’ll have an advantage. The game may get a little physical so make up rules as you see fit.
To make it more like a hockey rink, we have some folding tables that we set on their long sides with the legs out to prop them up and make walls which will be good to bounce the puck off of when playing.
Have fun.
Gladiator Ball
You’ll need a big rubber trash can and some mini soccer or basketballs.
It’s best to play this game on a field or grassy area.
Place the trash can in the middle and designate two starting lines with cones or something at either end of the field with out of bounds lines designated also. Place the mini soccer balls at both ends of the field.
Split your group into two teams. You’ll have a defending team and a carrying team. Decide which team wants to defend first and then let the other team (which will be the carrying team) go to the starting lines at the ends of the field.
Say the word Go! and then the members of the carrying team pick up one ball and take it in to try and get past the defending team and place it in the trash can. All the players on the carrying team will go in at the same time with a ball. After a player scores, if there are still balls on the starting lines, they may go and get them and bring them in to try and score. Let each carrier only bring in one ball at a time.
Empty handed carrying team players may help their partners who are trying to score a ball in the can by blocking the defenders kind of like an offensive linemen style of blocking. The defending team may block if the ball is shot like a basketball or they may tackle the carriers or slap the ball out of the carriers’ hands or push the carrier past the out of bounds line.
If the ball is blocked, dropped, slapped out of the carriers’ hands, or the carrier gets tackled or goes out of bounds then the ball is dead and cannot be used again to attempt to score. Usually the defenders kick the dead balls to the sidelines. After the first carrying team has played, let the defending team become the carrying team and try to score.
Whichever team scores the most balls wins.
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