Rollerball | Playworks

To develop hand-eye coordination.

Skills Practiced: Evasion, peripheral vision, rolling, agility and spatial awareness.

Equipment Needed: One playground ball or soft dodgeball.

The dodgers will stand with their backs against the wall or fence.
The pitcher faces them, approximately five feet away.
Mark clearly where the pitcher stands, the play area is for the active dodgers and where dodgers go when they are tagged by the ball.
Be prepared to explain the boundaries and different roles in the game to the children.
Be prepared with consequences if the pitcher hits the dodgers above the waist.

Use a play area with clear boundaries and a wall or fence.

The point of the game is to avoid being hit with the ball.
The pitcher tries to roll the ball to hit the dodgers from the waist down.
Tell students where the players should stand to dodge the ball and point out where the pitcher stands.
Pick a pitcher and line the rest of the children against the fence or wall as dodgers.
When a dodger is hit by the ball from the waist down, they step off the wall and join you in cheering.
The last dodger to be hit by the ball is the new pitcher.

When a dodger is hit s/he also becomes a pitcher. As the game progresses there are more pitchers and fewer dodgers. This requires adding a few more balls. It also must be clear how pitchers will share the balls.
After dodgers are tagged, they need to perform a task, like jumping jacks, in order to get back into the game.