What fun games do members of this forum use for conditioning sport teams?
Please give your game a name; outline the rules and the dimensions of the playing area.
I’ll start. Soccer-Rugby I call the game. It can be played on a full Rugby/Soccer field with up to 30 people (15 a side).
Kick off (soccer ball) is with everyone on side. If the ball is caught on the full it becomes touch football (3-6 touch rule) and if the ball is dropped it becomes soccer. Scoring can either be tries (touch down over endline) or goals - you determine which.
Activity can be further increased by making the game continuous ie when you score at one end you keep possession and immediately start attacking towards the opposite end.
Other ways to increase activity include that on a try or goal being scored every one must run to the touchline which is furtherest away before becoming involved in the game again.
Tag. Vary the playing field for variety. Easiest done on a lined football field. Can go as narrow as 5 yd. or as wide as 20. Usually 20-30 yd long. Groups of 5-6 work well as everyone is running.
Gaelic football is a good mixup for southern hemishere winter sports. I have used frisbee with soccer postitional rules and one-on-one possesion challenges (obviously no kicking, hard to kick a frisbee).
I’ve tried many different things for games -
Mostly (as a change from Gaelic Football) :
Rugby, American Football, Soccer, Handball etc.
But races seem to work best for me …
I get great use from Wheel barrow races, Piggy Back Racing, Knee Wrestling, Army Carry races (groups of 8 have to carry each other 100 yards).
I feel these help bonding and team work - demonstrate leaders and develop strength on top of all.
I hear your cynicism, but they are just games and should not totally replace specific energy system training as I’m sure you agree. The rules of your game should dictate whether they can hide or not. So no one should escape your punishment! Hopefully!
Not really that convinced that conditioning games really should be that common come late GPP or SPP (guess you might use them as warm-up games for eg). Extensions or varients of your sport are probably a better options at this time. I do like them irregularly in the CP as a break up to normal training and a bit of a fun time.
Gaelic rules based on a squad of 30 (this should cover your squad I think?) - Most offten it is a soccer ball being used (most oval ball players have a prob maintaining accuracy with the soccer ball which creates an extra challenge for most). If you were closer to the season, you could use your sport ball.
Accutually send me an email, team@humanfusion.ws, and I’ll send you a file to help get this. It will be easier to understand than words alone.
Play on the short length of a Rugby/Football pitch. One person is designated the ‘bulldog’. The others have to run and get across to the other end of pitch. The bulldog must grab a person and take them TO GROUND aka Rugby style nothing hitting above shoulders. The other guy must go to ground. He breaks a tackle he is free to run and play still.
When the ‘bulldog’ catch’s and brings the guy to the ground he joins him and try’s to get the rest.
Good physical game. Lots of speed, agility, stamina and you get to do lots of tackles. I love it.