Bench Ball

Name: Bench Ball
Number of players: 15 - 40
Age: 10+
Necessary equipment: Two low benches (long enough for the whole team to stand on at once), 4-12 balls (any size) depending on the number of players

How to play:

• Have a playing area that has a central line. Place the benches 5 - 10 metres from the central line, facing each other.
• Split the players into two teams.
• One player from each team gets chosen to stand on a bench, facing each other.
• The rest of the team stands on the opposite side of the playing area. Team members can not cross the centre line.
• Players take it in turns to throw balls to the player on the bench. If the "bench" player catches a ball, the player who threw the ball joins that player on the bench, and may also catch balls from their teammates.
• At the same time, players on the ground may defend the passes made to the opposing team's "bench" players.
• Game ends when all players from one team are on the bench.

Bench Ball

Name: Bench Ball
Number of players: 14+
Age group: 10+
Necessary equipment: benches, 4-10 balls, cones

How to play

• Set up a playing area with a bench at either end, and a line of cones down the middle.
• Split the group up into two teams.
• Each team stands one one side of the playing area.
• One member of each team stands on the bench opposite their team's area.
• Each team is given an even number of balls.
• Teams aim to throw their balls to their teammate on the bench, while at the same time defending to stop the other team from getting balls to their team member.
• For each ball they catch, the team scores one point.
• The player must remain on the bench when catching; if they fall of in the process the point does not count.
• Play ends after a certain number of points or a certain amount of time.
• Larger teams may wish to have multiple players on the bench, and use longer benches.
  

Variations

Bench Team Ball
Instead of scoring points, when the bench player catches the ball, the player who threw the ball joins them on the bench. The game stops when one team gets all their players onto the bench.

End Ball
Instead of benches, a row of cones is placed at each end of the playing area. This variation is safer if the players are not confident on the bench. It also gives players more space to move around.

Skills
Ball handling
Teamwork
Strategy