GAMES WITH BATS OR STICKS

HOCKEY

You will need:

• 6 hockey sticks and a block of sponge rubber as the puck

The troop is split into two teams, and each team numbers off from 1 to 15, or however many scouts there are. One hockey stick is placed in each goal mouth, the other four are placed, two each side of the centre line. Instead of a ball, we use a small sponge rubber block. A kitchen scourer pad is about the right size. We have found that it is better than a ball for indoor use, it doesn't roll too far and doesn't cause any damage. This is placed in the centre at the start of each game. No sticks may be raised above ankle height during play to reduce accidents, any player doing so has committed a foul. The scout leader calls out three numbers, eg. 1,2 and 3. The first number called is the goalkeeper. The second number is the defender, and the third number called is the attacker. The scouts from each team with those numbers, run and pick up their sticks and try to get the sponge into the opposite teams goal. The goal keepers are not allowed out of their goal areas, but they are allowed to pick up the sponge or kick the ball. Any scouts committing a foul of any sort, have to spend 30 seconds in the Sin bin. The game continues until a goal is scored. The sticks and the sponge puck, are then replaced in their starting positions, and three new numbers are called. We continue playing, until each scout has played in all three positions. We also play another version of this game using only four sticks. In this game we have rush goalies, where the goalie can come out of his area. This version is also a very fast game. When we play this version we usually put one of the leaders on each team. Every so often we call out the leaders number, as either the goal keeper or the attacker. We therefore have a leader and a scout on each side.

2 BALL HOCKEY GAME

You will need:

• 2 hockey sticks
• 2 balls or sponge pucks
• 4 chairs
• 6 skittles or liquid dishwashing soap squeeze bottles.

Two equal sized numbered teams on each side of the hall. Two chairs each end for a goal, with a hockey stick and puck in each goal mouth. A line of skittles between each goal mouth. When a number is called, the two scouts with that number race to their goal mouth, pick up the stick and then dribble the puck between the skittles slalom fashion until they reach the end of the line where they can shoot at the opposing teams goal.

CROCKER

You will need:

• 2 stumps a yard apart for the wicket
• A stump for the bowler 8 yards in front of the wicket
• A stump 7 yards to the left of the wicket to run round
• A large ball such as a football
• A baseball bat or rounders bat

The ball must be bowled under arm from the bowlers stump. The batsman must run round the running round stump, every time he hits the ball in front of the wicket. The bowler can bowl as soon as the ball is returned to him. The batsman is out if the ball passes between the wicket stumps, it hits his legs twice (leg before wicket) or if he is caught out, in front of or behind the wicket. To speed the game up, you could make the whole team out if someone is caught out.

PANCAKE RACE

You will need:

• A bat, frying pan or tennis racket
• a ball or frisbee

Half of each team stand at one end of the course and half at the other end. The first player has to run to the other end and give the frying pan to the first man at the other end who runs back with it. This is continued until each player has run the number of times the leader decides. On each run the frisbee or ball must be tossed and caught twice without dropping it. If the player drops it on the floor they must go back to where they started from and do their run again. On pancake day use real pancakes.

FRENCH CRICKET

You will need:

• A cricket bat or baseball bat
• a tennis ball

All players form a circle and the batsman stands in the centre of the circle facing the player who has the ball first. The player with the ball can bowl under arm at the batsmans legs or pass the ball to another player around the circle to bowl. The object of the game is to hit the batsmans legs. The batsman must stay facing the man who first had the ball, but he is allowed to move the bat around him to protect his legs. When the batsmans legs are hit, he swaps places with the player who bowled the ball.

NO BOWLER CRICKET

Set up as for any other cricket type of game, but in this variant there is no bowler. In this version the batsman has to balance the ball on his bat, flip the ball in the air and then hit it. The batsman must run if he hits the ball or not. Any fielding team player can stump the batsman if he is not at his wicket or catch him out. The batsman may also be out if he drops the ball onto his own wicket. When a batsman is out a new batsman, if one is available takes his place. When all batsmen are out then teams change over from fielders to batters.