Having a ball
If you’re running out of ideas to keep the kids (or your mates!) occupied this Australia Day, we’ve got you. The best part? All you need is a ball. Read on to learn about some of our favourite ball games.
Buroinjin
Buroinjin was originally played by the Kabi Kabi people of south Queensland and could be considered a precursor to touch footy or even a form of American football.
Players: Two teams of six to eight players
Equipment: A ball and markers to indicate goal lines
How to Play: The goal of Kai is to work through the letters of the alphabet by hitting the ball in the air amongst members of the team. A team wins by being the first to complete the whole alphabet without the ball touching the ground. If the ball hits the ground, you must start over!
Handball
Simple to learn, hard to master. These are the words that define the schoolyard staple we know as Handball.
Players: Two to four players
Equipment: A tennis ball and chalk to mark the squares (cracks in the floor work just as well).
How to Play: The game begins by serving the ball, with the first bounce occurring in the server’s box, then bouncing in another player’s box before its batted on in the same fashion.
A player is out IF:
- The ball goes out of bounds
- The ball bounces twice in that player’s square
- The player touches the ball twice
Dodgeball
Made famous by American gym teachers and most notably, Ben Stiller. Dodgeball could be considered a perfect mixture of shotput, darts and parkour.
Players: Two teams of six
Equipment: As many soft (we don’t want to hurt anyone!) balls as available. Ideally six or more.
How to Play: The balls are distributed along the centre of the playing field. Players begin on either side of the court. When the game begins, players rush to grab as many balls as they can. Once a ball is retrieved, the player must run the ball back to where they began before it can be thrown. The team that eliminates all players from the opposing side wins.
A player is out IF:
- They are hit with a live ball.
- A ball they have thrown is caught by an opposing player.
- The player steps out of bounds while dodging a ball.
Kickball
A simple game of what could be best described as “softball with your feet.”
Players: Two teams of five to fifteen
Equipment: A softball diamond or markers to denote bases, a soccer ball
How to Play: The goal of kickball is to score more points than the opposing team. This is achieved by kicking the ball and running around all four bases, which scores a point. Like in softball, the ball is pitched by the opposition to begin each play.
A player is out IF:
- Their kick is caught on the full by an opposing player
- They are tagged out by the opposition
- They are forced out at a base by an opposing player
Wallball
A variation of handball played against a wall rather than a four-square. Another schoolyard classic!
Players: Two or more players
Equipment: A ball and a flat wall to bounce it off
How to Play: The game begins by serving the ball, with the first bounce occurring on the ground before hitting the wall. To return the ball, the next player must let the ball bounce before hitting it back and reaching the wall in one bounce off the ground.
A player is out IF:
- Their ball goes out of bounds
- The ball hits the wall without bouncing off the ground
- The ball bounces twice
- The ball doesn’t bounce
Want to do more this Australia Day?
