Human Foosball

Skill: Dribble, Kick
Time Required: 15
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs, 13+ yrs
Play area: Gymnasium (large indoor space), Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the play area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up.
Equipment: 1 or 2 soccer balls.
2 nets (or use cones to create nets)
Cones for boundaries.
Objective:
For teams to work together and practice their passing in order to score a goal on the other team's net, while staying in their sections.
Other Skills:
Coordination
Agility
Underhand Roll (goalie)
Set up:
Use the outside lines of the gym, or use cones to set up the boundaries.
Place a net at each end of the play area (or use cones to create nets)
Set up 8 equal sized sections (2 of these are the sections with the nets) that are about 5-6 feet wide. See the attached document to this activity for an example of the set up.
Set up the sections by using lines in a gym, or cones on the outside of the area to section them off.
Divide participants into two teams (ideally 10 participants per team).
Step by Step:
1. One participant from each team will be the goalie, and they will stand in the section with the net.
2. Team A defender's will stand in the section in front of the team A goalie, team B forwards will stand in the section in front of them, then team A midfield, then team B midfield, then team A forwards, then team B defenders, then team B goalie.
3. Ideally 3 participants in each of these sections.
4. Participants cannot leave their sections (which are outlined with cones on the side, or lines in the gym)
5. Throw a ball in the centre to begin.
6. Just like in a game of foosball, participants have to kick the ball towards the other team's net, but they cannot leave their section.
7. However in this game, participants can dribble the ball and pass it within their section to each other.
8. They try to pass it up to their teammates, while the other team tries to stop the pass from getting to them.
9. Goalies can run anywhere in their section, and can use their hands. When they get the ball they have to either kick it or roll it out, they cannot throw it.
10. When a goal is scored, the leader will throw the ball between the two midfielder sections.
11. Throw in an additional ball if and when the participants get the hang of the game with one ball.
12. Rules: If a participant leaves their section, then the ball goes to the other team. If any participant kicks the ball out of bounds, it goes to the other team.
13. Switch goalies after every goal if a lot of participants want to be goalie.
14. Play for a set amount of time or a set amount of goals.
15. Foosball away!
Variations:
Have more than 3 participants in each section (except for the goalie section).
Have 3 sections, and make them larger. In one section will be team A goalie, team A defenders and team B forwards. They all have to stay in that section, but they can steal the ball from each other. Middle section will be both team's midfielders, and the other section will be team B goalie, team B defenders and team A forwards.
Don't have a goalie, just have a small net created by cones that participants have to kick the ball through.
For a basetkball version, check out our "Foosketball" activity.

Adaptations (General):
Encourage teams to work collaboratively and to include all participants.

Adaptations (Blindness/Visual Impairment):
Use a ball with a bell inside, or with a plastic bag tied around it, so that participants who are blind or visually impaired can hear it.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.
Attachments: Download