Play Area
Set up the game by creating a large area consisting of two concentric loops made with poly spots. The outside loop is the Running Bases and the inside loop are the Fielding Bases. Once set up, select one base pair to serve as Home Plate & the Catching Base. Select a few Fielding Bases to serve as Stop Spots (i.e. use a different colour poly spot for these bases). Create a Foul Line that runs tangent to Home Plate.
Teams
Divide the class into two team: the Batting Team and the Fielding Team. To start the game, Fielding Team players position themselves in the playing area with at least one player per Fielding Base. The Batting Team lines up a few feet behind the Catching Base, with the first player in line stepping up to home plate.
Goal
The goal of the game is to outscore the opposing team.
Play
The next player in line pitches to the Batting Player. The Batting Player has four attempts to strike the ball. Should they fail to do so, they move to first base and remain locked there for an entire turn.
Once a Batting Team player strikes the ball into play (i.e. pass the Foul Line), they start to run around the Running Bases loop, making sure to touch each base. Meanwhile, the Fielding Team attempts to field the ball to one of the Stop Spots to stop the Batting Player from running any further. Once the ball is fielded to a Stop Base, the Fielding Team yells “Freeze”. Once “Freeze” is called, any Batting Team player who was running the Running Bases loop returns to the last base they touched.
If a Batting Team player runs the entire Running Base loop and gets back to Home Plate, they score a point for their team. Once every Batting Team player has had a turn at bat, the teams change roles
Build One: Runners & Relayers
The batting team gets into a line behind the catcher’s base. Each player on the fielding team places themselves on a fielding team base so that all of those bases are covered. The first player from the batting teams steps onto home plate and the catcher is given a ball.
On the teacher’s signal, the batting player begins to run clockwise around the bases, making sure to touch each base. As soon as they do so, the fielding team attempts to relay the ball clockwise around the bases, starting from the catcher’s base and moving backwards from there. The fielding team players need to be on their base before relaying the ball to the next base.
The batting team player is attempting to make their way around their bases and back home before the fielding team relays the ball around their bases and back to the catcher’s base. If the batting team player gets their first, they earn a point for their team. If the ball gets their first, the fielding team earns a point.
In between each turn, the fielding team players all have to switch bases. Once each player on the batting team has had a turn to run around the bases, the two teams switch roles.
Build Two: Whacky Throwdown
In build two, the batting team will select their batting order and then wait for their turn in their team’s dugout area (which is off to the side of the base circles). The teacher will then select three of the fielding team bases. Along with the catcher’s bases, these bases will be assigned as stop spots. The fielding team then sets themselves up on their team’s bases.
The first player from the batting team steps up to home plate with the ball on their hand. They then throw the ball so that it lands within the bases.
As soon as the batting team player throws do so, they begin to make their way around the bases. To stop the batting team’s run, the fielding team needs to field the ball to one of the stop spots. Once the player at the stop spot is in possession of the ball while on their base, they yell STOP and the batting team player has to return to the last base they touched.
After each time STOP is called, the fielding team rotates clockwise and the next player from the batting team steps up to home plate and is given the ball.
Once the next batting team player throws the ball into play, all batting team players on their bases begin running around the bases once more as the fielding teams works to get the ball to a stop spot. If ever a batting team player throws the ball outside of the base circles, it is considered a foul ball. In this case, the batting team player has to throw the ball again, but not before all batting team players return to the base they were at before the throw took place. Batting team players can have multiple players on the same base at any given time. If a batting team players makes it around the bases and touches home plate, they score a point for their team. Once each player on the batting team has had a turn throwing the ball, the two teams switch roles.
Build Three: Whacky Baseball
In build three, the teacher will create a foul line that is tangent to the base circles at the home plate.
The class now continues to play with the same rules except that the batting team players must strike the ball with a bat in order to put the ball into play. The ball will be pitched to the batting player by the next player in their team’s batting order. For the ball to be considered in play, it must land beyond the foul line.
Just as in the previous build, batting players attempt to score by making their way around the bases and fielding players attempt to prevent the other team from scoring by fielding the ball to one of the stop spots.
Once each player on the batting team has had a turn throwing the ball, the two teams switch roles
Build Four: Cross-Country Whacky Baseball
In this final and very optional build, it is best to take the game outside.
We’re going to decrease the amount of bases and increase the playing area so that it covers a huge space. All fielding team bases are now considered stop bases. The fielding team can decide who plays on base and who plays spread out in the very large field.
The fun in this build is placing your bases in creative areas depending on where you are playing it. Batting team players now have much further to run to get to their next base, but also have a lot more open space to play with.
Just as in the previous build, batting players attempt to score by making their way around the bases and fielding players attempt to prevent the other team from scoring by fielding the ball to one of the stop spots.
Once each player on the batting team has had a turn throwing the ball, the two teams switch roles
Have students drop (not throw) the bat after batting
Allow students from the batting team to pass each other when running around the bases.
Fielding team players should never get in a running player’s way.
