The Burning Ball Game

Burning Ball is a quick elimination game that develops physical skills and encourages people to think strategically.

Gather your group inside a hall with four walls or designate a large circle in which to play. The game works best if you can play in hall, because four walls will prevent the ball from escaping.

Ask your group to stand anywhere within the defined playing space, and explain that there are no teams. Announce that the goal for each person is to remain in the game as long as possible.

Using a soft ball and rubber-coated, explain that whenever someone is hit or touched below the knee by the ball, they are deemed ‘burned’ or out of the game.

Announce four parameters to govern safe and fair play:

• The ball must always be hit with an open hand
• A direct hit, or one that occurs after one or more bounces, will eliminate anyone it touches
• If someone is touched by a rolling ball, he or she is also eliminated
• Anytime the ball is caught (without a bounce) will cause the ‘hitter’ to be eliminated.

Invite your group to spread out across the playing space, and then introduce the ball into play. Game continues until one person remains in the playing space.

Play a second round if the group is lively, but this time do it with two burning balls.

The topics of this publication: strategy, interactions, observation skills