Lateral Ball – Fun and Creative Gym Game!

This high-yield activity was created by Club staff at Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains over 8 years ago! It is a great way to get young people moving while promoting fitness. (What’s a high-yield activity?)

Lateral Ball

Objective: To have fun and get youth in the habit of daily fitness

Ages: 6-18

Materials Needed: Basketball court (indoor or outdoor), football, flag football belts with flags

Skills Taught/Reinforced: Fitness

Before You Start: Before beginning any physical activity, Club members should complete a 10-minute energizing warm-up session that includes stretching. The purpose of the activity — to have fun and involve Club members in daily physical activity — should be stated. The rules/guidelines of the activity should be communicated as well.

Set-Up: Players should be divided into teams of five. Flag football belts should be placed on each player.

Object of the Game: To score points by hitting the red square on the basketball goal with the football.

How to Play: Each team has four plays to go the length of the basketball court. There are no first downs. The ball is moved by running and passing using backward laterals only. The offensive team must travel the length of the court without their flags being removed. Once the flag is removed by the opposing team, the play starts at the spot of the flag removal.

Before the ball is thrown for a goal, each of the five players on the team must touch the football. The football must hit inside the red square on the basketball goal to score points. Goals are worth six points.

Extra point attempts are thrown from the half court mark. Extra points are worth one point. The first team to score 50 points wins.

After the game has concluded, each player must shake hands as an exercise of sportsmanship and participate in a 10-minute cool down. Players should hydrate as needed.

What are your favorite Gym activities? Have a creative idea for any Club area you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email ClubXBlog@bgca.org.