Players: 10 or more; all riders
Where: Indoors in a gym*
Equipment: 25 or more high bounce balls; brown paper lunch bags, one for each rider; stopwatch
Assistants: 3
or more Bouncers
Object:
Riders try to catch as many high bounce balls with a paper bag as possible within a time limit.
Play:
Each player receives one paper bag. The top of the bag may be folded down once or twice, to make the opening more stable, but this must be determined in advance so all players have the same kind of bag.
The Bouncers bring all the high bounce balls to the center of the playing area. Riders form a circle around the perimeter of the playing area.
At a signal, the Bouncers toss all the balls into the air at once.
All riders then mount and ride around the playing area, trying to catch a bouncing ball with their open lunch bag.
Bouncers continue to run around the playing area quickly putting any stray balls back into play by bouncing them on the floor or off a wall (not tossing them at a player) and moving on.
Riders may not make adjustments to their paper bags and must leave all the balls they catch in the paper bag until the round is over. At the end of the round, riders count the number of balls they captured.
Time limits: Two minutes or until all the high bounce balls are caught.
Level Adjustments:
Increase the time limits for beginning riders or have assistants available to help with re-mounting or riding.
Adjust the bags for the various levels of riders to make it easier or harder.
Variations:
This game can also be played with teams, varying the ability levels so each teach has beginners to advanced riders. The team that captures the most high bounce balls wins the round.
The high bounce balls could be marked with point values, such as 1, 5, 10, 15. When the round is over, the highest total point value wins, rather than the number of high bounce balls. One ball could be assigned a much higher point value, such as 50, to make it more interesting.
*Gym:
The best playing area is a gym, enclosed, with few obstacles (such as benches, chairs, or bleachers) so the high bounce balls don’t roll into areas where they can’t be reached.
Comments:
This game was played in the practice gym at Unicon 11 with about 20 people and 50 high bounce balls. Lots of fun. Winners of each round got small candy bars.
Contact: Carol McLean, unicyclecentral@hotmail.com