Pirates of the Caribbean

The Rules

As captain of the ship, begin by telling your crew of pirates the names for each of the sides; Bow (front), Stern (back), Port side (left), and Starboard side (right). This acts as a little bit of education and a memory test.

The pirates dribble around on deck and when the captain calls out one of the four names the pirates must dribble to that end or side.

The last pirate to reach the side called has a small forfeit to undertake but nothing too nasty (5 or 10 star jumps for example).

Main Objectives

Basic ball control, ball familiarity, changing direction.

Set Up

Area: 50×40 yard area, shaped like a ship
Players: 12
Equipment: 12 balls

 

 

What To Call Out

“Head up”
“Keep your ball close”
“Port”, “Starboard”, “Bow”, “Stern”

Progression

Introduce some other skills to be completed on the captain’s call.
“Scrub the deck” – control the ball using the inside of your feet, either static or moving.
“Climb the rigging” – do toe taps up and down on the ball as quickly as you can.
“Clear the decks” – try to flick the ball up and juggle it off of the deck as long as you can.
“Captain on board” – try to balance on the ball and salute the captain.
“Cannonball!” – hit the deck and lie down as quickly as possible to avoid the blast.

Hint

Place a corner flag at the front of the ship to help with memorizing the sides and let the kids name their ship.