I have been trying out the ‘video game based design’ approach to cricket practices over the last month — aiming to create games that are easy to learn but hard to master, and where learning achievement (acquisition of skills) is rewarded by the opening up of new and more challenging ‘levels’ in the game.
I have settled on a couple of games that seem to meet some of the key criteria — I give you “Knock ‘em down” and “Lock ‘em up”. (more…)
In ‘lock ‘em up’, the batting team earn ‘upgrades’ (more open spaces to hit the ball into) by ‘locking’ fielders into disadvantageous fielding positions by successfully hitting the ball into designated target areas.
It is, in many respects, a gamified version of the old ‘Lord’s game’. I have played it only with a front foot drive, but I can see no reason not to adapt it to for other attacking strokes.
This game has developed from an idea shared by @imsporticus , modified to include concepts from @davidhinchliffe and @ianren21 — thanks to all of my fellow coaches for the inspiration, and also to @AmyPrice_10 et al. for the theoretical underpinnings of sports coaching informed by digital game design.
We have probably all played the catching game ‘squares’ (sometimes called ‘catching tennis’) – two opposing teams trying to throw a ball so that it bounces in the other side’s “square”, and defending by catching the ball before it bounces.
It is a very simple game to develop catching and throwing skills, and one that can be readily modified to challenge the skills of the players involved, by making the target squares larger or smaller, or closer together or further apart, by allowing one hand, one bounce catches, and by changing the type of ball.
But this simple game can easily break down if the initial throwing is poor – rules like “underarm only” and “over head height” seem to get forgotten very quickly.
So this simple variant, from Damo Wilson, is well worth trying.
Introduce a third team as the ‘net’, between the two competing teams. Encourage the ‘net’ to block low throws; if they can catch the ball, they replace the throwers in playing the game.
In effect, a game of mass ‘piggy-in-the-middle’.
The quality of throws rapidly improved when we tried this, as did the level of competition (and engagement).
Well worth a try, especially if your ‘squares’ degenerates into a game of skittles!
The Teesra 