Knock Back
Knock Back is a modified variant of ricochet, which is a form of Croquet.
- In Knock back the objective is to hit your ball, using the mallet, into a sequence of markers whilst avoiding being knocked out of bounds by your opponents. - To set up a game of knock back, use markers(x) to set a field of play (roughly 15m x 15m) and use different coloured cones to display the course (making sure to tell them the order they have to be hit in). Be creative when making a course, just be sure to give students the opportunities for short accurate strokes, as well as long shots. Include a centre marker, this can act as a safe checkpoint, meaning that players can't be sent any further back once they have hit it. - Group students into groups of 4, and give each a mallet and a different coloured ball. - One player starts next to a start cone (identified in the diagram), and try's to hit his ball to the first cone/'checkpoint'. If he hits the cone, he gets to hit again, if not, his turn is over, and the next person has their turn, so on and so fourth. Players can also hit their own ball into an opponents ball, which will give them an extra shot, and if the opponents ball is knocked out-of-bounds, their ball must be placed at the checkpoint they last touched, which we call 'knocking them back'. - Whilst this is a race to see who can finish the fastest, players are not forced to rush through their turn, but rather to take their time in making sure to get their aim on target, and getting the right amount of power, whilst also contacting the ball correctly. This is achieved through eye contact with the ball and use of the entire arm, not just the hands. |
Additional Information:
- The game can be played in pairs, that is; one player takes the 1st shot, and the other takes the 2nd, alternating shots. - If you're short on space, a second group can play in the opposite direction, so you have 2 games going at once. (Just start at the finish, and work backwards) |
Equipment:
- 5 markers (to outline field of play + safe zone) - x different coloured markers (to display the course) - Croquet Balls - Croquet Mallets (of a suitable size) |
Safety Guidelines:
- The croquet balls can be quite hard and when hit, can feel even harder. be sure to intruct your players not to aim at people, and make sure others are not in the way of your target. - The mallet are also quite heavy, so make sure the players don't begin to use them for anything other than knock back. |