How To Play Benchball

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Set up

Place a bench at either end of the play area and put a third one half way between the other two benches. The middle bench is the boundary that separates the two teams.

Step 3: Pick teams

The referee divides the players up into two equal sized teams. Each team sits on the bench on their side.

Step 4: Attack!

Three balls are placed on the middle bench. When the referee says 'go', everyone rushes forward and tries to grab a ball. They attack the opposing team by trying to hit them with a ball below the knee.

Step 5: Go to prison

If a player is hit by a ball below the knee, they must go over to the other team's side and stand on the bench at the end facing their own team. They are now the opposing team's prisoner. The aim of the game is to send the whole of the opposing team to prison.

Step 6: Attack from the bench

Prisoners on the bench are in a prime position to attack the opposing team. From the bench they have a clear aim and can easily bombard the other team.

Step 7: Free a team-mate

Even if a player has been made a prisoner, they still have a chance to get back in the game. If the captured player catches a ball thrown by a member of their team, they throw it back to the same person who threw it. If this player catches the ball, the prisoner is free to rejoin their own team and seek revenge.
A prisoner who has been freed can also allow someone else on the bench to go free in their place. This is a tactical play that means a better thrower or catcher can stay on the bench and field the balls back to their team.

Step 8: The winning team

When the final player from a team has been imprisoned, the other team has won.