Jörg Madinger - From warm-up to handball team play

Topic:Short warm-up games

Minimum number of players:12

Difficulty level:

Equipment required:1 soccer ball, 4 balance benches

Setting:

- Position four balance benches as shown in the figure. The seating surfaces must point towards the court (turned over by 90 degrees).

- Make two teams.

- The teams play soccer 2-on-2.

- The teams need to decide in which order their players are to enter the playing field.

Course:

- and play against and and try to score by kicking the ball against the seating surface of the balance bench (A, B, and C).

- If a team scores, the four players , , , and need to leave the playing field at their balance bench immediately (D) (give a high-five). They are not allowed to enter the game again while leaving the playing field. One new player per balance bench is allowed to enter the playing field then (E).

- Now, and play against and until a team scores the next goal. The players then also leave the playing field at their balance bench, and so on.

- The players waiting outside to be substituted do both push-ups and sit-ups alternately during the waiting periods.

For larger groups, play 4-on-4 (two players per balance bench).

Topic:Sprint contests

Minimum number of players:6

Difficulty level:

Equipment required:3 balance benches

Course:

- On command, and start simultaneously and sprint straight forward towards the first corner of the balance bench (A).

- Then, they swiftly sidestep to the inner balance bench (corner) (B); afterwards, they sprint forward diagonally (corner) (C).

- Subsequently, they swiftly sidestep to the inner balance bench (corner) (D) before they eventually sprint around the cone, run back, and exchange a high-five with the next player (E).

- And so on.

The end of each balance bench should be touched lightly with one hand.

The losing team needs to do push-ups or sit-ups, for example.

Topic:Sprint contests

Minimum number of players: 6

Difficulty level:

Equipment required:Foam beams (total number of players -1)

Setting:

- Make three teams.

- Spread the foam beams across the court. There must be one foam beam less than there are players on the court (musical chairs principle).

Course:

- The players crisscross throughout the goal zone at relaxed pace and “say hello” by exchanging high-fives (A).

- On command, the players start to run. They must try to be the first to stand on a certain foam beam and block it (B).

- The player who does not get a beam, drops out (C). Remove one beam then; the course needs to be repeated until only three players are left.

- The team that has the most players left on the field scores. If there is a tie (1 player left per team), each team scores.

- Spread the foam beams again and repeat the course three times.

- At the end, the team that scored highest wins the game. The two other teams need to perform a predetermined exercise (push-ups, jumping jacks, or similar).

If a player leaves the goal zone before the sign was given, he drops out immediately.

If two or more players step onto a foam beam almost at the same time, they need to come to an agreement about who was first; if they do not come to an agreement, they all drop out.

Team-internal running tactics could be helpful.

If there are many players, define exercises the drop-outs need to perform (strengthening exercises, endurance run, or similar).

Topic:Sprint contests

Minimum number of players:10

Difficulty level: