| STRATEGY
PUSHBALL
Strategy pushball is similar to pushball except that it is played
on two adjacent fields, and opposing teams supply soldiers to the games on both
fields. Team commanders assess the situation on the fields and distribute their
soldiers accordingly. The commander decides the number of soldiers used, within
limits imposed by the rules. This number may be adjusted throughout the game.
Play on both fields occurs at the same time, but each game progresses independently.
At the end of play, a team’s points from both fields are added together to determine
the overall winner.
This game requires two pushballs that are five to six feet
in diameter. Pull-over vests or jerseys of two different colors are used by each
team for a total of four different colors. Starters and reserves should be easily
distinguishable. Starters and substitutes should wear vests of one color, while
the team commander and reserves wear vests of the second color.
Players may
wear any type of athletic shoes except those with metal cleats. Combat boots may
be worn, but extra caution must be used to prevent injuries caused by kicking
or stepping on other players. Soldiers wearing illegal equipment may not play
until the problem has been corrected.
The playing area is two lined-off fields.
These are 240 to 300 feet long by 120 to 150 feet wide. They are separated lengthwise
by a 20-foot-wide divider strip. The length of each field is divided equally by
a centerline that is parallel to the goal lines. Lines are also marked 45 feet
from each side of the centerline and parallel to it. The lines extend across both
fields. Dimensions may be determined locally based on available space and the
number of players. The space between the fields is the team area. Each team occupies
the third of the team space that immediately adjoins its initial playing field.
Time
periods should be adjusted to suit weather conditions and soldiers’ fitness levels.
Players
There are 25 to 40 soldiers on each team. A typical, 25-member team has the following:
•
One team commander. He is responsible for overall game strategy and for determining
the number and positions of players on the field.
• Sixteen starting members.
Eight are on each field at all times; one is appointed field captain.
•
Four reserve members. These are players the team commander designates as reinforcements.
•
Three substitutes. These are replacements for starters or reserves.
• One
runner. He is designated to convey messages from the team commander to field captains.
The proportion of soldiers in each category stays constant regardless of the total
number on a team. Before the event, game organizers must coordinate with participating
units and agree on the number on each team.
Runners serve at least one period;
they may not play during that period. They are allowed on the field only during
breaks in play after a dead ball or goal.
Reserves are used at any point in
the game on either field and are committed as individuals or groups. They may
enter or leave the playing field at any time whether the ball is in play or not.
Team commanders may enter the game as reserves if they see the need for such action.
Reserves,
substitutes, and starting members may be redesignated into any of the other components
on a one-for-one basis only during dead balls, injury time-outs, or quarter- and
halftime breaks. A reserve may become a starter by switching vests with an original
starter, who then becomes a reserve.
When possible, senior NCOS and officers
from higher headquarters or other units should be used as officials. Players must
not question an official’s authority during play. Otherwise, the game can quickly
get out of control. Chain-of-command personnel should act as team commanders and
field captains whenever possible.
 The
Game
The object is to propel the ball over the opponent’s goal line by
pushing, rolling, passing, carrying, or using any means other than kicking.
The
game is officiated by two referees on each field, a chief umpire, and a scorekeeper.
Referees concentrate on player actions so that they can quickly detect fouls and
assess penalties. The chief umpire and scorekeeper occupy any area where they
can best officiate the games. The chief umpire monitors the use of substitutes
and reserves and ensures smooth progress of the games on both fields. The number
of officials may be increased if teams have more than 25 players. Referees use
their whistles to stop and start play except at the start and end of each quarter.
The scorekeeper, who times the game with a stopwatch, starts and ends each quarter
and stops play for injuries with some noisemaker other than a whistle. He may
use such devices as a starter’s pistol, klaxon, or air horn.
The game begins
after the ball is placed on each field’s center mark. Opposing field captains
are three feet from the ball (six feet from the centerline). The rest of the starters
are lined up 45 feet from the ball on their half of the field. (See Figure 9-5.)
At the scorekeeper’s signal, field captains immediately play the ball, and their
teams come to their aid.
Starters may be exchanged between the fields if the
minimum number of starters or substitutes per field is maintained.
Substitutes
may enter the game only during breaks in play after a dead ball, goal, or time-out
for injury. A substitute may not start to play until the player being replaced
leaves the field.
When any part of the ball goes out of bounds, it is dead.
The teams line up at right angles to the sidelines; they are 10 feet apart at
the point where the ball went out of bounds. The referee places the ball between
the teams at a point 15 feet inside the sideline. Play resumes when the referee
blows the
whistle.
When the ball gets tied up in one spot for more than
10 seconds for any reason, the referee declares it dead. He restarts play as with
an out-of-bounds dead ball, except that he puts the ball on the spot where it
was stopped.
Time does not stop for dead balls or goals. Play continues on
one field while dead balls are restarted on the other.
At each quarter break,
the ball stays on the spot where it was when the quarter ended. The next quarter,
signaled by the scorekeeper, starts as it does after a ball goes out of bounds.
At halftime the teams exchange goals, and play resumes as if the game were beginning.
A
goal is scored when any part of the ball breaks the plane of the goal line between
the sidelines. A goal counts one point. At the end of the fourth quarter, the
points of each team from both fields are added together to determine the winner.
If
there is a tie, a three-minute overtime is played. It is played the same as in
regulation play, but only one field is used, with starting squads from both teams
opposing each other. For control purposes, no more than 15 players per team are
allowed on the field at once. The team with more points at the end of the overtime
wins the game. If the game is still tied when time expires, the winner is the
team that has gained more territory.
The game continues until four 10-minute
quarters have been played. There is a 10-minute halftime between the second and
third quarters. The clock stops at quarter breaks and halftime. Time-out is allowed
only for serious injury. Play is then stopped on both fields. Rules
Players may use any means of interfering with their opponents’ progress, but they
are penalized for striking or clipping opponents or throwing them to the ground.
These penalties are enforced by the referees. Force maybe legally applied to any
opponent whether or not they are playing the ball. Blocking is allowed if blockers
stay on their feet and limit contact to the space between waist and shoulders.
Blockers may not swing, throw, or flip their elbows or forearms. Tackling opposing
soldiers who are playing the ball is allowed. The chief umpire or any referee
may call infractions and impose penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct or personal
fouls on either field. Penalties may also be called for infractions committed
on the field or sidelines during playing time, quarter and halftime breaks, and
time-outs. Personal fouls are called for the following:
• Illegal blocking
(below an opponent’s waist).
• Clipping (throwing the body across the back
of the opponent’s legs as he is running or standing).
• Throwing an opponent
to the ground (that is, lifting and dropping or slamming a player to the ground
in stead of tackling cleanly).
• Spearing, tackling, or piling on an opponent
who is already on the ground.
• Striking or punching with closed fist(s).
•
Grasping an opponent’s neck or head.
• Kicking.
• Butting heads.
Unsportsmanlike
conduct is called for abusive or insulting language that the referee judges to
be excessive and blatant. It is also called against a player on the sidelines
who interferes with the ball or with his opponents on the field. A player who
violates these rules should be removed from the game and made to run one lap around
both playing fields. A penalized player leaves the team shorthanded until he completes
the penalty lap and the next break in play occurs on the field from which he was
removed. The penalized player or a substitute then enters the game. Referees and
the chief umpire may, at their discretion, eject any player who is a chronic violator
or who is judged to be dangerous to other players, Once ejected, the player must
leave both the field of play and team area. Substitutes for ejected players may
enter during the next break in play that follows a goal scored by either team.
They enter on the field from which the players were ejected. BROOM-BALL
HOCKEY
This game is played on ice or a frozen field using hockey rules.
Players wear boots with normal soles and carry broom-shaped sticks with which
they hit the ball into the goals.
The object of this game is for teams to score
goals through the opponent’s defenses. Using only brooms, players pass the ball
through the opposing team to reach its goal. The first team to score five points
wins. Broom ball provides a good cardiorespiratory workout. Players
There are 15 to 20 players on each team. One is a goalie and the others are divided
into three equal groups. The goalie plays in the goal area of a standard soccer
or hockey field or along the goal line if the two opposing goals are the same
size. One soccer ball, or some other type of inflated ball, is used. The players
need no padding.
The three groups begin the game in center field. All players
must stay in their designated space throughout the game. A diagram of the field
is shown at Figure 9-6. The
Game
The face-off marks the start of the game, the second half, and the
restart of play after goals. Each half lasts 15 minutes. For the face-off, each
player is on his own half of the field. All players, except the two centers, are
outside the center circle. The referee places the ball in the center of the circle
between the two centers. The signal to begin play is one long blast on the whistle.
The ball must travel forward and cross the center circle before being played by
another player. There are no time-outs except for injury. The time-out signal
is two sharp whistle blasts. Rules
All players, including goalies, must stay inside their legal boundaries at all
times. Only goalies may use their hands to play the ball, but they must always
keep control of their sticks. Other players must stay in their respective zones
of play (Attack, Defense, Centerfield). The ball is played along the ground or
over one or more groups of players. It may travel any distance as long as it is
legally played.
The referee calls infractions and imposes penalties. Basic
penalties are those called for the following:
•Unnecessary roughness or
dangerous play. (The player is removed from the game; he stays in the penalty
box for two minutes.)
• Ball out-of-bounds. (The team that caused it to
go out loses possession, and the opposing team puts the ball back into play by
hitting it to the nearest player.)
• Use of hands by a player other than
a goalie. (The player must stay in the penalty box one minute.)
• Improper
crossing of boundaries. (When a member of the team in possession of the ball crosses
the boundary line of his zone of play, possession will be awarded to the other
team.)
Orienteering
Orienteering is a competitive form of land navigation. It combines map reading,
compass use, and terrain study with strategy, competition, and exercise.
This
makes it an excellent activity for any training schedule.
An orienteering course
is set up by placing control points or marker signs over a variety of terrain.
The orienteer or navigator uses a detailed topographical map and a compass to
negotiate the course. The map should be 1:25,000 scale or larger. A liquid-filled
orienteering compass works best. The base of the compass is transparent plastic,
and it gives accurate readings on the run. The standard military, lensatic compass
will work even though it is not specifically designed for the sport.
The best
terrain for an orienteering course is woodland that offers varied terrain. Several
different courses can be setup in an area 2,000 to 4,000 yards
square. Courses
can be short and simple for training beginners or longer and more difficult to
challenge the advanced competitors.
The various types of orienteering are described
below. CROSS-COUNTRY
ORIENTEERING
This popular type of orienteering is used in all international
and championship events. Participants navigate to a set number of check or control
points in a designated order. Speed is important since the winner is the one who
reaches all the control points in the right order and returns to the finish area
in the least time. SCORE
ORIENTEERING
Quick thinking and strategy are major factors in score orienteering.
A competitor selects the check-points to find based on point value and location.
Point values throughout the course are high or low depending on how hard the markers
are to reach. Whoever collects the most points within a designated time is the
winner. Points are deducted for returning late to the finish area. LINE
ORIENTEERING
Line orienteering is excellent for training new orienteers.
The route is premarked on the map, but checkpoints are not shown. The navigator
tries to walk or run the exact map route. While negotiating the course, he looks
for checkpoints or control-marker signs. The winner is determined by the time
taken to run the course and the accuracy of marking the control points when they
are found. ROUTE
ORIENTEERING
This variation is also excellent for beginners. The navigator
follows a route that is clearly marked with signs or streamers. While negotiating
the course, he records on the map the route being taken. Speed and accuracy of
marking the route determine the winner. NIGHT
ORIENTEERING
This variation is also excellent for beginners. The navigator
follows a route that is clearly marked with signs or streamers. While negotiating
the course, he records on the map the route being taken. Speed and accuracy of
marking the route determine the winner. URBAN
ORIENTEERING
Urban orienteering is very similar to traditional types,
but a compass, topographical map, and navigation skills are not needed. A course
can be set up on any installation by using a map of the main post or cantonment
area. Soldiers run within this area looking for coded location markers, which
are numbered and marked on the map before the start. This eliminates the need
for a compass. Soldiers only need a combination map-scorecard, a watch, and a
pencil. (Figure 9-7 shows a sample scorecard.)
Urban orienteering adds variety
and competition to a unit’s PT program and is well suited for an intramural program.
It also provides a good cardiovascular workout.
 Participants
and Rules
Urban orienteering is conducted during daylight hours to ensure
safety and make the identification of checkpoint markers easy. Soldiers form two-man
teams based on their APFT 2-mile-run times. Team members should have similar running
ability. A handicap is given to slower teams. (See Figure 9-8.) At the assembly
area, each team gets identical maps that show the location of markers on the course.
Location markers are color-coded on the map based on their point value. The markers
farthest from the assembly area have the highest point values. The maps are labeled
with a location number corresponding to the location marker on the course. A time
limit is given, and teams finishing late are penalized. Five points are deducted
for each minute a team is late. While on the course, team members must stay together
and not separate to get two markers at once. A team that separates is disqualified.
Any number of soldiers may participate, the limiting factors being space and the
number of points on the course.
 Playing
the Game
Once the soldiers have been assigned a partner, the orienteering
marshal briefs them on the rules and objectives of the game. He gives them their
time limitations and a reminder about the overtime penalty. He also gives each
team a combination map/scorecard with a two-digit number on it to identify their
team. When a team reaches a location marker, it records on the scorecard the letters
that correspond to its two-digit number.
Point values of each location marker
are also annotated on the scorecard. When the orienteering marshal signals the
start of the event, all competitors leave the assembly area at the same time.
One to two hours is the optimal time for conducting the activity. A sample location
marker is shown at Figure 9-9.
For this example, team number 54 found
the marker. The letters corresponding to 54 are LD, so they place “LD” on line
39 of their scorecard. This line number corresponds to the location’s marker number.
When the location marker code is deciphered, the team moves on to the next marker
of its choice. Each team goes to as many markers as possible within the allotted
time. After all teams have found as many location markers as possible and have
turned in their map/scorecards, the points are computed by the orienteering marshal
to determine the teams’ standings. He has the key to all the points and can determine
each team’s accuracy. Handicap points are then added. Each soldier gets points
if his 2-mile-run time is slower than 12 minutes. (See Figure 9-8.) The teams’
standings are displayed shortly after the activity ends.
 Safety
Briefing
The orienteering marshal gives a safety briefing before the
event starts. He reminds soldiers to be cautious while running across streets
and to emphasize that team members should always stay together. Set
Up and Materials
The course must be well thought out and set up in advance.
Setting up requires some man-hours, but the course can be used many times. The
major tasks are making and installing location markers and preparing map/scorecard
combinations. Once the location marker numbers are marked and color coded on the
maps, they are covered with combat acetate to keep them useful for a long time.
Combat acetate (also called plastic sheet) can be purchased in the self-service
supply center store under stock number 9330-00-618-7214.
The course organizer
must decide how many location markers to make and where to put them. He should
use creativity to add excitement to the course. Suggestions for locations to put
point markers are as follows: at intersections, along roads in the tree line,
on building corners, and along creek beds and trails. They should not be too hard
to find. To help teams negotiate the course, all maps must be precisely marked
to correspond with the placement of the course-location markers. Unit
Olympics
The unit olympics is a multifaceted event that can be tailored
to any unit to provide athletic participation for all soldiers. The objective
is to incorporate into a team-level competition athletic, events that represent
all five fitness components. The competition can be within a unit or between competing
units. When conducted with enthusiasm, it promotes team spirit and provides a
good workout. It is a good diversion from the regular PT session.
A unit olympics,
if well promoted from the top and well staged by the project NCO or officer, can
be a good precursor to an SDT or the EIB test. TYPES
OF EVENTS
The Olympics should include events that challenge the soldiers’
muscular strength and endurance, aerobic endurance, flexibility, agility, speed,
and related sports skills.
Events can be held for both individuals and teams,
and they should be designed so that both male and female soldiers can take part.
Each soldier should be required to do a minimum number of events. Teams should
wear a distinctively marked item such as a T-shirt or arm band. This adds character
to the event and sets teams apart from each other. A warm-up should precede and
a cool-down should follow the events.
The following are examples of athletic
events that could be included in a unit Olympics: Push-Up
Derby
This is a timed event using four-member teams. The objective is
for the team to do as many correct push-ups as possible within a four-minute time
limit. Only one team member does push-ups at a time. The four team members may
rotate as often as desired. Sandbag
Relay
This event uses four-man teams for a running relay around a quarter-mile
track carrying sandbags. One player from each team lines up at the starting line
with a full sandbag in each hand. He hands the sandbags off to a teammate when
he finishes his part of the race. This continues until the last team player crosses
the finish line. Placings are determined by the teams’ order of finish. Team
Flexibility
In this event, if teams are numerically equal, all members
of each team should participate. If not, as many team members should participate
as possible. Each team’s anchor person places his foot against a wall or a curb.
He stretches his other foot as far away as possible as in doing a split. The next
team member puts one foot against the anchor man’s extended foot and does a split-stretch.
This goes on until all team members are stretched. They cover as much distance
as possible keeping in contact with each other. The team that stretches farthest
from the start point without a break in their chain is the winner. Medicine-Ball
Throw
This event uses four-member teams. The teams begin by throwing the
ball from the same starting line. When it lands, the ball is marked for each team
thrower, and the next team player throws from this spot. This is repeated until
all the team’s players have thrown. The team whose combined throws
cover the
most distance is the winner. Job-Related
Events
The organizer should use his imagination when planning activities.
He may incorporate soldier skills required of an MOS. For instance, he could devise
a timed land-navigation event geared toward soldiers with an MOS of 11 C. The
team would carry an 81-mm mortar (tube, tripod, and baseplate) to three different
locations, each a mile apart, and set it up in a firing configuration. This type
of event is excellent for fine-tuning job skills and is also physically challenging. OPENING
CEREMONY
The commander, ranking person, or ceremony host gives an inspirational
speech before the opening ceremonies, welcoming competitors and wishing them good
luck. The Olympics is officially opened with a torch lighting. This is followed
by a short symbolic parade of all the teams. The teams are then put back into
formation, and team captains lead motivating chants. The master of ceremonies
(MC) announces the sequence of events and rules for each event. The games then
begin. JUDGING
AND SCORING
The MC should have one assistant per team who will judge that
one team during each event. Assistants give input on events that need a numerical
count. The MC monitors the point accumulation of each team. Points are awarded
for each event as follows:
• First = 4 points.
• Second = 3 points.
•
Third = 2 points.
• Fourth = 1 point.
When two teams tie an event, the Points
are added together and split equally between them. After the competition ends,
the totaled point scores for each team are figured. The first- through fourth-place
teams are then recognized. | 
