# Pin Down Two teams throw or roll soft balls from their own territory to topple targets placed along the opposing end line while protecting their own. The round concludes when one team knocks down all opposing pins. **Time:** 15 minutes. Playworks specifies 10 minutes or more. 15 minutes accommodates boundary setup, safety rules, one full round, and a brief debrief. **People:** 4 to 24. Two equal teams facing each other across a divided rectangular field. An odd participant serves as a referee or line judge. ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Coordinate defense and targeting under active field boundaries to practice collaborative team strategy. **Use it when:** Use during active physical workshops, youth programs, or team movement energizers where people need a high-energy group game with simple, clear physical targets. **Skip it when:** Skip when physical space is tight, when running fully virtual meetings, or when participants require stationary or quiet, low-movement activities. ## Materials and tools - 6 to 10 plastic bowling pins or tall cone pyramids (3 to 5 per team) - 6 to 10 soft foam or yarn balls - 5 to 8 small cones to mark the center dividing line and perimeter boundaries - 1 whistle or loud audio signal for safety stops ## Before participants arrive 1. Set up a large rectangular boundary using floor lines or perimeter cones. 2. Place a line of small marker cones across the exact center to divide the playing field into two equal halves. 3. Set up an equal number of bowling pins or tall cones along each baseline at least 3 feet apart. 4. Place soft balls along the center divider line, resting them securely on the floor or balanced on divider cones. 5. Identify referee positions along the sidelines to remove downed pins immediately. ## Say this to open Welcome to Pin Down. We have two teams, each defending the pins along their back line while trying to roll or throw balls to knock down the other team's pins. You must stay entirely on your half of the court. Never cross the center line. We aim only at pins, never at people, and balls must be thrown or rolled, never kicked. If our whistle blows, freeze immediately where you are. ## How to run it ### 1. Form teams and review boundaries (3 minutes) Divide the group into two equal teams. If there is an odd number of participants, assign one person as a line referee alongside the facilitator. Direct each team to stand along their respective baseline behind their pins. State the boundaries clearly: no crossing the center line, no kicking balls, and no aiming throws at opposing players. Point out the freeze whistle signal. ### 2. Sprint to center and begin play (2 minutes) Blow the whistle or call start. Players sprint to the center line to retrieve the soft balls. Players immediately retreat to their side to begin rolling or throwing balls across the line at the opposing pins. Emphasize that feet must not step past the center cone line during ball retrieval. ### 3. Core game and pin defense (7 minutes) Teams actively roll and throw balls to topple the opponent's pins while defending their own pins by deflecting balls with their bodies or hands. If a defender accidentally knocks over their own pin, that pin counts as down. When any pin falls, players must leave it alone; the facilitator or sideline referee steps in and removes it from the field. Play continues until all pins on one side are down, or until time expires. ### 4. Debrief team coordination (3 minutes) Call a freeze signal and gather both teams together at the center line. Ask two structured debrief questions to examine team organization: 'How did your team balance defending your own pins versus attacking the other side?' and 'What communication helped you coordinate who was throwing and who was blocking?' Take 2 to 3 quick responses before closing. ## Debrief questions - How did your team divide responsibilities between guarding your pins and throwing at the other side? - What verbal or non-verbal signals helped your team coordinate while balls were moving quickly? - If we played another round, what defensive or offensive adjustment would your team make? **Finished output:** A completed physical game where all pins on one side are knocked down, followed by a brief reflection on team roles. ## Remote Pin Down requires real-time physical space, ball throwing, and target knocking; it cannot run online without changing into a completely different game. For remote teams seeking a strategic cooperative challenge, run a 15-minute digital grid-capture puzzle or team trivia challenge instead. ## Hybrid Not suitable for a mixed hybrid setting where remote and in-person players share the same activity. If some members are remote, assign remote participants to manage timekeeping, track downed targets via room cameras, or switch the whole group to an accessible virtual tabletop exercise. ## Access and participation choices - Participants who prefer not to run or throw may serve as field judges, pin retrievers, or scorekeepers. - Defenders may block balls from a standing, sitting, or wheelchair position. - Anyone can opt out of direct movement and observe without having to give a reason. ## If the session gets stuck **Players cross over the center line when scrambling for balls.** Place a 3-foot neutral zone buffer between two parallel center lines where balls sit, and rule that balls can only be pulled back across your line, never grabbed while standing in the neutral zone. **Balls are thrown too hard at opposing players rather than at the pins.** Pause the game immediately. Remind players that balls may only be rolled along the floor or thrown underhand below waist height directly at the pins. ## Terms used here - Baseline: The back boundary line of each team's half where target pins are set up. - Downed Pin: A target pin that has been knocked over; once down, it is removed immediately from the court by the referee. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in the Playworks Game Library under the title 'Pin Down'. Retained the core Playworks game rules: two teams on separate sides of a divided rectangular field, throwing or rolling balls at target pins along the back baseline, referee removal of downed pins, self-inflicted pin falls counting as down, and no crossing the center line. Added specific UWT safety constraints (underhand rolling guidance, neutral retrieval zones, structured freeze signal), clear time boxing, specific referee logistics, and debrief prompts. Replaced incorrect relationship mapping description from prior corpus metadata with the actual physical dodge/bowling game mechanics. [Playworks](https://www.playworks.org/game-library/pin-down/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/pin-down/