# The Gauntlet

A participant walks slowly through a narrow corridor formed by two facing lines of spotters, leaning off balance so partners can catch and steady them.

**Time:** 15 minutes. UWT suggested duration to establish safety protocol and run 2 to 3 volunteer passes.
**People:** 9 to 21. Two facing lines of 4 to 10 spotters, with 1 participant stepping out to walk the corridor.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Practice balanced spotting stances and verbal readiness calls while safely catching and steadying a peer.
**Use it when:** Use in an experiential movement or adventure education session after groups have learned basic spotting mechanics and given explicit consent for physical contact.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants have acute injuries, mobility limitations, balance concerns, or reluctance to engage in unexpected physical touch.

## Materials and tools

- Digital timer (if running hybrid timekeeping)
- Room speaker and video camera (if running hybrid observation)

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an unobstructed floor area at least 3 meters wide and 7 meters long with no trip hazards or slippery surfaces.
2. Position room camera and speaker so remote members can view the corridor and communicate clearly.

## Say this to open

We are going to practice team spotting along a corridor. Two lines will face each other in an athletic spotting stance. A volunteer will walk through the corridor, leaning off balance. The line will gently catch them and return them upright. Anyone who prefers not to walk or spot can act as a verbal safety caller.

## How to run it

### 1. Set Stance and Protocol (3 minutes)

Demonstrate the spotting stance: staggered feet, flexed knees, elbows bent, and palms forward. Practice the verbal call protocol aloud together: Walker calls 'Spotters ready?', spotters reply 'Ready!', walker calls 'Walking!', and spotters answer 'Walk!'.

### 2. Form the Corridor (2 minutes)

Arrange participants into two facing lines roughly 1.5 meters apart, standing shoulder to shoulder. Have both lines extend their hands into the center to confirm that palms easily overlap without stepping forward.

### 3. Run Volunteer Passes (7 minutes)

One person from the lines or an outside volunteer steps to the start. The walker issues the verbal check and moves forward with an unsteady gait, tipping gently to either side. Spotters catch them with open palms and guide them upright. Repeat with 1 or 2 new volunteers.

### 4. Debrief (3 minutes)

Reconvene the full group in a standing circle facing the camera. Facilitate quick feedback on physical focus, readiness calls, and hand placement, taking three brief participant responses from room and remote members.


## Debrief questions

- What physical cues signaled that your spotters were attentive before you tipped?
- How did the verbal call protocol affect your readiness to walk or catch?

**Finished output:** Completion of controlled physical spotting passes using explicit verbal safety commands.

## Remote

This activity requires physical spotting and cannot be run online. For virtual groups exploring mutual support, run an alternative peer-support exercise such as Troika Consulting.

## Hybrid

Physical spotting runs strictly in person. Remote participants observe the corridor via room camera, manage the shared digital timer, call out time warnings over the speaker, and share reflections during the circle debrief.

## Access and participation choices

- Offer non-contact roles such as verbal safety caller or spacing observer.
- Participants may step back to observe at any moment without justification.

## If the session gets stuck

**The corridor widens as participants back up, making catches unsafe.**

Pause the walker immediately and reset the facing lines to 1.5 meters apart with arms reaching comfortably into the middle.

**A walker drops their full weight forward or backward rather than leaning to the side.**

Remind the walker to take deliberate, slow steps and lean gently toward the sides where spotters' hands are positioned.


## Terms used here

- Spotting Stance: A balanced athletic posture with staggered feet, soft knees, and hands raised with open palms to redirect momentum.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo, where Mark Collard is credited with the activity entry.

Preserved the corridor formation, spotting stance, verbal call protocol, and off-balance walking mechanic from Playmeo. Added specific hybrid observation and timekeeping equipment to materials and clarified walker entry roles.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/trust-building-games/the-gauntlet)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/trust-building-games/the-gauntlet/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/trust-building-activity-develops-group-support-the-gauntlet/