Quiz the Coach - Four Square

So ya dig sports but need some help with your game? Don't understand some of the rules of football, basketball or hockey? Got a gripe about P.E. class, skateboarders, cheerleading, coaches, or anything? Why not Quiz the Coach?

Hey Coach,
Hey coach, I've got problems with our game we play at recess at school! We play four square. It's a fun game but even though we have half an hour to play, we spend about 20 minutes arguing and 10 minutes playing the game. We argue about who is out and if it was a redo. And this game is the most popular game at our school so the line is pretty long. No one wants to wait in line, so people argue about that too. What can I do? Please help me!
aegurl988

Hey aegurl988,
You and the rest of your peeps are going to have to decide together if you'd rather spend your recess arguing or playing. A game like four square, is always going to have arguments. It's a fast moving game so there are bound to be questions about whether the ball touched the line or whether someone was knocked out. But there's no reason these arguments should be taking up most of your valuable recess time. Here's a few ideas that might help you out.

Make the person who's next in line act as a referee. If there's any debate about who is out or whether it should be a redo, the referee makes the final call and the game moves on. No arguing. No whining. The call stands. Everyone might not always agree with the referee but it will keep the game moving and mean everyone will have more time to play.

Draw another four square court at your school using some chalk, if your teachers say it's okay and there's enough space in the playground. Shorter lineups will likely help reduce the amount of time spent arguing, so you can spend more time playing.

Try playing four square with two players in each square. Each time a player hits the ball to another square, they will jump out of the court, and their partner will jump in. The two players will keep trading places each time the ball is hit towards their square. Each time a player is "knocked out", two new players will jump in. Playing with two people will help the line move quickly and keep people more involved in the game.

Do you need tips or advice on sports, fitness or health? Send it to the Kidzworld Coach. Keep in mind peeps, the Kidzworld Coach isn't a doctor or a professional athlete or anything like that. He's just a dude who digs sports, plays 'em and knows a lot about 'em. You should always talk to your 'rents, a doctor or your school gym teacher before starting a new sport or a new exercise.

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