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Burn a little energy, look a little silly, and have a lot of fun with Crab Soccer! This quick-to-learn and fast-to-set up game is great for building teamwork and having a few laughs along the way. Following basically the same rules as soccer, most of your youth will already be aware and ready of the rules, except for the one catch – you gotta play sitting down, moving with your hands and feet!
Since players will be using their hands and feet to move, this is a slower movement game, which makes it perfect for playing indoors or in a limited space.
Number of Participants – 10 Minimum – No Maximum
Equipment Needed – Safe and soft ball (an inflatable beach ball works great – the ball will be more likely to make contact with a player’s head, so safety is important), soccer goals/traffic cones/other ground markers
Setting Up The Playing Field
Since players will be sitting and using their hands and feet to move, look for a large enough space to accommodate all of the players, but not so large as to force everyone to chase after the ball a lot. Crab Soccer. A large, open room is a good choice for smaller groups, while larger groups (20+) can play in a gym space.
The playing field will be divided into two, with each team given a side to defend. However, it is not necessary to have a marker to divide the center if you don’t have one.
Beyond an open space, you’ll need to create a goal for each team. If you have portable soccer goals, use those. Otherwise, you can create goals with traffic cones or other ground markers, spread out about 6 feet apart. If you are using traffic cones, you may want to designate an “imaginary top” to the goal, about 4 feet above the ground, so that balls kicked excessively high into the goal do not count.
You can also designate a space on the wall as a goal.
Crab Soccer Group Instructions (Read Aloud To Group)
“We’re going to play Crab Soccer! The rules of this game are like soccer, except you have to sit on the ground and have to use both your hands and feet to move. First we will divide into teams (divide group into even teams, however you choose). Each team has its own side of the playing field to defend and can move into the opponent’s side at will. The game begins with the ball being tossed into the center of the playing field. Each team has a goal, but only one player at a time can defend their own goal. If more than one player get close to the goal while the ball is close, they will be warned. Multiple infractions will result in the offensive team winning a point automatically. Additionally, players on the offense cannot have more than one player sitting next to the opponents goal if the ball is not nearby. Each goal is worth one point and the first team to reach 10 (or whatever number you choose) wins the game. After each goal, players can stand up and move back to their side of the field and sit down.
Detailed Instructions
- Set Up Playing Field (See Above)
- Divide group into teams.
- Have the teams move to both sides of the field and sit down.
- Instruct group that no more than one player at a time can defend the goal.
- Instruct group that no more than one player at a time can sit near the opponent’s goal if the ball is not nearby.
- The game begins with the ball being tossed into the center of the playing field, either by a referee or a reliable person playing the game.
- Teams breaking either of the above rules will be warned, but eventually, automatic points can be given to maintain game rules.
- Each goal is worth 1 point.
- After each goal, players should move back to their side of the field (they can stand up to move) and must be seated again before the game begins.
- The game continues until 10 points are scored (or whatever number decided upon).
