What are Games?

Games or educational games are activities involving one or more people, on the move with or without an object or implement, playing under mutually agreed upon set of rules. Games can be used for practice/self-testing skills, cooperative play or competitive play. There are four basic types of games: invasion/territory, net/wall, striking/fielding, and target.

Invasion (territory) games: This is a game where an offense tries to control, move, and keep an object away from a defense and move the object into the other team’s territory and send the object into a goal or move the object into an open ended target area. The defense attempts to keep the offense away from their territory and prevent them from making scoring attempts. Territorial games include soccer, team handball, football, ultimate, basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, floor hockey, rugby, water polo, netball, and lacrosse.

Net/Wall games: These are games played by a single player or a team. Players attempt to strike an object to an (open) area that the opponent is defending so that the opponent cannot return the object. Wall games include racquetball, handball and squash. Net games include tennis, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, and pickleball.

Striking/Fielding games: These are games where a member of one team tries to strike, kick, or send a ball to an open space and run to two or more points. The defense attempts to place their defenders in areas where the ball is likely to go, retrieve the ball, and prevent runners from advancing and scoring. These games include baseball, kickball, rounders, softball, and cricket.

Target games: Target Games are activities where a player sends an object to reach a target. Some target games are opposed. In these games players can block or hit an opponent’s ball into a disadvantageous location. Opposed games include curling, cornhole, bocce, billiards, deck shuffleboard, lawn bowls, and croquet. During unopposed games players may not interfere with the opponent’s objects. These games include golf, archery, and bowling.