Active Events

Basketball

A wide variety of b-ball games can be played which range from very active (2-on-2 or 3-on-3 tournaments) to semi-active (H.O.R.S.E.). Additional games that we've tried during MBBBs are Knockout and 21. Also, if you're not particularly great basketball players (like most of us), you can try out H.O.R.S.E.'s little brother, P.I.G. Descriptions and rules for all of these games and more can be found on this Wikipedia page.

(Done at MBBBs.)

Capture the Flag

Many people might be most familiar with the CTF concept thanks to the proliferation of first-person shooter video games nowadays (2011). Our proposal from this was not all that different, though it had a few variations. The most significant was that guns (whether water or paint) were never a consideration. Rather, a player was "killed" simply by being tagged the opposing team's zone. Additionally, rather than having one flag that had a known location, each team hid three flags from the other team in their zone. Necessities for this game: a lot of stamina and a person or two willing to act as referees. Here are our proposal for the event as well as our thoughts on how it all worked out.

(Done at MBBB5.)

Dodgeball

Remember those fun (or perhaps not so fun) days from elementary school when you played dodgeball? Well, that's exactly what we set out to recreate with this event. A number of options can be tailored to best meet each group's expectations for game length and competitiveness: number of balls, jail zone, and re-entry. Further, the twist of a pin that needs to be knocked over to end the game can spice things up. Check out our proposal to see how we planned to play our game.

(Done at MBBB9.)

Handball

Though a bit tiring, this event can be composed into one of the most hotly contested competitions around. Try to give one or two people rest a round (they can then referee as well) and accumulate points through placement. A final round with the four contestants who gained the most points is then held, with that winner then being the champion. You can take a look at our rules as well our thoughts on what many of us find to be the most replayable event of any we've done.

(Done at MBBBs.)

Hot Box

This is an exhausting frisbee-based game. It's reminiscent of a half-court Ultimate Frisbee game, but there's more to it than that. You can find a more elaborate description at this Wikipedia.

(Proposed, but never done.)

Kickball

This is another school-yard classic. As our group consists of 7-8 people maximum, Mehr proposed a system of play that included a half-field and automatic runners. It worked extremely well showing that, with a little ingenuity, even a game that used to take a couple dozen of your 5th grade classmates can now be played with just a few of your closest friends.

(Done at MBBB9.)

Rock Climbing

Back in 2001, Marc had brought up rock climbing as a potential event. The trouble with this event is finding a nearby, professional facility and, on Long Island, that's a tough proposition. Matt had mentioned that Cornell University has such a facility but there was a slim chance that we could use it as none of us but Matt are Cornell alumni. Another consideration we made is that this event is entirely non-competitive (unless it's who can climb the highest) and competition always makes for the best MBBB events. So, while this event has never been done for the MBBB, Marc did get his way eventually: rock climbing was part of his bachelor party in 2008.

(Proposed, but never done.)

Soccer (half-field)

As with many of the events that we play, soccer is a game that we've had to take from a full-sized field to a half-sized field to accommodate the size of our group. An automatic goalie with the game played similarly to a half-court basketball game is one idea we had. For more details on our proposal for the event, click here.

(Done at MBBB10.)

Tennis

We're no Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer (circa 2011), but a quick idea to include actual tennis was proposed at one time. However, this is a game that takes a bit too much skill and endurance to seriously consider for MBBB.

(Proposed, but never done.)

Ultimate Frisbee

Also known as frisbee football, the name implies it all. All you need is a frisbee and a football field (using cones in creating one is ideal) and you're ready for some wicked competition. The main downside to this event is that, if you're not in shape, it's going to leave you exhausted and sore. But, if you're up to the task, you can view the unofficial basics of ultimate (note that frisbee football is not simply football played with a frisbee) as well as the playing format that we devised for our two games. (Need to provide the links here.)

(Done at MBBB1 and MBBB2.)

Volleyball

Whether played on a beach, grass, or asphalt court, volleyball is a great exercise in team play. Just be careful about diving onto concrete and even burning the tops of your feet at the beach. Our proposal is attached or your perusal.

(Done at MBBB6, MBBB8, and MBBB10.)