Cross-Country Skiing Biathlon: Relay Games with Variations and Indoor Layouts for Physical Education

Running biathlon is a relay game that brings biathlon into physical education and in which speed and throwing accuracy count. After one lap to their own box, the children try to throw tennis balls so that they land inside. Each missed throw costs one penalty lap, only after which the relay baton is passed to the next person. The game is suitable for primary schools as well as secondary schools and can be varied in many ways.

This is included in the material

• Game description for classic running biathlon with a list of equipment, procedure and winning condition
• Variations with illustrations for running biathlon with obstacles, with changed targets, with a changing throwing position and as a mini-biathlon on a straight track
• Further variations that change the throwing objects, throwing targets, throwing method or movement, for example with a scooter board, ball at the foot, in teams of 2 or as "sink the balls"
• Indoor plans as a separate file for the classic game, for the variations with obstacles, changed targets and changed throwing position as well as for the mini-biathlon

Tips for using the material

• Helper role: Students who have forgotten their sports bag can stand at the boxes and bring the balls back into the tires.
• Combine variations: The individual variations can be creatively combined.
• Play outside: Running biathlon can also be carried out on the sports field or the schoolyard.
• Compensating for disadvantages: If students in the class use a wheelchair, scooter boards can be used to compensate for disadvantages.

These skills are promoted

• Throwing accuracy through targeted throws into the box
• Speed in the relay race with penalty laps
• Adaptation of the throw to different throwing objects, throwing positions and throwing methods
• Ball control while moving, when the ball is guided, bounced or rolled while running

Organizational notes

The classic game requires small and large cones, tires, tennis balls, small boxes, relay batons and team bands. The game is played in two to four teams; small teams of no more than six people keep the waiting times between the laps short.

Further ideas can be found in the relay games and relay races, in the target throwing at stations and in the games with the scooter board.