Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Bedsheet Ball Rally
Move a soft ball together on light fabric, using small tilts, role choices, and a shared stop rather than scoring rallies.
- People
- 6–20
- Base procedure time
- 15 minutes
- Recording
- No record
Purpose: Build working relationships; Begin together.
English guide
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How this method works
A cooperation method in which several people move one light piece of fabric to send a soft ball safely back and forth. Before starting, allow people to choose seated or standing holding, changing roles partway through, safety checking, observing, or passing. Everyone gently tensions the fabric and the facilitator places one ball in the centre. Do not pull suddenly; communicate small tilts through voices or signals to send the ball from one end to the other. If the ball falls, everyone places the fabric on the floor or table, and only the facilitator retrieves it. Stop and set down the fabric at the end, without counting round trips or failures. Do not use this where a safe boundary for spreading the fabric cannot be secured or a falling ball could cause injury or damage.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
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- Choose holding, rotation, safety checking, or passing0–2 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: One group around light fabric.
No record
- Check the set-down boundary and stop signal2–4 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Check. Participation: One group around light fabric.
No record
- Place one soft ball in the centre4–5 minutes from the start (1 minute)
Action: Place. Participation: One group around light fabric.
No record
- Send the ball end to end with small tilts5–12 minutes from the start (7 minutes)
Action: Send. Participation: One group around light fabric.
No record
- Set down the fabric and return the ball and roles12–15 minutes from the start (3 minutes)
Action: Return. Participation: One group around light fabric.
No record
Facilitation steps
- For 2 minutes, each person chooses seated or standing holding, changing roles partway through, safety checking, observing, or passing.
- For 2 minutes, check the set-down boundary, that everyone sets down the fabric if the ball falls, and that only the facilitator picks up the ball after the stop signal.
- For 1 minute, after everyone gently tensions the fabric, the facilitator places one soft ball in the centre.
- For 7 minutes, communicate small tilts without sudden pulling, send the ball from one end to the other, and return it. People may rotate the holding role after each round trip.
- For 3 minutes, on the stop signal place the fabric on the floor or table and have the facilitator retrieve the ball. Do not count round trips or failures; optionally check just one brief word about a signal that worked.
If something changes
If
Before starting, one or more people find sustained gripping, standing, or following the ball difficult.
Then
Let them choose seated participation, short holding turns, safety checking, observation, or passing; do not fix them in a holding role.
If
The ball falls from the fabric, or sudden pulling happens on one or more occasions.
Then
Everyone sets the fabric on the floor or table and stops; the facilitator retrieves the ball. Do not restart without a signal.
If
9 minutes after the start, the ball has not completed one end-to-end round trip.
Then
Reduce the distance and tilt, resume only once, and finish without competition or extra time even if the round trip is not achieved.
Preparation
Materials
- One large piece of light fabric per group
- One soft, light ball per group, plus one spare
- One stop/rotation/observation/pass card per person
- 4 set-down boundary markers per group
Room and setup
- Choose a floor where a falling ball cannot cause injury or damage, and mark the four corners of the boundary for setting down the fabric
Adjust for people and time
With 6–10 people, gather around one piece of fabric. With 11–20, rotate roles only if everyone can gather around that one piece, keeping the number simultaneously touching it at no more than 10. With 21 or more, divide the participant count by 10 and round up to determine the number of groups; distribute people evenly into groups of 6–10, each with one fabric-and-ball set. People not holding choose safety checking, rotation, observation, or passing. Do not compare round-trip counts between groups.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Provide seated and non-holding choices, rotation, observation, and passing. Secure a safe set-down boundary and use soft, light equipment. Avoid sudden pulling; everyone sets the fabric down for a fall or sudden pull, and only the facilitator retrieves the ball. Restart only on a signal; the distance-reduction branch permits one restart without extra time or competition. Do not count failures or compare rallies.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Seeds for Change Facilitation Tools: Bed-sheet ping pong
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/tools
anti-copyright adaptation; changes made
- Conditions for applying anti-copyright
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/resources
anti-copyright
Diagram, print, and video language
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Editorial provenance
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