Queering sport by Gabriel Fontana
Sport and physical education play an important role in constructing identity and define how we learn, internalise and reproduce social norms and values. However, these values are not neutral and contribute to the production of social hierarchies and forms of exclusion related to gender, sexism, racism and ableism. These ideologies affect our bodies, modes of thinking and interacting with others throughout our lives, defining our responses to concepts such as binary oppositions, competitiveness or hyper-masculinity. By bringing together action and reflection, these alternative sport games respond to the urgency of reclaiming the education of our bodies, disentangling ourselves from conservative social systems and codes.
Game rules
MULTIFORM
Rules:
- SETTING: a hexagonal sports field with three teams wearing transformable uniforms.
- AIM: score a point in the goal of the other teams.
- HOW: use your hands to pass the ball to one of your teammates who is waiting in the opponents’ goal zone.
- ACTION: at each blow of the whistle, swap teams by transforming your uniform and changing the role you play within a group.
- STRATEGY: be quick to find out who your new teammates are. Teams are welcome to become allies if there is an opportunity to attack another team together.
- WINNER: a team receives a point when a player from another team kicks the ball in their goal. At the end of the game, you keep the score of the last team you end up with.
PLAYING WITH ANONYMITY
Rules:
- SETTING: a hexagonal sports field with three anonymous teams. Players get a cap with a secret number in it telling them which goals they can score in and which goal to defend.
- AIM: score a point in the goal of the other teams. Identify which players are in your team.
- HOW: use your hand to pass the ball to another player who is waiting in the opponents’ goal zone.
- STRATEGY: remember where other players attack or defend to identify who belongs to your team.
- RESTRICTIONS: you have to stop when you receive the ball. You are not allowed to move while carrying the ball. If the ball goes out of the field, it’s given to another team. Players cannot take the ball out of each other's hands.
- WINNER: a team receives a point when a player from another team kicks the ball in their goal. The winner is the team that has the fewest points by the end of the game.
Published in Coded Bodies Publication in 2020