Ball point game: learn Agile the fun way

Welcome to the ball point game! This game is often used as a fun and interactive way to introduce Agile and Lean principles to teams and encourage them to think about how they can work more effectively together. It's a great tool for fostering discussion and learning in a workshop or training setting.

You’ll divide into teams of roughly equal size, ideally with 5-10 participants per team. You’ll need small balls (e.g., ping pong balls), a timer, and a designated starting point and target point (marked on the floor with tape or markers).

The goal is to, as one team, get as many balls through the system as possible in 5 sprints, by respecting the following rules:

• There are 3 minutes per iteration and 5 iterations
• In between, there is a 1-minute retrospective
• The ball needs to start and end with the same person
• The ball must be touched by every team member.
• The ball must have air-time
• It can’t be passed to the person next to them.
• If the ball is dropped, it does not count.

1. Get the team and provide the goals and instructions.
2. Ask them to estimate how many balls they'll handle in each iteration. You can do one estimation at the start of the game and another short estimation in between each iteration.
3. Start the game and time it. Make sure the team respects the rules and be quite drastic about it.
4. Record the score and then time their retrospective. Let the team suggest changes in how they play, including new strategies and estimates.
5. Repeat the above process for as many iterations as possible, keeping track of the score each time.
6. After all iterations, run a debrief session to discuss the performance, strategies, and insights.

• The Ball Point Game illustrates concepts like flow, collaboration, and process improvement.
• It highlights the importance of efficient communication and minimizing handoffs.
• Teams can use the insights gained from the game to improve their real-world processes.

The ball point game is perfect to illustrate how to work as a team. By understanding the agile production process, the team can appreciate the importance of self-organization, flow, and iterative working.

Elevate your team's agility, subscribe and access our next course: Certified Scrum Master.