The Storm Rises

1. Mark a 20 by 20 metre area and put safe spots inside it: squares of four cones about 3 metres a side (hoops or mats work too). Each spot holds two players, and there are always two places fewer than players: five spots for 12 players, seven for 16. With more than 16, set up a second area.
2. Two catchers start without a ball; everyone else dribbles one. A catcher who tags a dribbler with a hand takes the ball and dribbles on, and the player who lost it is now a catcher. Nobody tags straight back the player who has just taken their ball.
3. The spots protect nobody until the call. Whenever the coach shouts "The storm rises!", everyone, catchers included, races for a spot. Dribblers may pick up their ball and run with it.
4. Whoever is left outside is a catcher in the next round and hands their ball to someone who got in without one. Call the storm after 30 seconds to a minute, never at the same moment twice.

The dribbler has two things to watch at once: the catchers close by, and the spots. Keeping the ball means looking up, shielding it and turning into space, but the call can come at any second, so a good dribbler also keeps track of where the spots are and never drifts too far from one. When the call comes, the nearest spot may already be full: fight for the last place there, or run for an empty one further away? There is time for one look. The catchers, running without a ball, have the easier race, so their choice comes earlier: chase one more ball, or stay close to a spot in case the storm rises now.