Pipeline

Purpose

Pipeline is a hands-on coordination challenge where participants each hold a short section of half-pipe or gutter and must transport a ball from start to finish without it falling. The exercise builds real-time coordination, communication under pressure, sequential dependency awareness, and adaptability. It is an excellent metaphor for workflow handoffs, supply chains, or any process with sequential dependencies.

At a glance

• Group size: 8–30 participants
• Duration: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Facilitation style: Observational with rule enforcement
• Setting: Indoors or outdoors; needs a 10–20 metre corridor

How to run

1. Distribute materials (2 min): Give each participant one section of half-pipe, gutter, or a piece of cardboard folded into a channel.
2. Brief (3 min): Your team must transport the ball from point A to point B using only these channels. The ball must be rolling at all times. If the ball falls or stops, it goes back to the start. You may not touch the ball with your hands or body.
3. Practice round (5 min): Let the team attempt a short run and find their rhythm.
4. Challenge round (10 min): Full distance. Add constraints: no talking, or increase the distance beyond the combined length of all pipes (forcing people to leapfrog to the front).
5. Debrief (5 min): What made the handoffs smooth or choppy? How did communication evolve? What parallels do you see in your work processes?

Materials needed

• Half-pipe sections, PVC pipe cut lengthwise, or cardboard folded into channels (one per person, 30–50 cm each)
• Marbles or small balls
• Start and finish markers

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Pipes too short or too long: 30–50 cm is ideal. Too short is frustrating; too long removes the challenge.
• Ball too fast: Use a golf ball or marble on smooth pipes. Ping-pong balls on rough cardboard slow things down.
• Not enough distance: If the combined pipe length equals the course, there is no need to leapfrog and the challenge is too easy.
• Skipping progression: Start with a short, easy run before adding constraints.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Participants with limited hand dexterity can use wider channels or have their pipe section secured to a holder.
• For wheelchair users, ensure the course runs at a consistent, reachable height.
• The exercise works well across language barriers since the coordination is primarily visual and physical.

Variations

• Silent Pipeline: No verbal communication — the team must coordinate through visual cues only.
• Reverse Pipeline: The ball must travel uphill, requiring careful angle management.
• Multi-ball Pipeline: Two or more balls running simultaneously, testing parallel coordination.

When NOT to use this

• When participants have hand tremors or conditions that make steady holding painful or impossible.
• In very windy outdoor conditions where ball control becomes impossible.
• With groups smaller than 6, where the sequencing challenge is too simple.

Source & further reading

• Cain, J. and Jolliff, B. (1998). Teamwork and Teamplay. Kendall Hunt.
• Rohnke, K. and Butler, S. (1995). Quicksilver. Kendall Hunt.