Fun Ideas for Halftime Contests

Whether you are organizing a halftime contest for a high school, collegiate or professional sporting event, holding some form of competition at halftime is a way to keep the fans engaged to an activity on the field while spreading some spirit amongst the crowd. Obtain prizes from local merchants for the contest winners. You can explain to the merchant what type of contest you are holding and in return for a prize, they will get some form of advertisement such as a announcement during the game, or advertisement in the program.

  1. Half Court Shot

    • This contest can occur during a basketball or hockey game. Toward the end of the second quarter or first period of play (in hockey) draw a ticket stub from all of the entries and invite the winner to participate in a half court shot contest. At halftime, they have three shots to get the basketball into the net. If it's a hockey game, you may wish to close off a portion of the goal to make it harder. If the participant hits the shot, they win the prize.

    Find the Prize

    • This is ideal for a football game. Select one lucky fan and put a blindfold on them. Place them at one end of the field around the 20 yard line. On the opposite end of the field there should be a banner several feet long that mentions the prize. The contestant has 30 seconds to run to find the prize on the football field. You can make the game harder or easier by bringing the contestant closer, or further, or making the banner larger or smaller. The crowd can assist the contestant by yelling which way he should run on the field.

    Dance Contest

    • A dance contest allows for a lot of fan participation and the ability to award several smaller prizes to winners. During halftime have the mascot or cheerleaders invite fans onto the field or floor. After the music starts pumping through the sound system people are invited to show off their best dance moves. You can make it a generic contest where everyone dances in whatever manner they choose, or you give them a specific dance to perform such as the "Chicken," "The Twist" or "Hand Jive." The mascot and cheerleaders can help lead the dancing. Then after a couple of minutes the mascot or cheerleader starts tapping people not doing well, asking them to leave the floor. As the final few members dance, the audience votes by applause to determine a winner. You can also given additional prizes for "most original," "best youth dancer," or even comedic prizes such as "most uncoordinated."

    Field Goal Kicking

    • While many fans have watched team field goal kickers perfect 50- or 60-yard attempts through the uprights, doing it is actually a lot tougher than it looks. Toward the end of the first quarter, pull a ticket stub for someone in the stands, approach them and ask them if they want to attempt to kick an extra point. After a touchdown, the extra point is snapped from the 2-yard line, where it is received by a holder about 7 or 8 yards back. The holder sets the ball and the field goal kicker makes the attempt from about the 9 or 10 yard line, making the total distance from the ball to the goal posts a 19 or 20 yard attempt. Depending on the size of the prize, you might give the contest one to three chances to get the football through the uprights and win. You can use the mascot or fan volunteers to snap and hold the football for a kick. If you want to make the contest a little easier, you can have the contestant kick directly from the 2-yard line, which would be a 12-yard attempt.