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Side straddle

One turn of the rope with the feet together, the next with the feet apart, and so on.

Individual skill

Also called Jumping jacks

Green Award · RhythmBronze Award
Suitable for Years 1 to 3Speed skipping ropes

How it works

One turn of the rope with the feet together, the next with the feet apart, and so on.

skip-hop tipStraddle the feet no further than shoulder width. Wider than that makes the skip less controlled and accurate.

All-Access Skip Pass

Teach the side straddle with the All-Access Skip Pass

Everything a teacher needs to teach this skill to a whole class, from skip-hop coach Lee Collinson-James:

  • The skip-hop video of this skill, with ½× and ¼× slow motion
  • Step-by-step teaching: feet together, feet apart
  • Spot the fault: feet too wide, with the fix
  • A pupil self-check and links to the Green and Bronze Awards
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£149 a year for the whole school, or 6 months free with the whole-school rope set.

Where it fits

Learn firstForward skipping double bounce
This skillSide straddle
Try nextScissors (front straddle)Combined straddle
skip-hop Skipping Awards

Side straddle: Green Award and Bronze Award

Green Award · Rhythm

Green Award: Rhythm

Part of the Green Award test.

To pass, a pupil:

  • Skips 20 single bounces in a row
  • Skips 10 running steps and hops 5 on each foot
  • Skips 5 backwards in a row
  • Skips 5 side straddles
  • Runs into a long rope, jumps once and runs out (see the Figure of Eight long rope game)
Bronze Award

Bronze Award

One of the ten Bronze Award skills.

The skills on this award:

  • First: the Safety and Poise checks and the preliminary skips
  • Bell
  • Slalom
  • Twister
  • Side straddle
  • Front straddle (scissors)
  • Combined straddle
  • Ex
  • Wounded duck
  • Side swing
  • 180 degree turn
  • Then the link: any 8 of the 10 skills linked in one routine, without a miss or error.

Also a related skill for the Orange, Blue, Purple Awards.

In the scheme of work

Where this skill is taught in the skip-hop scheme of work.

What you need

Speed skipping ropes, bag of 10

KS1 2.1m, KS2 2.5m or KS3 2.8m. skip-hop ropes are designed specifically for the skills shown on this site.

Shop ropes

SEND and inclusion

Make it work for everyone

Ideas for pupils with SEND, and for anyone who finds side straddle hard. Change one thing at a time.

What usually makes it hard: Opening and closing the feet while the rope turns.

  • SpaceFootprints on the floor for “apart” and “together”.
  • TaskJump “apart, together” to a count without the rope first. No wider than shoulder width.
  • CommunicationChant “apart, together”.

Seated or no-jump version. Open and close the knees or feet in rhythm while turning the rope at the side.

An adapted pass is still a pass on the Skipping Awards. Use your own judgement and each pupil’s care plan. More in SEND and inclusion at skip-hop. Pupil struggling to get started? Try Lee’s tips for pupils who are struggling to skip.