‘No ball games’

[99problemsandjust1appt]

Why ?

Just been for a walk with ds as needed a nap. Walked round a couple of the estates nearby and all I see is these signs....
Yet people complain about kids and teens hanging around being noisy and ‘up to no good’ surely having a no ball games rule doesn’t help?

Of course it helps as there are many different games that don't involve kicking footballs around near houses, windows and cars.

Having ball games is also up to no good. They should be staring at tv or computer screens so everyone can complain they never go out.

There’s a lovely green space in the middle of one estate it seems a shame kids can’t play
Seem w smashed up car windows broken anyway so I’m the absence of ball games it seems to be happening
It just struck me how bored kids not allowed to play then cause trouble through boredom ?

I suppose too it could be irritating if for example lots of ball bouncing ...
Just seemed a shame and every corner I turned there was a sign

Where I used to live there was one of these signs, it was put up after a child ran into the road to fetch a ball. Maybe they're for h&s reasons?

Ha I wish it was just footballs round here they play golf on the greens

there are many different games that don't involve kicking footballs around near houses, windows and cars

Most kids over the age of about 10 don't want to be playing hopscotch or tag, but they probably do enjoy a kick about with a football, batting a tennis ball around between them or whatever. I can't think of many (any?) active, outdoor games that older kids would play that don't involve a ball of some sort. I would imagine no ball games also means no frisbees etc.

Personally, I think 'no ball games' is a shame. There aren't that many places that kids can go and just have a kick about with their friends these days. Not every kid wants, or is able, to go to organised sports activities.

A friend of mine used to live on a new build estate that had lovely big green spaces in the middle of each block. Not only were ball games not allowed but no one was allowed to do anything on them. One older couple got a letter through the post from the HA because a neighbour had grasses on them (no pun intended) for having a clothes airer outside their kitchen window that looked out onto the green. Someone else was apparently threatened with eviction for “persistently allowing her young children to play on the green” were talking pushing their dolls prams around not playing footy. Joyless bastards.

I've mostly seen them on the side of houses that are end terraces. I can imagine you'd go slowly insane if there were kids kicking balls against the wall constantly.

It just struck me how bored kids not allowed to play then cause trouble through boredom?

They're all allowed to play, just not ball games.

Our apartments have this, we’re near a road and kids have run into it before, also a car window was smashed by a ball.

I think it's fair enough. If the green is near a road, you dont want kids running out in front of a car after as football. If the green is near houses, you dont want balls hitting into windows or roofs and causing damage.
My neighbours kids constantly play football in their garden. We get balls over all the time as well as balls slamming into the fence and hedges. My point is that kids arent that careful and if it was a green rather than a private garden those balls would be hitting houses, cars, other people.

I think planners should be building in green spaces which aren't closely surrounded by houses and/or roads. Older estates have this and ball games are fine as there are no houses really close. But of course that would impact on the number of houses they could build.

Because in housing areas people don't want their windows put in by unsupervised kids playing football near their homes and cars.

They can bike, scooter, skateboard, run, jump, dance, etc etc

This is not a new thing. Green areas on housing estates (and elsewhere) have had signs like this up for decades.