Week 4 - Football
Skill focus: 1 v 1, first touch, dribbling the ball and passing the ball
Equipment required for Week 4:
1 football (or similar) per student
30 markers
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams
Download the Football - Week 4 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Fast start - Dribble tag
Equipment
8 markers
1 football per pair
1 braid or bib per tagger
Activity set-up
Set out the playing area (25 students = approximately 25m x 25m).
Provide each student with a ball.
5 students are selected as taggers and given a braid.
How to play
All students start dribbling their ball around the area using the inside, outside and soles of their feet.
On the teacher's signal, the five taggers then attempt to tag the other students, while still dribbling their ball.
If a student is tagged, they then swap roles and become the tagger.
CHANGE it!
Taggers try to kick each student's ball out of the playing area instead of tagging.
Select the card to download.
Skill development games
Activity 1 - Passing through the goal
Equipment: 1 football per pair, 2 markers per pair
How to play: All pairs set up a 'goal', approximately 1m wide using 2 cones. In pair, players pass the ball to each other 5 times through the goal, before moving to another goal. The aim of the game is to complete passes through as many goals as possible.
Encourage control of the football and accuracy of the pass.
Goals can be made wider or narrower to increase or decrease the challenge.
Activity 2 - Back to back
Equipment: 1 football per pair, 4 marker cones to define playing area
How to play: On ‘Go!’ players standing back to back run around a marker on their goal line then attempt to run the football over their opponent's goal line to score a point.
Students form pairs and collect four marker cones to create their goal lines.
A ball is placed on a goal line at one end of the pitch.
Pairs start back to back in the middle of their pitch.
When the player facing the ball calls out ‘Go!’, both players run to opposite ends of their pitch and around a marker cone.
The player who was facing the ball collects it and attempts to run with the ball over their opponent’s goal line to score a point.
Players take turns facing the ball and calling ‘Go!’
Activity 3 - Circle chase
Equipment: 2 footballs. 1 set of marker cones
How to play: Two footballs are passed around a circle from player to player. The aim is for one ball to catch up with the other.
Students form a circle with markers and direct players to stand between each space.
Two players start with a ball and are separated by several players.
Players pass the ball around the circle, trying to overtake the ball in front.
When a designated student calls ‘Change!’ players must change the direction of the pass.
CHANGE IT
Pass and run — as soon as players pass the ball they run to the next space (in the same direction as the pass).
Increase the size of the circle and introduce a third ball.
Activity 4 - Pass, trap and hit
Equipment: 1 football per player
How to play: Players in pairs attempt to score as many ‘ball hits’ as they can in a row, by passing their football to make contact with their partner’s ball.
Players in pairs, with a ball each, face each other one metre apart.
Players take turns to pass their ball to make contact with their partner’s ball.
The pair with the highest number of 'ball hits' at the conclusion of the station wins.
Modified small-sided games
It's time for competition!
Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Football draw' as a guide to organise the competition, across the 4 sessions try to ensure each team has a fair number of games.
Allocate 3 points for a win, 2 points for a drawer and 1 point for a loss for each game played. Record results and points in the School sport program results spreadsheet.
Remember, to give students an update of the leader board each week.
Game - Modified football
Equipment: Marker cones to define playing area, 1 ball per game, bibs/braids to differentiate teams, 2 mini goals or 4 cones of the same colour for goals.
How to play: Teams play a modified game of football. There are no goalkeepers and no offside rules. Play in teams of 6 or 7.
Create a designated game area suitable for the area and ability of players (maximum of 30 metres by 20 metres).
All players must be in their own half for the start and re-start (after a goal). Opponents must be five metres away from the ball until it is in play.
Play starts with a pass forward to a team-mate from the middle of the halfway line.
A goal (one point) is scored when the whole ball passes over the goal line between the goals.
Call ‘Time!’ after ten minutes of play and teams rotate to play a new team.
Reflection
TAG
Ask students to form pairs with a student from their team.
Inform students they are going to give feedback to their partner using 'TAG'.
Tell your partner something they did well in today's session.
Ask your partner the question: How could we have worked together to score more goals?
Give your partner some feedback on a skill or tactic they could focus on during next weeks session.
