Week 4 - Touch Football
Skill focus: Running with the ball, play the ball, effecting a touch, scoring a try
Session equipment
24 touch footballs (or similar)
40 markers
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams
Download the Touch Football Week 4 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Fast start - Warriors and dragons
Equipment
8 markers
One set of braids or similar for at least one team
3 footballs
Activity set-up
Set out the playing area (25 students = approximately 25m x 25m).
Divide students into two teams called 'warriors' and 'dragons'.
The dragons begin to move around the playing area.
How to play
The warriors pass the ball to each other in an attempt to tag a dragon with the ball.
Once a dragon is tagged they become a warrior.
While a warrior is holding the ball, they cannot move and the ball cannot be thrown. It must be held and used to tag a dragon.
Select card to download
Skill development games
Activity 1 - Ball runner
Equipment: 1 football per pair, 8 marker cones to define playing area
How to play: Players in pairs pass a football back and forth in the centre of a playing field. When the coach calls ‘Ball!’, the player who has the ball must run to their end and score a touchdown.
Organise players into pairs with one football per pair.
Pairs line up side-by-side two meters apart in the centre of the playing field and pass the ball back and forth to their partner.
When nominated student calls ‘Ball!’, the player with the ball (or about to receive the ball) must run with it and score a touchdown.
After scoring a touchdown they return to the centre and resume passing.
Activity 2 - Flying V
Equipment: • 2 touch footballs, 1 marker cone per player; 2 markers to form scoreline
How to play: Two teams in a V formation race to pass a ball diagonally backwards down their line. The last player in each team runs to score a touchdown. Teams repeat passing the ball to score as many touchdowns as they can in 60 seconds
Organise players into teams of six lined up diagonally to form a V as shown.
The top player for each team starts with the football.
On your signal, teams pass the ball down the line to the last player who runs forward to score a touchdown.
After scoring a touchdown, the player with the ball runs to the top position and all other players in the team move down to the next marker cone.
Repeat passing and scoring touchdowns until ‘Time!’ is called.
Teams total their scores to determine the winner.
Activity 3 - Spare square
Equipment: 3 footballs, 4 marker cones
How to play: Three attacking players on a square pass a football back and forth while a player in the centre of the square attempts to intercept the ball. Attacking players can move to the spare marker cone to receive the ball. Play in groups of four.
Separate players into groups of four with one football, and set up a 3 metre by 3 metre square using marker cones.
The three attacking players stand at a marker and can only pass the ball to players on each side of the square (not diagonally across the square).
To receive the ball attacking players can move to the spare marker cone — they cannot run while holding the ball.
A fourth player in the centre attempts to intercept the ball or cause a fumble.
When the ball is intercepted, the attacking player who touched it last changes place with the interceptor.
Activity 4 - Tricky touchdowns
Equipment: 1 football per player, 6 marker cones to define playing area
How to play: One at a time attacking players with a football enter the playing area and quickly choose one of two possible lines to run over before being tagged by a defender. Players change roles frequently.
Organise players into two groups at diagonal points of the playing area.
Attackers line up behind a cone or marker with a football each.
A defender can only enter a playing area once an attacker has entered the area.
One point = attacker runs over a selected line without being touched.
An attacker and defender must quickly move out of the game as soon as the attacker is either touched or runs over the selected line.
Swap roles when all attackers have had a turn.
Modified small-sided games
It's time for competition!
Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Touch 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 - Touch Football round robin
Equipment: 1 football, 10 marker cones to set up a 25m x 50m playing field, bibs or sashes to distinguish teams.
How to play: Teams play a game of modified Touch Football. There are no set positions and the attacking team maintains possession of the ball for six touches. After ten minutes, teams rotate to play a new team. 6 players on a field at a time. Rotate players regularly.
All players must be in their own half for the start and re-start of play.
A tap will commence play at the start of the game and after a touchdown.
Defenders must be five metres away from the football until it is in play.
The attacking team maintains possession of the ball for six touches (all errors are counted as a touch).
Call ‘Time!’ after 15 minutes 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 touch downs in 'Team waves?'
Give your partner some feedback on a skill or tactic they could focus on during next week's session.
