Veronica Rhea
Dr. Rattigan
Team Sports
Article # 3
A Framework for Teaching Tactical Game Knowledge
Invasion sports are very difficult to teach in physical education classes. Most invasive sports all
have one common goal to ether get a point or score a goal. Although many team sports are alike, the
language used in the sports varies. As educators it is important to convey the language necessary for
students to be successful in the invasion sport.
Many teachers when teaching invasion sport think that the most important thing for students to
learn their specific role. In invasion sports there are really only four different roles to be taught by
teachers and learned by students. The first two are for the attacking team, the on-ball attacker and the offball attacker. The on-ball attacker is the person with the ball and the off ball attacker is the on-ball
attackers teammate. The second two are the on-ball defender and the off-ball defender. The on-ball
defender is the person directly defending the on-ball attacker and the off-ball defender is the on-ball
defenders teammate supporting them in the defense. Although in many invasion sports there are more
than four people on the field at one time, they all fit into these roles. This approach makes it easier for
students to learn the invasion sport and be successful at it.
The objective of invasion sports is obviously to score goals or points and prevent goals or points
being scored against your team. There are many different invasion sports and they are all achieved
differently but they all want to reach the same objective. In some sports participants can be stopped by
direct contact and in others they be stopped by passive defensive techniques.
As teachers it is very important for us to learn the principles of attack and the principles of
defense. This will allow us to convey to the students what they need to know to be able to create and use
space in invasion sports. In the principles of attack there are four things to always remember, mobility,
advancement, width and offensive depth. Understanding these four principles will make the invasions
games flow a lot better. There are also four principles of attack, engagement, defensive depth, contraction
and expansion. These four principles are made up so the defense can quickly and efficiently regain the
object being played. This will prevent the other team from scoring a goal or gaining a point. Learning to
be goal-side in an invasion sport is an important concept. Being goal side means being between the
offensive player and the goal.
Tactical awareness is very important in invasion sports. Participant has to be aware at all times
when a defender is on them, when they should pass or shoot the game object. Being able to make quick
decisions is very important and students learn how to do this through practice. It is nearly impossible to
plan out each move in an invasion sports, things are always changing. Although it is nearly impossible to
predict events, teachers can map out situations that are possible to happen so players can react. Earlier,
discussed was on the ball defense and off the ball defense, it is important to know possible situations that
can happen in each role. For example as a defender students have to know the right times to tackle the
ball in soccer or contain and wait for the on the ball attacker to make a mistake.
When teaching invasion sports there are many different activates teachers can do to teach students
about the different elements. One way is to substitute different equipment then the typical soccer,
basketball or Frisbee. Lack of skill might be an issue when first starting out teaching invasion sports, the
use of bean bags will increase student’s skills. Before jumping right into full field games teachers should
start out with one v. one’s then small sided games and finally a full game.
Action principle of attack requires teachers to teach movement in many different ways. This can
be learned in a closed learning environment where there are no defenders. This will allow students to
move freely and see where they can move to be successful. Action principle of defense allows students to
see how they would react to an attacking team. This will allow teachers to teach students all about
defending techniques. This also should be taught in a closed learning environment without offensive
players. Action options are a tool to teach students how to make decisions throughout a game. Different
situations come up all the time in invasion sports because of the way the defensive players defend
attackers and how the attacker’s teammates move.
This article allows teachers to recognize how to teach invasion sports successfully. Teaching
tactical knowledge about invasion sports can be difficult for teachers. This article breaks down how to do
it in easy steps so students will come out knowing the basic knowledge about the specific sport they are
learning. At times it may be difficult to include all of the modules eventually educators will get the hang
of it and improve their lessons on invasion sports.
Application:
Sport - Soccer
Principle of attack:
Attack Action Principle
Mobility
Advancement
Width
Offensive depth
Principle of defense:
Teaching Activities
Groups of three – Cones will be
set up in a square each student
will stand next to a cone leaving
one cone open. Students will pass
the soccer ball to the right to the
open cone while the other student
rotates to their left to receive the
pass. ( continue)
Students will start on the end line
of the soccer field they will be in
groups of three. The person in the
middle will start with the ball and
pass to the right and then follow
their pass. The next person will
pass to the person on their left
and follow their pass. This will
create a weaving pattern up the
field.
Students will be playing in a
scrimmage but in order to score
they will have to play the ball
wide to the outside midfielders
and can only score off cross
served from them on the side of
the field.
Students will engage in a
shooting activity where they are
in a straight line starting at the
eighteen yard mark, there will be
a player standing on the penalty
kick markers. Students will pass
the ball into the person on the
penalty marker and then run off
to the side to receive a ball back
one touch for a shot.
Principle of defense:
Engagement:
Defensive Depth:
Contraction:
Expansion:
Teaching Activities:
Students will play a game called sharks and minos .
Students will line up on the end line while one
student stand in the middle of the field, when the
teacher yells go the students or minos will run
across the field dribbling their ball to the other
sideline where they are safe. The shark is
attempting to kick the other student’s balls out of
the playing field to add more sharks to the game.
Students will be in a circle with five on the outside
and two on the inside. Students on the outside will
pass the ball around and through the circle while on
defender in the circle is the on the ball defender and
the other is backing up the on the ball defender as
the off the ball defender. They are trying to steal
the ball from the players on the outside of the
circle.
Students will line up for a corner kick. Offensive
players will be all over the place in front of the net,
one player on the attacking team will be kicking the
ball from the corner. Instead of the defensive
players marking up man to man, they will be
responsible for a certain zone. If the ball is played
into their zone they are to clear the ball high and
wide out of the attacking area. Each student is
responsible for their own designated zone.
There will be six students’ three attackers and three
defenders. The defenders have to pick one attacker
to stay with constantly. The attackers are going to
be moving all around the playing area to keep the
ball away from the defenders. The defenders cannot
leave their attacker and try and prevent them from
receiving the ball.