2010

ACHPER
HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Monash University, Clayton Thursday 25th November

Minor Games for Developing Strategy in Invasion Sports

Presenter: Ray Breed

High Performance Coach
North Melbourne Football Club

Contact:
Ph: 0411 700 920

Email:
[email protected]
 INVASION GAMES
HOW TO USE THE FOLLOWING GAMES:

You might have to experiment with the ideal areas/sizes for each game to suit the level of
your participants. For example, if its too easy for the defender, increase the area.
To present each game, use the Game Sense Model (last page)
The games are sequenced in a logical order

The following games can be used/adapted for lead up activities for any major invasion game. Only
the skill used will change, not the strategy!!!
EG. - throwing/catching games with a round ball (eg. netball, basketball)
- football codes (eg. soccer, Gaelic football, speedball, AFL)
- rugby codes (pass backwards only!)
- hockey

Use small-sided games to teach basic strategies (max of 5-6 a side), so have 2 or 3 games operating
side by side

When focusing on strategy, the best way to run these modified games is to initially have one side
attacking for a certain time period (thus, ball turnovers are returned to the attacking team), so that
any mistakes/problems can be worked on and improved! It allows more opportunity for teams to
develop both attacking and defensive team plays. Egs:
- 2 minutes in attack/defense. If the ball is turned over, attacking team start with ball
again from centre. Try to score as many times in the allocated time.
- 10 attempts from the centre to score. End up with a score out of 10.

DECISION-MAKING (INVASION) DEPENDS ON:

(1) TIME when to run, when to pass
(2) RISK which option to take
(3) SPACE where to run/move to
(Questions should relate to the above points).

ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS!

General invasion game questions:

(1) How can you relate each game to invasion sports (give egs of sports)?
(2) Using tactical examples, how are hockey and football similar?
(3) What tactics/strategies do all invasion games have in common?
(4) Why do you think rules in games have changed over the years? Give sporting
egs. (i.e. 30 sec shot clock in basketball; 15m mark in AFL; no offside in
hockey). How have they changed the way the games are played?

** Teach attacking strategies first!!!!

Keeping possession: (1) When to pass? (Hold & Draw) eg. 2v1, gauntlet
(2) How to pass? (bounce, chest) eg. 2v1
(3) Where to move? (receiving in space) eg. 4 corners
(4) When to move? (timing reading cues)
(5) Where to pass? (multiple options which is best option?) eg.
4v2 tag, 3v2 gauntlet, 3v3 half court etc.
 COACHING/TEACHING POINTS
The coach establishes a learning environment and uses questioning and guided discovery to help
players learn to address tactical situations.

GUIDELINES:

1. Have an aim or theme for each session/game

2. Explain purpose of game and limitations eg. area of play, time, basic rules only
3. Modify rules throughout to change tactical situations
4. Use small teams eg. 2-6 players to maximize the no. of decisions they make
5. Length drills need to be long enough to allow plenty of repetition to develop experience ie.,
recall of situations from long term memory
6. Ask individual questions during activity/recovery periods. Stop game at appropriate points to ask
tactical questions to group
7. Freeze the play (to demonstrate a point), rehearse, then replay the scenario
8. Feedback on good and poor decisions use questioning

QUESTIONING:

Coachs role is to assist players in solving tactical problems, rather than solving the problems for them.
Using questions will help guide players.

Questions revolve around 4 concepts:

1. TIME When should you..?
2. SPACE Where should you..?
3. RISK Which option was best? Why?
4. EXECUTION How should you..?

Turn feedback into questions to direct and test learning! (When, What, Where, Why, How?)

Individual learning question egs:

Who was the best person to pass to? (John). Why? (long option, 1 on 1 leading in front of opponent)
When was the best time to pass? Why? (after drawing defender as it created a free player)
Where was the best place to run? Why? (wide to space it opened up space in the middle)
What was the best way to pass the ball? (short and flat) Why? (less air time)
What was the best option? (take the space) Why? (all team mates manned or oppo zoned back deep)

Team-based learning question egs:

What strategies did you use when in possession? Which ones worked well? Why?
What type of defence did you use? How could you have done it better?
What would you do differently if the opposition zoned?
How could you move the ball quicker?
What can the attacking team do to create space better?

To develop strategy, we can use the games by:

1. One team in attack for a time (eg. 5 mins) or for a no. of trials (eg. 6 successes from 10 trials!)
2. Give one group a task (unknown to opposition) eg. use a zone defence only
3. Set a scenario eg. 2 mins left, attacking team is up by 2 pts
4. Have one team observe and evaluate tactics / experienced vs inexperienced teams etc.
GAME 1. 2 v 1 KEEPING OFF

Begin with simple 2 vs 1 game. Can run anywhere. Only rule to begin with is to keep the ball
from the defender.
HINT: Through questioning, encourage students to wait until they draw defender before passing

Variations:
(1) Cant run with the ball
(2) Attempt as many passes in a time
limit without an interception
(best way to defend?)
(3) Perform game in small grid/area
(see right):

In grids of about 10x10m, 2 players start

with a ball. They aim to keep the ball off
the defender for 30 secs. No contact allowed!
Same variations as above, plus:
(1) TAG: defender attempts to tag an attacker whilst in possession of the ball
(2) 20 second time limit. 1 pt for each successful pass, 5 pts to the defender for a tag
Key questions:
(1) When should you pass the ball?
(2) If you havent got the ball, where should you move to?
(3) Where is the best place for the defender to move to?

GAME 2. 2 v 1 GAUNTLET

Get students in pairs (then place 2 pairs ie. 4

students, in the defensive line).
In pairs, must get the ball from one end to the
other without being tagged while in possession
of the ball, dropping it or turning the ball over.
Defenders must stay on their line (ie. only move
from side to side)

Variations/progressions:
(1) Attackers can run with the ball or pass
(2) Attackers cannot run with the ball (ie. netball)
(3) Attackers can dribble the ball to move or pass (ie. basketball)
(4) Attackers must pass the ball backwards (ie. rugby) DIFFICULT!
(5) Have a variety of balls. Whichever ball they are given (or call the name of a sport),
they must play to those rules eg. football, basketball, netball, Frisbee, rugby.
(6) 3 v 2 Gauntlet add 1 defender who
can move anywhere & 1 attacker
Key questions:
(1) What is the most effective way to get
the ball over the end line?
(2) When should you pass the ball?
(3) When should you run with the ball?
(4) How do the different rules affect
your strategies?
(5) If the game is too easy for the
attackers, how could you modify it?
GAME 3. 4 CORNERS

Start with 3 attackers standing at each corner (one corner is

vacant)
1 defender in the middle
Attackers can take one step off cone
Aim is for the 3 attackers to keep the ball off the defender, but
cannot pass the ball diagonally across the square only to each
side. Therefore, an attacker should move to the vacant corner
after each pass
Start with netball rules eg. Defender is 3 feet away, and
attackers have 3 seconds to pass

Variations:
(1) Netball rules
(2) 1 point for each successful pass, 5 points for an intercept
(3) Advanced defender touches attacker in possession of ball for a point
(4) Advanced 5 corners (see next game)

Key questions:
(1) What was the best type of pass to use?
(2) Where was the best place to defend?
(3) When should the attackers move to the vacant corner?
(4) How can you relate this to a game of..(eg. netball, basketball, football)?

GAME 4. 4 V 2 TAG

Organise into groups of 6 - 4 attackers, 2 defenders/taggers. About 10x10m square.

Use about a 30 second time limit. The aim is for the defenders to tag the ball carrier to score a
point. Score as many in the time limit as possible.

Variations/progressions:
(1) Attackers can run with the ball or pass
(2) Attackers cannot run with the ball (ie. netball)
(3) Attackers can dribble the ball to move or pass (ie. basketball)
(4) Have a variety of balls. Whichever ball they are given (or call the name of a sport),
they must play to those rules eg. football, basketball, netball, Frisbee, rugby.

Key questions:
(1) When should you pass the ball?
(2) Do you need to run with the ball?
(3) What is the best way for attackers without the ball to position themselves? (SPACE!)
(4) If the game is too easy for the defenders, how could you modify it?

GAME 5. TEAM TAG BALL

4v4-6v6 in approximately 10x10m area. One team has the ball and must pass the ball between
them until they can tag an opposition player with the ball (not throw it at them!). No running with
the ball and no contact allowed. Cant tag same person twice in a row.
Play for about 2 mins, count how many tags the team had. Swap over and opposition attempt to
beat the score.
Key questions:
(1) What is the best way to pass the ball to each other (short/long?)
(2) Where is the best place on the field/court to get tags?
(3) What was best method to get as many tags as possible?
(4) How could students in the team being tagged help each other out?
(5) Is the team with the ball trying to create space or fill up space?

Variation:
Same as above game, but the team being tagged can now attempt to intercept a pass. If so, they
score 1 pt, then place the ball on the ground for the attacking team to continue. If they touch the
ball, but do not take it as a clear possession, the attacking team scores 1 pt.
When teams swap over after 2 mins, state the score (eg. team 1=5pts, team 2=2pts). Continue.

Key questions:
(1) How did the rule change affect the type of passes you used?
(2) When should you attempt to intercept?
(3) Was your positioning any different for this game?
(4) How would the score of the game affect team strategy (for both teams!)?
(5) If your team was 1 point up with 10 seconds left to play, what strategy could you
use?
(6) Why do you think rules have been changed in many sports over the past 10 years (ie.
basketball, AFL)?

GAME 6. END-ZONE BALL

4v4-6v6. Approx court basketball size

One team has possession of the ball for 2
minutes, aiming to score as many
touchdowns as possible
If they score, the ball is turned over or hits
the ground, they start from the middle again
Cannot run with the ball, no contact allowed
Anyone from either team is allowed in the
end-zone (about 20m across, 3m zone
width)
Use any rules/balls ie. netball, basketball,
ultimate, rugby ball.

Key questions:
(1) What is the best type of pass? (long/short). How will the type of defence and the
players positioning influence the types of passes you will use?
(2) How can you work as a team in order to create space (attackers)?
(3) How will the score affect the way that you attack (RISK)? Defend?

Variation 1:
Play the game, but with the defensive team using each of the following defensive structures: (a)
man-on-man; (b) zone in the area of play; and, (c) zone in the end-zone

(1) Which was the most effective defensive structure for your team? Why?
(2) How did the type of defence affect the way that the attacking team passed the ball?
Positioned themselves? Speed of ball movement?
Variation 2:
Attacking team allocates one player (wearing a different colourband) who will score 3 pts for the
team if they catch the ball in the end-zone.

(1) How did you utilize your 3 pt player in attack? How else could you use them?
(2) How did you change the way your team attacks? Defends?
(3) Can you relate this variation of a 3 pt player to real game scenarios?

GAME 7. REBOUND BALL

The structure of this game is the same as game 8.

However, to score, one player in the attacking team
must throw the ball against the basketball
backboard and be caught by a team-mate once it
rebounds off.

Variations:
(1) Instead of using the backboard, can use
the whole width of the wall. Place a line
of cones 3m away from the wall the
ball must be thrown and caught outside of this area.
(2) Add a 3 pt line 6m away from wall. If caught outside this area, the team scores 3 pts.
(3) Use variation 1 and 2 from game 7.

Key questions:
(1) When was the best time to throw the ball at the backboard/wall?
(2) When would you throw it short/long at the backboard/wall?
(3) Where was the best place to defend? How could you work out where to defend?
(4) If the ball was thrown at the backboard from the left hand side, where will it
rebound to?

GAME 8. PRISON BREAK

Groups of 4 or 5. Mark out a square (about

10x10m) with another one about 2m outside
of it.
One team begin as defenders, the other as
attackers with the ball in the inside square
Time limit of 2 minutes before swapping roles
Defenders can move anywhere in the outer
square, but cannot enter the inside square
Aim is for the attacking team to pass the ball
around or run with the ball, until they can run
the ball through the outer square, without
being tagged by a defender.
If a score is made, the ball is placed on the
ground and a team-mate picks it up to continue play by running it back into the inner square. The
same occurs if a tag is made in the outer square before crossing the outer square.
If a score or a tag has been made on one of the four sides, that side becomes out of play (only 3
sides to protect at one time!) until another score or tag has been made on another side (eg. Cant
score or be tagged on the same side in succession).
Variations:
a. Use a variety of sports situations in order of difficulty: rugby, football handball,
basketball, soccer
b. Advanced add one defender into inside square to put pressure on passing (can intercept
ball for a point)

Key questions:
(1) Attackers what is the best way to score? Pass the ball quickly? Run with ball?
(2) Attackers how do you go about creating a gap (or space) in the defensive zone?
(3) Defenders how do you work together in order to prevent space for the attacking team?

GAME 9. OUT AND IN

Aim is for attackers to handball to support players in

goals outside the square to score
Aim is for defenders to slow up the opposition in
possession by applying defensive pressure
Six per side - 4 v 4 in square with 2 players in goals
outside area
One team start with ball and have 1 min time limit
for maximal score
Once ball is passed to outside player, it must be
handballed back in to a different player
If ball turned over, defence place ball on ground. Variation defence score 1 pt

Variations:
Play is continuous eg. turnovers = play on
If handballed to goalie, the scorer replaces the goalie
A score only counts if the ball is handballed out, then back in to another attacker without being
touched by defenders

Questions:
1. Was it best to control the ball or go as quickly as possible?
2. Defenders was it best to pressure all players? When might you drop off opponent?
3. Attackers how did you help each other to create space?
4. Defenders what did you do to deny the oppo space?

GAME 10: THROUGH THE HOOP

2 teams of 5 or 6
Handball only (or kick if bigger area), aim is
to pass ball and score by handballing the ball
through the hoop (attached between 2 poles
about 2m above ground)
No players are allowed within the 5m circle
surrounding the goals
Turnover results when the ball hits the
ground (transition)
GAME SENSE MODEL (Breed, 2002) Example: Invasion

Tag ball - 5 v 5 in a small square area (~10x10m)

PLAY - one team has possession of ball for 2 mins. Then swap over.
SMALL-SIDED - aim is to tag as many opposition players as possible. Cant
GAME run with ball. Cant tag same person twice in a row.

What type of pass was best to use? (eg. short/long?)

QUESTION/S
Where was the easiest place on court to tag the opposition?
(RE: STRATEGY)
How did you work as a team to gain as many tags as possible?

Which team tried to create space? Which team tried to block up space?
(Hence: which team were like attackers/defenders in invasion
games?)

REPLAY GAME NB:

After asking 2 or 3 questions, replay the game working on strategies
(STRATEGY IS BASED that came from the student responses
ON STUDENT
Repeat the game a few times (asking questions between each game) or
until the strategies have been put into play
RESPONSES)

MODIFICATION Only change 1 rule/aspect of the game at a time (then ask further
questions relating to the change between each game!). Egs:
TO GAME
Change ball i.e, to a frisbee

Make the area bigger (say 15x15m)

Allow team to intercept ball for one point