Play Principles and Tactics for Team Games

1. Activities Principles of play and tactics

2. Aims of the lesson • To be aware of the different principles of play in attack and defence. • Understand when you would use them in a team game set-up • Introduce basic tactics using standard grade activity examples – pupils to understand how they can exploit strengths and weakness • Pupils to use their own examples for different activities.

3. Principles of play • Strategies and tactics within activities • A strategy is a plan of action made before a game is played. You need to employ strategy to be successful. In football, the 442 Formation is a strategy. • In competitive team games strategies and tactics can be improved by applying principles of play.

4. Principles of play • There are 2 main principles of play when attacking: • Width in attack • Depth in attack

5. Width in attack • players spread out across the area in order to pull defenders out and create space to play through the middle.

6. Depth in attack • players spread out up and down the area in order to pull defenders out of position and create passing options and support for each other.

7. Principles of play • There are two main defending principles of play: • Delay in defence • Depth in defence

8. Delay in defence • a player puts pressure on the ball carrier to slow down their play. This provides more time for their team-mates to get organised.

9. Depth in defence • a second defender moves behind the defender who is pressuring the ball to support them if they're beaten.

10. Tactics • Tactics means to take advantage of your opponent's weakness and utilise your strengths to win a point or game. During any competitive game you'll need to consider tactics and they can change during the activity. • Tactics will often depend upon the time left and the score in the game.

11. Badminton example • Attacking players in badminton will always try to get to the shuttle as early as possible, they will try to force their opponent to play the shuttle up high – to hit a fast downwards shot. • Defensive players in badminton are best at playing a range of shots- their aim is to move their opponent around the court, therefore they are less likely to return an attacking downward shot.

12. Consider the following: • In badminton my opponent has a weak backhand • The striker in our football team is over 6 ft tall • Our basketball team are very slow and we are playing a fast, agile team. • Our football team are winning 1-0 with 10 mins of play to go. • I am running a middle distance event and have a very strong finish.