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New
New
Year 3

Attacking and defending in small sided games

I can use and apply my understanding of attacking and defending as part of a team in order to outwit the opposition in games.

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New
New
Year 3

Attacking and defending in small sided games

I can use and apply my understanding of attacking and defending as part of a team in order to outwit the opposition in games.

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Lesson guide

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: moving quickly to space and passing accurately enables us to keep possession, creating shooting chances.
  2. Move: when defending, being close and following the attackers' movements enables us to successfully mark the opposition.
  3. Think: knowing the difference between attacking and defending demonstrates a strong understanding of the game.
  4. Feel: striving to apply our best throughout the game, even if our team is losing, requires the determination to succeed.
  5. Connect: collaborating with our team and the opposition demonstrates respect and supports everyone to enjoy the game.

Keywords

  • Defending - trying to prevent the opposition from scoring when not in possession

  • Attacking - trying to score points against the opposition when in possession

  • Opposition - the other team that we are playing against and trying to beat

Common misconception

Pupils get frustrated if they aren't winning. Pupils panic and rush decisions around passing and shooting, focusing more on the competition.

Award points for pupils and teams that show respect and apply determination throughout. Encourage pupils to take their time and consider the options before passing or shooting so they don't lose possession.

The explanation is long in this lesson as the pupils will be applying all of the points through games. Therefore, it might be better to drip feed some of the points in throughout the games. Have a range of balls and targets so you can challenge pupils to switch focus and context.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

30+ cones, 1 ball per group of 8

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

4 Questions

Q1.
What word describes our role when we are in possession?
Correct answer: attacking
defending
resting
Q2.
What word describes our role when we are not in possession?
attacking
Correct answer: defending
resting
Q3.
When should we strive to achieve our best in games?
never
sometimes
Correct answer: always
Q4.
Why are respect and collaboration important when working in teams?
to argue
to lose
Correct answer: to be successful

4 Questions

Q1.
What moment in a game represents a transition between attacking and defending?
Correct answer: when possession changes
when we stop
at the end
Q2.
What is another way of describing the other team?
attackers
Correct answer: opposition
defenders
Q3.
If we are losing, what should we do in a game?
give up
Correct answer: apply maximum effort
get frustrated
Q4.
Why do we have to respect the opposition in a game?
so they win
so they lose
Correct answer: for fairness and fun