Invasion Games

Hockey, Rugby, Football, Handball, Basketball, Netball, Korfball, American Football, Gaelic Football, Hurling, Camogie, Shinty, Lacrosse, Ice Hockey, Polo, Ultimate Frisbee and many more....... 

Principles of Invasion Games

• Keep/regain possession of the ball.
• Create space to move into other team's half.
• Score more points than other team to win.

General Games

Children should be given opportunities to use different equipment from the range of invasion games so that they make links between the games.

Children should work in small group of 4/5 to ensure everyone can get involved.

Basic practices can be set up in different areas for example:

• Area 1 - Basketballs
• Area 2 - Rugby balls
• Area 3 - Hockey sticks and balls
• Area 4 - Footballs

Practices could involve:

• Passing co-operatively
• Passing and moving to space with an attacking overload (3v2)
• Trying to move around a defender - keeping possession

Practices should always have elements that are found in the games - passing, receiving, throwing, catching, travelling in different ways, passing/moving into space, moving past defence, trying to score.

Attack and Defence 4 v1

Children need to be in group of 5 for this game. The idea of the game is that there will be four attackers and one defender.

Mark out an area with small cones to form a square. The four attackers should stay outside the area and the defender stays inside the area. To score a point the attacker must make a pass across the square. If the defender intercepts the pass he or she swaps with the attacker who made that pass.

Encourage the pupils to be honest about playing the game and keeping their individual score. After a suitable interval, stop the game and see in each group who has the most points.

Pupils could also play the game with group competing against group to make six successful passes without being intercepted by a defender. The first group to do this should all sit on the floor with their arms folded to show they have finished.

Using Width

Mark out a small-sized pitch with two channels down each side that are 2 metres wide. Tell the children that in this game as soon as a player is passed to while in one of the channels all other players must move out of the channel leaving the player alone to run with the ball.

Encourage the children to take the ball or pass to someone in the channels because players cannot be tackled in the channels. No one can score from the channels but must pass the ball for a team mate to try and score.

Steal (Upper Primary Game - implementing all invasion principles)

Divide into two teams e.g. one is the green team and another is the red team. Each player gets a band (all members of same team get the same colour) and tucks it in to the side of their shorts. Place two hoops, of corresponding colours, at each end of hall/room and put some beanbags in each hoop.

Each team is then given a designated area, usually half of the room. The aim of the game is for each team member to attempt to cross into their opponents half of the room to collect a beanbag from the hoop. Only one beanbag can be taken at a time, and no beanbags or bands can be thrown. The winning team is the one that has all the beanbags in their hoop.