Improving Physical Literacy in Intermediate grades using TGfU –
Fielding and Striking Games
Presented by Sandi Lavery and Jodie Pickering, Department of Kinesiology, COTR, BC
Prior to playing these TGfU games, students will have acquired the basic skills of throwing, catching and batting.
These games will introduce some strategic skills to develop tactical awareness in baseball or softball. The first 2
application games will be developing skills in base running and tagging. A third game will further develop strategic
batting skills. Group numbers will be kept at 6-8 which will allow students to have a greater opportunity to have
greater “Touch Time” (equipment handling skills). The ideal number is 3 students competing against another 3
students. Each group will play their own game, allowing all students to participate fully. Always use S.T.E.P. to
extend or simplify the game as needed. TGfU games work best when the game is stopped every 5-8 minutes and
asked questions about strategies to improve play.
For example:
Offense: What does the runner need to think of?
Defense: “How do we get players out on base”? What do the players at the base need to think of?
Review: Objectives in Fielding Games:
Offense: Batting/Striking & Scoring Team
Aim: Score Runs/ Run and steal bases
Placement: Accuracy and placement of the
ball hit
Strategy/Tactic: Avoid getting out (i.e. speed
and agility)
Defense: Fielding Team
Aim: Stop Scoring Runs
Placement: Make the ball difficult to hit (i.e. strike
batters out)
Spread fielders out to retrieve hit ball better
Strategy/Tactic: Get the runners out
A further breakdown of Striking/Scoring skills students will begin to improve:
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Demonstrate preparation (ready position), movement (especially feet), and communication with team mates
Demonstrate foot placement when striking, and eye movement (tracking ball)
Demonstrate ball placement to reduce defense advantage (ie. direction, level and force)
Demonstrate running agility and foot placement (base tagging)
Demonstrate safe running, dodging and sliding techniques
A further breakdown of Fielding skills students will begin to improve:
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Demonstrate preparation (ready position), movement (especially feet), and communication with team mates
Demonstrate fielder placement to reduce offence advantage
Demonstrate ways to send and receive a ball with control individually and with others
Demonstrate proper technique to receive (i.e. catch) an object while adjusting to varying speeds and
different level
Demonstrate safe use of equipment and facilities to avoid putting self and others at risk
Equipment: Whistle, Bin of splatz/spots, various sizes of soft balls, 10 small cones,1 baseball bat
**Always adapt games to the learners needs – Use S.T.E.P ( Change up Space, Task, Equipment, People)
IPLC 2017 - April 12, 2017
TGfU -Fielding and Striking Games:
1. Stealing bases:
Equip: 3 spots/splatz, and one soft ball
How to play: Lay 3 spots out on the floor in a triangle formation. They should be about 15 ft
apart. You will have 6 players playing per layout. Three people will be running bases, while 3
people will be trying to get the runners out. The defenders will try to tag a runner out by
tagging them with a ball. The defense must pass the ball between them, not to mention
communicate. For every switch the runners do, they get a point. They try to get 10 points
before the defenders get 3 out. To make this game harder, or easier, change the size of the
ball, change the distances of the spots, and put in another spot so there are 4 bases.
2. Running the Line:
Equip: 3 hula hoops, over 12-15 beanbags a marked off line (using cones or splatz)
How to play: Arrange the floor similar to the diagram. There will be 2 people
defending on one side of the line, and 2 people defending the other side of the
line. Two runners will have the ball, at the base of the set-up. Defenders are not
allowed to go on the opposite side of the line to tag a person out. Defenders are
allowed to pass the ball amongst all defenders. The defenders must try to tag the
runner out with the ball before the runner steals a beanbag and get home. To start
the game, 1 runner will throw the ball (within the boundaries) and then proceed to
run to a hoop and grab a beanbag, and run home before he gets tagged, The runner can also go for another bean bag
if they want to. Runners are allowed to be on either side of the line. Once both runners have a few turns each, they
should switch with a pair of defenders. You can also play this game until the runners have 3 out or they get 10
beanbags. Teams should rotate.
3. Batter’s Up:
Equip: 4 large cones, 4 small cones, bat, small ball
How to Play: 2 people will start as the batters, while the other 4 people will be the
fielders. One batter will go first, and predict what base he can get to, and back.
Each base is worth 1 to 4 points, respectively. If the batter can hit the ball, get to
the predicted base and home without being tagged, he will get the points. The
fielders retrieve the ball, and must pass it to other fielders to get the batters out.
The fielders cannot take more than 1 step while holding the ball. Rotate and allow
other groups at bat.
Additional Tactical Awareness Components bring in:
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Space
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Time
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Force
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Where should an object be placed in the area of play?
Where should a player be going in the area of play based on the placement of the object?
When do you execute a skill within a game?
When do you create time to throw or to move?
When do you try to reduce an opponent’s time?
How much force should you apply on an object for height, directional control, and distance?
How do you apply force on an object for height, directional control, and distance?
IPLC 2017 - April 12, 2017