Multiskills – Small Ball Unit Plan
Skill Specific Ideas and Activities for Catching
Learning Objectives
SKILL: CATCHING & RECEIVING
Be able to catch balls/objects from varying heights
and distances.
Be able to move towards the ball in order to receive
a pass/throw or striked ball.

Piggy in the Middle (catching and
passing)
Set-up:
Small balls.
Groups of three, with one ball per group.
Activity:
Two players pass and catch the ball between them
and the other player tries to intercept.
If successful, the intercepting player changes places
with the thrower.
Passes must be below reach height, bounce pass are
allowed.
Key Characteristics
Catching:
 keep eyes on the ball
 move body directly in the path of the ball
 hands form a ‘cup’ position
 fingers spread to receive the ball
 thumbs in for balls above the waist
 thumbs out for balls below the waist
 have a wide base of support
 pull the ball/object into your body

Passing in Circles (catching and passing)
Set-up:
Large round or oval balls.
Groups of four–seven, with one ball per group
Each group forms a circle in a grass or hard area.

Rolling Rounders (under/overarm
throwing and catching)
Set-up:
One ball, three markers and one base.
On a smooth surface area, two markers (A and B)
are placed on a line, a third marker (C) forms a
Activity 1:
triangle; outside it is a base (D).
Running circle pass:
Two teams of six–eight each.
Player 1, standing in the centre with the ball, throws The ‘’throwing’ team lines up between A and B
to the other players as they jog around the circle,
The ‘fielding’ team spreads out in front, with one
and each player returns the pass.
player on D.
Player 1 can change the direction of the jog or
throw in any sequence.
Activity:
Alternatively; player 1 could roll or bounce pass it
The first player in the ‘throwing’ team throws the
ball anywhere in front of the line, then leads the
Activity 2:
team, running in order round the markers A, C, B
Circle gap passing:
until the fielding team calls ‘Stop’.
Player 1 stands in the centre with a ball, with five– Fielders field the ball and throws it to the player at
six other players in a surrounding circle.
Player 7 runs around the outside of the circle,
receiving and passing back to Player 1 in each gap
between two players.
Once a full circle has been completed changed
players.
Activity 3:
In and out:
Player 2 stands in the centre, with five–six other
players in a surrounding circle.
Player 1, starting with the ball, passes to Player 2,
then runs to the centre.
Player 2 passes to Player 3, then follows to Player
3’s place.
Player 3 passes to Player 1, then goes to the centre.
Player 1 passes to Player 4, then goes to Player 4’s
place, etc.

Popcorn (overarm/underarm throwing
and catching)

Scatterball (overarm throwing and
catching)
Set up:
X1 bucket or hoop per team with 10-15 tennis balls
in it.
Groups of five-eight players.
One player is the ‘popcorn maker’ and stands next
to the bucket of balls.
The other players are the fielders and space out in
the field.
Set-up:
Three small balls, markers/cones, a bucket/base
Two teams of approx five-eight players/team
The fielding team is spread out in the field with one
designated ‘reciever’.
The throwing team is behind a line with three balls.
Two markers/cones are placed infront of the
‘throwers’ line and are approx 3m apart.
Activity:
The ‘popcorner maker’ throws balls out to the
fielders in quick succession.
Fielders must try and catch as many balls within a
time period (ie 2mins).
Activity:
The first thrower throws the three balls one after the
other, then runs round the markers until ‘Stop’ is
called.
Each time round the marker is a ‘run’.
Fielders return the balls to a designated ‘retriever’,
who puts them on the retriever’s base or in a bucket
Fielders are required to count their points from their
D who calls ‘Stop’ when holding the ball with a
foot on the base.
A point is scored for each member of the
‘throwing’ team who passes B before ‘Stop’ is
called.
The next player then rolls.
Rules: fielders may not run with the ball, the ball
must be throwen at all times, change over when all
‘throwers’ have had a turn.

Long Ball (underarm throwing and
catching)
Set-up:
One small ball, one short implement (bat/racquet),
six markers and team bands/bibs.
The field is approx 10m long, with a baseline at
each end (marked with cones)
Two teams of approx six–eight players each
The batting team is lined up safely back behind the
baseline.
The fielding team is scattered out in the field, with
one member as the pitcher.
Activity:
The pitcher underarm bowls to the batter, who
attempts to hit the ball.
The batter then tries to score a ‘run’ by running to
the far line and back.
catches;
20 points = ball caught on full
10 points = ball caught with one hand no bounces
5 points = ball caught with one hand and one
bounce
Fielding players must constantly return the balls to
the bucket as quickly as possible during the game in
order to keep the game going.
After 2 mins swap over the ‘popcorn makers’.
and calls out ‘Stop’when all three balls are
returned.
Rules:
-The fielding team is not allowed to begin
collecting the balls until all the balls have been
thrown.
-The fielding team is not allowed to move with the
ball and must therefore pass it amongst themselves
in order to get it back to the ‘reciever’.
-Once all team members have had a go and their
‘runs’ have been addeed up the teams swap over.
They may wait as long as they like behind the far
line for a chance to return.
The fielders try to get the other team ‘out’ by
tagging a ‘runner’ with the ball.
A fielder may throw the ball to another fielder
nearer to the batter in an attempt to do this.
The batting team is out if:
-a running batter is hit with the ball
-a fielder catches a hit on the full
-a batter hits the ball over the sidelines on the full
-a running batter goes over either of the sidelines
Other rules:
-fielders may not hold the ball for more than 3
seconds
-once a waiting runner puts a foot into the field of
play, they must run
When there is an ‘out’, the teams change over.

Scoring a Tonne
Set-up:
Balls, bats/tennis racquet and tees.
Groups of five–six, with a tee and three balls per
group.
A batter stands at the tee or a cone, and the other
players spread out as fielders in a large grass area.
Activity:
The batter keeps hitting the balls in quick
succession, while fielders gain points (e.g. catch on
the full = 50; catch on the first bounce = 20;
fielding a ball = 10). When a fielder scores 50 or
100, that fielder becomes the batter.
Alternative: If there are no tees available, the batter
must just self serve the ball.

Eden Ball (aka ‘4 square’) (catching)

Force Back (overarm throwing and
catching)
Set-up:
Balls that bounce, hoops or ‘4 square grid’ drawn
on the ground (chalk).
Hard surface area on which four hoops are arranged
4 metres apart – adjust distance according to ability.
Groups of approx four–five
One ball per group
One player stands behind each hoop or square.
Set-up:
Small balls or beanbags (one/pair).
Similarly skilled pairs, with one ball per pair.
Large grass area or netball court.
Each partner faces the other at an equal distance
from a centre line (approx 5-8m away from each
other).
Activity:
The server stands behind circle 4 and bounces the
ball into any other players hoop/square.
The player covering that hoop must catch the ball
after the first bounce, then bounce it into another
hoop/square.
The game continues until a player bounces the ball
Activity:
One partner throws the ball as far as they can
towards the other.
The retriever catches or stops the ball and returns
the throw from that spot.
This continues until the stronger thrower has forced
the other back to the end of the area.
outside a hoop or the player receiving the ball drops The successful player then wins the game and
the ball and is ‘out’.
recieves a ‘point’ the they go back and start again.
When ‘out’, the player either move to a waiting line
or squares/hoops can be numbered 1-4, the top
being square/hoop number 1.
If ‘out’ they move to number 4 square/hoop and the
other player rotate up the squares/hoops.
The aim is to progress to and stay in hoop 1.
Rules:
-on the line is in
-one step in any direction is allowed from where the
ball is caught
-the ball must bounce above knee height