Bats, Balls, Nets and Walls
Games and Activities that focus on Teaching Games for
Understanding
By Robert Matheson, CIRA Ontario
Background
There is a fundamental shift in thinking about Physical Education in Canada. The ultimate goal is to
stop teaching sports as the end goal. Instead the focus should be on the students. We should be helping
them develop an interest in a healthy, active life. This is done by teaching a variety of games and sports and
focusing on the strategies of the game not on mastery of the skills and winning the game. The Teaching
Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach has been around since the 1980s. It was recently used as the
foundation of the new Ontario H&PE curriculum.
One of the main benefits of this approach is that students get active quickly by playing the game
instead of practicing skills. Students will naturally develop skills and strategic knowledge from playing the
game. Games can be played in smaller groups of students with similar abilities.
A strength of this approach is that games often have tactics, rules, and skills that are transferable.
Due to that, TGfU games have been categorized into four main groups (the top four listed below). Some
Physical Educators have proposed a fifth group that covers games that involve mostly running and evading.
This workshop will focus on the first two categories:
Net and Wall Games
Players generally score points by
propelling an object over a net or
off a wall. The goal is to make it
difficult for the opponent to
return the object.
Striking and Fielding Games
The offensive team scores by
striking an object into the playing
area, trying to make it difficult for
the defensive team to field it.
Territorial Games
Teammates work together to
control an object as they advance
into the other team’s zone. This
gives them the opportunity to
score.
Target Games
Players propel an object at a
target, attempting to score as
many points as possible.
Racing Games
Participants focus on moving
around a course, attempting to complete it in the shortest amount of time. There may be tasks to complete
along the way. Games might also involve evading other players. There are a lot of transferable skills.
Ontario Curriculum Links
Strand A: Active Living
A1. Active Participation – Regular participation, variety, lifelong activity; Enjoyment, motivation
A2. Physical Fitness – Fitness development though daily physical activity
Strand B: Movement Competence: Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
B1. Movement Skills and Concepts - Movement skills – stability, locomotion, manipulation;
Movement concepts – body awareness, effort, spatial awareness, relationships; Movement
principles; B2. Movement Strategies - Components of physical activities; Strategies and tactics in all
physical activities
Living Skills Strand B: Personal Skills – Self-awareness and self-monitoring skills; Interpersonal Skills –
Communication skills, relationship and social skills; Critical and Creative Thinking – Planning, processing,
reflecting/evaluating
“To accommodate different developmental levels and abilities and to maximize participation, it is desirable
to give students an opportunity to learn and apply skills within the context of a modified game or activity.
Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) is a particularly useful child-centred approach of this kind.
Through developmentally appropriate sequencing of activities that are representative of a variety of game
elements, students learn to apply increasingly complex skills and strategies. The learning connected to
movement strategies gives students opportunities to experience versions of activities that are appropriate to
their age and abilities, so that they can recognize the basic concepts in the games or activities, appreciate
their challenges and rules, understand their tactical aspects, and identify movement skills and concepts that
they can apply to many other games and physical activities. This experiential approach gives responsibility to
the teacher to act as facilitator and to maximize participation and fun by making adaptations that optimize
the level of challenge for all participants and by giving students opportunities to make their own adaptations
to the activities. Teachers are encouraged to use open-ended questions to help students explore, discover,
create, and experiment with movement and tactical solutions. Because of its focus on student autonomy,
critical thinking, and learning, this approach gives students valuable preparation for lifelong participation in
physical activities.”
The Ontario Curriculum: Grades 1-8 – Health and Physical Education (2010)
The Games
For the purposes of this presentation, I have chosen to focus on two of the following games from each
category:
Net and Wall Games
Five Lives
Love or Money
Slamball Volleyball
Beat Your Neighbour
Striking and Fielding Games
Who’s Faster?
Tennis Baseball
Whack a Zoo
Catchers vs. Runners
French Cricket
Caterpillar Cricket
High Ball
Throw-Catch-Throw Relay
Hand Ball
Sides
An expanded version of this presentation based on Ontario curriculum is available by email from
[email protected] or the books in the TGfU series can be purchased from CIRA Ontario.
Net and Wall Games
Players generally score points by propelling an object over a net or off a wall. The goal is to
make it difficult for the opponent to return the object. These games are build-up games to net
sports, including tennis, badminton and volleyball. They also lead to more traditional wall
sports such as squash, racquetball and handball. There are strategies and tactics that are similar
in all of these games and the sports that they lead to.
Five Lives
Game Objective - To throw the ball over the net onto the opponent’s side, trying to force the
opponent to lose a life
Strategies and Tactics
 Place an object over the net away from the opponent
 Vary the types of throws (long, short, fast, slow) to make it more difficult for the
opponent
 Cover the space defensively
Equipment – A net (actual net, bench, or mat) and a ball or other object (Gopher ball, utility ball
tennis ball, rubber chicken) for each group of two
Set Up
 Nets are placed in the middle of the gym, forming a long line
 Establish side lines (two paces wide) and end lines (2-4 paces deep)
 Players pair up to and stand on opposite sides of the net
Instructions
 The rally begins with an underhand throw over the net
 If the opponent catches the ball before it hits the ground, she underhand throws it back
and the rally continues
 The ball must be throw within the confined areas
 A player loses a life, if:
1. The ball hits the net
2. The ball is thrown overhand
3. The ball is not caught before it hits the floor
 The winner is the player that gets her opponent to lose all five lives
Variations
 Use a higher net
 Players must throw the ball from where they catch it
 Allow underhand or overhand throws
 Use racquets or paddles
Questions for Understanding
 What height of throw was the most difficult for your opponent to catch?
 What speed of throw was the most effective?
 Why is it important to vary your throws?
 How do you get your opponent to lose a life?
Love or Money
Game Objective – Love – Two players work cooperatively to rally back-and-forth over a net; or
Money – Two players rally competitively, trying to make it difficult for an opponent to return
the object over the net
Strategies and Tactics
 Look for open space on the opponent’s side of the net
 Defend space on your side of the net
 Make it difficult for your opponent to return the object over the net
Equipment – An object that can be thrown (Gopher ball, tennis ball, rubber chicken) or struck;
nets; pickle ball, badminton or tennis racquets
Set Up
 Divide the courts in half, using a net
 One person from each pair on either side of the net
Instructions
 Play starts when the teacher blows the whistle and yells, “Love!” – all the players play
cooperatively and try to sustain the rally
 One player starts the rally by serving it over the net
 The rally continues until the teacher blows the whistle again and yells out, “Money!”
Now the players try to win the rally
 The rally ends when the object lands outside the boundaries, bounces too many times
or fails to clear the net
 Players can then start over, playing for “Love!” until the teacher signals a change in
game again
Variations
 Use racquets and balls instead of throwing an object back-and-forth
 Allow overhand or underhand throws except on serve
 Bump the ball back-and-forth over the net
 Play with two players on each side of the net
Questions for Understanding
 How did your strategy change between playing for “love” and playing for “money”?
 What did you do to try to win the rally?
 Where is the open space on the court?
 How do you try to defend the most space possible?
 How does one throw/hit help you set up the next one?
Slamball Volleyball
Game Objective – To defend your side of the net and keep the ball from landing on your side
Strategies and Tactics
 Defend your space
 Hit the ball to open space on the other side of the net
 Work with your teammates to set up the point
Equipment – Volleyball or other bouncy ball; a net
Set Up
 Set up a regular volleyball court with 6-9 players on each side
 Players will follow a regular volleyball rotation
Instructions
 Play begins when a player serves the ball to the other team
 The player who catches the ball may not move with the ball and has two seconds to
pass it to a teammate (maximum of two passes)
 The ball eventually must be played over the net by spiking it, slamming it or throwing it
so that it hits on the team’s own side and then bounces over the net
 Play continues this way until a team loses the point because the ball landed on its side
or it was unable to successfully play the ball into the other team’s side
 The team that was scored upon starts off the next point
 Players rotate positions on the floor after every point
 Play until one team scores 10 points
Variations
 Play on a badminton court with four players on each side of the net
 Use two balls at the same time
Questions for Understanding
 How do you prepare to catch the ball?
 How do you work as a team to score points?
 How to you catch the other team off guard?
Beat Your Neighbour
Game Objective – To defend your quadrant of the court against your three opponents
Strategies and Tactics
 Defend your space
 Place an object in an area that is difficult for your opponents to defend
 Know your playing boundaries
Equipment – Nets (actual ones or mats/benches); class set of racquets; safety googles as
required; one object per court;
Set Up
 Divide the courts in half, using a net
 Four players per court, two per side as in doubles
 Establish clear boundary lines (badminton court), including between players on the
same side of the net
Instructions
 Play begins with someone serving the badminton shuttle underhand over the net
 The rally continues until someone loses the rally, earning a point
 The rally is lost when the following occurs:
1. The object lands on the floor inside a player’s quadrant
2. The player hits the object outside the boundaries of the court
3. The object is not hit over the net
 The player with the fewest points at the end of the game wins
Variations
 Play without racquets, allowing players to throw a ball over the net into the other
quadrants
 Use the service box on the badminton court as the quadrants, forcing players to hit the
shuttle deep (no drop shots)
 Allow players to hit the shuttle into the quadrant of the player on the same side of the
net
Questions for Understanding
 Where can you place the object to create confusion on the other side of the net?
 What depth is the most difficult for other players to return?
 How do you decide when you need to play the object to defend your area?
High Ball
Game Objective – To toss and catch a ball of a wall and over a space as many times as possible
Strategies and Tactics
 Throw a ball off the wall to a specific area
 Throw the ball above a certain height on the wall
Equipment – Tennis ball or other object that will bounce off the wall
Set Up
 Define a space near the wall with three areas: Player A’s court, a neutral middle court,
and Play B’s court
 Two players stand in their respective courts
Instructions
 Player A throws the ball off the wall so that it goes over the neutral space and Player B
can catch it without the ball hitting the floor
 Player B returns the favour, throwing the ball of the wall back to Player A
 Count how many successful throws each pair can complete in a certain amount of time
Variations
 Use racquets and allow the ball to bounce once before it is hit back
 Add a third player (when throwing only) in the neutral space, who tries to intercept any
of the passes
 Have each player toss a ball off the wall at the same time into the other player’s court
Questions for Understanding
 What angle or trajectory is needed to get the ball to the other court?
 How do you prepare to catch the ball off the wall?
Throw-Catch-Throw Relay
Game Objective – To see how quickly a team can throw a ball off the wall and get out of the
way so that the next player can move in to catch it
Strategies and Tactics
 Move toward the ball and prepare to catch it
 Toss the ball to an area that makes it as easy as possible for a teammate to catch it
Equipment – An object that can be thrown (Gopher ball, tennis ball, utility ball) off the wall and
a pylon or other marker for each group
Set Up
 Place a pylon or other marker four to seven paces from the wall
 Three to four players form a team and line up behind the pylon, the front player holding
the ball
Instructions
 The front player throws the ball so that it bounces against the floor and then off the wall
and then goes to the end of the line
 The second player then moves to the front of the line and tries to catch the ball
 The ball must be caught off the wall with no bounce
 Once the next player catches the ball, she throws it off the floor and against the wall
 The goal is to catch as many passes in a minute
Variations
 Measure how long players can throw the ball of the wall without making an error
 Instead of throwing and catching the ball, have the players strike the ball with an open
hand allowing one bounce before and after it is struck
 Move the line further away from the wall
Questions for Understanding
 What are some of the strategies to increase your team’s success?
 How do you communicate with each other to ensure success?
Hand Ball
Game Objective – Hit a ball with a hand so that it bounces off the floor and then off the wall so
that it cannot be played by an opponent
Strategies and Tactics
 Strike a ball off the floor so that it hits the wall
 Strike it so that it is difficult for an opponent to play the ball
 Defend your space on the court by preparing for the next shot
 Move an opponent around the court
Equipment – A ball that bounces well (tennis ball or utility ball)
Set Up
 Define a playing court that has a wall at the front and two sidelines that are about four
to eight paces wide
 Create an end line that is four to eight paces from the wall
 Two players are on the court at a time, other players can wait in line
 Make a line on the wall about one metre up the wall
Instructions
 Player A hits the ball off the floor and off the wall above the 1-metre line so that Player
B can play it
 Player B hits the ball so that it bounces off the floor and off the wall (above the 1-metre
line)
 Play continues this way until someone makes an error (fails to hit the ball, hits it so it
lands outside the boundaries, hits it so it hits the wall too low). When this happens the
other player scores a point
 Play until someone scores 10 points
Variations
 Play doubles with two players against two other players
Questions for Understanding
 How do you make it more difficult for your opponent to return the ball?
 As a defender, how do best position yourself each time?
Sides
Game Objective – To successfully return a ball against the wall and to a specific court without
the opponent being able to hit the ball back into your court
Strategies and Tactics
 Execute a variety of cross-court shots
 Hit drop shots, lobs, and down the line
 Improve the ability to hit forehand and backhand
Equipment – Tennis balls or small Gopher balls; paddles or racquets
Set Up
 Define lines on the floor neat the wall to form two distinct side-by-side courts
 One player stands in each of these courts
Instructions
 Player A in square 1 starts by serving the ball off the wall and into square 2
 Player B tries to hit the ball back into square 1 after no more than one bounce
 Play continues this way until one of the players makes an error, such as:
1. Hitting the ball after a second bounce
2. Not hitting the ball so that it strikes the wall directly
3. Failing to hit the ball so that it lands in the opponent’s square
 Players score points when the opponent makes an error and start the next point by
serving
 Play until someone earns seven points
 Switch squares after every two points, allowing players to work on backhands and
forehands
Variations
 Play without racquets, players throw the ball or strike the ball into the other court
 Play cooperatively to see how many consecutive hits can be made
 Play doubles with two players alternating turns in each square
Questions for Understanding
 Where do you try to hit the ball to give yourself an advantage?
 When is it best to hit it deep as opposed to short?
 Where should you stand to be in the best position to hit the ball as it comes off the
wall?
 Which side of the court is easier for you to play on?
Striking and Fielding Games
Generally these games are played by two opposing teams. One is on offence and one is on
defence at a time. The offensive team scores by striking an object into the playing area, trying
to make it difficult for the defensive team to field it. The defensive team tries to cover as much
of the field as possible to make it difficult for the batting team to score.
Who’s Faster?
Game Objective – The striking team kicks a ball into the field, trying to score a point by running
a lap of the gym before the fielding team returns the ball home
Strategies and Tactics
 Striking Team: Kick to open space, run around bases
 Fielding Team: Cover the field, retrieve the ball, work together with teammates,
communicate together
Equipment – Gopher Ball or indoor soccer ball, four pylons or bases
Set Up
 Put the pylons on each corner of a volleyball court if playing in a gym
 Divide the players into teams of 5-6
 The strikers line up along the wall at one end of the gym, each will bat once
 The fielders spread out around the gym
Instructions
 The fielding team (or the teacher) rolls the ball to the striker
 The striker kicks the ball forward (fair territory) to an open space and runs either
direction around the pylons
 The fielding team retrieves the kicked ball and all of the players get in a line and pass the
ball over/under to the end of the line.
 If the runner completes the lap before the fielders finish over/under, the team scores a
run. Otherwise the batter is out.
Variations
 Do not switch after three outs, let all players bat before having teams switch
 The fielding team has to kick a ball into a net near home plate to record the out
 Have the batter kick a stationary ball into play
 Allow players to stop at second base and wait to score when the next batter kicks the
ball into play
Questions for Understanding
 As a striker, where is the best place to kick the ball?
 Does it change depending on where the fielding team is standing?
 How does the fielding team adjust depending on the batter?
 What are some strategies to complete the over/under as quickly as possible?
Tennis Baseball
Game Objective – The striking team hits a ball into play and tries to score runs by rounding the
bases.
Strategies and Tactics
 Striking Team: Hit the ball into open space, run around bases
 Fielding Team: Cover the field, retrieve the ball, work together with teammates,
communicate together, record outs
Equipment – Small Gopher Ball or whiffle ball, four pylons or bases, tennis racquet, batting tee
Set Up
 The main field is set up just like a baseball diamond
 The fielders can spread out in traditional positions in the infield and outfield
 The batting team comes to bat one at a time
Instructions
 Divide the players into two teams: striking and fielding teams
 The pitcher throws the ball so that the batter can hit it into play with a tennis racquet
 The batter has three chances (strikes or fouls) to hit the ball into play
 Once the ball is hit, the striker runs around the bases, avoiding being tagged by the
fielding team
 Same rules as baseball apply, the batter can strike out, get thrown out, get tagged out,
or is out when the ball is caught in the air
Variations
 Do not switch after three outs, let all players bat before having teams switch
 Have the batter strike the ball off a tee into play
Questions for Understanding
 As a striker, where is the best place to hit the ball?
 As a fielder, how do you communicate with teammates to avoid confusion or collisions?
 As a runner, how do decide when to stop to avoid running into an out?
 As a fielder, how do you get the runners to stop at a base or try to get an out?
Whack a Zoo
Game Objective – To hit a ball with a bat and then run across the gym and back, trying to score
a point for the team, while the fielding team tries to tag the striker out
Strategies and Tactics
 Striking Team: Hit the ball into open space, run to score runs
 Fielding Team: Cover the field, retrieve the ball, work together with teammates,
communicate together, record outs
Equipment – Three Gopher Balls, foam baseball bat, a baseball-sized Gopher Ball, home plate,
hula hoop, batting tee
Set Up
 Set up home plate and one end of the gym
 Put the hula hoop with the three balls or beanbags or rubber creatures at the other end
of the gym
 The fielders can spread out in the playing field
 The batting team comes to bat one at a time
Instructions
 Divide the players into two teams: striking and fielding teams
 The pitcher throws the ball so that the batter can hit it into play with the foam bat
 The batter has three chances (strikes or fouls) to hit the ball into play
 Once the ball is hit, the striker runs to the end of the gym to retrieve one of the balls
from the hula hoop and brings it back to home plate
 The batter continues to run back-and-forth, trying to retrieve all three balls until she is
out
 The fielding team retrieves the hit ball and tries to get the batter out by touching the
batter with the ball or hitting the batter below the waist with the ball
 Everyone on the striking team gets a turn to hit and bring back balls back to try to score
as many runs as possible before the teams switch sides
 Every ball that is brought back to home plate counts as a run for the batting team
Variations
 Switch after three outs
 Have the batter strike the ball off a tee into play
 Allow a striker to stop in the hula hoop and wait for the next batter
Questions for Understanding
 As a striker, where is the best place to hit the ball?
 As a fielder, how do you communicate with teammates to avoid confusion or collisions?
 What works best as a fielder, trying to throw the ball at the striker or to a closer
teammate?
 How do you decide when it is safe to run back or not?
Catchers vs. Runners
Game Objective – To improve the catching and running skills of the players in a cricket-style
relay game
Strategies and Tactics
 Striking Team: Crease the bat (a cricket-specific skill)
 Fielding Team: Stay low to field the catch from a teammate, make accurate throws
Equipment – One baseball-sized ball, two cricket bats, and four cones or lines
Set Up
 Establish two batting creases 15 steps apart using the cones
 The running team lines up in the corner with two bat at the front of the line
 The fielding team forms a circle (10-step diameter) in a different part of the playing area
with each player at least two steps apart
Instructions
 One of the fielders starts with the ball and will count all of the successful catches
 Fielders throw the ball to each other in a clockwise direction around the circle. Each
clean catch counts as one point
 Runners must “crease” the bat by lowering it and touching the ground beyond the
crease at the other end and then turning and returning back to the starting crease
 When the runner creases the bat back at the starting end, the next runner goes
 When all of the runners have gone, they shout “stop” and the fielding team adds up all
of their catches
 The teams switch roles and the highest scoring team wins
Variations
 Have multiple games going on at the same time by making smaller teams
Questions for Understanding
 How do you make sure you “crease” the bat properly?
 What do you do with your hands and body to make sure that you catch the ball?
French Cricket
Game Objective – Players work on defensive batting to avoid LBW (Leg Before Wicket) by
blocking the ball with the bat while the fielders work strategically to try to hit the batter’s legs
below the knees
Strategies and Tactics
 Striking Team: Block the ball with the bat, protect your legs
 Fielding Team: Good footwork, proper throwing technique, working together with
teammates, communicating together
Equipment – Small Gopher Ball, cricket bat
Set Up
 Each group of six players will need its own open space of eight steps by eight steps
 Five players form a circle around the batter
 The batter is in the middle of the circle with a cricket bat
Instructions
 The batter uses the cricket bat to prevent others in the group from hitting her leg below
the knee with the ball
 The batter cannot dodge the ball, she can only block it with the bat. No aggressive
swinging of the bat
 The fielder with the ball cannot move, but can pass to other fielders
 The other fielders can move slightly to get better angles to throw at the batter, but must
stay at least five steps from the batter
 The players try to throw the ball so that it hits the batter in the legs
 A fielder who hits the batter in the legs or catches a blocked ball in the air becomes the
new batter
Variations
 Increase the size of the circle
 Decrease the size of the ball
 Have two batters in the circle and more balls on the outside
 Have batters rotate after a certain number of throws or set a time limit
Questions for Understanding
 How do you decide to position yourself as a fielder?
 What do you do to prevent a LBW?
Caterpillar Cricket
Game Objective – The striking team hits a ball into play and tries to score as many runs as
possible while the fielding team tries to limit the runs scored
Strategies and Tactics
 Striking Team: Hit the ball into open space, run around bases
 Fielding Team: Cover the field, retrieve the ball, work together with teammates,
communicate together, record outs
Equipment – Small Gopher Ball or tennis ball, five pylons, a short batting tee (pylon), a cricket
bat, one wicket
Set Up
 See diagram
Instructions
 Divide the players into two teams: striking and fielding teams
 The batting team lines up in the designated area (see diagram)
 The fielding team spreads out behind the target line
 Batters take turns striking the ball off a short tee past the target line
 The batter then runs through the starting gate and is followed in a line by the whole
batting team
 After returning to the line, the batter will go to the end of the line and the next batter
comes up
 The batting team does not run if the ball does not cross the target line or the ball is
caught in the air
 Once the ball crosses the target line, it is fielded by a player and the fielding team forms
a line behind the first fielder. The ball is passed overhead in a straight line to the fifth
player, who then runs to touch the ball against the wicket
 The number of batters who make it through the scoring gate before the ball is touched
on the wicket determines the number of runs that score for that turn
Variations
 Increase or decrease the number of fielders who must touch the ball
 Increase the distance to be run by moving the box
 Regularly involve all of the fielders by naming specific players who must touch the ball
on a particular turn
 Instead of hitting from a tee, the teacher tosses the ball to the batter so that it bounces
once before reaching the batter
Questions for Understanding
 As a striker, where is the best place to hit the ball?
 As a fielder, how do you communicate with teammates to avoid confusion or collisions?
 Where did you decide to position yourself in the field?
 How is this type of swing different than with a baseball bat?