Minor Games resource

By Sarah Heath and Jess Chirnside

Rationale

The reason we chose ultimate Frisbee as our focus sport is that it is a sport that people don’t often play on a regular basis or have not played much in the past. It involves skills that are specific to the sport with the throwing and catching of a Frisbee. These skills are not often taught in a school setting, which is why we felt it was a good sport to choose. People often have no idea about the actual rules of the sport and in some cases don’t even know the sport exists.

The minor games we have chosen for our resource all focus on the fundamental skills of Ultimate Frisbee and modified versions of the rules. From the following minor games students will learn skills of catching and throwing. They would learn the difference between throwing for distance or accuracy. For example we chose games such as Frisbee golf and bocce to increase the students ability to throw for accuracy. Where as Frisbee tennis requires students to throw the Frisbee further, working on their skills when throwing for distance. With a combination of these games students should develop a high enough skill level to move onto a whole unmodified game of ultimate Frisbee.

VELS

Level 5 & 6 Developing pathways in health and physical education.

They are introduced to new sports that require the learning of new skills, or the adaptation of previously learnt skills in new contexts, and implement ways to improve the quality of their own performance.

We felt that this VELS related to ultimate Frisbee because it is not a very common game that is played and not many students would know how to execute the skills required in the game. There are many drills that are out there which can go from simply just throwing a Frisbee to more complex drills that bring in some of the tactics and problem solving that are involved in ultimate Frisbee and which can be used as minor games and give students a better understanding.

Students demonstrate proficiency in the execution of manipulative and movement skills during complex activities.

Because Ultimate Frisbee is not a sport often used in the PE curriculum many students would be unaware of how to correctly pass and catch with a Frisbee. By using the minor games that we have chosen we are hopefully improving the students execution of the skill and how to involve these movements in a game situation. When playing a game of ultimate Frisbee throwing the Frisbee is obviously a skill that you would need to be incredibly competent at so that other more complex elements of the game such as problem solving can be concentrated on.

Students examine the perceptions of challenge, risk and safety in a variety of settings. They examine strategies that promote safety, including those associated with the workplace

Ultimate Frisbee can be quite a dangerous sport when not conducted in a safe and appropriate manor. By involving some of the drills and skills that we have in our lesson plan it is giving students a better understanding of the risks involved in a sport like this and how to play in a safe manor. For example students will become aware of just how difficult it is to accurately throw a Frisbee without it hitting someone who is unaware in the face.

Activities

Captain Disk

Equipment

· 16 cones

· 4 Frisbees

Activity

· Line up in the 4 teams with one main thrower out the front on the line and the other players on the cones lined up one behind the other facing the thrower.

· Main thrower passes the Frisbee to the person on the first cone who throws the Frisbee back then ducks down.

· Main thrower then throws the Frisbee to the person on the 2nd cone who throws it back and ducks down.

· This continues until the Frisbee reaches the person at the last cone who runs with the Frisbee to the front of the line replaces the main thrower and everyone shuffles back a cone.

· Game continues until everybody has had a go at being the main thrower.

· Winning team is the team who is sitting down first having completed the game

Safety Considerations

· Making sure Frisbees only thrown from neck down

· Cones not to close together

· Frisbees all thrown in same direction

· No obstacles in way of person running from last cone.

Cues

· Flick wrist when throwing Frisbee

· Follow through with arm in direction Frisbee is meant to go

· step forward

Modifications

· Start using a smaller Frisbee so it is harder to catch and goes faster.

· Move cones so it is a further distance to throw.

Disc Golf

2 players

Equipment

· 1 Frisbee

Activity

· Played just like normal golf except with Frisbees.

· Set up holes/targets wherever possible in the space provided.

· Student throws the Frisbee at the intended target from a certain start point.

· Alternate between pairs taking one shot after the other person

· Each shot must be taken from behind where previous shot landed.

· Aim is to reach target in the minimum number of shots.

Safety Considerations

· Making sure that Frisbee is not going to be getting in the way of other peoples games

· Do not play game in a highly populated area where people can get hit.

· Make sure when one partner has there turn the other is standing clear.

Cues

· Flick wrist when throwing Frisbee

· Don’t throw Frisbee too high

· Smaller movements create greater accuracy.

Modifications

· If possible play outside and make targets something complex like the trunk of a certain tree

· Play with smaller Frisbees so as harder to hit the target.

· Create barriers that the Frisbee is required to go around.

Frisbee Tennis

Equipment

· 1 Frisbee

· 8 cones

· Tennis net

Activity

· Have 2 teams of 6 on either side of a Tennis court net.

· Team 1 would start with the Frisbee and the aim is to get the Frisbee to go over the net and land somewhere in the other teams area without them catching it.

· If the Frisbee does manage to land without being caught it is a point to team 1.

· Team 2 then has a go at trying to land the Frisbee in team 1’s area.

· The Frisbee can only be thrown a min of 3 times between team members before being thrown over the net otherwise it is a point and turn around for the other team.

· The team with the most points after a desired time period wins.

Safety Considerations

· Make sure the Frisbee is not thrown directly and purposefully at someone.

· Make sure there are no obstacles on the court

· Remind students to be aware of each other when chasing down the Frisbee.

Cues

· Accurate throwing of the Frisbee with flicked wrist and follow through.

· Be aware of which way the sun is shining to make sure that one team is not always at a disadvantage.

· Frisbee only able to land in certain area (so no massive throws)

Modifications

· Bring in a rule that it has to be passed to everyone before being thrown over the net.

· Have a certain time limit that the team has to get under when having their throw over the net e.g. can be timed out

· Static players, unable to move around to try and catch Frisbee, enhances need for accuracy.

Modified Ultimate Frisbee

Equipment

· 1 Frisbee

· Colour bands

· 2 soccer goals

Activity:

· Have 2 teams of ten, with only five from each team on the playing court at once. The other five line themselves up spread out along a sideline.

· The aim of the game is to throw the Frisbee into the soccer goal.

· The game starts with one team holding the Frisbee in the centre circle of a netball court.

· They then pass it around and attempt to score in their soccer net.

· Rules are similar to netball. There is a 3 feet rule and also the player is not allowed to run with the Frisbee.

· After a goal is scored the other team gets to start with the Frisbee from the end of the court.

· Players are not allowed within the netball circle.

· Players along the sideline are allowed to receive and throw the Frisbee to their team.

· After a few minutes of play swap the players from the sidelines with the players on the court.

Safety considerations:

· Be careful that students do not aim the Frisbee at anyone above shoulder level.

· Make sure there is no contact or rough play between students.

· Get students to be careful not to collide with each other when going for the Frisbee by calling for it.

Cues:

· For short accurate passing make sure you flick the wrist

· Going for larger throws may decrease accuracy of the throw.

Modifications:

· Add in a goalie to make scoring harder

· Increase the distance from where they are allowed to shoot from, for example, the basketball 3-point line.

· Make every player on the court touch the Frisbee before a goal can be attempted

· Create a rule that the Frisbee must be passed boy, girl, boy, girl, etc.

Holding the Frisbee

Equipment:

· 1 Frisbee

· 4 cones

Activity:

· Create a 20 by 20 meter square with the cones

· There are two teams of four

· Each team gets three minutes to be the attackers

· The aim of the game is to keep the Frisbee off the other team

· Every time there is a turnover of the Frisbee, the defensive team gets a point

· The Frisbee is then returned to the offensive team and they begin again

· Players are allowed to hold the Frisbee for a maximum of ten seconds

· Players cannot run with the Frisbee.

· Once the three minutes is up, teams change roles

· Teams keep score, whichever team made the most turnovers wins

Safety considerations:

· Make sure students do not aim the Frisbee directly at a persons head

· If playing with more than one game in the area, make students aware of Frisbees flying in from other groups.

Cues:

· Flick the wrist to cause spin on the disk

· When catching aim to catch with two hands as it is a more reliable catching technique

Modifications:

· Make the area smaller or bigger

· Decrease the amount of time the player is able to hold the disk, for example 7 seconds

· Remove the scoring system and when a turnover occurs, possession of the Frisbee goes to the other team

Bocce Frisbee

Equipment:

· 5 Frisbees

· 1 cone

Activity:

· The five players line up on a designated spot, for example, the baseline of a basketball court.

· A cone is placed 15 meters out in front of the line of players

· The aim of the game is to throw the Frisbee and get it to land as close as possible to the cone.

· One player throws at a time.

· The person that gets their Frisbee closest to the cone wins

Safety considerations

· Ensure students leave a safe distance behind the person that is throwing the Frisbee.

· Make sure no one is in front of the line for throwing

· Get everyone to collect their Frisbees at the same time

Cues:

· Flick the wrist to gain accuracy

· Do not aim the Frisbee high as this will decrease accuracy

· Take a small step forward when throwing

References

Victorian curriculum and assessment authority, state government of Victoria, 2007.Victorian essential learning standards. http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au

Games modified from http://www.afda.com/juniors/games.htm