Teaching games tactically in physical education

Practical workshop delivered by Josh Holt

PGCE, secondary physical education programme

University of Southampton

5 October 2010

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the workshop and your own study/ research you should know about/ be able to develop in your own teaching:

  1. The tactical approach to teaching games (TGfU, Games Sense, Play Practice)
  2. The specific teaching actions and skills required when using the tactical approach
  3. Differences from more traditional approaches to teaching games
  4. The teaching challenges presented by a tactical approach to teaching games and how to overcome those challenges
  5. The benefits to your students of using a tactical approach in your teaching

Background

TGfU: The original tactical approach to teaching games in PE

Developed out of a critique of the traditional, technique focused approaches to teaching games that led to:

  1. Children unable to play games successfully due to an emphasis on skill execution
  2. Children that knew little about game
  3. The development of inflexible techniques and poor decision making
  4. The development of teacher dependent learners

The original TGfU model

Key features:

  • A game based approach
  • Greater emphasis on understanding and developing the ability to make appropriate decisions in the game
  • Lessons take a ‘game – practice – game’ format
  • Lessons start with a modified game until players appreciate the problems presented by the nature and rules of the game
  • Subsequent practice to improve tactical or technical focus once the need for practice is appreciated

Key terms & knowledge

Strategy

Tactic

Tactical awareness, tactical problems, tactical solutions, tactical performance

The role(s) of the teacher(see the 6 stage TGfU model)

  • To present tactical problems and decision making opportunities for learners through modified game play
  • To facilitate learning through critical thinking by players
  • Observe game play to identify student performance problems
  • Devise and present practice tasks to address the performance problems
  • Discuss problem areas with the players
  • Skilful questioning – use of questions that engage students in critical thinking

The tactical approach in practice – invasion games

Tag rugby & football – tactical similarities and differences

Questions to ask as a teacher/ teaching problems to solve:

  • What do you want the children to learn – to know and/ or be able to do?
  • What are appropriate modified games to start a lesson?
  • What are the tactical problems that the game presents?
  • How to question the students to elicit the desired understanding & learning?

Tactical problem: How to create scoring opportunities by getting behind the defence

A tactical solution: Creating and exploiting over-load situations

Tactics with the ball

Tactics without the ball

Tactics as a team