Year 9 - Physical education
Defending by denying space and time
Invasion games: adapt tactics and strategies in contact sports
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores ways to adapt tactics and strategies in full-contact sports like rugby. Pupils will learn how to respond to specific types of breakdown such as free kicks, rucks, mauls and scrums as they seek solutions to gain territory, maintain momentum and counterattack.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to deny space and time by defending as a unit.
Key Notes
- Move: the defensive team points out and marks a player each by standing in line with them.
- Move: moving side-to-side and staying close forces attackers into tight spaces for easier tackling.
- Think: if the attacking team has more players on one side, then additional defenders need calling over.
- Feel: trust your teammates to cover and support you, giving confidence to tackle hard and defend together.
- Connect: strong leadership and clear communication is needed to align defensive players with the formation of attackers.
Vocabulary To Learn
- player-to-player: each defender closely follows one attacker to block their movement and deny space
- communication: sharing clear information with teammates through talking, signals or gestures to work better as a team
- tight space: a small area with limited room to move, often surrounded by defenders, making it hard for attackers to advance
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils think that when you are player-to -player marking it is only about being an individual.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Move: the defensive team points out and marks a player each by standing in line with them. Move: moving side-to-side and staying close forces attackers into tight spaces for easier tackling.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'player-to-player'
each defender closely follows one attacker to block their movement and deny space.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Pupils think that when you are player-to -player marking it is only about being an individual. Correction: Defenders must communicate, adjust to overloads and support each other. If one defender gets beaten, others need to be ready to help. Marking your player is just one part of working together to stop the attack.
More Lessons In This Unit
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