Lesson 2 - Possession and Leadership
Skills to Team Strategy
•Year 5
•Football
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How can we combine individual skills with teamwork to keep possession and create scoring opportunities?
Learning Objectives
- Combine dribbling and passing skills to maintain team possession effectively
- Demonstrate leadership qualities through positive communication and decision-making
- Apply tactical awareness to exploit space and create scoring opportunities
Key Outcomes
- Students will successfully combine individual ball control with team possession strategies
- Students will show leadership through encouraging teammates and making good decisions
- Students will demonstrate improved spatial awareness and tempo variation in gameplay
Equipment & Resources Required
Distribute around area perimeter for easy collection
Alternative: Size 3 footballs for better control, tennis balls for close control practice
Use bright colours for clear area boundaries and lane markers
Alternative: Spot markers, bibs, or chalk lines
Two contrasting colours for clear team identification
Alternative: Coloured t-shirts or team bands
For accurate area setup - can be done before lesson
Alternative: Metre rulers or pre-measured rope
Key Vocabulary
Keeping control of the ball as a team to prevent the opposition from gaining it
The speed at which you dribble or move with the ball
Guiding and encouraging your team through positive communication and decision-making
Understanding where you are in relation to teammates, opponents, and boundaries
The target area where teams must move the ball to score points
Skill Progression Pathway
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Prior Learning
- Basic dribbling using inside and outside of foot
- Simple passing techniques over short distances
- Understanding of basic football rules and fair play
Current Skills
- Combining dribbling and passing to maintain possession
- Varying tempo and direction when dribbling
- Demonstrating leadership qualities in team activities
Next Steps
- Advanced combination play involving multiple teammates
- Complex tactical decision-making in game situations
- Mentoring and coaching less experienced players
Milestone Indicators
Key Teaching Points
- Possession is maintained through constant movement and communication, not individual brilliance
- Leadership comes in many forms - encouragement, organisation, decision-making, and helping others improve
- Tempo variation in dribbling creates opportunities to exploit space and avoid defenders
- Good first touch under pressure sets up all subsequent actions and maintains possession
- Tactical awareness means knowing when to take risks and when to keep possession
- Team success depends on every player contributing, not just the most skilled individuals
- Positive communication builds team confidence and improves performance under pressure
Common Misconceptions
- Leadership means being the loudest person - actually means helping the team through positive actions
- Possession means keeping the ball as long as possible individually - actually requires quick passing and movement
- Dribbling fast is always better - tempo variation and control are more effective
- Only attacking players need to communicate - defenders and supporters need to organise too
- Football is just about individual skill - team coordination and possession are equally important
- You have to be the best player to be a leader - leadership is about attitude and helping others
- Winning possession back immediately is always best - sometimes patience creates better opportunities
SEN Adaptations
ADHD
- Use shorter activity bursts with clear transitions, provide specific roles and responsibilities, offer leadership opportunities for engagement
dyspraxia
- Use larger footballs initially, reduce complexity of movements, provide extra practice time for skill development, focus on consistent techniques
autism spectrum
- Provide clear structure and routine, use visual schedules for lesson progression, create quiet zones for sensory breaks if needed
visual impairment
- Use brightly coloured balls and cones, provide verbal descriptions of area layouts, assign sighted buddy for guidance
hearing impairment
- Use clear visual demonstrations, establish hand signals for common instructions, ensure good positioning for lip reading
physical disability
- Adapt to wheelchair football with appropriate ball sizes, modify area sizes for mobility needs, focus on hand/arm skills where appropriate
Cross-Curricular Links
English
Communication skills, vocabulary development, giving clear instructions and encouragement
Maths
Calculating possession percentages, measuring distances for tactical spacing, timing activities in seconds
Science
Understanding forces and motion in ball control, exploring balance and momentum in direction changes
Geography
Spatial awareness, understanding of positioning and movement patterns, tactical mapping
PSHE
Leadership qualities, teamwork, resilience when facing challenges, supporting others emotionally
Teacher Guidance
Positioning
Move constantly between groups during activities, position at corners of areas for maximum visibility during games
Observation Focus
Watch for possession success, leadership behaviours, communication quality, and technical development under pressure
Intervention Points
Step in when safety concerns arise, when negative communication occurs, or when students need tactical guidance
Demonstration Notes
Demonstrate: Use students as positive examples whenever possible, emphasise the thinking behind decisions, not just the techniques
Verbal Cues
- •'Head up! Look for your teammates!'
- •'Great leadership! Keep encouraging!'
- •'Patience! Build your attack!'
- •'Brilliant communication!'
- •'Show me that tempo change!'
Safety Considerations
Space & Surface Requirements
Space Requirements
Minimum 40m x 30m for full class activities, with additional space for multiple game areas
Surface Check
Dry, even grass or artificial surface free from holes, debris, or standing water
Equipment Safety
Safety Checks
- •Check footballs are properly inflated and in good condition
- •Ensure cones have no sharp edges or cracks
- •Verify bibs are clean and have no tears that could cause injury
Risk Management
Key Risks
- •Collisions between students during dribbling activities
- •Trips and falls when changing direction quickly
- •Ball strikes to face or body during passing activities
Risk Mitigation
- •Clear boundaries established for all activity areas
- •Adequate spacing between parallel activities and games
- •Progressive skill building from simple to complex
- •Emphasis on control over speed throughout activities
Supervision & Emergency Procedures
Supervision Points
- •Position for maximum visibility across all activity areas
- •Monitor high-intensity moments during 4v2 and game activities
- •Watch for signs of fatigue affecting coordination and safety
Emergency Procedures
Stop all activity immediately with whistle signal, assess any injury with appropriate first aid, ensure other students are safely occupied away from incident