This unit develops Year 6 students into tactical thinkers who understand invasion games as collaborative puzzles requiring coordinated solutions. The emphasis shifts from individual skill execution to reading the game, anticipating opponents' actions, and creating systematic overloads through intelligent movement and communication. Students explore the chess-like nature of invasion games where positioning, timing, and decision-making become as important as physical ability.

Lessons in This Unit

6 lessons in this unit

Lesson 1

Dodging and Awareness
1h 10min

Big Question:

How can we use dodging and spatial awareness to outwit opponents and support teammates?

Key Objectives:

  • To develop effective dodging techniques using changes of direction and speed
  • To demonstrate spatial awareness in competitive situations

Lesson 2

Receiving the Ball and Using Width
1h

Big Question:

How can we use the full width of the playing area to create better attacking opportunities?

Key Objectives:

  • To adopt sideways-on positions when receiving the ball
  • To use the full width of the pitch effectively in games

Lesson 3

Overlap and Underlap
1h

Big Question:

How can we use overlapping and underlapping runs to create overloads that break down defensive structures?

Key Objectives:

  • To develop tactical awareness through overlapping and underlapping movements
  • To understand when and how to create overloads in attacking situations

Lesson 4

Defending Strategies and Jockeying
1h

Big Question:

How can we work together as a team to make defending more effective than individual efforts?

Key Objectives:

  • To develop one-on-one defending skills through jockeying techniques
  • To understand and apply different defensive strategies including man-to-man marking and zonal defence

Lesson 5

Goalkeeping & Defence Skills
1h 3min

Big Question:

How can effective communication and positioning make a team harder to score against?

Key Objectives:

  • Develop advanced goalkeeping techniques including coming off the line and angle narrowing
  • Apply defensive communication strategies including 'passing on' attackers

Lesson 6

Tactical Awareness & Attack
1h

Big Question:

How can attackers use movement and communication to outthink defenders?

Key Objectives:

  • Develop tactical awareness through diagonal runs and position rotation
  • Apply communication skills to coordinate attacking play