Four-on-Four Team Play

Overview

In lesson 14 of 18, students apply touch rugby skills and game sense in structured 4v4 matches. They rotate playing and officiating roles, using feedback to improve passing, support play, defensive transition, positioning, the seven-metre rule and set plays.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• apply attacking and defensive skills in a modified 4v4 game.
• perform a specific team role and communicate respectfully.
• make effective decisions about passing, support, space and defensive transition.
• use peer and teacher feedback to improve team performance.

Success criteria

• I can perform my role and follow the seven-metre rule.
• I can support teammates by creating space, communicating and moving into position.
• I can make an effective attacking or defensive decision.
• I can give and use specific, respectful feedback.

Curriculum links

• Personal and Social Capability: using strategies to prevent, defuse and resolve conflict in group contexts.
• Personal and Social Capability: identifying when collaboration is beneficial and supporting teammates to achieve team goals.
• Health and Physical Education: applying strategies that support relationships, safety and wellbeing.
• Health and Physical Education: communicating assertively and respectfully when seeking, giving or denying consent in physical activity settings.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and game-sense hook. Teacher displays the opening game-sense question and asks, “What helps a small team keep possession and recover quickly after losing the ball?” Students discuss with a partner, then share one attacking and one defensive idea. Teacher explains today’s focus and revisits the success criteria.

2. 5–12 min · Warm-up and role rehearsal. Teacher organises five groups of four and leads a dynamic warm-up: jogging, change of direction, passing on the move and short support runs. Students rehearse a pass-and-follow pattern, then practise quickly changing from attack to defence when the teacher calls “turnover”. Teacher checks safe spacing, controlled passing and communication.

3. 12–18 min · Rules, roles and set plays. Teacher uses the rules and role diagrams to model the seven-metre rule, touch restart, passing backwards or sideways, defensive transition and positional responsibilities. Each group allocates roles: ball carrier, support runner, wide player and defensive organiser; students also nominate a referee and scorer for later rotations. Groups walk through one simple set play, such as a central pass followed by two angled support runs.

4. 18–30 min · Round 1: controlled 4v4. Teacher sets up two games across the playing area, with two teams playing and one team observing or officiating at each court. Matches run for eight minutes, followed by a four-minute feedback period. Students play with rolling substitutions, apply the set play at least twice and rotate roles after four minutes. Observers use the game-performance rubric and peer-feedback sheet to record one strength and one actionable suggestion.

5. 30–42 min · Round 2: decision-making challenge. Teacher reshuffles or balances teams where necessary and introduces a focus challenge from the round-two challenge slide, such as scoring only after a support pass or earning a bonus point for regaining defensive shape within five seconds. Students play another eight-minute match, rotate roles and use the feedback sheet to identify whether their team improved its communication, support or defensive transition.

6. 42–54 min · Round 3: team strategy and leadership. Teacher invites students to adapt their set play and reminds them to prioritise safety, inclusion and respectful communication. Students play a final eight-minute match with rolling substitutions; students taking extension responsibility call the set play, organise defensive spacing and lead a brief team review. Referees apply the rules consistently and players demonstrate fair play when decisions are disputed.

7. 54–60 min · Cool-down, review and exit check. Teacher leads walking, breathing and mobility activities, then displays the plenary reflection prompts. Students complete the final section of the game-performance rubric and peer-feedback sheet: “My most effective decision was…”, “My next improvement is…” and “One way I supported my team was…”. Invite two students to share examples, then collect sheets.

Resources

• Touch rugby balls, bibs and cones
• Two marked playing areas
• Whistles and stopwatches
• Role cards or board display
• the Four-on-Four Team Play slide deck
• the game-performance rubric and peer-feedback sheet
• First-aid kit and drinking-water access

Assessment

• Teacher uses a game-performance rubric during all rounds to assess passing, support play, defensive transition, positioning, rule application, decision-making and role performance.
• Peer feedback is checked for specificity, respectful language and evidence linked to the success criteria.
• Exit responses provide evidence of students’ understanding of their decisions, collaboration and next steps. Record students requiring targeted support in the next lesson.

Differentiation

• Create balanced teams, use rolling substitutions and adjust court size, match duration or scoring so all students experience meaningful participation.
• Provide role-specific prompts: “Where is the space?”, “Who is your support option?”, “Recover behind the ball” and “Name the next defender”.
• Support students needing additional access with a clearly marked position, a simplified role, visual demonstrations, a trusted peer partner and permission to walk during selected phases. Offer non-playing roles such as referee, coach or scorer before re-entry.
• Extend confident students by asking them to call set plays, lead defensive transitions, justify tactical changes and review team performance using evidence from the rubric.
• Use explicit demonstrations, concise instructions, repeated key terms and mixed-ability grouping to support EAL learners and students who benefit from visual or verbal scaffolds. Reinforce consent, safe touch, respectful disagreement and inclusive communication.