Principles of Good Attack

Overview

This is lesson 4 of 18 in the unit Touch Rugby Fitness and Game Sense. Students move from previously practised passing and evasion skills to analysing how attackers create and use space. Through questioning, movement tasks and small-sided games, they connect dummy, switch and support play with agility, coordination, fitness demands and tactical decision-making.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explain how space, agility and coordination influence attacking decisions
• identify and apply dummy, switch and support play
• use Game Sense questioning to decide where and when to attack
• communicate and cooperate safely during small-sided touch games

Success criteria

• I can describe how space, agility and coordination influence attacking decisions.
• I can identify dummy, switch and support play in a game.
• I can select an appropriate attacking principle for a situation.
• I can justify my choice using touch rugby and fitness terminology.

Curriculum links

• Analyse the impact of changes and transitions and devise strategies to support themselves and others through change.
• Explain and apply assertive, respectful communication when seeking, giving or denying consent in physical activity settings.
• Plan and implement strategies using health resources to enhance health, safety, relationships and wellbeing.
• Use skills and strategies to prevent, defuse and resolve conflict within and between groups.
• Analyse factors influencing emotional responses and devise strategies to self-manage emotions.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Entry question and safety briefing. Teacher displays the lesson question, “How can an attacker create an advantage without simply running faster?”, checks footwear, space, touch rules and consent for physical contact, and opens with the hook and learning intentions. Students complete the entry prompt on the attacking principles map and entry ticket and share one idea with a partner.

2. 5–13 min · Movement preparation. Teacher leads a dynamic warm-up using progressive jogging, change-of-direction runs, acceleration, lateral movement and passing while moving; pause to ask, “Which fitness component helps you change direction quickly?” Students perform the movements, name the relevant fitness component and practise communicating “mine”, “pass” and “switch” respectfully.

3. 13–23 min · Mini-map and direct teaching. Teacher uses the annotated attacking diagrams and a whiteboard to demonstrate:

• Dummy: a convincing movement or pass-looking action that holds or deceives a defender.
• Switch: two attackers change running lines to confuse defenders.
• Support: an attacker runs in a useful position to receive a pass or continue play.

Teacher links these principles to agility, coordination, speed, repeated efforts and decision-making. Students complete the mini-map on the attacking principles map and entry ticket, annotating where the ball carrier, support runner and available space should be.

4. 23–32 min · Pair debate and rehearsal. Teacher allocates mixed-ability pairs and gives each pair a prompt from the pair debate prompts, such as “Space is more important than speed” or “A switch is only useful when defenders are close.” Students choose agree, disagree or depends, justify their position using fitness terminology, then rehearse a dummy, switch and support pattern without defenders. Partners provide one specific improvement suggestion.

5. 32–45 min · Game Sense challenge. Teacher organises four teams of five on two safe grids. In 4 v 1 or 4 v 2 touch games, the attacking team aims to move the ball through space and score by grounding beyond a line. Rotate defenders and attackers regularly. After each short round, stop and ask: “Where was the space?”, “When should the ball carrier pass?”, “Which principle could improve that attack?” Students identify a decision, apply one attacking principle in the next round and use safe, controlled touches.

6. 45–55 min · Conditioned game and tactical review. Teacher runs a final 5 v 5 game on each grid, awarding a bonus point when a team creates a clear attacking advantage using a dummy, switch or support run. Teacher observes movement, communication, decision-making and inclusion, using the conditioned-game success criteria. Students call the principle they are attempting, adapt when defenders change position and briefly confer after each try or turnover.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket and recovery. Teacher leads a walking recovery and directs students to complete the exit ticket: “A useful attacking principle in this situation is ___ because ___”; “The fitness component I used was ___”; and “One respectful communication behaviour I demonstrated was ___.” Students submit responses, return equipment and identify one tactical goal for the next lesson.

Resources

• the attacking principles slide deck
• the attacking principles map and entry ticket
• Touch rugby balls
• Bibs or coloured bands
• Cones to mark two grids and scoring lines
• Whistle and timer
• Whiteboard and markers
• First-aid kit and water access

Assessment

• Entry responses and questioning reveal students’ prior understanding of space, fitness and attacking choices.
• Teacher observation during rehearsal and games checks whether students recognise and apply dummy, switch and support play, communicate safely and adapt to defenders.
• Exit tickets assess students’ ability to select and justify an attacking principle using appropriate fitness terminology.

Differentiation

• Provide annotated diagrams, teacher modelling and sentence starters such as “I would choose ___ because the space is ___ and my team needs ___.”
• Use mixed-ability pairs, smaller grids, extra time and simplified choices between two principles for students requiring additional support.
• Reduce defensive pressure or begin with shadow defenders before progressing to active touch.
• Extend confident students by requiring them to justify choices using agility, coordination, speed, repeated-effort or decision-making terminology and to explain how their choice changes when defensive space closes.
• Offer visual demonstrations, concise instructions, repeated questioning and opportunities to rehearse vocabulary for EAL learners; provide a non-running tactical or coaching role where required by individual safety or access needs.