Small-Sided Games

Year Levels

Years 1–2

Duration

50 minutes

Class Size

25 students

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Unit Context

Lesson 8 of 10 in the unit Dribble, Protect, Score! focusing on consolidating students' fundamental movement skills—especially dribbling and protecting the ball—and encouraging communication and teamwork through small-sided game play.

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Victorian Curriculum Alignment

Health and Physical Education - Years 1 and 2

• Content Descriptions:
• AC9HP2M01: Practise fundamental movement skills and apply them in a variety of movement situations, including controlling objects (dribbling, protecting)
• AC9HP2M05: Apply strategies to work collaboratively when participating in physical activities, emphasising fair play, teamwork, and communication
• AC9HP2M04: Co-construct and apply rules to promote fair play in a range of physical activities

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Learning Objectives

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Dribble a ball safely and protect it from opponents during play.
• Communicate and work as a team to apply strategies and rules in small-sided games.
• Use fair play and respect when cooperating with others.

Success Criteria ("I can" Statements)

• I can dribble the ball confidently while moving around others (driblar el balón).
• I can protect the ball by keeping it close and using my body to block others (proteger el balón).
• I can talk and listen to my teammates during the game to help us play together.
• I can follow the rules and show respect to others when playing.

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Equipment Needed

• Foam or rubber balls sized for small hands (one per team)
• Cones to mark small playing fields (5m x 5m squares)
• Bibs or coloured bands for team identification
• Whistle and stopwatch or timer
• Portable boundary markers (if outdoors)

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Lesson Structure

Retrieval (5–8 minutes)

Active Warm-Up: Dribble Tag

• Students start in a defined space, each with a ball (pelota).
• The teacher explains that they must dribble around safely while trying to tag others with their hands (without stopping their own ball).
• If tagged, students freeze and do 5 star jumps (saltos estrella) before rejoining.
• This game recalls dribbling movements and spatial awareness from the previous lesson.
• Emphasise safe movement, control, and awareness of others.

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Goals (3–5 minutes)

• Display and clearly state the WALT and success criteria in simple language.
• E.g., “Today we will play small games where you can practice dribbling, protecting your ball, and talking with your team.
• Ask students to share what they remember about dribbling and protecting from previous lessons to connect prior knowledge.
• Link to Victorian Curriculum outcomes explicitly: "We are practising movement skills and working together in teams."

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Learning (I Do – We Do – You Do) (10–15 minutes)

I Do (4 minutes):

• Teacher models dribbling with control and how to position the body to protect the ball (using the foot or body).
• Use clear, concise verbal cues, e.g., "Keep your eye on the ball", "Use your body like a shield".
• Model simple communication phrases for teammates such as "¡Pásame!" (Pass to me!) and "Estoy aquí" (I’m here).

We Do (4-5 minutes):

• Students practise dribbling in pairs: one student dribbles while the partner acts as a mild defender trying to gently take the ball without pushing or contact.
• Teacher circulates, giving feedback and modelling corrections.
• Ask guiding questions like, “How can you keep the ball safe?” and “What can you say to your teammate?”

You Do (4-6 minutes):

• In groups of four, students play a simplified game focusing on dribbling and protecting within a small marked area.
• Teacher reduces support and encourages students to solve problems independently, e.g., creating space, passing to teammates, communicating.
• Advanced learners challenge themselves by moving at different speeds and changing directions using learnt skills.

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Consolidation (15–20 minutes)

Small-Sided Games: "Dribble, Protect, Score!"

• Divide the class into 5 teams of 5 players.
• Use multiple small fields to maximise engagement and active participation.
• Teams rotate through games where the aim is to dribble past opponents, protect the ball and score points by reaching designated cones or zones.
• Emphasise communication and fair play rules; encourage shout-outs like “Abajo” (down low), “Mía” (mine), or “Aquí” (here) to naturally integrate Spanish vocabulary.
• Teacher roams to observe, offer feedback, reinforce rules, and assist with behaviour management.
• Adjust rules or space to support students needing scaffolds (e.g., allowed to hold the ball briefly) or challenge advanced students (smaller space, defensive pressure).

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Show Me What You Know (5 minutes)

• End with a quick "partner chat" where students tell their partner how they helped their team or how they kept the ball safe using “I can” language (in English or Spanish).
• Ask a few students to demonstrate or explain one skill or rule they used.
• Affirm student efforts and explicitly connect back to success criteria.
• Reinforce the importance of teamwork and respect.

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Differentiation

Learners Needing Support	Strategies
Challenges with dribbling or coordination	Use larger, softer balls; allow two hands briefly; reduce playing space
Social or communication difficulties	Assign a peer buddy; use simple visual cues or signal cards with Spanish/English terms
Need for clearer rules and structure	Provide explicit, step-by-step instructions; model several times

Advanced Learners	Extension
Confident dribblers	Introduce one-on-one challenges; encourage strategy talk during play
Good communicators	Lead small groups in warm-up games or referee mini-games

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Behaviour and Safety Expectations

• Respect personal and playing space—no pushing or grabbing balls from others.
• Use quiet hands and feet when approaching others’ spaces; maintain safe distances.
• Listen to the teacher and teammates—use kind words and encouragement.
• Stay inside the marked boundaries (los límites).
• Follow game rules to ensure everyone can play and have fun.

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This lesson plan supports inclusive, student-centred active learning with focus on skill reinforcement within enjoyable, cooperative games. Spanish vocabulary is naturally infused to align with your bilingual teaching approach without compromising clarity. The scaffolded learning progression fosters confidence in physical skills alongside social-emotional learning such as teamwork and fair play, fully meeting the Victorian Curriculum HPE standards for Years 1 and 2.