Ball Skills Lines

Overview

In this 30-minute PE lesson, students practise ball skills using a simple “in lines” format to keep everyone moving. They focus on communicating when they are available to receive the ball in space away from opponents, building invasion-game readiness for netball-style play.

Learning intentions

• WALT move into space and get ready to receive the ball safely.
• WALT practise passing and receiving with good body positioning over short distances.
• WALT communicate when available to receive (e.g., call “ready”/“here” with a clear voice).
• WALT track the ball’s path and decide when and where to move.

Success criteria

• I can call out to a teammate when I am open to receive (clear, loud voice).
• I can move into space away from others before the pass arrives.
• I can receive with control (hands ready, soft hands) and keep the ball safe.
• I can choose the correct body position to pass/receive (balanced stance, eyes on the ball).

Curriculum links

• Physical Education, Invasion games (e.g. netball/Kiwi Ferns): communicating when available to receive the ball in space away from the opposition.
• Physical Education, Invasion games (e.g. netball/Kiwi Ferns): accurate passing and receiving depend on correct technique and body positioning.
• Physical Education, Movement skills (Relays, games and invasion games): tracking the path of a ball helps determine when and where to move for accurate timing and positioning.
• Key competencies: participating and contributing (team roles and safe behaviour), managing self (focus, effort, and safety), using language and symbols (using set calling cues).

Lesson structure (30 minutes total)

1. 0–3 min · Quick warm-up (pulse + ready hands). Teacher leads a fast warm-up: jogging on the spot, arm circles, and “ready hands” (palms up, soft fingers) while calling “eyes on the ball.” Students follow, then freeze on the teacher’s call with hands up and eyes forward.

2. 3–8 min · Skill focus demo: open space + receive call. Teacher demonstrates a line pass: receiver shuffles sideways into open space, calls a cue (“ready!”), then receives with two hands and a slight bend in knees. Students practise the movement without a ball in pairs/lines: step into space → call → “receive” (imaginary catch) → controlled hold.

3. 8–18 min · Ball skills in lines (passing + receiving). Teacher sets up 2 lines facing each other across a marked corridor (about 3–4 metres). One ball per pair/line segment. Students take turns: passer passes underarm/overarm at waist height, receiver moves into space away from the next person, calls “ready/here,” receives, then returns the ball to the back of their line.

4. 18–23 min · Challenge 1: timing with ball tracking. Teacher instructs: receivers must watch the ball from the passer’s release and only call “ready” when they are set (balanced and not reaching late). Students repeat the line drill, aiming for fewer “late” reaches and more controlled catches (teacher circulates with quick coaching).

5. 23–28 min · Challenge 2: space from opposition (mini constraint). Teacher adds a rule: receiver must stay within a “receiver zone” line mark and cannot receive if they are too close to the next student in their line. Students run the drill again, focusing on moving to the correct spot first, then calling, then receiving.

6. 28–30 min · Cool-down + whole-class check. Teacher gathers students and asks: “What helped you choose when to move?” and “When should you call?” Students do slow stretches and share one strategy each (e.g., “I watched the ball,” “I moved first, then called”).

Resources

• Soft balls or sponge balls (enough for lines to keep moving)
• Cones or tape for corridors and receiver zones
• Clipboards or quick tally sheet (for teacher notes)
• Whistle (optional) for safety/reset
• Bibs (optional) to help identify passers/receivers
• Quick cue cards with “ready / here / eyes on the ball”

Assessment

• Teacher observation during the line drill: Can students call when open and receive with control?
• Quick formative checks: ask 2–3 students mid-activity to describe what they watched for (ball path/timing).
• Exit check (verbal): students show a “receiving position” (hands up, balanced stance) and state when to call.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for calling cues (“I’m ready because…”), model one step of the movement (side shuffle), and reduce distance between lines.
• Support: use larger targets (cone “receiver zone”) and softer balls for safer handling.
• Extension: increase distance slightly, require two-hand receiving without moving feet more than one step, or add a second ball so students must time calls more carefully.
• SEN/EAL considerations: keep calls consistent (use the same taught cue words), allow gestures (point to self/raise hands) alongside the spoken call, and provide visual demonstrations for each turn.