Mini-Tournament Day

Overview

In this lesson (lesson 3 of 3), students apply officiating and participation skills in a small-sided mini-tournament. They use rules, fair decision-making, teamwork, and reflection to show they can participate and officiate confidently in physical activity.

Learning intentions

• WALT apply the rules and strategies for small-sided games during match play.
• WALT officiate fairly by making accurate calls and communicating decisions respectfully.
• WALT work effectively as a team to support teammates and adapt tactics during the tournament.
• WALT reflect on performance to identify strengths and next steps.

Success criteria

• I can follow the game rules and use basic strategies (e.g., spacing, marking, supporting) during matches.
• I can officiate by using the correct decision process and explaining my decision clearly.
• I can demonstrate teamwork through respectful communication and appropriate body language.
• I can reflect honestly on how I performed and choose one improvement for next time.

Curriculum links

• Officiating: Officiating small-sided games (making decisions, communicating fairly, and supporting participation).
• Movement skills and sport practices: Applying rules, strategies, and tactics as a participant and as an official.
• Warm-up and mental preparation: Using routines to prepare for performance.
• Teaching sequence focus: Specialist movement patterns and rules within small-sided games.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook & match expectations. Teacher uses the Mini-Tournament Day slides to show a short “fair play vs unfair play” scenario and asks, “What would an official do first when unsure?” Students respond with quick think-pair-share.

2. 5–12 min · Warm-up and officiating checks. Teacher leads a brisk, low-risk warm-up (dynamic movement + short touches on communication) while pointing to key officiating signals on the Mini-Tournament Day slides. Students complete warm-up activities and practise the official “signal + decision” routine in pairs.

3. 12–17 min · Direct teach: decision process. Teacher reviews the tournament “decision ladder” shown on the Mini-Tournament Day slides (notice → listen/confirm rule → decide → communicate calmly → reset). Students repeat the steps in their officiating roles and clarify one rule question with the teacher.

4. 17–40 min · Mini-tournament matches (rounds). Teacher organises teams (25 students = 5 groups of 5, or 4 teams of 6 + 1 of 1 depending on space) and sets rotation timers for match play and officiating. Students play short matches while designated officials use the decision process; teams must also complete quick “handover” between rounds (score, outcome, one notable fair play moment). Teacher circulates, watching for rule use and respectful communication.

5. 40–47 min · Mid-tournament reflection pause. Teacher pauses play and displays the reflection prompts from the Mini-Tournament Day slides. Students complete the tournament reflection section on the mini-tournament reflection worksheet (2–3 minutes), then share one strength and one next step with a partner.

6. 47–56 min · Second set of matches (improve & apply). Teacher returns to the remaining rounds, reminding students to apply their “next step” (e.g., clearer officiating calls, better support, or improved spacing) shown on the Mini-Tournament Day slides. Students play again, with officials applying improved communication and players adapting tactics based on earlier rounds.

7. 56–60 min · Plenary: fair officiating and learning wins. Teacher returns to the final slide on the Mini-Tournament Day slides and leads a brief debrief: “What made a call fair? What strategy helped the most?” Students submit/hand in the mini-tournament reflection worksheet and one student per team states their chosen next step.

Resources

• the Mini-Tournament Day slides
• the mini-tournament reflection worksheet
• Whistles or signal cards for officials
• Cones/bibs/markers for small-sided game boundaries
• Scorecards (paper) for each match
• Clipboards or hard surfaces for officials to track decisions
• Coloured wristbands to show player/official roles (optional)
• Water bottles and a clearly marked “reset zone”

Assessment

• During matches: teacher observes rule-following, decision accuracy, and respectful communication (formative).
• During officiating: check that officials use the decision ladder and communicate calmly (formative).
• End-of-lesson reflection: review the mini-tournament reflection worksheet for honesty, specificity, and next-step clarity (summative-informed by reflection).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters on the mini-tournament reflection worksheet for reflections (e.g., “One rule I used well was…”, “Next time I will…”) and a posted “decision ladder” reminder in the officiating area.
• Support for officiating: allow officials to confer quickly with the teacher or a designated “rule card” if uncertain (within a set time limit).
• Extension: challenge strong players/officials to identify a tactical adjustment (e.g., “We moved to create space for passes”) and link it to fair officiating (“Good calls helped keep the game flowing”).
• EAL/SEN: keep instructions short, use visual signals for roles, and allow oral responses to be recorded by a peer scribe if needed.