Effective Use of Width

Resources

• Footballs (minimum 5)
• Cones to mark out pitch boundaries
• Bibs (two colours, 11 per team)
• Whistle
• Whiteboard and marker (for pitch diagrams)
• Stopwatch (for freezing play)

Learning Objectives

• PE National Curriculum Link (KS3, England & Wales): Develop and apply attacking principles in team sports (football) by considering width and space.
• Understand the concept of width in football and its role in attacking play.
• Apply effective use of width in game situations to improve team play.
• Develop teamwork, communication, and decision-making skills on the pitch.

How This Lesson Links to Prior and Future Learning

• Prior Knowledge: Students should already be familiar with basic football tactics, including passing, positioning, and movement off the ball. They may have already covered topics such as pressing and spacing in small-sided games.
• Future Learning: This lesson builds towards advanced football strategies, including switching play, overlapping runs, and developing width against different defensive structures. It also lays the foundation for broader tactical thinking in invasion games like hockey or rugby.

Introduction (10 minutes)

• Think-Pair-Share Activity:
  • Ask students in the changing room: “What is width in football? How is it used?”
  • Students walk in pairs to the pitch, discussing their ideas.
  • At the pitch, gather all students and encourage volunteers to share discussions. Clarify key concepts: Width means spreading players across the pitch to create space, stretch defenders, and open passing lanes.

Team Selection & Warm-Up (10 minutes)

• Confidence Line Activity:
  • Students line up according to confidence levels in football (self-assessed).
  • Split into two teams ensuring a mix of abilities.
• Assign Team Leaders:
  • Selected students lead a dynamic warm-up, focusing on jogging, stretching, passing, and movement drills relevant to today’s focus on width.
  • Encourage leaders to include lateral movement drills (side shuffling, wide passing sequences).

Initial Game (15 minutes)

• 11v11 Match (No Conditions)
• Observe natural use of width in open play.
• Use freeze-play moments to ask questions:
  • “Where are your wide players?”
  • “How would widening the pitch help your team keep possession?”
  • “Defenders – are you struggling with space?”
• Encourage natural reflection and peer feedback as game progresses.

Conditioned Game (15 minutes)

• Introducing Tactical Rule:
  • Each team must have two players on the touchline at all times.
  • Objective: Teams must pass wide before attacking centrally. This will encourage better width usage.
• Teacher Observations & Interventions:
  • Watch how students utilise wide players. Praise effective movement.
  • Ask questions mid-game:
    • “How did staying wide create more space?”
    • “What impact does this have on defenders?”
  • Allow students to adapt their strategy.
  • Progression Challenge: Introduce “double points” for goals scored following a wide pass.

Final Reflection & Plenary (10 minutes)

• Quick Team Huddle Discussion:
  • Ask: “Did the condition help? Why?”
  • Encourage players to self-assess how well their team used width.
• Whole-Class Discussion:
  • “How does width improve attacking play?”
  • Link back to professional football examples (e.g. how wingers like Bukayo Saka or Phil Foden create space).
• Cooldown:
  • Led by team leaders – light jogging, static stretches, breathing exercises.

How Students Will Be Assessed

• Formative assessment (during gameplay):
  • Observations of student engagement and tactical understanding.
• Verbal assessment (mid-lesson and plenary):
  • Contributions in Think-Pair-Share, huddles, and whole-class discussions.
• Practical assessment criteria:
  • Evidence of width being used effectively in open play (supported by freeze-play discussions).

How to Challenge Students

• Higher ability players can be tasked as team leaders to help teammates embrace the tactic.
• Introduce constraints, e.g.:
  • One-touch passing when wide for quicker ball movement.
  • Overlapping runs by full-backs to exploit width effectively.
• Provide real-world context: Compare their play to Premier League tactics.

How to Support Students

• Pair less confident students with peer mentors in warm-up and team discussions.
• Allow struggling players clearer, smaller tasks (e.g., specific off-ball movement guidance).
• Use guided questioning to reinforce learning:
  • “If you’re struggling to find space, where should you go?”
• Offer one-on-one encouragement throughout gameplay.

This lesson not only develops tactical football skills relevant to KS3 PE, but also improves communication, decision-making, and leadership, preparing students for future team sports learning.