Passing, Receiving, Moving

Overview

This 60-minute hockey session is designed for 28 Year 8 students and closely aligns with the National Curriculum for Physical Education (England). The focus is on developing passing, receiving and moving skills through differentiated, engaging activities suitable for varying ability levels. The lesson incorporates a playful warm-up, skill development, and game-based application to encourage communication, teamwork, and tactical awareness.

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National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 3 - National Curriculum for PE (England):

• Pupils should develop competence in a broad range of physical activities.
• They should be able to use tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games.
• They should develop their technique and improve their performance in other competitive sports.
• They should understand and be able to apply the principles of training and how to improve fitness.
• Pupils are encouraged to take the initiative, lead activity, and focus on improving aspects of their own and others’ performance.

Relevant Programmes of Study

• Use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination.
• Play competitive games and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending.
• Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance.
• Perform dances using a range of movement patterns. (Less relevant here)
• Compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate accurate passing and receiving in hockey under different conditions.
2. Show effective movement off the ball to support teammates and create space.
3. Apply basic attacking and defensive tactics in small-sided games.
4. Reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement.

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Equipment Needed

• Hockey sticks (at least 14 so 2 groups can train simultaneously)
• Hockey balls (1 per player ideally)
• Cones (for marking out areas and gates)
• Bibs for team identification
• Whistle
• Stopwatch or timer

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Warm-Up Activity: “Gateball Tag” – a playful tag game that enhances spatial awareness, moving with control, and passing accuracy under pressure.

• Setup:
  • Use cones to create 10 small “gates” scattered in a 20m x 20m square. Gates are two cones about 1m apart.
  • 4 players are “chasers” (wear bibs), others are “runners” with hockey sticks and balls.
• Instructions:
  • Runners dribble their balls around without being tagged. When tagged, a runner can be ‘freed’ by passing the ball through any gate to another runner who is free. The passer must then move quickly through the gate.
  • If tagged again before passing successfully, they sit out for 10 seconds.
• Aim: Encourage ball control, awareness of space, passing accuracy, moving into space after passing.
• Differentiation:
  • Support slower learners by lowering chaser numbers or increasing gate size.
  • Challenge quicker players by increasing chaser numbers or limiting dribbling space.

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2. Skill Development Stations (25 minutes)

Divide the class into 4 groups of 7 students. Two stations focus on passing and receiving, one on movement, and one on applying skills in a tactical context. Groups rotate every 6 minutes.

Station 1: Short Passing & Receiving Drills

• Pairs practice push passing accurately over 5-7 metres.
• Emphasis on correct grip, body positioning (side-on), and receiving with a soft touch controlling the ball leaving it ready to pass again.
• Challenge: Introduce moving passes (passing while moving) and receiving while on the move.

Station 2: Long Passing & Striking Technique

• Pairs practice hitting longer passes and receiving these with stopping and controlled dribbling.
• Use cones as targets to simulate accuracy.
• Focus on backswing, follow-through and body alignment.

Station 3: Moving into Space

• Small groups of 3-4 players set up in a marked grid (approx. 10m x 10m).
• Players pass and receive continuously, encouraging movement off the ball.
• After passing, receiver and passer swap roles and position, moving into open spaces or creating passing lanes.
• Add a defender after initial practice for tactical awareness.

Station 4: Small-Sided Possession Game

• 6 players per group, play 4v2 possession games within a small marked area.
• Objective: maintain possession, focus on supporting the ball carrier with good movement, quick passing and receiving decisions.
• Defensive players try to intercept or force errors, offensive players aim to keep possession for 30+ passes.

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3. Small-Sided Game (15 minutes)

Game: 7-a-side hockey on half pitch (7v7)

• Incorporate the passing, receiving, and moving skills developed earlier.
• Use bibs for team distinction, positional guidance to encourage movement (e.g., fixed defenders, midfielders free to move).
• Teacher acts as a facilitator for quick tactical coaching points (support play, communication, switching play).
• Focus on encouraging applying skills under pressure.

Differentiation:

• Encourage lower ability players to receive the ball in less pressured areas by teammates.
• Guide higher ability players to make forward runs and use space creatively.

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4. Cool Down & Reflection (5 minutes)

• Light jogging and stretching, focusing on legs and arms.

• Sit down circle and discussion:

  • What helped you pass and receive more effectively today?
  • How did moving off the ball support team play?
  • What will you do next time to improve?

• Capture verbal reflections to encourage self-assessment and peer feedback.

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Assessment Criteria

• Observe correct technique in passing (side-on stance, follow-through).
• Students demonstrate receiving with control and moving into space.
• Engagement and decision-making during small-sided games (ability to support teammates, create passing options).
• Verbal feedback and self-reflection indicate understanding of tactics.

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Teacher Tips

• Use praise strategically to reinforce good technique and spatial awareness.
• Rotate groups efficiently keeping transitions brisk to retain engagement.
• For students struggling, pair with stronger peers for peer learning.
• Use a stopwatch or music cues to keep activities on time.
• Encourage communication loudly during playing phases to build teamwork skills.

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This lesson promotes skill progression, tactical thinking, collaboration and critical reflection all within the framework of the National Curriculum – helping students develop a well-rounded understanding and love of hockey.