Tactical questions are used to check tactical awareness and decision making (Metzler, 2005).  Guided questions enable students to comprehend the strategic, tactical and technical skills of playing a game. 

Questions to ask students fall under three categories:

- Time: When is it best time to……

- Space: Where is or where can……

- Risk: Which choice is safe/risky……..

Knee Slapping

- What made it easier to tag your partner’s knee?

- What was the best way to avoid getting tagged yourself?

- How should you stand to be as quick and agile as possible?

- The purpose of this game is to work on an individual’s base position. Standing on your toes with your

knees bent, body weight balanced, and your hands out in front allows you to react and move quickly.

This off-the-ball movement is important in both defending and creating / finding open space on offense.

   

Pass and Move Progressed

- For Offenders - What were some effective ways of getting open to receive?

                         - How could you generate space by making the defender go the wrong way?

                         - As the passer, how could you help the receiver get open?

                         - What made passing more difficult? What made it easier?

- For Defender - When trying to intercept the ball what was effective? Were you closer to the

                         passer or the receiver? Where were your hands? What was your stance like?

- This game serves numerous purposes. Concerning on-the-ball skills it works on sending and receiving.

It also works on decision making with the ball - when and where to pass. A pass should be made into

open space for a receiver to run onto. A passer can also help generate space for a receiver by faking a pass in one direction before passing the other way. A receiver should get open by making fast cuts to

open space, and using evasion skills to fake out the defender. A defender will be effective by reading the

body of a passer (legs and shoulders alignment, eyes etc.) and keeping a close eye on the receiver. He

or she should begin in the base position and be prepared for sudden quick movements by the receiver.

 

   

Flag Tag

- Note - questions from Knee Slapping game may be used in this discussion as well.

- Why was it more difficult when Flag Tag was played on a smaller grid?

- How could you avoid having your flag pulled? (without cheating)

- What were some effective techniques in getting an opponent’s flag?

- This game works on basic evasion skills but it also brings in a team aspect. Students should find that working together (ganging up on offense or watching another’s back for protection) is a successful way

to play this game. When the grid was reduced in size, awareness of your surroundings became more

important as opponents were now always much closer. Students should begin to understand a bit of

team strategy and be improving their individual movements and awareness.  

 

Mirror Game

- What were some ways you could beat your partner to the cone?

- As a defender how did you stay with your opponent? Where did you watch? How did you move?

- This game works on both defensive quickness, and the evasion skills of an offender. The defender

should be in the base position ready to react quickly, and he or she should be learning to watch their opponents movements at their core (not their arms, head or legs).