Handball Lesson (Y3&4)

Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Ball Manipulation

Introduce everyone to the handballs. Make sure that each child has a handball. Allow everyone to find a space and the aim of this activity is for the children to explore moving and manipulating the handball whilst keeping the ball under close control. They can try moving the ball:
>Around their waists
>Sitting down and moving the ball in a circle around their body
>Move the ball whilst on the floor in a figure of 8 through their legs
>Allow the children time to explore these different ways of moving the ball. We are looking for close control so the ball should be staying close to them as they are moving it around them

Progressions – Allow the children of high ability to explore creative new ways of moving the ball around them. This could be by combining ways that have been previously tried. Remember they must keep the ball under close control at all times.

Skill Development

Dribbling 1
Introduce the children to the technique for dribbling the handball. This is completed by bouncing the ball continuously by pushing the ball to the floor with you hand placed at the top of the ball. In handball if we catch the ball and then bounce it again, this is called a double dribble.

Allow time for the children to explore this by dribbling on the spot. Remember we want to keep close control of the ball so we should look to bounce the ball below our waist to keep maximum control.

Regressions
>If children are struggling with bouncing the ball continuously, allow them to bounce and then catch the ball with two hands, eventually moving on to bouncing the ball with only one hand. Although against the rules in a game, we are just looking for the children to keep close control of the ball.

Progressions:
>Can we use both hands to dribble with the ball.
>Can we change the direction the ball is travelling in.
>Can we bounce the ball low to the ground and then back up to waist height without losing control of the ball.
>Can we move the ball around our body whilst bouncing it and then combine that with our previous ball manipulations. Remember again, we are looking for close control of the ball.

Dribbling on the move
Allow the children to now dribble with the ball whilst moving around the area. Start them by just walking whilst dribbling the ball. This will make it easier for them to keep close control of the ball. Make sure they are keeping their head up whilst dribbling and not focusing too much on the ball. We need to be moving into spaces as we are dribbling.

Regressions:
>Again, if struggling, allow the children to bounce and catch the ball. Remember again, we are just looking for close control at this point and the children gaining confidence in dribbling.
Progressions:
>Can we now up our speed to a jog whilst dribbling with the ball.
>Can we dribble with both hands whilst on the move.
>Add obstacles such as cones/hoops/rings which children need to avoid

Game – Germs & Medicine

Choose 3 taggers, they are the germs. Choose 3 releasers, they are the medicine. Everyone is given a ball to dribble around. To Tag someone, the germs must tap someone on the shoulder. To release someone, the medicine must tap their ball on the tagged person’s ball

The germs move around the area trying to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, stand still with your ball in your hands in the air. The 3 medicines need to release anyone who has been tagged by the germs by giving a hi5.

If you don’t have enough for one ball each, only give balls to the germs and medicines

Progressions:
>Add more taggers (germs)
>Decrease the size of the space so there is less free space available

Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Germs & Medicine

Same game as we finished last week’s session.

Choose 3 taggers, they are the germs. Choose 3 releasers, they are the medicine. Everyone is given a ball to dribble around. To Tag someone, the germs must tap someone on the shoulder. To release someone, the medicine must tap their ball on the tagged person’s ball

The germs move around the area trying to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, stand still with your ball in your hands in the air. The 3 medicines need to release anyone who has been tagged by the germs by giving a hi5.

If you don’t have enough for one ball each, only give balls to the germs and medicines

Skill Development

Underarm/Overarm/Bounce Pass Practice
In pairs, allow the children to practice these three types of passes. Remember we are looking for good technique in our passes and making sure we are standing in the ready position to receive the pass

Challenge – start by getting each pair to complete 10 passes using each of the types of passes. The ball must be caught for the pass to count. Any dropped or misplaced passes results in the pair starting again.

Progressions:
>Increase the number of passes needed to finish the challenge
>Increase the distance between the partners
>Allow them to pass using their weaker hand as well as their strong hand
>Get them to move from side to side to create some space before passing the ball.

Pass and move
Now with their partner, allow the class to move around the area completing passes between them. Again, we are looking for good technique when passing and catching. Make sure we are dribbling using close control before finding and passing to our partner.

Can we look for space and then call for the ball so that they know we are ready for the pass. The person on the ball may look to shout out their partners name before passing the ball so that their partner can get ready to catch the ball.
Challenge – how many different types of passes can we complete in the allotted time set by the teacher (could be 2-3 mins)

Progressions:
>Similar to the activity above, can we use both hands, increase the distance of the pass and make sure that we are both actively looking for spaces before passing the ball.

Game – 3v1

Allow two pairs to come together and create a team of 4. In their 4, give one person a bib, they are the defender. The other 3 need to, in the small space, keep the ball away from the defender by using our dribbling and passing technique. To get the ball back, the defender can only intercept the pass.

Challenge – Get the children to complete a set number of passes in a row without having the ball intercepted to be awarded a point

Progressions:
>Decrease the size of the area to make it more difficult for the attacking players to find space and complete passes.
>Make the game 2v2

Regressions:
>Make the space larger to give the person on the ball more time to pick a pass and so that there is more room for fault in their pass

Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Handball Tag

Choose 3-4 taggers and give them a ball. Their job is to tag as many people without a ball as possible. They will do this by tagging them with their ball. Choose the same amount of people to start off as releasers. They will be given a different coloured ball. Their job is to complete a pass (bounce, overarm or underarm) to someone who has been tagged.

The person who has been tagged needs to be standing in the ready position to receive the pass. When they do receive the pass, they then become the medicine and must find someone else to free

Progressions:
>Ask the children to dribble with the ball if they have one. For high ability children, this will be a constant bounce, for low ability you may just ask them to bounce and catch the ball.

Skill Development

Piggy In The Middle

3v1
In their group of 4, give one person a bib, they are the defender. The other 3 need to, in the small space, keep the ball away from the defender by using our dribbling and passing technique. To get the ball back, the defender can only intercept the pass.
Challenge – Get the children to complete a set number of passes in a row without having the ball intercepted to be awarded a point

Progressions:
>Decrease the size of the area to make it more difficult for the attacking players to find space and complete passes.
>Make the game 2v2 rather than 3v1 to make it more difficult.

3v1 x2
Now combine two groups together to create a group of 8. The same concept applies in this game. The challenge is to make 5 passes in a row without the defenders intercepting the pass. If they do, they swap over with 3 players, including the person who lost possession.
Depending on ability levels of the group, split the teams into either:
6v2 for low ability groups
5v3 for other groups.

Progression:
>Progress to a 4v4 game. If the defending team win the ball, they try to keep possession.

Game – Benchball

This is a small sided game where a zone is placed at both ends. One person is placed in that zone for the team to target for a pass to score a point. Think about looking for spaces to receive the ball. This can also apply to the person in the end zone. Simple rules apply:
>Time – Games last for 5 mins
>No contact – defenders can only intercept a pass
>Dribble – You have to bounce the ball constantly if you want to dribble. If you catch the ball after a dribble, you need to stand still and pass the ball
>Point scoring – if you pass the ball to the person in the end zone, you swap with that person, the ball is handed to the opposition team and your team is awarded a point.

Progressions:
>Every team need to make 5 passes before they pass the ball into the end zone.

Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Chaos Dodgeball

Children to all be spread out around the area. Bean bags will be spread on the floor. The aim of the game is to try to get as many people out by sliding the bean bag along the floor to strike their foot. If you are out, you stand to the side and to return to the game, the person who struck your foot needs to be out of the game (so you are waiting for them to be out for you to return). We are looking for good aim during this game. Can we use our none throwing arm to aim towards our opponent’s foot
(if stuck for bean bags you can also use small sponge balls)

Skill Development

Pass and shoot
Have the class split into groups of 4-5 if we have enough equipment. Set out a start line, a passing line and a set of wickets as a target.
One person will stand on the passing line around 4-5 yards away from the start line and the wickets will be the same distance on the other side. The child on the start line will pass the ball to the person on the passing line and then run to the right or left. The person the passing line will then pass the ball back to the person who started on the start line who will shoot the ball towards the target (wickets in this case).
The child who started on the start line will then take a turn on the passing line before returning to the back of the start line.

Progressions:
>Create a larger distance between the passing line and the target area to make it more difficult
>Decrease the size of the target (maybes a large cone or removing wickets (from 3-2 or 1).
>Ask the children to jump as they shoot to increase power in the shot (this can mean that aim is affected so allow them to think of ways of keeping their aim and direction good as they are increasing the power in their shot)

Dribble, pass and shoot
Groups of 4. Set up a goal at one end with a shooting line around 2-3m away from the goal. (you could use 2 cones for the goal). Children who are attackers are not allowed to cross this line.
Pick one child to be the goalkeeper in the goal and the other three children to be the attackers. The attackers must pass, dribble and move towards the goal before shooting towards the goal. Each attacker has to touch the ball before the team can shoot. Rotate the goalkeeper to give everyone a chance at both roles.

Progressions:
>If it is becoming too easy, choose one attacking player to become a defender who will try to stop the attacking team from scoring a goal by intercepting and blocking passes

Game – 4v4

Have an area set up with a goal set up at opposite sides. If outside, you could split a basketball court into 3 areas and split the class into 6 even teams. Choose one person to be the goalkeeper and the others play in the area trying to score a goal. Make sure they follow the rules of:
>No contact
>Can only intercept a pass
>Must bounce the ball if we want to dribble
>If the ball goes out behind the goal it is the goalkeeper’s ball to start unless it hits a defender which would result in a corner being taken by the attacking team

Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Chain Tag

Split the class into 4 groups all working in a separate area. Start the game with one person being on.
Their job is to try to tag someone. Once tagged, they form a chain by holding hands. They must continue to hold hands as they try to tag someone else. Once tagged, that person then joins the chain and people continue to join the chain until everyone is out. The last person in wins the game.

Get the children to think about defending when they are the tagger. Can they work together in their chain to block or prevent someone from finding space in order to make it easier to tag. Can they corner a person by working together in their chain in order to tag them

Skill Development

Pair jockey
Get the children into pairs, spread out, standing on a line with another line around 10-15m away (depending on the space you have available). One person will stand on the line, the other will stand on the inside of the line facing their partner.
The attacker will begin moving towards the line on the other side whilst the defender will use the jockey technique to prevent them from moving past them. The attacker’s job is to act as a dummy (they will not actually look to get past the defender) they are there to help the defender with their technique.

En Guard
Split the class into groups of 6 (3 pairs per lane). One person starts as the attacker, one as the defender.
The defender will start around half way down the lane with the attacker starting on the start line. The attacker must try to get past the defender, whilst the defender’s job is to prevent them getting past by tagging them. Make sure pairs keep swapping roles.
Attacker’s role – keep changing direction to make it more difficult for the defender to tag. Can you fake and feint from one side to the other to create space to move in to
Defender’s role – Move up the attacker and then start to jockey, waiting for the perfect moment to tag. If we run straight up and tag, the attacker may move from side to side and move past us before we get the chance to tag. Wait for the correct moment to tag.

Progressions:
>Change the game to 2v1 (2 attackers v 1 defender)

Game – End Zone

Split the class into groups. This is a small sided game where a zone is placed at both ends. One person is placed in that zone for the team to target for a pass to score a point. Think about looking for spaces to receive the ball. This can also apply to the person in the end zone. Simple rules apply:
>Time – Games last for 5 mins
>No contact – defenders can only intercept a pass
>Dribble – You have to bounce the ball constantly if you want to dribble. If you catch the ball after a dribble, you need to stand still and pass the ball
>Point scoring – if you pass the ball to the person in the end zone, you swap with that person, the ball is handed to the opposition team and your team is awarded a point.
This time we are focusing on defending. Can the class take the skills taught previous into the game. We are looking for good jockeying, tight marking and making ourselves as large as possible to block a pass or shot.

Progressions:
>Every team need to make 5 passes before they pass the ball into the end zone.

Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Creative Team Warm Up

Depending on the size of the class, split the children into even teams (of 5-6 max per team)
Give each group a ball and allow them to go and create their own warm up. This should include a dynamic movement (jog, shuttle), a stretch (1 stretch per person in the group) and practice passing the ball in the group

Game – Handball Games

Depending on the size of the space you have and staff members available, set up one or two areas (around half size basketball court). You could use goals with keepers outside. If indoor, you can use an end zone with a player inside.

Split the class into 4 even teams.
You may only have enough space for one court, which will mean two teams have to sit out and watch. This is fine, as in this time teams can come up with simple tactics for attacking, defending and positions to help them in their next game.

Children who are not playing can be used as referees or assistants if wanted. Roles can include:
>Time keeper
>Score keeper