Year 6 Tag Rugby Lesson 3

Learning Intentions

  1. Communicate and devise tactics for attacking
  2. Using the ‘taking the distance, not the time’ principle
  3. Changing speed and direction to create try-scoring opportunities

Skill Development: Taking the distance not the time

Success Criteria

  1.  I can work in a team to create specific tactics for an attack
  2. I am aware of the benefits of ‘taking the distance and not the time’ once tagged
  3. I can change my speed and direction to either score tries or create opportunities

National Curriculum Links

Applying basic principles for attacking

Developing strength, control and agility through running

Literacy and Numeracy Links

L Discuss, explain and work with a team to come up with tactics specific to their team
N If a tag-rugby game was 40 minutes long and your team had possession of the ball for 40% of the time, how many minutes would they have had possession?

Starter Activity

Don’t Get Tagged! – This game is played between 2 teams of 5. The aim of the game is the same as Tag Rugby, to score tries by placing the ball on the ground over the try line. All the usual Tag Rugby Rules apply, except in this game, if you are tagged as a ball carrier, you do not get your Tag given back. You carry on playing with one Tag. However, if you are tagged again, you lose your other Tag. This means you must leave the pitch and complete a challenge before placing 2 tags back on your belt and rejoining the game.

Challenges can include:

  • 10-star jumps
  • 10 ‘Around the Worlds’ (passing the ball around the waist)
  • 5 ‘Figure of 8s’ (passing the ball through the legs)

Skill Development

Taking the distance, not the time
In tag rugby, when an attacker is tagged, they either must stop and pass the ball within three seconds or carry on running for three strides and must pass within that distance. It is better for the attacking team if the player carries on running and passes so that their team maintains the forward momentum and does not give time for the defence to get organised.

  1. Split the players into lines of 5, spread out across the width of the tag rugby pitch. The first line will start running up the pitch, passing the ball along the line, making sure that the direction of the pass is correct and their positioning, once they’ve passed the ball, is correct.
  2. The first few times, ensure that the players are bursting onto the ball with a change of speed.
  3. Once they are comfortable with changing speed and positioning, remind them of the rules of tagging and then repeat the exercise, this time calling out the command “TAG” randomly, at which point the ball carrier must act as if they have just been tagged:

  1. Firstly, the ball carrier must stop and pass within 3 seconds; play this way several times so each person in the team gets to be the tagged ball carrier
  2. Then, after a few goes, explain to the pupils that they must now use the three steps (distance, not time) instead of stopping and holding the ball for 3 second
  3. The ‘tagged’ ball carrier should run three strides and pass within that distance, teammates should be alongside or behind to avoid a forward pass.
  4.  Repeat the exercise.

Activity

Play a tag rugby game with the basic rules; this time appoint a referee for the small-sided games with their main role shouting ‘tag’ when a player is tagged; this will help the players know when they have been tagged and be aware that they must either take the distance or time. Emphasise throughout the games the need for taking the distance and award points to players who are consistently doing so. Rules;

  • Can only tag the player with the ball
  • The tagged player has three steps OR three seconds to pass the ball
  • Once tagged, the defender MUST give the tag back
  • Dropping the ball forward means the opposition has a free pass (knock on)

Once one to two trys have been scored, swap the referee so they change regularly.  Do short callouts with the teams and ask what techniques work best: distance or time?

Extension:  Increase the referee’s responsibilities; give them a clipboard to record the score.  Allow them to call when an obstruction has occurred, and a free pass is given to the opposition.

User Information / School Name: / Postcode:
User Information / School Name: / Postcode:

We are learning...

to develop the 3-step rule, comparing and contrasting to the 3-second pass option.

Teaching Points

Taking distance, not the time

  1. Encourage players to take three steps when tagged
  2. Ask them to count the steps once they’ve been tagged so they don’t take too many
  3. Encourage pupils to look for passing options as soon as they have been tagged
  4. Teammates should be moving into a place to receive if a player has been tagged
  5. When receiving the ball, should look to increase speed or direction to create space for other attackers
  6. Run forwards and straight to create space for other team members

Key Questions

  1. What are the benefits of taking distance rather than time?
  2. Why do we want to create space for our teammates?
  3. How do we create space for our teammates?
  4. Once we have passed the ball, what do you need to do?

Year 6 Tag Rugby Lesson 3

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Learning Intentions

  1. Communicate and devise tactics for attacking
  2. Using the ‘taking the distance, not the time’ principle
  3. Changing speed and direction to create try-scoring opportunities

Skill Development: Taking the distance not the time

Chevron Icon

Success Criteria

  1.  I can work in a team to create specific tactics for an attack
  2. I am aware of the benefits of ‘taking the distance and not the time’ once tagged
  3. I can change my speed and direction to either score tries or create opportunities
Chevron Icon

National Curriculum Links

Applying basic principles for attacking

Developing strength, control and agility through running

Chevron Icon

Literacy and Numeracy Links

L Discuss, explain and work with a team to come up with tactics specific to their team
N If a tag-rugby game was 40 minutes long and your team had possession of the ball for 40% of the time, how many minutes would they have had possession?

Chevron Icon

Resources

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Videos

Year 6 Tag Rugby Lesson 3

Chevron Icon

Starter Activity

Don’t Get Tagged! – This game is played between 2 teams of 5. The aim of the game is the same as Tag Rugby, to score tries by placing the ball on the ground over the try line. All the usual Tag Rugby Rules apply, except in this game, if you are tagged as a ball carrier, you do not get your Tag given back. You carry on playing with one Tag. However, if you are tagged again, you lose your other Tag. This means you must leave the pitch and complete a challenge before placing 2 tags back on your belt and rejoining the game.

Challenges can include:

  • 10-star jumps
  • 10 ‘Around the Worlds’ (passing the ball around the waist)
  • 5 ‘Figure of 8s’ (passing the ball through the legs)
Chevron Icon

Skill Development

Taking the distance, not the time
In tag rugby, when an attacker is tagged, they either must stop and pass the ball within three seconds or carry on running for three strides and must pass within that distance. It is better for the attacking team if the player carries on running and passes so that their team maintains the forward momentum and does not give time for the defence to get organised.

  1. Split the players into lines of 5, spread out across the width of the tag rugby pitch. The first line will start running up the pitch, passing the ball along the line, making sure that the direction of the pass is correct and their positioning, once they’ve passed the ball, is correct.
  2. The first few times, ensure that the players are bursting onto the ball with a change of speed.
  3. Once they are comfortable with changing speed and positioning, remind them of the rules of tagging and then repeat the exercise, this time calling out the command “TAG” randomly, at which point the ball carrier must act as if they have just been tagged:

  1. Firstly, the ball carrier must stop and pass within 3 seconds; play this way several times so each person in the team gets to be the tagged ball carrier
  2. Then, after a few goes, explain to the pupils that they must now use the three steps (distance, not time) instead of stopping and holding the ball for 3 second
  3. The ‘tagged’ ball carrier should run three strides and pass within that distance, teammates should be alongside or behind to avoid a forward pass.
  4.  Repeat the exercise.
Chevron Icon

Activity

Play a tag rugby game with the basic rules; this time appoint a referee for the small-sided games with their main role shouting ‘tag’ when a player is tagged; this will help the players know when they have been tagged and be aware that they must either take the distance or time. Emphasise throughout the games the need for taking the distance and award points to players who are consistently doing so. Rules;

  • Can only tag the player with the ball
  • The tagged player has three steps OR three seconds to pass the ball
  • Once tagged, the defender MUST give the tag back
  • Dropping the ball forward means the opposition has a free pass (knock on)

Once one to two trys have been scored, swap the referee so they change regularly.  Do short callouts with the teams and ask what techniques work best: distance or time?

Extension:  Increase the referee’s responsibilities; give them a clipboard to record the score.  Allow them to call when an obstruction has occurred, and a free pass is given to the opposition.

User Information

School Name:
Postcode:

We are learning...

to develop the 3-step rule, comparing and contrasting to the 3-second pass option.


Teaching Points

Taking distance, not the time

  1. Encourage players to take three steps when tagged
  2. Ask them to count the steps once they’ve been tagged so they don’t take too many
  3. Encourage pupils to look for passing options as soon as they have been tagged
  4. Teammates should be moving into a place to receive if a player has been tagged
  5. When receiving the ball, should look to increase speed or direction to create space for other attackers
  6. Run forwards and straight to create space for other team members

Key Questions

  1. What are the benefits of taking distance rather than time?
  2. Why do we want to create space for our teammates?
  3. How do we create space for our teammates?
  4. Once we have passed the ball, what do you need to do?