Key Stage 1 PE · Games

KS1 attacking and defending: simple game tactics for parents

The National Curriculum asks children in Years 1 and 2 to take part in team games and to develop simple tactics for attacking and defending. A tactic is just a plan for what to do in a game. At this age the plans are very simple: when your team has the ball, find space and pass to a teammate; when the other team has it, stay close and try to stop them scoring.

Attacking and defending tactics, explained

When a game is played in a mixed-up group, many young children simply chase the ball in a crowd. A tactic is a way of thinking beyond the ball. Teachers introduce two big ideas: attacking, which means trying to score or keep the ball for your team, and defending, which means trying to stop the other team from scoring or winning the ball. Children learn that these are two sides of the same game, and that the same player does both in turn.

Attacking tactics at this age are very simple. Children learn to look up and see where there is empty space, to move into that space so a teammate can pass to them, and to pass to a free player rather than keep the ball. They also practise dodging past a defender by changing speed or direction, and aiming at a target, such as a goal, hoop or line. Many schools use small games, for example two attackers against one defender, so the idea of getting free is easy to see.

Defending tactics are equally simple. Children learn to stay between the player they are marking and the goal or target, to keep their eyes on both the ball and the opponent, to stay on their feet, and to move sideways with their knees bent, ready to react. They learn that rushing in is not always best: staying in front of the attacker often works better. Schools choose the games, which may use hands, feet or equipment such as beanbags, and the tactics apply to all of them.

The curriculum also asks for competitive and co-operative activities. In attacking and defending games a team must co-operate to succeed, and children are encouraged to talk about what worked. A teacher might pause a game and ask “where was the space?” or “who was free?”. Children are also expected to apply their running, throwing, catching and dodging skills in these games, which is where those skills start to come together.

Words your child will hear

Attack: Trying to score or to keep the ball when your team has it.
Defend: Trying to stop the other team from scoring or from getting past you.
Tactic: A plan for how to play a game well, such as moving into space.
Space: An empty area where a teammate can receive a pass.
Marking: Staying close to an opponent so they cannot easily get free.
Pass: Sending the ball or beanbag to a teammate.
Target: The goal, hoop or line the attackers are trying to reach.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 1 says:

Pupils should be taught to participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
Pupils should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: a two against one game

How can three people practise attacking and defending in a simple game, and what tactics should they notice?

Mark a small area about five big steps wide and eight big steps long, on grass or another soft, clear surface. At one end, set up a goal: a line, a hoop or two cones. Use a soft ball or a beanbag.
Two people are attackers and one is the defender. The attackers try to get the ball to the goal end by passing and moving, while the defender tries to stop them without grabbing or pushing.
Play for a minute and then pause. Ask the attackers: “What happened when you both stood close together?” They usually notice the defender could reach both of them.
Try again with a new idea for the attackers: one spreads out wide, the other passes to the free player, and the passer then moves into a new space. Notice what the defender can and cannot do.
Give the defender a tip: stay between the player with the ball and the goal, keep knees bent and stay on your feet rather than rushing in. See if the defender can now slow the attackers down.
Swap roles, so everyone has a go at attacking and defending, and talk about which job was harder and why.

Attackers do best when they spread out, move into space and pass to the free player. The defender does best when staying between the ball and the goal, and keeping their eyes on the ball. If the attackers score every time, make the area narrower or add a rule for them, such as making two passes before they can score. If the defender wins the ball every time, widen the area. The aim is for everyone to see how a team plan makes a difference.

Common mistakes and how to help

Everyone chasing the ball in a bunch

The ball is the most exciting thing in the game, and young children do not yet scan the whole area.

What helps: Give players jobs, such as “you are the one to stay wide” or “you are the one to wait near the goal”. Smaller games with fewer players also reduce bunching.

Attackers standing close together or right behind the ball carrier

Children want to be near the action and do not realise a pass cannot reach them if a defender is in the way.

What helps: Ask “where is the empty space?” and encourage a child to take a few steps into it with a hand up to show they are free.

Defenders only chasing the ball and grabbing at players

Chasing feels like action, and children don’t yet understand that standing in the right place can be more effective than running after someone.

What helps: Teach “stay between”. Practise one-on-one shadowing with a parent, where the child tries to stay between you and a target while you move slowly.

Thinking only some players attack and others do nothing

Children may be given a role such as goalkeeper or defender and then wait around without being involved.

What helps: Make sure everyone has a job in every phase. When the ball is lost, attackers become defenders at once, so everyone is always playing.

How to help at home

Two against one in the garden. Play the game from the worked example with two attackers and one defender. Swap roles regularly and make the area bigger or smaller to keep it fair and fun.
Find the space. Pass a ball back and forth and, on a clap, ask your child to stop and point to the biggest empty space. Then pass into it. It trains the habit of looking up.
Shadow game. Your child tries to stay between you and a cone while you slowly try to reach it. They practise staying close, watching, moving sideways and keeping their feet apart.
Chase and dodge. Play a gentle tag-style game where one person chases and the others try to dodge past. It practises changing speed and direction, which are core attacking skills. Agree boundaries and keep it away from walls and furniture.

Leads on to

Key Stage 2: Invasion games
Key Stage 2: Net and wall games
Key Stage 2: Striking and fielding games
Key Stage 2: Attacking and defending