Key Stage 3 PE · Competitive games

KS3 invasion games tactics: a guide for parents

Invasion games are team sports where each side tries to move into the other’s territory and score, while stopping the other side doing the same. In Key Stage 3, PE moves on from simply learning the skills to choosing which skill to use, where to stand and when to act. Pupils also learn to judge what makes a team or an individual performance effective, and to give useful feedback to others.

Invasion games tactics, explained

The National Curriculum asks secondary schools to teach pupils to use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition. The games listed in the curriculum are examples only: schools choose which invasion games to teach, and common choices are football, netball, hockey, basketball and rugby. Because the tactical ideas are shared, a pupil who learns to read a game in one sport can usually carry that understanding into another.

In attack, the big ideas are keeping possession, creating and using space, and moving the ball towards the scoring area. Pupils learn to make width (spreading out so the defence has to stretch), to make depth (having players ahead of and behind the ball so there are passing options), and to support the player with the ball by moving into a space where a pass is possible. A teacher might say “find a gap, not a friend”: the best place to receive a pass is often away from the nearest teammate.

In defence, pupils learn to slow the attack down, stay between the opponent and the goal or scoring area, mark a player or cover a space, and win the ball back without fouling. Some sports allow a choice between marking a specific opponent (player-to-player marking) and guarding an area (zonal defence). Netball is different because players are restricted to certain areas of the court, so its tactics are about how those positions work together. Teams also learn about the moment the ball changes hands, when the fastest reaction often decides the next scoring chance.

At this age the curriculum also expects pupils to understand what makes a performance effective and to apply that to their own and others’ work. In lessons this often means watching a partner, using a short checklist (Did they spread out? Did they pass early?) and saying what they saw. Many teenagers find this easier than they expect, and it is one of the best ways to improve: you cannot spot a tactical problem on the pitch until you can describe it from the side.

Words your child will hear

Possession: Having control of the ball or equipment for your team.
Width and depth: Spreading attackers across the pitch (width) and at different distances from the goal (depth) so the defence cannot cover everyone.
Overload: Having more attackers than defenders in one area, such as three against two.
Marking: Staying close to an opponent to stop them receiving or using the ball.
Transition: The moment play switches from attack to defence, or the other way round.
Zonal defence: Each defender looks after an area of the pitch rather than following one opponent.
Set play: A planned move from a restart, such as a corner, a throw-in or a free pass.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 3 says:

Pupils should be taught to use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby and tennis]
Pupils should understand what makes a performance effective and how to apply these principles to their own and others’ work.

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

Try it: using a three against two overload

Three attackers face two defenders in a small area. The attacker with the ball is in the middle. How can the attackers use their extra player to score?

Look before you act. The player with the ball scans to see where the two defenders are and which attacker is on the open side. The ball carrier asks: is there space to run into, or is a pass the better option?
Make the defenders choose. The ball carrier moves forward at the nearer defender. That defender has to deal with the player with the ball, which pulls them out of line and leaves the second defender facing two attackers.
Supporting players spread out and stay a little behind the ball, in line with the gap. Standing right next to the ball carrier would let one defender mark both. Staying wide and slightly back gives a passing angle.
Pass at the right moment: just as the nearer defender commits, not before and not after. A pass that is too early lets the defender recover, and one that is too late means the defender has already tackled.
Finish quickly. The receiver is now free, with one defender left to beat or none. They shoot or take the final pass straight away, because waiting lets the defence get back into shape.

The attackers use their extra player by drawing a defender towards the ball, passing into the space that opens up and finishing before the defence recovers. The key decision is not which skill to use, but when to use it.

Common mistakes and how to help

Everyone chases the ball

The ball is exciting and the nearest players feel they should be involved. The result is a cluster of players from both teams in one place with large empty spaces elsewhere.

What helps: Talk about “where the ball is going next” rather than “where it is now”. Spreading out and getting into a space is just as much a part of the game as touching the ball.

Passing to the nearest teammate, whether or not they are free

A short pass feels safe, but a teammate who is closely marked cannot do anything with it, and a pass into a crowded area is easy to intercept.

What helps: Ask what the receiver can do next. A pass is good if it gives a teammate time and space, not just because it was completed.

Dribbling or running with the ball is always the best way to beat an opponent

Beating a player on your own is the most visible kind of skill, so it feels like the way to impress. But one player can be outnumbered, while a pass beats a defender without anyone having to get past them.

What helps: Look at which option is better in the situation. Sometimes a run is right, sometimes a quick pass. Watching a game together and asking what the ball carrier could have done is a good way to practise this.

Defending means staying close to the player with the ball

Defenders are often taught to challenge the ball, so they forget the rest of the pitch. When the ball is passed, the space behind them is open.

What helps: Stress the idea of staying between the opponent and the goal, and noticing who the next pass could go to. A good defender watches both the ball and the opponent they are responsible for.

How to help at home

Watch a game and pause it. Choose any recorded match and pause it at a moment of attack, or watch a local club game together and talk at half-time. Ask your teenager where they would pass the ball and why. You do not need to know the sport well to ask good questions.
Garden or park two against one. With a ball and a cheap marker such as a cone or a jumper, two people attack and one defends. The attackers must score without the defender touching the ball. It is a quick way to feel what an overload is like.
Passing and moving challenge. Standing about five metres apart, pass the ball and then move to a new place before receiving the next one. The idea of moving after passing is the habit that creates space in a real game.
Be the coach for five minutes. Ask your teenager to describe what went well and what could be better in their last match or lesson, using the words “space”, “support” and “mark”. Explaining a problem in words is part of what the curriculum asks them to do.
Keep it social and safe. Play on soft ground away from roads and breakable windows, and use a lighter ball indoors. A short game with family or friends builds confidence far more than long drills.

Builds on

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

Leads on to

Key Stage 4: Tactics in team games
Key Stage 4: Tactics in individual games