Key Stage 4 PE · Competitive games

KS4 PE: tactics in team games, a guide for parents

In Years 10 and 11, PE asks pupils to use and develop a variety of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in team games, and to tackle complex and demanding physical activities. The curriculum gives badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby and tennis as examples, but each school chooses its own games. The focus moves from learning the skills to deciding when and how to use them against a real opponent.

Tactics in team games, explained

By Year 10 most pupils can pass, catch, shoot, strike or field to a reasonable standard. The aim now is to use those skills well under pressure. It helps to separate two ideas. A strategy is the overall plan made before a game, such as “we will keep the ball and wait for gaps”. Tactics are the decisions and adjustments made during play, such as moving a player to cover a dangerous opponent or switching the ball to an open side. Pupils are taught to plan, try, review and change.

The ideas build on what pupils met in Key Stage 3. In invasion games such as football, hockey, netball, basketball and rugby, attackers try to keep possession, create and use space, and stretch the defence with width and depth, while defenders mark opponents, cover each other, apply pressure and delay the attack. In striking and fielding games such as cricket and rounders, the thinking is about where to place a hit or a delivery, how to set a field and when to take a risk running. Schools choose which games to teach, and the curriculum names these only as examples.

“Complex and demanding” shows up in the game situations pupils are given. Lessons often use small-sided games with unequal numbers, such as five attackers against four defenders, to practise making the extra player count. Pupils work on set plays such as corners, throw-ins and restarts, on switching quickly between attack and defence, and on formations and roles. They are also expected to communicate, because most good decisions in team sport depend on teammates calling, signalling and understanding each other.

Teenagers are often asked to lead. They might captain a team, run a warm-up, coach a small group or analyse a match from the touchline. Tactical understanding is also judged by how well a pupil reads the game: spotting that the opposition leaves space on one side, noticing a weak defender or recognising that tiredness is making passes less accurate. Fitness matters because decisions get worse when players are exhausted, so tactical work and physical conditioning are linked.

These lessons are part of core PE, which is compulsory for all pupils in Years 10 and 11 and is separate from any optional PE qualification a school may offer. Not every pupil will play for a school team, and that is fine. The expectation is that everyone can understand the game, contribute a role and improve their decision-making, whatever their level of skill.

Words your child will hear

Strategy: The overall plan for a game, decided before it starts.
Tactic: A decision or adjustment made during play to deal with the opposition, such as switching the ball to the other side.
Possession: Having control of the ball, so your team can build an attack and the other team cannot score.
Width and depth: Spreading attackers across the pitch (width) and forwards and backwards (depth) to stretch the defence.
Overload: A moment when one team has more players than the other in an area, such as 3 against 2.
Transition: The moment a team switches from attack to defence or the other way round, for example when possession is lost.
Set play: A planned move for 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 4 says:

Pupils should be taught to use and develop a variety of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in team and individual games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby and tennis]
Pupils should tackle complex and demanding physical activities.

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

Try it: adapting to a team that defends deep

In a football match your child’s team is attacking, but the opposition has most players behind the ball in a tight group in the centre. Passes through the middle keep being blocked. What should the team do?

Observe and describe the problem. The opposition is compact in the middle, so central space is crowded, but there is more room near the touchlines. The team’s current plan of passing through the centre is not working.
Choose a tactic that uses the space. The team can add width by asking wingers or full-backs to stay near the touchline, then use a long diagonal pass to switch play from one side to the other. This drags the defence out of its shape.
Plan what happens next. A player on the wing can cross or pass back into the area, and a forward can make a run late into space. If the opposition shifts wide, central gaps may open for a through pass.
Protect against danger. Keep two defenders and one midfielder back, so that if the ball is lost the opposition cannot break away. This is the cover for the transition from attack to defence.
Review after ten minutes. Ask whether the width is working. If the opposition now defends wide too, the team might try shots from range or quicker passing to catch the defence unprepared.

A strong response names the problem and chooses a tactic to fit it: “They are crowded in the middle, so we will use width and switch the ball to the open side. We will keep two defenders back in case we lose it and change the plan if they adapt.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Thinking tactics are the coach’s or captain’s job only

At younger ages teachers decide where children stand and what to do, so pupils expect to be told.

What helps: Encourage your teenager to say what they see during a game. In Key Stage 4 every player is expected to read the game and speak up, not just follow instructions.

Believing the fastest, most direct attack is always best

Passing forward quickly looks positive and gets praise, so children keep doing it even when the defence is set.

What helps: Talk about patience: keeping possession, switching play and waiting for a gap often creates better chances than a rushed long ball that gives the ball away.

Everyone chasing the ball

The ball is the most exciting thing on the pitch, so players drift towards it and leave gaps behind.

What helps: Remind your child to hold their position, support in space and cover teammates. Ask where they should be when the ball is on the far side.

Giving up on a tactic after one failure

A first attempt at a new approach often goes wrong, which feels like proof that it does not work.

What helps: Teach reviewing: was the idea wrong, or the execution? A tactic needs a few attempts and some adjustments before it can be fairly judged.

How to help at home

Watch a game together and pause the thinking. Go to a local match or watch one live. At a quiet moment, ask “Where is the space? What would you do here?” and compare your ideas. There are no right answers, only reasons.
Ask open questions after a match. Instead of “Did you win?” try “What worked?” or “What did the other team do that surprised you?”. Teenagers who can explain their decisions are developing tactical understanding.
Draw a play on paper. Ask your child to sketch a corner, a set play or a defensive shape and explain it. Putting a plan into diagrams and words is a good test of whether they understand it.
Play small-sided games in the garden or park. Two against one with cones or jumpers as goals is enough to practise creating and using space. Keep the area clear of hazards and suitable for the number playing.
Support different roles. Encourage your teenager to try captaining, coaching younger players or taking notes for a team. These roles build the communication and decision-making skills that Key Stage 4 values.

Builds on

Key Stage 3: Invasion games tactics
Key Stage 3: Net and wall games tactics
Key Stage 3: Striking and fielding tactics