Why is it important to secure the ball first before running with it? (Securing the ball first ensures that you complete the catch. Not securing first can lead to dropping the ball while you prepare to run.)
Why should the tip of the ball poke through your diamond when you try to catch? (This ensures that you have your fingers all around the ball.)
Why is it important to hold the football towards the back of the ball? (Hold the ball towards the rear so that less of your palm is on the ball allowing a small space between the ball and your hand. This helps prevent the ball being thrown straight into the ground.)
Why is it important to step towards your target when throwing the football? (Stepping into the throw gives your throw more power.)
Divide players into pairs. Give them a football and 2 cones.
Players place the cones a few yards apart and practise throwing underhand.
Include catching at low, medium and high levels.
Emphasise catching the ball first and then tucking it into the chest to secure it tightly.
They can move the cones farther apart once they feel confident.
Teaching Points
Catching a football (medium and high):
make a diamond (thumbs together, index fingers together)
diamond out away from the body
remember the 5 points of contact Catching a football (low):
make a rake (pinkies together)
remember the 5 points of contact
Increase the distance over which players throw and catch. Challenge players to catch balls that are thrown from different directions. To make the activity more challenging specify the types of catches: medium, high or low.
use a bigger ball, Shorten the distance over which players throw and catch.
Partner pass
Divide players into pairs. Give them 2 cones (or other markers) and 1 football. Partners place their cones 5 yards apart and pass the football to each other.
They begin throwing from a kneeling position with the opposite knee forward, and transition to standing positions to understand the concept of ‘opposite foot forward’.
Challenge the students to see how many successful throws they can make before the ball is dropped within a specified time.
A successful throw is a throw that arrives at their partner above their belt line
TEACHING POINTS
Gripping the football:
index finger near the back tip of the ball
middle and 3rd finger across the laces
thumb on the opposite side
ensure there is a space between the ball and the palm of your hand
Throwing:
side to target
arm up and back (ball behind head, elbow above shoulder)
step towards the target with the opposite foot
rotate hips
follow through and across
Increase the distance between the two players. Ask players to position themselves so they throw in different directions: straight, left, right.
use a different type of ball
Bench ball
Divide players into Team 1 and Team 2 (have lots of mini games going) and place them on opposite sides of the playing area. Mark out endzones. Send 3 players from Team 1 into Team 2’s endzone and vice versa. These are the catchers, and the rest are throwers. Throwers attempt to complete passes to the catchers over the heads of the opposing team.
If a pass is completed the thrower goes to join the catcher, and the ball goes to one of the defenders.
Defenders are not allowed in their own endzone.
Keep going until everyone is in the opposing team’s endzone.
If students are struggling to catch the ball take away the opposition team and have them practice under no pressure.
Decrease the size of the playing area and reduce the number of catchers to make the game more challenging. Add more people to the endzone or reduce the number of players on each team to make it easier.