Can’t Touch This

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Activity Overview

Participants learn about and practise working as a group to send and receive an object, while preventing an opponent from intercepting a pass.

  • Intermediate (Ages 13-15)
  • Senior (Ages 16-18)

Facility

  • Gymnasium
  • Multipurpose room
  • Outdoors

Materials and Equipment

  • 4 pylons per activity area
  • 1 object per activity area (e.g., soccer ball, rubber chicken, flying disc)
  • Pinnies for half of the groups

Safety

Inspect the area and eliminate potential hazards. Check that the surface provides safe traction. Clearly outline the boundaries for the activity and set them a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Provide a safe distance between activities.

Activity Information

Activity Set-up

  • Divide participants into equal groups of at least three participants per group.
  • Two groups set up in an activity area using four pylons to mark the corners.
  • One group in each activity area wears pinnies.

Activity Instructions

  • Groups try to maintain possession of an object of choice by sending it (e.g., kicking or throwing) between players.
  • The participant with the object cannot move from her or his spot.
  • A point is given if a group can make five successful passes in a row.
  • The opposing group tries to intercept the object while it is being passed.
  • Once the opposing group gains possession of the object, or after the group with the object has made five successful passes in a row, it is the other group’s turn to pass the object.
  • The leader asks open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions during the activity. Examples include: When attempting to pass an object to your group member, how can you send the object so that you avoid the opponent intercepting it? When your group member is in possession of the object, what can you do to help her or him make a successful pass?
Can’t Touch This

Adaptations

To maximize the challenge and the fun, participants could identify their own ways to increase or decrease the challenge.

To decrease the challenge, participants could:

  • Begin by throwing and catching the object before progressing to kicking.
  • Take two to three steps with the object before passing it to a group member.
  • Reduce the number of participants defending.
  • Increase the size of the activity area.
  • Decrease the number of times participants pass the ball before getting 1 point.

To increase the challenge, participants could:

  • Set a period of time (e.g., three seconds) before participants must pass the object when on the offensive group. If the object is not passed by three seconds, they lose possession of the object.
  • Increase number of times participants must pass the object in a row before getting a point.
  • Decrease the size of the activity area.
  • Use an implement to send the object (e.g., hockey stick, racquet, lacrosse stick).

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies to send and receive an object while preventing an opponent from intercepting a pass. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Movement Skills and Concepts

  • Body awareness: Location of self when sending/receiving an object, and the relationship of how the body is moving when sending/receiving an object against an opposing group (e.g., participants without the object attempting to move into open space so that their group member with the ball can make a successful pass to them)

Movement Strategies

  • Applying appropriate skills to be proficient at controlling the object and sending/receiving an object to/from another participant while playing against an opposing group (e.g., as an offender, applying quick movements to make it challenging for the opponents to defend; as a defender, guarding the opponents and blocking all passing lanes to try to prevent successful passes being made)
  • Understanding, developing, and performing tactics to be successful in territorial games (e.g., moving into open space and rebounding the object to maintain possession when on offense or covering open participants and moving quickly to the object when on defense)

Sport Connections

Contains aspects of:

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

This activity qualifies as vigorous intensity.

Vigorous-intensity activities at least 3 days per week. This activity qualifies as vigorous intensity.

This activity does not strengthen muscles and/or bones.

Activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least 3 days per week. This activity does not strengthen muscles and/or bones.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.