Zone Soccer

I use this game with 3rd – 5th grads.  This is the culminating event for our kicking/soccer unit. I really like it b/c it allows the students to play both offense and defense, as well as forces students to pass and does not allow for “ball hogs”.  In the 3rd grade the game does move slow and some students pick it up faster than others.  But by starting them in the 3rd grade it allows us to do more game type activities when they are in the 4th grade.

I divide the gym into 7 different zones using the lines from the volleyball court and basketball court.  I then use numbered polyspots to help the students know where to rotate each time we switch position.  Every two minutes we rotate to a new position.  The goalie rotates out to the resting line.  One person moves into spot one and everyone else moves up one number.   After the kick off, students are allowed to move off their polyspot as long as they are in their zone.

We use a foam soccer ball for safety purposes, and it takes the fear of getting hit with a ball out of the game.

The one thing I do not like is if I have a very large class the students are only playing about 50% of the class time.  Otherwise it is a great game to help students learn about offense, defense, and the importance of passing to your teammates.