B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Fit, Safe and Game Smart

Send, Strike, Receive: Force, Accuracy and the Lead Pass

C1 A1.4 A1.6About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can choose the right amount of force to send an object a short or long distance.
I can send an object accurately to a stationary or moving target, including with a lead pass.
I can strike an object with my hands or an implement (like a racquet or paddle) with control.
I can receive objects of different sizes and speeds by tracking them and absorbing the force.

Words to know

sending
Moving an object away from you: throwing, kicking, passing, striking.

receiving
Gaining control of an object: catching, trapping, stopping.

striking
Sending an object by hitting it with a body part (hand, forearms) or an implement (racquet, paddle, bat, stick).

force
How hard you push, throw, kick or hit. More force usually sends the object farther and faster.

lead pass
A pass sent ahead of a moving teammate, to the space where they will be.

absorb
To soften the impact of an object by "giving" with your hands, body or stick as it arrives.

follow-through
Continuing your movement toward the target after you release or hit the object.

Remember from earlier grades

In Grade 4 you practised accurate passes (step with the opposite foot, point at the target, follow through), soft catches, and the lead pass. In Grade 5 you passed and moved, using a give-and-go.

This year you'll fine-tune force for different distances, lead a moving teammate at different speeds, add striking skills like a volleyball forearm pass and a racquet stroke, and receive objects of many sizes and speeds.

Not too hard, not too soft

Try tossing a ball to someone 2 metres away. Now 10 metres away. You changed your force without even thinking about it! Good players choose their force on purpose:

Short distance, close teammate: soft force, so they can control it.
Long distance: more force: a bigger backswing, a step, using legs and hips, not just your arm.
Moving teammate: enough force to reach the space ahead of them at the right time.

A soccer ball on the grass of a school field in autumn, with players passing far away near a goal. — Look how far the players are from the ball. A pass across this distance needs much more force than a pass to a teammate close by. AI-generated image

Accuracy: the four checkpoints

For throws, kicks and strikes, check:

Eyes on the target before you send.
Step toward the target (with the opposite foot for throws).
Contact in the right spot: the middle of the ball for a straight kick; the flat part of your forearms for a bump.
Follow through toward the target. Your hand, foot or racquet points where you want the object to go.

The four accuracy checkpoints work for throws, kicks and strikes. Your hand, foot or racquet should finish pointing at the target.

A lead pass: player A sends the ball to the space ahead of teammate B, where B will be when the ball arrives.

The lead pass, Grade 6 style

A lead pass goes to where your teammate will be, not where they are now. To get it right, read:

How fast they are running: faster teammate = lead them farther.
Which direction they are going.
Where the defenders are: send it to the side away from defenders.

The receiver helps too: show a target (hands up, stick on the ice, a call like "Ahead!") and run into open space.

Skill	Key points
Forearm pass (bump), with a beach ball or volleyball	Ready stance, knees bent. Hands together, thumbs side by side, arms straight to make a flat platform. Contact on the forearms, not the hands. Lift gently with your legs; don't swing your arms high.
Overhead set	Hands up above your forehead, fingers spread, thumbs and pointer fingers making a triangle "window" to look through. Contact with the finger pads, not the palms. Push up and out with fingers and legs.
Racquet or paddle forehand (badminton, pickleball, table tennis)	Side-on stance. For a ball at waist height or lower, swing from low to high. Watch the object onto the racquet. Follow through toward the target.
Flying disc backhand	Side-on, disc flat. Reach the disc back across your body, then pull it forward toward the target, snap your wrist and release flat. Follow through, pointing to the target.
Inside-foot pass (soccer)	Plant foot beside the ball. Turn the kicking foot out. Contact the middle of the ball with the inside of the foot. Follow through.

Sending and striking skills you can practise at home or at the park.

Receiving: track, move, absorb

Track: watch the object from the moment it leaves the sender.
Move: get your body in line with it. Don't just reach.
Target: show where you want it (hands, foot, stick).
Absorb: "give" as it arrives: hands pull in toward your body, a foot cushions back, a stick blade softens. This stops it bouncing away.

Big, light objects (a beach ball) need gentle hands; small, fast objects (a tennis ball) need you to watch closely and give more.

Both sides

Practise with your non-dominant hand and foot too. In games, being able to pass with either side means defenders can't easily guess what you'll do.

Be a great partner

Call your partner's name before you send.
Start close and slow, then move apart as you both succeed.
Celebrate good catches and good passes: "Great lead!"
If a pass goes wrong, say "My fault, too hard" and adjust, without blaming.
Safety: use soft balls indoors, check that no one is in the line of a kick or throw, and keep racquets below shoulder height when others are close.

Joke break

Why does the beach ball love volleyball practice?

Because it always gets to bump into its friends!

Worked example

Let's choose the force and lead

You're playing 2-on-1 soccer at the park. Your teammate is 10 metres away, sprinting toward the goal on your right. A defender is 3 metres in front of you. What pass do you make?

Direction: The teammate is running toward the goal, so send the ball ahead of them, toward the goal side.
Away from the defender: The defender is in front of you, so pass around them, to your right.
Force: 10 metres plus the lead distance and a sprinting teammate means firm force, but not so hard it runs out of bounds.
Technique: inside-foot pass, plant foot beside the ball pointing at the space, follow through toward it.
Check: Did your teammate reach it without slowing down? If they had to stop, lead them more next time. If it rolled past them, use less force.

A firm inside-foot lead pass into the space ahead of your teammate, away from the defender.

Worked example

Let's fix a forearm pass

Jas keeps sending the beach ball backwards over his head when he bumps it. What might be going wrong?

Check the platform: Is he swinging his arms up high? A big arm swing sends it up and back.
Check the contact: Is the ball hitting his hands or wrists? It should land on the flat part of his forearms.
Check the body: Is he standing tall? He should bend his knees and lift with his legs, angling the platform toward his target.
Fix: Ready stance, straight arms, small lift from the legs, platform pointing at the target.

Keep arms straight and still, contact on the forearms, and lift gently with the legs toward the target.

Hands-on activity

Sending and receiving circuit

You need: a soft ball, a beach ball, a flying disc (or paper plate), a soccer ball, a racquet or paddle (optional), 4 shoes or cones, a partner, and a yard or park.

Force ladder: Place cones at 3, 6, 9 and 12 metres. Toss or kick to a partner at each distance. Count good catches or traps out of 5 at each.
Lead pass run: Your partner jogs across in front of you. Send a lead pass so they catch it without slowing down. Try at walking, jogging and running speeds.
Bump rally: Bump the beach ball to yourself, then to your partner. Count your longest rally.
Disc throws: Backhand to your partner at 5 metres, then 10.
Wrong side: Repeat one station with your non-dominant hand or foot.

Look for: eyes on the target, step and follow through, receivers giving with the object.

Safety: Make sure no one is in the path of kicks or throws. Use soft equipment near windows and cars.

Your turn

What is a lead pass?

Your teammate is running fast. Should you lead them more or less?

Name the four accuracy checkpoints.

Where should the ball touch your arms in a forearm pass?

What does "absorb" mean when receiving?

Why practise passing with your non-dominant side?

Do it and check: Throw a soft ball to a partner 3 m away, then 10 m away. What changes?

More practice: warm-up

Is a racquet an implement?

Name one sending skill.

Name one receiving skill.

What should you do with your eyes when receiving?

Short pass to a close teammate: soft or hard force?

More practice: on your own

Your passes keep landing behind your running teammate. What should you change?

Your teammate keeps dropping your passes because they come too fast. What should you change, and what could they do?

Why do you swing low to high on a forehand?

Compare receiving a beach ball and a tennis ball.

A defender is on your teammate's left side. Where should your pass go?

Challenge

Your teammate is running at about 4 metres per second and your pass takes 2 seconds to arrive. About how far ahead of them should you aim?

Explain why using your legs and hips helps you send an object farther than using only your arm.

Design a backyard game that practises lead passes with a disc. Include a rule that makes leading necessary.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is a lead pass?

To send a ball farther, you should...

In a forearm pass, the ball should hit...

What does it mean to absorb a catch?

Which is a striking skill?

Your passes keep going behind your running teammate. What should you change?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 6 students send, receive and strike objects with increasing control, applying force and accuracy to moving targets. This lesson refines the lead pass and adds striking skills (forearm pass, set, racquet forehand, disc backhand).

How to help at home:

Be a partner. Start close and step back as catches succeed.
Jog across the yard and ask your child to lead you with a pass.
Ask "What did you change?" after a miss: force, direction, or timing.

Common difficulties:

Passing to where the person is. Practise with slow jogging first.
Stiff hands when catching. Think "soft hands, pull it in."
Swinging arms in a bump. Keep the platform still; lift with the legs.

Safety: Soft balls indoors, clear lines for kicks and throws, racquets kept low near others, play away from cars and windows. A beach ball is fine for bumping; keep any small or deflated pieces away from young siblings.

Social-emotional learning: Encouraging partners and owning mistakes builds healthy relationships (A1.4); reading speed and space to choose a pass builds critical thinking (A1.6).