B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Train Smart, Respond Well, Play with Purpose

Under Pressure: Sending, Receiving and Retaining Around Others

C1 A1.2 A1.4About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can send an object to a moving teammate by passing into the space ahead of them.
I can receive an object on the move and take my first touch away from pressure.
I can keep possession by shielding, changing speed and scanning.
I can respond to signals, calls and the movement of others while sending and receiving.

Words to know

external stimuli
Things outside your body that you react to: teammates, opponents, calls, signals, the ball's speed and spin, the weather.

lead pass
A pass sent into the space ahead of a moving teammate so they can catch it in stride.

first touch
The first contact with a ball when you receive it. A good first touch moves it into space.

shielding
Keeping your body between the defender and the object to protect it.

scanning
Quick looks around ("checking your shoulder") to see where teammates, opponents and space are.

disguise
Hiding what you're going to do, like looking one way and passing the other.

Remember from Grade 7

In Grade 7 you broke sending, receiving and retaining skills into three phases, adjusted to wind and conditions, and used dodges, fakes and shot placement to beat opponents.

In Grade 8 you'll put these skills under pressure: passing to moving teammates, receiving while a defender is close, and reacting to calls, signals and the play around you.

Hook: the pass that arrives too late

You see your teammate running toward the goal. You throw the ball right to where she is. By the time it gets there, she's two steps ahead, and the ball sails behind her. The defender grabs it.

The problem wasn't your arm. It was your timing. In games, you pass to where your teammate will be.

A lead pass. The receiver (R) is running; the passer (P) sends the ball into the space ahead of R, out of reach of the defender (D).

Sending to someone who is moving

Look up and scan before you get the object, so you already know your options.
Lead the receiver: aim at the space ahead of them, at their running speed.
Weight the pass: soft enough to control, firm enough that a defender can't cut it off.
Communicate: call names, point to space, or use a hand target.
Disguise when it helps: look one way, pass the other; fake a throw.

Receiving under pressure

Move to meet the object; don't wait for it.
Check your shoulder just before it arrives to see where the defender is.
First touch away from pressure: guide the ball into space away from the defender.
Give with your hands, foot or stick to absorb force.

Retaining (keeping possession)

Shield: body between the defender and the object; arm out for balance (not to push).
Change speed and direction: slow, then burst.
Keep the object close when defenders are near; push it farther ahead when there's open space.
Know when to pass: if you're trapped, find the open teammate.

Calm under pressure

Pressure makes people rush. Before the ball arrives, take a quick look and decide early. If a pass goes wrong, say "Next one" and reset. A teammate who calls "Time!" (no defender close) or "Pressure!" (a defender is close) helps everyone stay calm.

Worked example

Let's time a lead pass

Your teammate is running at about 4 metres per second. Your pass will take about 1.5 seconds to reach them. How far ahead of them should you aim?

Distance = speed × time.
4 m/s × 1.5 s = 6 m.
So: aim about 6 metres ahead of where your teammate is now, in the direction they're running.
In real games you judge this by feel, but practising with numbers helps you understand why passes behind a runner fail.

Aim about 6 metres ahead of the runner.

Worked example

Let's read the defender

You receive a soccer pass. A defender is coming fast from your left. What should your first touch do?

Scan: you checked your shoulder and saw the defender on your left.
First touch: use the outside of your right foot (or inside of your left) to move the ball to the right, away from pressure.
Shield: turn your body so your back or side is between the defender and the ball.
Next action: look up for a teammate or dribble into the open space.

First touch away from the defender, then shield and look up.

The defender (D) comes from the receiver's left, so the receiver (R) uses the first touch to push the ball to the right, into open space, then shields it. Seen from above.

Hands-on activity

Pressure games for the park

You need: a soft ball (a soccer ball, playground ball or foam ball) or a flying disc, 4 to 6 markers (shoes or cones), and 2 or 3 people. Use an open grassy area away from roads.

Warm up (6 minutes): jog, side shuffles, skips, arm circles, leg swings, and 20 easy passes back and forth while moving.

Lead-pass ladder: your partner jogs across the space. Send a lead pass so they catch it without slowing down. Do 10 each. Then try at a faster run.
Call and react: the receiver runs; the passer calls "Left!" or "Right!" and passes to that side. The receiver must react and catch.
2 v 1 keep-away: two players pass and move inside a 10 m square; one defender tries to touch the ball. Count passes in a row. Swap the defender every 60 seconds. No contact: defenders can intercept or tag the ball only.
Shield challenge: one player dribbles inside a small square and shields; the other tries to touch the ball with a foot. 30 seconds each. No pushing.
Cool down: walk, then stretch.

Safety: Soft balls only. No body contact. Keep the square away from trees, fences and benches. Agree on a "stop" call.

Just for fun

Passing to where your teammate was is like texting their old phone number: great message, but nobody's there to get it.

Your turn

What is a lead pass?

Name three external stimuli you react to when receiving a pass.

What should a good first touch do when a defender is close?

Explain shielding.

Your teammate runs at 5 m/s and your throw takes 2 s. How far ahead should you aim?

What's the purpose of scanning before you receive?

Give one example of disguise in a game.

More practice: warm-up

Should you pass to where a running teammate is or where they will be?

What does a teammate mean by "Pressure!"?

What does "Time!" mean?

What should your hands do as a ball arrives?

In keep-away, why should passers keep moving?

More practice: on your own

A ball takes 1 s to reach a teammate running at 6 m/s. A defender is 4 m in front of the teammate on the same line. What problem might this lead pass have?

In ultimate, you can't run with the disc. How do you retain possession under pressure?

Explain why passes that are too hard and passes that are too soft both fail.

You keep losing the ball when a defender comes. Name two changes to try.

How does calling a teammate's name help passing?

Challenge

A basketball guard sees the defender lean left. Describe how she can use disguise and a pass or dribble to take advantage.

Design a 3-level progression for a lead-pass drill, from easy to game-like.

A receiver runs at 3 m/s. The passer wants the ball to arrive 9 m ahead of the receiver's current spot, exactly when the receiver gets there. How long should the pass take? Why does that matter?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Where should you aim a pass to a teammate running into space?

A teammate runs at 4 m/s; the pass takes 2 s. Aim about:

A good first touch under pressure:

Shielding means:

Which is an external stimulus?

Why scan before receiving?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: In Grade 8, students use and combine sending, receiving and retaining skills in response to others and to external stimuli. This lesson focuses on lead passes, receiving under pressure, shielding and scanning.

How to help at home:

Be a passing partner or a gentle, no-contact defender.
Use a soft ball and an open grassy space away from roads.
Watch a game together and point out lead passes and first touches.

Common difficulties:

Passing to where the receiver is. Practise aiming ahead.
Watching only the ball. Encourage quick looks around ("check your shoulder").
Getting flustered. Short reset words ("Next one") help.

Social-emotional learning: Staying calm under pressure builds coping skills (A1.2); communicating with teammates builds healthy relationships (A1.4).