Football without footballs

Football Warmup: 

Equipment and Setup:

  • Equipment: Sheet of paper for each player. Crumple up a piece of paper into a ball to simulate a football.

Move around the gym

  • Throw and catch with same hand, then opposite hand
  • Tap up with the palm of your hand as many times as you can
  • Tap up with the back of your hand
  • Throw ball up and catch with both hands
  • Run and dodge  like a football player

Partner Warmup and Game

  • One partner is the center, the other is the quarterback
  • Hike the ball and the center goes out for a pass
  • After catching the ball from the quarterback – switch roles

Game Rules

  • Hike the ball – Quarterback throws the ball
  • When partner catches the ball, then try to tag them.
  • When the music stops, switch roles and continue

Offense/Defense and Walking Tag

Find a partner

  • Everyone skips to the music, when the music stops, stand back to back with a partner.

Offense/Defense Tag

  • One partner on each team sits down.
  • The partner who is standing is the offensive player
  • The partner who is sitting is the defensive player.
  • The object of this game is for the defensive player to stay within one arm’s length to the offensive player, so that when the music stops they are within one arm’s length of their partner.
  • The teacher designates a locomotor skill: Skip, gallop, slide step, power walking, jogging.
  • The offensive player will try to lose the defensive player.
  • The defensive player will try to stay within one arm’s length.
  • When the music starts, the game starts. Players are moving around the gym in designated manner. Let the music go for no longer than 30 seconds
  • When the music stops, everyone must freeze immediately and the defensive player will extend their arm to see if they can tag their partner.
  • Switch offense/defense positions every time the music stops.

Walking Tag with Partners

  • This is a game where everyone is playing tag with partners at the same time.
  • Chose partners – One Partner: Raise hand. You will be “it” and begin walking around the gym.
  • Other partner: Close eyes and make three complete turns.
  • Open eyes and walk to try and find partner.
  • Students will tag their partner with a gentle tag on the back with two fingers
  • When a partner is tagged, students  switch roles.
  • After everyone has played for a couple of minutes, the teacher can give a reminder to the class that there are 30 seconds left, so if you haven’t had a turn in both roles, switch roles for the rest of the time.