Australian football league: rules and basic skills
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can incorporate the main attacking skills of Aussie Rules.
Key learning points
- Move: the ball is fisted by holding it in one hand and striking it with the other fist.
- Move: dropping the ball straight on to your foot and keeping your eyes on it, ensures a clean and accurate punt.
- Think: catching a kick that travels over 15m, without being touched, achieves a mark which results in a free kick.
- Feel: confidence comes from transferring skills from rugby and other invasion games to another new context.
- Connect: adapting quickly to unfamiliar rules builds collective problem-solving and communication skills.
Keywords
Aussie Rules (AFL) - the Australian football league, the professional league for Australian rules football
Mark - when a player catches a ball directly from a kick that has travelled at least 15 metres, without being touched, that player is then awarded a free kick
Handball - a method of passing the ball by holding it in one hand and hitting it with the other fist
Common misconception
Pupils may think they can run freely with the ball in Aussie rules.
In Aussie Rules, players must bounce or touch the ball to the ground every 15 metres when running with it. Running freely without doing so results in a turnover.
Teacher tip
This lesson could be spread over three lessons to cover each skill. It could also be completed as tag or with full contact dependent on the experience of your pupils. Depending on the space/equipment you have available, you could either use football/rugby/rounders posts as goal posts (padded).
Equipment
1 AFL ball between 2, 1 tag belts/tags per pupil, 30+ cones, 12 tall posts (rounders), 12 small posts (cones) and a set of bibs
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Whose role is it to tag the quarterback in flag football?
Q2.What is it called if you score a point in flag football?
Q3.What does a defender mark when working in zone defence?
Q4.What is the playing position of the person who runs to catch the ball in order to score?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What can’t you do when passing the ball to a teammate?
Q2.How many metres are you allowed to run with the ball before you have to bounce it?
Q3.What should the the ball not touch when performing a drop punt kick?
Q4.What is it called if you score 1 point between the tall post and shorter post?
To help you plan your 10 physical education lesson on: Australian football league: rules and basic skills, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 physical education lesson on: Australian football league: rules and basic skills, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
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