Spring 2013
Essential Components of Games Education: The different game categories are broken down into sections. Each game category states: 1) The main intention of the game 2) Concepts and skills 3) Players roles 4) Playing area 5) Offensive strategies and 6) Defensive strategies (Mandigo, Butler, and Hopper, 2007).
Teaching Games for understanding
Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) is a teaching model developed by Bunker and Thorpe in 1986 as a different approach to teaching and developing appropriate skills for sports through games (Hopper).
What is Teaching games for understanding?
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Attacking Principles:
1. Offensive Width – is the space in which the game is being played (playing area).
2. Offensive Depth – offensive players without possession position themselves within the offensive width to create space.
3. Advancement – Movement of play players’ game object (i.e. ball) parallel to goal line.
4. Mobility – movement of players’ game object to create space (i.e. passing).
Defensive Principles:
1. Engagement – the defender who is specifically attacking the offensive player in possession of the game object. Types: pressure, confrontation, tackling, and checking.
2. Defensive Depth – defensive support for the defensive group.
3. Expansion – position of off-ball defenders in reaction to movements of attackers (defensive positioning of individuals). Types: balance, spread, and defensive width.
4. Contraction – position of off-ball defenders to occupy space and protect scoring area. Types: convergence, funneling, and concentration.
1
Bean Bag Basics (BBB)
We used this game to demonstrate the
8 principles of TGfU (refer to left
column). BBB is a very broad game
that can be applied to various four
types of games you will encounter as a
teacher/coach (target, striking/field,
invasive, and net/wall).
In our session the tactical and spatial
awareness of BBB were applied to
develop the skills for basketball;
however, BBB can be applied to any
invasive sports.
BBB can support the tactical and
spatial awareness to play football,
basketball, soccer, hockey, etc. with
modifications. The principles outline
the offensive and defensive strategies
involved in playing those invasive
games.
2
Asking Questions
TGfU as a teaching model can be very
successful when prompting proper
questions while playing the modified
game. Questions that involve critical
thinking and the deep understanding of
the skills and strategies involved. For
example asking: “How can we stop this
offence from scoring?” “How can the
offense create better scoring
opportunities?” “How can we use the
space better?” “How can you support
your teammates in defending/scoring?”
Proper questions support decision-
making and facilitate understanding of the
game.
At the conference
Summary
Although no research states this model is
more successful than traditional models,
students have more fun! We hope that
TGfU can be implemented in your own
PE planning and coaching experiences.