Snowball tag

WHY USE IT

This fun, Christmas-themed game is great to use as a warm-up to work on agility, balance, co-ordination and speed (ABCs), or as a basic dribbling and ball-control activity at the start of a session.

Set-up

Mark out an area relative to the age, ability and number of your players. 

Select a few players to be taggers – they each need to hold a bib, gathered up into a ball, in their hands.

HOW TO play

All players run around the area. The taggers aim to throw their bibs (snowballs) and hit the other players, in order to freeze them. 

If a player gets frozen, they have to complete a challenge, such as 10 star jumps or 10 hops, to become unfrozen. If the taggers can freeze all players at the same time, they win. Change the taggers after a minute or two of play.

progressions & aDAPTATIONS

• Progress so that if a player catches a bib that’s been thrown at them, they become the tagger instead.

   

• Progress to include dribbling balls. If just the taggers have a ball, it will be easier for the other players. If the other players have a ball, it will be easier for the taggers. Alternatively, all players could have a ball. If a player gets frozen with a ball, their challenge could be 10 toe-taps, step-overs or tennis taps.

   

• You can also change the size or shape of the area to alter the level of difficulty.

COACHING POINTS

• Encourage players to keep checking where the taggers are and to escape into space.

   

• If you introduce balls, encourage players to use both feet, and different parts of their feet, to move their ball. Players should take smaller touches when in a crowded area, and bigger touches when escaping into space.