Threes, Fours and Fives - Howie Weiss

Small-sided games are an excellent way to teach and/or reinforce skills, fitness and strategies. In the games below: All groups consist of three, four or five players. These games increase time on task, maximize equipment, and place the emphasis on learning and fun rather than winning and losing. The games below are examples of small-sided games and most may be used in conjunction with several different sports and/or fitness concepts.

Hot Potato - Form a triangle, square, or pentagon. The object of the game is not to get stuck with the manipulative when the music stops. When the music begins, pass a ball or other manipulative around your formation. When the music stops, the person who has the ball passes it to the next person in his group. This person either: receives one point, enjoys doing something with the manipulative such as dribbling to a basket and taking one shot, goes to the side and chooses a new manipulative, or gets one point and moves to a new group. Variations: Vary the kind of manipulative, and/or vary the kind of pass.

Pass and Move - Each person in each group spreads out a few feet from each other. After you pass the ball to someone in your group, move to a new spot in the play area. The passes are always made to the same person. Count consecutive completed passes or count how many successful completed passes in one minute. Variation: Vary the kind of ball or manipulative.

Group Tag - Begin with one person in your group as the "it." Give the "it" something to identify her, for example - a foam ball or Frisbee. Everyone spreads out throughout the play area. On the go signal, the "it" attempts to tag anyone in his group. Upon tagging that person give the identification marker to that person. He becomes the new "it." The new "it" can tag anyone else in her group, except the person who just tagged him.

Three - Four - Five Player Shuttle -If there are three in a group, two players line up facing one player. If there are four in a group, two players line up facing the other two players. If there are five in a group, three players line up facing the other two players. Give a manipulative to the group with one more player. With four players, it does not matter which group begins with the ball. Immediately after passing the ball, the player who passed it runs to the opposite line and goes to the end. After each pass, the passer runs to the other side. The object of the game is complete as many successful consecutive passes as possible in a given amount of time, or to complete as many total successful passes in a given amount of time. Time each round for two to three minutes and try to beat your previous score. Variation: Change the distances between players depending on skill level, change the kinds of passes, and/or change the kinds of balls. Safety: Make passes soft enough for the partners to catch.

One Less - Begin the game with one less manipulative for the amount of players in each group. At the go signal, establish a passing pattern that must always remain the same. All balls must be tossed at the same time. See how many consecutive times your group can keep this pattern going without a miss.

The Same - Same as above game, but begin with one manipulative for every person.

One More - Same as above game, but begin with one more manipulative for each group. One person begins the game with two manipulatives, and at the start of the game must both manipulatives at the same time.

Pattern Fitness - Divide the class into groups. Each group establishes its own fitness pattern. This pattern must be repeatable. Variations: 1. Use equipment. 2. Choose a particular health related fitness component.

Keep Away - Give one ball to every group. Form a triangle or square around one player. If your group only has three, place one player in the middle of the other two. The player in the middle attempts to intercept and/or touch the ball while the others pass it. The player in the middle either scores points or changes places with the last player who passed the ball. If a pass is missed, the group decides if the pass was catchable. If the pass was catchable, the person who missed the catch becomes the new middle player. If the pass was not catchable, the person who threw the ball becomes the new middle player. If the team cannot decide: play "Rock, Paper Scissors" to decide. This game can be used for any kind of passing. Variation: If you have five in your group, place two players in the middle. Safety: Be ready to catch or receive the ball. Pass with control.

Pound the Penguin - Give one traffic cone, one tennis ball, and one Nerf type ball to every group. Place the tennis ball on top of the traffic cone. One player guards the cone (penguin). The other players pass the Nerf ball until someone has a clear shot at the cone. Try to knock the tennis ball off the cone by hitting the ball or cone. The player who knocked the ball off becomes the new guard. Alternately, the player who assisted becomes the new guard. Variation: Vary the kinds of passes allowed. Safety: Control passes and shots. Be careful, when retrieving loose balls.

Knock My Block Off - Give one traffic cone, one small type ball, and one larger ball to every group. Set up the cones in a line in front of a wall. Leave about four to five feet between cones. Place a Nerf type ball on top of each cone. The players attempt to knock the Nerf ball off the cone by taking turns throwing the small ball at the target. They score two points for hitting the Nerf ball and one point if the Nerf ball falls in any other way. Each group establishes their own distance away from the target. Play for time. Try to beat your previous score. Safety: Watch for other players crossing in front of you to retrieve a ball. Before throwing, make sure you have a clear path.

Multi-ball - Begin by giving one Nerf or gator skin ball to every group. Give pinnies or other identifying tag to half of the class. Establish goal areas at opposite ends of the play area. Each team begins at their own goal area with half of the balls. The object of the game is to score goals by passing the ball to a teammate in the opponents' goal area. You may not move with the ball. When a goal is scored, the player who caught the pass should drop the ball and place a mark on a score sheet, which is kept on the side of the play area in the middle of both teams. Either team may pick up a dropped ball. The person who dropped the ball may not pick it up. Passes may be intercepted. After a score or a dropped pass in the goal area, only the opposing team may pick up the ball. Balls may be passed to anyone on your team, not just to your original group. Play for a designated amount of time. Then switch the groups around so that there will be different teams. Variation: Vary the kinds of balls or passes.

Keep it Up - Give one ball or balloon to every group. See how long your group can keep the ball or the balloon in the air, or count consecutive taps. Good for volleyball training. No one may tap the ball twice in a row. Variations: 1. Everyone must tap the ball once before anyone can tap it again. 2. Everyone must hold hands and tap with hands or another body part. Safety: Tap softly. Use the verbal cue "tap", instead of "hit." Try to stay in your own area.

Watch It Tag - Give one ball to each group. Two players are designated as taggers. The taggers may pass the ball between them but may not move with the ball. They may pivot as in Basketball. When not in possession of the ball, the tagger may move anywhere. The taggers pass the ball between the two of them until one of them finds himself close enough to tag another member of the group. If tagged, the tagged player joins the tagging team. In the case of three, the game ends when the tag is made. The last player left not being tagged wins the game. Variations: 1. Upon being tagged, switch roles with the tagger. 2. Enclose each group in their own area by using traffic cones or poly spots.