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.