Dodgeball: The 4-Week Lesson Plan

This 4-week lesson plan has been devised to help people through the basic skills of Dodgeball, these are: - Throwing over arm - Throwing underarm - Catching - Dodging - Tactical Play The 4-week lesson plan will be as follows: - Week 1 - Throwing - Week 2 - Catching - Week 3 - Dodging and Tactics - Week 4 - Tournament week

WEEK 1
WARM UP:
Jog around the court:

Team 1

Normal jog Side step Back ward Normal jog Team 2

RULES:
Sit the group down and go through the basic rules and the area of the court, you may use demonstrations if need be. Explain todays main theme is throwing what different types of throw are there? When should they be used?

OVER ARM THROW:

Set target on wall, 1m from floor and 1m square. Thrower stands 4-5m away from wall. In pairs, one throws at target and the other retrieves or catches it off of the wall and passes back to thrower. Coaching Point have arm cocked back before throwing (makes it harder for opposition to know where youll be throwing to).

UNDERARM THROW:
As above, but must hit immediately below marked square but not on the floor. Coaching Point step into throw, bowling ball action.

SNATCH THROW:
Players start 10m from wall with ball on floor 5m away. On the whistle, all players (one from each pair) run and grab the ball and throw it at or below the square on the wall. They are not allowed to run past where the ball was placed.

LONG THROW:
How far back can you accurately throw? Start from the 5m line and make as many attempts as you can to hit above or below the square (but not on the floor) if you hit it then move back 1m. Who can get to the half way line first?

GAME:
Stop after 10 minutes and discuss throwing tactics

WEEK 2
WARM UP:
Jog around the court:

Normal jog Side step Backwards Normal jog

CHEST CATCH:
In pairs standing 5m apart, throw to partner at chest height to catch. Coaching Point get hands behind the ball for the catch and keep your eye on the ball.

LOW CATCH:
In pairs standing 5m apart throw to partner below the waist to catch. Coaching Point get hands behind the ball for the catch, keep your eye on the ball and bend down low.

HOT POTATO:
In pairs standing 5m apart, throw the ball to your partner at chest height to catch. Slowly move in closer to each other so as to throw and catch as quickly as possible. This exercise is to try and get as many catches working in a pair so as not to get the other out.

POTATO JUGGLING:
In two groups of 8, stand in a circle facing one another and throw the ball to a player opposite. They in turn throw to another player who hasnt been thrown to. Do this until all players have caught the ball. Remember who you threw it to and who you caught it from then set the ball going again and bring in a second ball, when the group have mastered this, bring in a third and fourth. If the balls collide then stop and start with one ball again.

GAME:
Stop after 10 minutes and discuss throwing tactics.

WEEK 3
WARM UP:
Divide into two teams with different sets of bibs on. Both teams must jog in formation down the middle of the court to the centre, then one team turns right to the side and the other turns left to the side, to the top and then to the middle and back down to the centre, (one team forming a p and the other a q). Before doing this, each team has 1 minute to decide what their team chant/team name/arm movement etc. is e.g. the New Zealand Rugby Teams haka.

TABLE FOOTBALL:
Object of the exercise is to stay in formation imagine being in a giant table football game; there is a pole through each of the team and you cannot change position relative to the person at the front or either side of you. Players stand in two rows facing the coach and more than an arms width apart. Starting in a star shape, players follow the coachs actions. Coach takes 3 jumps back, then ducks, then jumps high, then goes into press up position and so on.

ONE ON ONE LOW DODGE:

One player stands 3m from the wall and the other with the ball stands 5m from them, the player with the ball throws below knee height and the other player jumps to avoid it. A no ball is a bad throw, 1 good throw if hit is a point to the thrower and a point to the other player if dodged out of the way.

ONE ON ONE CHEST DODGE:

One player stands 3m from the wall and the other with the ball stands 5m from him. Player with the ball throws at chest height and other player moves to avoid. 1 good throw if hit is a point to the thrower and a point to the other player if dodged out of the way.

THREE ON ONE:
One ball - play dodge ball in half a badminton court area. As soon as a player is out then swap them with another person.

FOUR ON TWO:
Four on two people with two balls using whole badminton court. Discuss the tactics of throwing two balls at the same time.

DEFLECTION:
3 players on one side with middle player holding a ball the deflector. One other player stands 5m away and throws a second ball at chest height at the other. The deflector holding the ball must deflect the incoming ball up so that one of his two catchers can catch it. Practice this slowly at first.

GAME:
Play for 20 minutes and discusses dodging tactics at the end.

WEEK 4
Tournament week - 6 vs. 6 Split into teams of 2 on 2 and rest for 2 minutes. Scores are kept by players that are not involved in the match at the time.

GAME VARIATIONS:
LARGE BALL GAME:
Use a large ball e.g. aerobics ball, acting as a normal ball.

LAST MAN STANDING:

One player on each team wears a different coloured bib to their team mates, if they are out then the whole team is out.

LAST PLAYER RULE:

When down to one player, if they remain on court for 20 seconds without getting hit then their whole team comes back on. Only be done one game in a match.