Star catch
Whether the conditions are fair or not, this exercise improves speed, endurance and pass accuracy. The taste of victory, however, can vary depending on your conduct.
While Team One tries to complete as many laps as possible round the outside, the players in Team Two form a circle inside the marked zone. Each player has to throw the ball to the player standing opposite them. The order of the passes should create a sort of star shape (seen from above).
When the final player in Team Two receives the ball, the star has been completed. On completing the star, Team Two obtains one point per team member. Team One gains a point every time it completes a lap. Both teams have to start at the same time. The roles are then reversed. Which team will score more points?
N.B.: It is secretly agreed beforehand with Team Two that, when the ball is going round, it will sometimes miss out certain players and be thrown directly to the final player in the star.
Equipment needed: A small ball (e.g. a tennis ball); posts or something similar to mark out the zone.
Food for thought
At the end of the lesson or session, everyone gets together to discuss their experiences as a group. The participants will have to answer a number of questions: Did everyone play fair? How did the team that was unknowingly competing in unfair conditions react? And what about the winners?
Key messages
- Fair competition is possible only if all the players abide by the rules.
- Victory is enjoyable only if it is achieved fairly.
- Infringements of the rules need to be sanctioned.