Football season is in full swing, making it the perfect time to introduce some football fun into your physical education classes! Incorporating football into your PE curriculum is an excellent way to get students active and keep kids engaged, and can be modified to fit any skill level. Football not only promotes physical activity but also helps students develop essential skills in a fun and engaging way. Many students already enjoy playing football, making them more eager to learn the associated skills in a school setting.
Pics by Tracy Angel @Mrs_Coach_Angel
If you’re looking for new and exciting physical education football stations and small group activities to add variety to your class, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I’ll explore football skills that can be taught during a typical PE class, provide tips for implementing a station format, and highlight six different stations guaranteed to keep your students active and engaged. The station guide includes an overview of the necessary equipment, station setup information, and step-by-step instructions. So grab a football (or a few footballs) and let’s get started!
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Football Skills for PE
There are several skills involved in football that can easily be taught in a PE unit, including ball control. Throwing, catching, ball-carrying, kicking, punting, and defending are all critical aspects of the game. Stations and small group activities are a great way to get students moving while they learn and practice these football skills. These methods are especially valuable in helping students of different skill levels learn and succeed, which is crucial since every student comes to class with varying levels of football expertise.
Incorporating Stations for Teaching Football in PE
Most physical education classes involve working with large groups of students. When dealing with a large number of children with varying skill levels, it can be challenging to give everyone the attention they need. Football stations and small group activities allow you to split the kids into smaller groups and position them in different areas around your learning space.
The station model enables educators to teach multiple skills simultaneously while grouping students by similar abilities. This setup requires less equipment and allows for more effective learning. For example, one station can focus on the offensive team while another can focus on the defensive team, teaching skills like blocking a pass, intercepting the ball, and covering offensive players.
Video by Coach Capps @WCE_PhysEd
Can Football Stations Help Students Meet Learning Standards?
The football PE activities highlighted in this blog can easily meet district, state, and national PE standards and directly correlate with SHAPE America Standard 1 which rationalizes that a student Develops a variety of motor skills.
Tips for Setting Up Station Activities to Develop Football Skills
Copy and Laminate Station Signs and Visuals: Durable visuals help students understand and follow the instructions easily.
Space Out the Stations: Place station cards around your learning area with plenty of space between them to ensure safety and efficiency.
Pics by Tracy Angel @Mrs_Coach_Angel
Sequence and Rotate: Number the stations and rotate students every 2 to 6 minutes, depending on your time and the number of stations you intend to use.
Provide Clear Instructions: Give brief instructions and demonstrations before the activity part of the lesson begins.
Include roles for defensive players, explaining their responsibilities in intercepting passes, pulling flags, and preventing the opposing team from reaching the end zone.
Use Music for Transitions: Play music during the activity and stop it when students rotate to the next station.
Offer Feedback: Walk among the students during the activities to provide instructional or behavioral feedback as needed.
Adapt as Necessary: Adjust activities to match your students’ abilities, equipment needs, and space restrictions.
Incorporate Football Terms: Use football terminology while teaching the skills to enhance understanding.
Need some exciting football stations for your PE classes? Cap'n Pete's PE Football Stations- 20 Gridiron Zones are perfect for bringing your class to the next level? You can find the set here on Cap'n Pete's website or on TPT
6 Engaging PE Football Activities
1. Football Obstacle Course
Overview: Students take turns running through an obstacle course while carrying a football, including sprinting around a hula hoop, leaping over a pool noodle, jumping rope, and running back to the start.
Equipment:
A football for each obstacle course
1 starting poly spot, 1 hula hoop, 1 pool noodle or line, 1 jump rope, and 1 end cone for each obstacle course
Set-Up:
Place a football at the start of each obstacle course.
Students line up at the start of the obstacle course, keeping lines as short as possible (2 to 4 per line).
Station Instructions:
Start at the start line and run around the outside of a hula hoop in a circle.
Leap over a gym line or pool noodle.
Drop the football and jump rope three times.
Run around the end cone, pick up the ball on the way back, and sprint to the finish.
Avoid having your flag pulled by defenders as you try to score or retrieve flags.
The next person in line repeats. Time your group for added fun and race against other teams.
2. Through the Hoop
Overview: Students take turns throwing a football through a hula hoop from different distances.
Equipment:
Enough footballs for each small group of 2 to 4 students
A hula hoop in a holder, hanging from a basketball hoop, or held up by another student
A few poly spots to throw from
Set-Up:
Place a football at one of the poly spots or throw lines for each group.
Students take turns throwing the football through the open hula hoop from different distances.
Station Instructions:
Throw the football from a set poly spot or cone.
Aim to make the ball fly through the hula hoop.
Retrieve the ball between throws, trying from different distances.
Trade roles with your partner.
Establish a throwing order if there are more than three in the group.
3. Punt for Distance
Overview: Students take turns punting a football from a line for distance, with partners marking distances using cones or poly spots.
Equipment:
Enough footballs for each small group of 2 to 4 students
A line or poly spot to kick from
A cone or poly spot to mark the punt's distance
Set-Up:
Place a football at one of the poly spots or punt lines for each group.
Students take turns punting the football from the line or spot.
Another student marks where the ball lands or rolls to.
Station Instructions:
Stand behind the punting line.
Punt the ball as far as possible.
Mark the distance with a poly spot or cone.
Return the ball to the punt line.
Trade roles with your partner and establish a punting order if needed.
Video by Tracy Angel @Mrs_Coach_Angel
4. Partner Throw and Catch
Overview: Students throw and catch a football with a partner or multiple partners in a designated station area.
Equipment:
Enough footballs for each small group of 2 to 4 students
Set-Up:
Place a football in a station area and set parameters for students to stay within.
Station Instructions:
Spread out in an open space (inside the station zone area) with a partner or a couple of group members.
Throw and catch the ball inside the zone area, practicing proper throwing and catching cues.
Try stationary catches, then proceed to catches while moving.
Establish some pass patterns before the throw and catch.
Attempt short and long passes and catches.
Act as an offensive team, focusing on strategies like passing the ball to teammates and avoiding interceptions.
5. Four Corner Ball Carry
Overview: Students take turns running through four cones, performing different locomotor movements between each cone: running, slide stepping, backpedaling, and crossing over.
Equipment:
A football for each four-corner course set up
4 cones for each four-corner running course
Set-Up:
Place a football at the start of each four-corner running course.
Students line up at cone #1, keeping lines as short as possible (2 to 4 per line).
Station Instructions:
The first player starts at cone 1 and runs forward to cone 2.
Slide step facing out to cone 3.
Backpedal to cone 4.
Crossover (grapevine step) back to cone 1.
The next person in line repeats. Time your group for added fun.
Introduce a challenge by having the other team perform the same course simultaneously. Compare times to see which team completes it faster.
6. Two vs One Passing Mini Games
Overview: Students take turns playing quarterback, receiver, and defensive back in a small grid area.
Equipment:
Enough footballs for each small group of 3 to 4 students
1 flag or 2 flags per offensive player (optional)
4 cones to make a playing grid
Set-Up:
Place a football in a station area and set up a grid using cones with an end zone.
Station Instructions:
Establish who will be the quarterback, receiver, and defender.
The quarterback and receiver determine a pass play and establish a passing pattern.
The two offensive players try to make a complete pass.
Rotate positions every 2 or 3 attempts.
Convert to flag football if desired, where an offensive player must stop when the flag is pulled.
If you have a fourth player, they can act as a referee and then rotate into the game.
Pics by Stephanie Weber @MrsWeber_PE
Here are some GREAT football tasks cards for your PE classes PE Equipment Challenge Cards - 24 Football Tasks help you teach manipulative and moment skills using footballs? You can find the set here on Cap'n Pete's website or on TPT.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating football stations and small group activities into your PE classes is an excellent way to keep your students active and engaged. These dynamic activities not only provide enjoyment but also help students learn skills and meet required PE standards. You can easily adjust these football activities to suit your students' skill levels and developmental stages.
In this blog post, I've shared six fun football stations and activities you can use in your own PE class. These activities are designed to help students improve their throwing and catching skills, hand-eye coordination, footwork, and teamwork. I hope you find these activities helpful and enjoy watching your students have fun while being physically active!
Need resources?
Do you need some sport-related skill stations for your physical education program that includes detailed instructions and state-of-the-art graphics and visuals? Cap'n Pete's Power PE has you covered!
Fill in the form below to download 20 FREE Sport-Specific PE Station Signs. The set is a PDF digital download that includes two visuals (cards/signs) from the following sport stations sets: 1. Base Games, 2. Basketball, 3. Floor Hockey, 4. Football, 5. Lacrosse, 6. Paddle & Racket Sports, 7. Soccer, 8. Team Handball Stations, 9. Track & Field and 10. Volleyball Stations.
This freebie set will be sure to enhance your PE curriculum for years!
If you're searching for a way to really spice up your PE program, Cap'n Pete's PE Sports Stations- 10 Product Mega Bundle is the perfect supplement. You'll find over 200 fun-filled, sports-themed station signs/cards (20 stations per sport) in this set. You may utilize them in your gym or specialized learning area.
You can download them from either of the following platforms: Cap'n Pete's Power PE Website or Teachers Pay Teachers- Cap'n Pete's TPT Store
This comprehensive collection will help you teach your students important physical education concepts and skills from 10 different traditional sports including basketball, base games, football, floor hockey, lacrosse, paddle/racket sports, soccer, track & field, team handball, and volleyball.
