Flrball Training Guide 10 Lessn Plans An instructr guide fr teaching this fast-paced, exciting sprt in a structured, cmprehensive manner using a building blck apprach
Table f Cntents Intrductin t Flrball... 1 Assessment... 8 Lessn 1 - Passing the Ball... 9 Lessn 2 - Dribbling... 13 Lessn 3 - Shting... 16 Lessn 4 - Player Psitins... 20 Lessn 5 Rules and Game Play... 24 Lessn 6 Advanced Dribbling and Passing... 27 Lessn 7 Defensive Strategy & Drills... 32 Lessn 8 Offensive Skills & Strategy... 36 Lessn 9 Pwer Play and Penalty Kill Skills & Strategy... 41 Lessn 10 Galtending... 46
Intrductin t Flrball Flrball is a fast-paced stick and ball sprt that is safe, fun, inclusive, and easy t learn. There is n cntact between ppsing players. Play centers arund ball cntrl, quick passing and lts f running. Flrball was riginally develped in Sweden where the game has been played since the mid 1970s. It is the fastest grwing team sprt in Eurpe. The rts f Flrball can be fund in many different sprts; sccer, hckey, and basketball t name a few, which means that many cncepts and strategies frm thse sprts can be seen in Flrball. Flrball is gverned by the Internatinal Flrball Federatin (IFF). Currently there are 52 member natins with ver 270,000 licensed players. It is estimated that there are ver ne millin players wrldwide. The Wrld Champinships are played every year in even years fr Men and U19 Wmen (players under 19 years ld), and in dd years fr Wmen and U19 Men.
The rules f Flrball have ne fcus- the safety f the players. Cntact between players r the player s stick is nt allwed. The ball cannt be played abve the knees and players may nt swing abve the waist. Minr infractins lead t a free hit; play stps and the ther team takes the ball frm the lcatin f the ful. Majr infractins cause a shrthanded situatin fr the ffending team. Flrball can be played with minr mdificatins t these rules. The mst imprtant thing t remember is the safety f all the players.
Lessn Plan Overview This lessn plan is written fr PE instructrs as a means t intrduce the sprt f flrball; it prvides the tls and backgrund that will enable them t teach the sprt in an infrmal setting t the beginning player. T accmplish this gal, the plan details the essential skills and basic rules that are necessary t teach in such a setting but shuld nt be cnsidered the definitive surce fr rules. Official rules fr flrball are maintained by the IFF. Curt and Equipment The fficial versin f the game is an indr team sprt. The flr that is used can cnsist f varius materials like wd r plastic matting surfaces. The internatinal standard fr the field is 20 meters wide by 40 meters lng (65 ft x 131 ft). The field is surrunded by bards r a 'rink'; these bards are 50cm (20 ) in height. The crners f the rink are runded. Rink sizes can vary as lng as the length is tw times the width. The gal size is 115cm high x 160cm wide x 60cm deep (45 x 63 x 23-1/2 ). Flrball sticks are made frm materials like fiberglass r carbn fiber. They are light weight with a runded grip and are generally between 80cm-100cm lng. These factrs make them very maneuverable and easy t cntrl at the same time. Fr beginners a mre flexible (32-36mm) shaft is recmmended because it enables easier cntrl f the ball, thugh a mre pwerful sht can be created with a stiffer shaft. The blades are typically curved fr a left r right handed sht; there is a maximum 3cm hk allwed n them. The length f the shaft is anther imprtant feature when chsing a stick because it has a clear impact n the safety f the game and learning skills. The length f the stick is in relatin t height and it can be measured by putting the stick vertically in frnt f the player. Fr children is shuld reach the sternum and with adults just abve the bellybuttn. Recmmended lengths fr different heights are listed belw. Player Height (ft-in) 3 6-4 1 4 1-4 6 4 6-4 9 4 9-5 4 5 2-5 7 5 5-6 0 6 0-6 4 6 2 and Abve
Stick Length (cm) 65 75 80 85-89 89-92 96 100 104 The ball used in Flrball is very similar t a typical whiffle ball; it is 72mm (2.8 ) in diameter and weighs 23g (.89 z). This makes it smewhat heavier and denser than a nrmal whiffle ball. Galie equipment cnsists f an IFF certified helmet, shin guards, and padded clthing. Galies d nt play with a stick.
Lessn Organizatin This lessn plan is divided up int ten units. The first five units shuld be cnsidered the cre prgram n hw t teach Flrball. Units six thrugh ten expand n the basic skills taught in the first five units and can be added n as needed. Taken tgether, all ten units are a cmprehensive guide fr teaching the sprt. The fllwing is a brief descriptin f each lessn in this unit: Unit 1 intrduces the sprt, teaches students hw t grip the stick, and cvers basic passing skills. Unit 2 gives lessns n ball cntrl and dribbling. Unit 3 develps shting skills. Unit 4 intrduces the player psitins f Flrball and presents basic strategy fr each psitin. Unit 5 teaches the rules f Flrball and students play a regulatin game. Unit 6 ffers mre instructin and drills n passing and dribbling. Unit 7 instructs the students n defensive skills and strategy. Unit 8 demnstrates ffensive skills and strategy. Unit 9 cvers ffensive and defensive tactics during penalty situatins. Unit 10 presents the galie psitin and cvers drills, wrking with defenders and skill develpment. Lessn Mdificatins Flrball is easy t mdify and adapts well t different fitness levels and playing cnditins. The fllwing mdificatins can be used t increase enjyment levels fr all, t include mre students, r t adapt t lcal playing cnditins. Change the size f the playing field. Shrten the playing time: use shrter shifts r decrease the perid length. Add r subtract field players based n the size f the curt. Use smaller gals and play withut galies. Assign disabled r immbile students t a defenseman psitin that primarily cvers the gal area.
When assigning teams, cnsider students skill levels, matching thse with lesser abilities t play tgether and thse with higher abilities t play tgether. This enables success fr students with lw skill levels and prvides challenges fr thse with mre advanced skills. Safety Several factrs shuld be bserved in unit instructin. Reinfrce these factrs during drills t assist the student s retentin f the rules. Strictly enfrce the rules n incrrect hits and stick cntact. An incrrect hit is the mst called infractin in flrball. D nt allw students t raise their sticks abve the waist (can be mdified t the knee); call high sticking quickly. Quickly call any vilatin f the rules against bdy cntact Rules The rules f flrball gather elements frm many ther sprts and cmbine them t shape a unique and exciting new sprt. Althugh superficially similar t flr hckey, it is imprtant t fllw the rules f flrball clsely in rder t differentiate the tw sprts. The bject f the game is t hit the ball int the ppnent s gal. Gals cunt as ne pint. An internatinal regulatin game cnsists f three 20-minute perids with a 10 minute break between each perid. At the end f the game the team with the mst pints wins. Each team has five field players and a galie. The players are generally described as: 1 galie 2 defensemen 1 center 2 frwards Game Play The game begins with a face-ff at the middle f the centerline; a face-ff als ccurs after each crrectly scred gal.
Face-ff Specifics The ball is placed n the center face ff dt. All players n each team must be n their wn side f the mid-line and must be at least 3m frm the face ff dt. The tw players taking the face ff shuld have their feet placed perpendicular t the center line. Each player shall have bth his feet at the same distance frm the center line. The blades shall be placed perpendicular t the center line n either side f the ball, but withut tuching it. The sticks shall be held with a nrmal grip (thumbs pinting dwnward) and with bth hands abve the grip mark f the stick. When the ball is damaged unintentinally (stepped n) there is a face-ff frm the nearest face-ff dt. After the face-ff the ffense and defense battle fr cntrl f the ball; each team tries t advance the ball frward and scre n the ppnent s gal. Play is cntinuus, players will be mving cnstantly. Substitutins are cntinuus as well: they take place in a defined substitutin zne and may happen at any time. Hit-Ins and Free Hits Hit-ins and free hits are stppages in play due t varius game situatins. They bth share sme f the same characteristics and can be cnsidered almst identical. Hit-ins and free hits are crucial aspects f flrball and shuld be thrughly understd. A hit-in is given t the nn-ffending team when the ball leaves the rink. The ffending team is cnsidered t be the team whse player, r player s equipment, last tuched the ball befre it left the rink. A free hit is awarded when a minr infractin f the rules ccurs. They allw a team t stp, regrup, change lines, r execute set plays. They ften lead t scring situatins when taken clse t an ppnent s gal. Cmmn Aspects f Hit-Ins and Free Hits Bth shall be taken frm the lcatin where the ful was cmmitted r where the ball went ut f bunds. Neither is taken behind the imaginary extensins f the gal lines, instead they are mved t the nearest crner face-ff dt. Oppnents must stay at least 3m frm the ball, sticks included. The player taking the free hit r hit-in des nt have t wait fr the ppnents t take psitin. The ball shall be played cleanly with the stick, nt dragged, flicked, r lifted n the stick.
The player taking the free hit r hit-in must nt tuch the ball again befre it has tuched anther player r anther player s equipment. Bth hit-ins and free hits may g directly int the gal. Events Leading t a Hit-in When the ball ges ut-f-bunds r ver the bards When the ball tuches the ceiling r anther bject abve the curt. If the ball tuches the ceiling r bjects abve the rink, the hit-in shall be taken 1.5 m frm the bard at the same distance frm the center line. Events Leading t a Free Hit When a player hits, blcks, lifts r kicks an ppnent s stick. (901, 902, 903, 912) When a player, in cntrl f the ball r trying t reach it, hits an ppnent s ft r leg with his stick. (901) When a player raises the blade f his stick abve waist level (904) When a field player uses any part f his stick r his ft, t play r try t play the ball abve knee level. (904, 913) When a field player places his stick, ft, r leg between an ppnent s legs r feet. (905) When a player, in cntrl f the ball, r trying t reach it, frces r pushes an ppnent in any way ther than shulder t shulder. (907) When a field player kicks the ball twice, unless in between each kick it has tuched the player s stick, anther player r anther player s equipment. (912) When a player receives a ft pass frm a player in the same team. (912) When a field player jumps up and stps the ball. (916) When a hit-in r a free-hit is incrrectly perfrmed r intentinally delayed. (918) When a galkeeper entirely leaves the gal crease during a thrw-ut. (917) When a galkeeper thrws r kicks the ball ver the center line. (917) When a galkeeper has the ball under cntrl fr mre than 3 secnds. (924) When a galkeeper receives a pass frm a field player n the same team. (924) Penalties Players are punished fr majr rules vilatins with a penalty. Penalized players must sit ut f the game fr the duratin f the penalty and are nt allwed back n the curt until the penalty is ver r, in mst cases, the ther team scres. Many penalties are fr mre drastic ccurrences f an infractin that wuld therwise call fr a free hit.
In scial r ther infrmal play situatins where there is nt a gd mechanism fr keeping track f penalty time yu can substitute a free hit fr technical rule vilatins and a penalty sht fr dangerus r unsprtsman like behavir. The fllwing result in a penalty: When a player, hits, blcks, lifts r kicks an ppnent s stick in rder t win a cnsiderable advantage, r with n pssibility f reaching the ball. (901, 902, 903, 912) When a field player plays the ball abve waist level with any part f his stick r his ft. (904, 913) When a player is guilty f dangerus play with the stick. (904) When a player frces r pushes an ppnent against the bard r the gal cage. (907) When a player, trying t reach the ball, tackles r trips an ppnent. (909) When a player hlds an ppnent r an ppnent s equipment. (910) When a player intentinally mves t bstruct an ppnent, wh is nt in cntrl f the ball. (911) When a field player actively bstructs the galkeeper s thrw-ut. (915) When a player vilates the 3 m rule at a hit-in r a free-hit. (915) When a field player participates in play withut a stick. When a field player stps r plays the ball when lying r sitting dwn. (919) This als includes stpping r playing the ball with bth knees r ne hand n the flr, stick-hlding hand excluded. When a field player stps r plays the ball with his hand, arm r head. (920, 921) When an incrrect substitutin takes place. (922) When a team plays with t many players n the rink. (922) When a field player mits t pick up his brken r drpped stick frm the rink and bring it t his substitutin zne.
Assessment Assessment n skills and game play culd be frmal r infrmal. Frmal testing questins can be drawn frm any skill cues listed in the individual lessns; rules, prper grip, skill techniques, player respnsibilities, etc. Lessn activities can be used fr testing r individual skill tests; at the minimum students shuld be tested n passing, dribbling, and shting. These activities can be used fr testing purpses: Passing Drill. Cunt the number f passes cmpleted between partners in ne minute (lessn 1, activity 2) Timed zigzag accuracy dribble. Take 10 secnds ff fr every missed r mved cne. Cunt the best f three tries. (lessn 2, activity 5) Timed zigzag speed dribble. Cunt the best f three tries. (lessn 2, activity 6) Target Sht. Students sht 5 balls at targets. Each hit cunts 1 pint. (lessn 3, activity 4) Cmbinatin test. Time students as they maneuver the fllwing curse. Cunt the best f three tries.
Lessn 1 Passing the Ball Purpse Facility and Equipment In this lessn students learn hw t grip the stick and develp basic passing skills. Basketball curt r ther area with a smth surface 1 flrball stick per student 1 flrball per student 5 cnes per bstacle curse Warm Ups Flrball warm up jg Side Twists see http://www.mantc.rg/warmup/ Flrball Warm Up Jg: A traditinal warm up in flrball that culd be led by a student. Students line up and fllw the leader arund the half curt perimeter, ccasinally running diagnally frm crner t crner. Start with a slw jg nce arund the half curt. Alternate ne rund f the fllwing exercises with ne rund f a slw jg. Shrter sessins can be utilized when there are ther warm up activities that are relevant t the current lessn. Arm Circles- rtate frward Carica- left leg High Knees Carica- right leg Arm Circles- rtate backward Shuffle- left side Butt Kicks Shuffle- right side Other Variants: Skip smetimes instead f jg. Spin arund when yu change directins in the crners. Bend dwn and tuch the flr every 5-10 strides. Or in the crners. Alternate between left and
right side. Skill Cues Grip 1. Dminant hand n tp, lwer hand twards middle. 2. Right handed players shuld hld the stick n the left side f their bdy, left handed players n their right. 3. Lwer grip is sft. The heel f the palm is nt in cntact with the shaft. 4. The upper grip is firm. Frm and Blade Psitin 1. Lean frward. Shulders are in frnt f the feet. 2. The blade angle is clsed. The blade is perpendicular t the flr r tilted slightly frward. 3. The swing begins near the flr. Avid back swing. The blade must remain belw waist (r knee) level at all times Frehand Passing 1. If teammate is in mtin, aim the pass ahead f them n their prjected path. 2. Use a pushing mtin fr shrt distances. The ball shuld remain in cntact with the blade during the swing. 3. Pass heel-t-te. The ball begins between the heel and the middle f the blade and cmes ff near the end. 4. Use wrist actin t pass the ball. Release the ball with a flicking mtin. 5. Fllw thrugh. Allw the shaft t rtate s that the blade pints tward the target. Keep blade belw knee level. Receiving the Pass 1. Keep lwer grip sft. Absrb the velcity f the pass by cupping the ball with the blade. 2. Feet can als be used t stp a pass. 3. If the pass is in the air, the bdy can be used t stp the ball. Cntact with head, arms, r hands will result in a penalty.
Teaching Cues Fcus n making a pass that is easy t receive. Cncentrate n gaining cntrl f the ball befre returning a pass. The ball shuld rll smthly; avid buncing passes. Sme players may be mre cmfrtable hlding the stick n the incrrect side f their bdy. There is rm fr persnal preference; there is nt a single methd that is crrect fr all students. Activities (30-40 minutes) 1. Intrduce passing emphasizing the skill and teaching cues. Intrduce and demnstrate hw t grip and handle the stick. (6-8 minutes) 2. Passing lines. Have students frm tw lines, ten feet apart. Students pass back and frth with the student in line acrss frm them. Students shuld attempt t make a pass t the side n which his partner hlds his stick. The emphasis f this drill is twfld: Make it easy t receive pass and have full cntrl f the ball befre returning a pass. After a few minutes, have the students step back and attempt lnger passes. (6 minutes) 3. Square pass drill with a defender. Divide students int grups f five. Students create a square with ne student in the center. The utside students attempt t pass the ball t ne anther while the center tries t intercept. If the center intercepts the pass, the student wh made the pass switches places with the center. (8-15 minutes) 4. Mving Passes. Students frm tw lines at ne end f the curt. They bth begin running and pass the ball back and frth fur t six times. When they reach the ther end ne f them takes a sht frm a crssing pass. (8-15 minutes)
Optinal Activity 1. Fllw Yur Pass. The aim f this drill is t practice smth passing and mving t an pen space withut the ball. (8-12 minutes) All players shuld line up in crner A this drill can be dne at bth ends depending n the number f players invlved. Three vlunteers shuld be placed at cnes B, C, and D as seen belw. The first persn in line in crner A makes a crisp pass t the player at cne B and mves twards the directin f the pass. Player B passes t player C and frm there t player D. Player D passes the ball t player that started at cne A, wh has run arund the B cne and tward the frnt f the gal. Player A receives the ball and shts, then mves t crner D. After making a pass each player mves t the next psitin (D t C, C t B and B t A). Start slwly and try increasing the difficulty by allwing nly ne-tuch passes, starting the next rund f passes befre the sht n gal has been taken, and encuraging a quicker pace.
Clsure Review the lessn with the students. Use the fllwing ideas t reinfrce learning, check understanding, and prvide feedback. Discuss the factrs t cnsider when passing t a teammate (e.g., speed f the teammate, psitin f the defender, speed f the ball, etc.) Discuss ffensive strategies that are imprtant in flrball (e.g., finding pen space, using shrt and quick passes and giving teammates playable passes).