Shark attack

Set-up

A 40 by 20m pitch although this can be varied depending on the age of the player and the amount of running you want them to do.

What you get your players to do

All the players (“fish”) start at one end of the pitch apart from three players who start in the middle wearing bibs (“sharks”). On your command the fish have to run to the far end without being touched by a shark. Start the fish as a whole group, or release them in groups. If a fish gets touched he becomes a “fishhook” and must stand still. However, he can touch any fish who get too close to him who then also become fishhooks. The last fish left is the winner.

Look for

Fish being aware of where the space is in front of them. Sharks working in a team to catch the fish. Good agility skills and changes of direction and pace.

Development

Instead of becoming fishhooks, caught fish become sharks. Change the dimensions of the pitch - narrower for more agility and a quicker game, wider for more running. Use tag belts instead of a touch or introduce tackling.

Notes

The game can be played on a number of smaller pitches with smaller numbers of players. For example you can have one shark to four fish in a 5m square to develop agility. Simply changing the name of the game can keep it fresh for younger players. Make it topical such as Harry Potter (Voldemort chasing wizards), or Transformers Tag (Decepticons chasing Autobots).