Removing the ‘fear factor’ in PE lessons

As part of their training student PE teachers at Brighton are introduced to a range of non-contact versions of the traditional and high-impact competitive team games often taught in secondary schools. By removing the tackling element of games, physical education lessons become safer and more inclusive for all sexes, ages and abilities.

At the Falmer campus the student teachers were introduced to Tag Rugby, also known as flag rugby. Tag Rugby is a non-tackle and minimal contact version of rugby.

The game is played by two teams, of 5-7 players, with the aim being to ground the ball over your opponent’s try line. The attacking team has six plays to try get the ball over the try line and then switches to being defenders for the next six plays – the swapping continues until the game finishes. The team with the most tries at the end of the game wins.

Each player wears a Tag Rugby belt which has two tags attached. When an attacker is holding the ball, they can be tagged (one of their tags removed) by an opposing player. When a player has been tagged , the attacker is only allowed to take a maximum of three strides and must pass the ball to another player on their team. The ball must be passed within three seconds of being tagged – if this takes longer or takes more than three strides, then referee awards a free pass to the opposing team.

After the ball has been passed after being tagged, the player retrieves their tag and puts it back on to their tag belt.

Physical Education PGCE and School Connect Route Leader, Dr. Gary Stidder, said: “The reason so many pupils have a bleak perception of physical education lessons is simply because the subject commands a fear factor for too many pupils. The principles of Tag Rugby can be taught without the need for contact and takes away the fear of injury.

“Changes to the way team games such as rugby are taught in physical education lessons are not as dramatic as you might think. Simple adaptions such as Tag Rugby may be the solution to ameliorating the experiences of pupils and protect them from potential injury.

“The principles of competitive invasion games such as rugby can still be taught whilst upholding the safety and wellbeing of pupils in physical education school lessons.”

See our students in action in this short video produced by PGCE PE student rep Lee Moran:

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