Invasion games are team sports where the objective is to invade the opposing team's territory while scoring points. They involve carrying, throwing, catching, or kicking a ball into a target area. Examples include rugby, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, soccer, ultimate frisbee, and water polo. Key skills include passing, receiving, dodging, changing direction, spatial awareness, anticipation, and maintaining possession of the ball or object. Attacking strategies focus on keeping possession, avoiding defenders, and creating space to attack the goal, while defensive strategies defend the goal and space and try to regain possession.

1. Invasion Games
A guide to help when designing your
own invasion game.

2. What is an Invasion Game??
Invasion games are team games where the
purpose is to invade the opponents territory
while scoring points and keeping the opposing
team's points to a minimum, and all within a
certain time period.
These include sports where the ball is being
carried or caught across a line, thrown or shot
into a target/hoop, or hit with a stick or foot into
a specific target area (Pearson & Webb, 2008).
Invasion games are the most strategic types of
games with many transferable skills

3. Examples of Invasion Games
O Rugby
O Basketball
O Lacrosse
O Hockey
O Soccer/Football
O Ultimate Frisbee
O Castles
O Water Polo
O Chess (think about this one……)
O Netball

4. What Sort of Skills?
O Passing: throwing, kicking or passing a ball or other item.
O Receiving: catching, cradling a ball with the feet, or
receiving an ball/ object with a stick.
O Dodging: meaning to maintaining personal space, making
sure not to collide with other players or objects.
Change of direction: change the way your body is
traveling
O Traveling in multiple directions: being mobile; going
forwards, backwards, to either side, and to all diagonals.
O Speed & Agility: being quick and flexible
O Spatial awareness: recognise your position and see
where you are in relation to the playing of the game.
O Change of speed: being able to change speed, eg slow to
fast when necessary
O Anticipation: Guessing where the ball or play might go.
While anticipation is not a necessary skill it can be
extremely valuable when playing defence.

5. Attacking Strategies
O Maintain Possession
O Avoid defensive players
O Create space for team mates
O Create space for yourself
O Attack goal

6. Defensive Strategies
O Defend goal
O Defend space
O Gain Possession
O Defensive positioning
O Getting the ball/object out of your defensive area
O Predicting opponent's move

7. Common Tactics for all Teams
O To create space while invading your
opponents territory
O To contain space and contain the other
team while the opposition is invading your
territory
O To use a net, goal or target for scoring
purposes

8. Helpful Attacking Hints
O Possession of ball/object
O Attempting to move in the direction of the
goal
O Moving and creating open spaces
O Attacking the goal

9. Helpful Defensive Hints
O Staying between the attacking player and
the goal
O Use hands, feet, stick or body to prevent a
pass or scoring attempt
O Protecting a goal
O Regaining possession of an object