Oz-tag

**__Oz-tag__** Basically:
 * Oztag is a non contact version of rugby league.
 * Defender must remove one or both tags to stop attackers progress.
 * Six tags/plays to promote ball before changeover.
 * The ball carrier is not allowed to protect his tag or fend off defenders.

__Passing:__
Teacher should teach body position (knees bent, lead leg), hand placement (thumb on the top of the ball, cupped hands), body rotation and wrist flick upon release. § __Simple activities__: Students should be given optimal opportunities to practice this skill in simple and complex contexts. Passing in pairs and in small groups (experimenting with different types of passes), introducing greater movements e.g. running and passing backwards, passing behind a defensive player/line, passing relays.

__Catching:__
Teacher should emphasis body placement, soft hands, eye on the ball. § __Simple activities__: Again students should be given optimal opportunities to practice this skill. Activities and drills such as those used for passing will develop this skill.

__Dodging:__
Pushing off the outside foot, redirecting the hips and exploding forward. § __Simple activities__: Students will develop this skill in the context of the modified games which will be discussed shortly, however cone circuits (students run and dodge between markers), and activities which involve a small number of attackers on defenders (2’s on 3’s) should be introduced prior to such games.

__Kicking:__
Kicking is a minor skill in the game. It can be used to score tries, but basically the “grubber” – a lower kick usually using the ground to create a particular type of bounce – is used. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Teacher should teach this, however teacher’s do not want students consistanty kicking within the games, as it takes focus away from the true skills needed in Oztag for success.

HOW ARE MOUNT SINAI KIDS TAUGHT?
It is important to teach the students to do 3 'settles' (these are basically 'hit ups' where the 1st receiver runs forward with the ball and gets tagged in order to get better field position) then to spread the ball out. We always teach to kick on the last tag and consistently focus on the defenders standing in a line when they are moving up and down the field. Finally, good sportsmanship is key. Any contact is an immediate penalty and obviously no arguing with the referee.

__Activities__
__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">'Braid Evade' - __ __(GREAT)__ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> This is a great warm up activity to get the students moving. All students are given a braid except for 2. Students with braids make them into a ‘tail’ and position them at the rear of their bodies tucked half-way into their pants. An area is marked out, roughly 20m x 15m. The 2 students without ‘tails’ must try and remove as many tails as possible. If your ‘tail’ gets removed you then become a person trying to remove tails. This continues until all we are left with a winner.

__'Ball Collect' -__ __(GOOD)__ Several squares will be marked out with four cones. The class will evenly mark up on the cones. i.e. if there is a class of 30, and there are 16 cones, then roughly 2 to each cone. The squares operate individually to the other squares. 6 balls will be placed in the centre of each square. When the whistle is blown, members on the cones must advance to the middle and retrieve the balls from the centre. The aim of the game is to get 3 balls back to your cone. You can steal balls from anyone’s cone within your square. Once a student has 3 balls on their cone they win. Rotate students so that everyone gets a turn.

__ 'Stuck in the Mud with Footy!' - __ __(KIDS LOVE!)__ This game is exactly the same as Stuck in the Mud. There are 3 people chosen in the class to be “in” i.e. they have to run around and tag the other students. There are also 3 students given a football each. They are the “savers”. When a student gets tagged they must make a circle with their arms away from their body. To be saved, one of the “savers” must pass the ball through the circle created by the arms of the students that have been tagged. This game should be played in a suitably sized area of teacher’s choice. // Teacher Note // : Space can be made smaller to make the game harder and vice versa.

__'2 on 1' -__ __(AVERAGE)__ A square will be marked out with a 2 cones placed on the side of the marked out square, roughly equidistant from each corner cone. The class will be split equally, with half the class on each of the 2 middle cones. One cone will have a ball based at it. When the whistle blows, the cone with the ball will have 2 students pick up the ball and run to their left around their top cone, while the cone with no ball will only have one student run to their right and around the bottom corner cone. This mean that all three students will meet in the centre of the marked out square and the two students with the ball must get past the one defender and score a try. // Note: // if class size is too big, 2 squares can be constructed. - can then be played as 3 on 2

__'Tag and Retreat' - (GREAT)__ Modified game of touch football, but in this instance when a touch is made on an attacker, the defender who made the touch must retire back to their own goal line before re-entering the game. This game will mean there will be less defenders over time making it easier for the attacking team to tactically make plays that will result in more tires, which in turn is good for class moral. Depending on class size, you may need 3 teams or even 4 teams, with 2 games going at once.

**Click below for official ASISSA rules.**

<span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -10000px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 679px; width: 1px;">__ Stuck in the Mud with Footy! __