Open Net Defense: No Goalie Allowed
A hand-passing invasion game with small goals, no goalies, and a crease nobody may enter, so the goal can only be protected by blocking shooting lanes. Students learn to protect the goal by staying between the ball and the net and helping their teammates.
How to play
- Set up two 80 x 50 ft fields with a small goal at each end and a 16 ft semicircle marked with cones. Make 4 teams of 6 or 7; play 4 on 4 while the others wait on the sideline (3 min).
- Play with the hands, 3 steps, and one dribble. Shots must come from outside the semicircle, and nobody on either team may step inside it.
- A goal earns 1 point for the offense. If a defender blocks or deflects a shot with the body or hands, the defending team earns 1 point.
- Play 3-minute periods; after each one, the waiting team replaces the team with the fewest points that period (12 min).
- After the second period, pause for 1 minute: where did the player guarding the ball stand? What about the others?
- Wrap-up for 2 minutes in a circle with the key idea: ball, defender, and goal in one line.
Rules
- Nobody steps in the semicircle; if an attacker does, the other team gets the ball, and if a defender does, the shot is retaken unguarded.
- No contact: block shots with arms up, without running into the shooter.
- Safety: use only a foam ball and never shoot from closer than 6 ft to a defender.
Variations
Easier
Use smaller goals and have attackers shoot only with their non-dominant hand.
Standard
Four on four with no goalies, a 16 ft semicircle, and a point for each block.
Harder
Widen the goal and allow shots from 13 ft.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student defends on the edge of the semicircle, and their blocks count double.
- Autism or shyness: start on the sideline counting blocks, then join as a defender alongside a buddy.
- Fitness level: play short shifts and defend a narrower lane.
Learning goals
- Protect the goal by staying between the ball and the net.
- Help a teammate by closing the second attacker's shooting lane.
- Choose when and where to shoot against an organized defense.
Equipment for a class of 25
- foam balls: 2
- small goals: 4
- cones: 20
- pinnies: 13
Teacher tip
Without a goalie, students quickly see that defense is everyone's job; praise blockers who do not lunge at the shooter. If shots get too hard, require a single step before throwing.
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