Shot Value Zones: Close the Middle
A team handball game in which goals are worth different points depending on where the shot comes from: more from the middle and less from the wings. Students learn to protect the goal by closing the middle and, on offense, to shift the defense to find a high-value shot.
How to play
- Set up two 90 x 50 ft cross-court fields with goals and a 16 ft crease. In front of the crease, mark three zones with colored cones: a red middle zone and two yellow wing zones. Make 4 teams of 6 or 7: 4 field players plus a goalie (4 min).
- A goal from the red zone is worth 3 points; from a yellow zone, 1 point; from farther out, 2 points.
- Play with 3 steps and one dribble. Only the goalie enters the crease. Play one 6-minute period and note where goals come from.
- Break for 2 minutes: each team plans how to close the red zone on defense and how to open it on offense.
- Second 6-minute period using the plan, then switch opponents for a third 4-minute period (10 min).
Rules
- No contact: defend with good body position, without grabbing or pushing.
- The zone is judged by the plant foot; if in doubt, the lower-value zone counts.
- Safety: nobody shoots within 6 ft of a defender, and the goalie may use a foam ball.
Variations
Easier
Play without goalies, with small goals and only two zones.
Standard
Four on four plus goalies with zones worth 3, 2, and 1.
Harder
Defenders may not step into the red zone unless the ball is there.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student plays goalie with a narrower goal or keeps the zone tally for the team.
- Autism: give a drawing of the field with colored zones and their point values.
- Fitness level: free subs, and the student may defend only the wing on their side.
Learning goals
- Protect the goal by closing the middle shooting zone.
- Move the defense with passes to find a higher-value shot.
- Plan a team defensive response and evaluate it.
Equipment for a class of 25
- team handballs: 2
- goals: 4
- colored cones: 16
- pinnies: 13
Teacher tip
In the first period almost everyone shoots from the wing; use the tally so students discover it themselves. Use tall, visible cones to avoid arguments over zones.
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