Touchdown Tag 1-on-1

Setup, constraints and explanation

Setup

This activity is also beneficial as a warm-up. The offense will start on the baseline, with a defender on the free throw (FT) line. The offense can start at any time, with their goal being to advance to the half-court line in seven seconds. The defender has to get a two-handed tag to get a point: a one-handed tag does not count!

Constraints

• The defender dribbles, too, but can use one hand to tag.
• Constrain the space to make it smaller (harder for offense) or bigger (harder for defense).
• Have multiple players go at once; for example, two or three games of tag simultaneously allows players to become attuned to the available space.
• The defender can tag only with one hand or pull a bib out of the offensive player’s shorts.
• Players attempt to steal the opponent’s ball instead of tagging them.
• Add different obstacles and move the location of the objects constantly for players to interact with them in different ways.
• Have additional defenders (e.g. coaches) who act as moving objects and/or barriers stunting at the ball.
• Play the same game with the full length of the court, finishing with a live 1-on-1 at the basket.

Explanation

One tagger will start at least three steps away from the baseline. The escaper will start anywhere on their baseline with the ball. As soon as they go, they have seven seconds to get to the half-line without being tagged. The defender must get a two-handed tag, using one hand doesn’t count!

From Transforming Basketball (2024) by Alex Sarama, chapter 8, pp. 258 to 259.