INVASION GAMES: DEFINITION, CHARACTERISTICS, EXAMPLES - ARTE - 2025

The invasion games are sports games where two teams oppose a shared ground in order to earn points by moving an object, also called mobile- to the target or goal of the opposing team.

They are also known as invasion sports or cooperation / opposition sports according to the classification made by Hernández (1994). Invasion games are played by two teams of equal number of members on terrain such as tracks, courts, swimming pools, fields or halls.

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They are called invasion games because they consist of conquering the opposing team's terrain and reaching the goal with the mobile. Soccer and basketball are examples of invasion games.

Examples of the exchange or mobile object can be a ball, a puck (hockey puck), a ball or any other object depending on the type of invasion game.

Invasion games features

General

- According to studies, invasion games applied in educational programs offer greater opportunities for students to participate and improve their motivation to learn.

- The playing field is not divided (as in volleyball, for example). This is because the purpose of the game is for each team to invade the other's territory to reach the goal and score points.

- In the territory of each team there is a goal or goal to which a participant from the opposing team must reach with their mobile to score in favor of their team as many times as necessary to win.

- Each team has the same number of participants, who must develop strategies to support each other and be able to work together and in opposition to the opposing team.

- Each team divides roles among the participants to achieve effective control of the mobile and the opponent's territory, these roles are: attack and defense.

- Actions of the attack and defense roles

Attack

1- Preserve the initiative (through possession of the mobile).

2- Progress towards the objective.

3- Try to reach the objective.

Defending

1- Recover the initiative (seizing the mobile and counterattacking).

2- Obstruct the progression towards the objective.

3- Protect the objective and the paths that lead to it.

Examples of invasion games

There are many types of invasion games which are divided into two categories: focused on a goal (basket, target, etc.); focused on an open goal (finish line or space).

In the first category are basketball, soccer, hockey, horseball, korfball, mazaball, water polo, among others. While in the first category are sports such as American football, rugby and ultimate (flying disc).

Basketball

Also called basketball or basketball in English, it is a game that consists of scoring points by introducing a ball into the opposing team's basket. In this game the score per touchdown can vary depending on the type of shot.

A team earns two or 3 points depending on the position from which it makes the basket, and one point if it is a free throw. Each team consists of 5 participants.

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Soccer

It consists of moving a ball across the field of play using mainly the feet. The aim is to invade the opposing team's zone to score points (goals) by introducing the ball into a goal.

Each team has 11 players and the one who scores the most goals in the ninety minute time wins. The name of this game comes from the English word football (football).

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Hockey

Hockey involves moving a puck-shaped puck made of plastic or cork across the field to reach the opposing team's territory. The aim is to score points by poking the puck into the goal with a hockey stick. There is field hockey and ice hockey with skates, the latter being the most famous.

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Horseball

Horseball is a sport that consists of hitting a ball in the basket of the opposing team's territory while riding a horse. This game can be understood as a combination between basketball and polo. Each team has four players.

Clément Bucco-Lechat

Korfball

The korfball or balonkorf is a combination of basketball and soccer. With a ball and uniforms like those of soccer, a team made up of four men faces a team made up of four women on a court where the purpose is to shoot the ball in vertical baskets as in basketball.

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Mazaball

It consists of moving a ball and inserting it into the goal of the opposing team, in this case a stick is used that has a thick cylindrical shape at its lower end. Each team has 6 players. It is a game very similar to hockey.

Wikipedia file

Water polo

Water polo is a sport that is played in a swimming pool. It consists of the confrontation of two teams of 7 players (including the goalkeeper) each in order to score goals in the opposing team's goal. This sports game is very similar to handball.

Massimo Finizio

Football

American football or American football consists of the confrontation of an offensive team and a defense team, each with 11 players. The offensive team must carry the ball into the end zone or goal by running, making passes and preventing defensive players from preventing the scoring of points.

Image by Keith Johnston from Pixabay

Rugby

It consists of the confrontation of two teams of 15 players each. Each rugby match is divided into two 40-minute halves.

Rugby is very similar to American football, but should not be confused with it. Although both sports are played in almost the same way, there are differences in aspects such as playing time, the number of players, the field, the ball, the changes of players, etc.

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Ultimate (Frisbee)

It is a sport that consists of moving a flying disc or frisbee through the air in the field area. It has similarities to rugby, however, in this case the player cannot move from one place to another while holding the frisbee, and points are only scored when a pass is made within the opposing team's end zone.

Image by Universidad EAFIT on Flickr

References

1. Méndez Giménez, A. (1999) Effects of the manipulation of structural variables in the design of modified invasion games. Recovered from: researchgate.net
2. Reform of Secondary Education. (2007) Physical Education II. Anthology. Second Update Workshop on Study Programs 2006. Retrieved from: seg.guanajuato.gob.mx
3. Méndez Giménez, A. (2001) The design of modified games: A meeting frame between structural variability and educational intentionality. Recovered from: researchgate.net
4. Úbeda-Colomer, J., Monforte, J. & Devis-Devis, J. (2017) Students' perception of a Didactic Unit for comprehensive teaching of invasion sports games in Physical Education. Recovered from: researchgate.net
5. Differences between rugby and American football. Spain.: Bubble Football. Recovered from: bubblefootball.es