Patrick Leahy

University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge Collegiate Institute

Football Skill Test: Passing

Basic Skill Being Assessed​​: Ability to throw a football with mechanically correct form

Grade Level Appropriateness​​: 7-12

Individual or Group Based Assessment​​: Individual

Equipment Required​​: Bantam sized Footballs: 1 per group of 2 students

Assessment Set-Up:

One of the greatest benefits of this activity is that it can be used as both an instructional activity
and assessment piece. Students will get ample opportunities to pass the football at distances that
become progressively more challenging.

Split students into pairs, with each group requiring a football between them. Space students out
along the goalline, with one partner standing on the goalline, and the other partner standing on
the 10 yard line, directly in line with their partner. Students should have enough room in between
them to easily throw a football without obstruction.

To begin the activity, have the partner with the football pass the ball to their partner using the
overhand football technique. The students will then continue to pass the ball back and forth from
the 10 yard distance until they manage to complete four consecutive passes. After 4 completions
have been achieved, have one partner (likely the one on the 10 yard line) move back an
additional 10 yards, then restart the drill with the same objective. If your group of students is not
particular literate with throwing a football, lower the movement distance to intervals of 5 yards.
Explain to students that the goal is to cover as much ground in a 10 minute span as possible. The
10 minute time frame should give the educator enough time to reach each student to observe
throwing mechanics and skill and record the result on the rubric. If class sizes make 10 minutes
an inconvenient amount of time, increase the time frame as required. A competitive group of
students could be motivated if the activity is framed as a competition between groups, but that is
ultimately up to the discretion of the teacher.
Patrick Leahy
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge Collegiate Institute
Patrick Leahy
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge Collegiate Institute

Assessment Focus Points:

1. Students should be standing in a perpendicular position to their target, with the non
throwing shoulder facing the target
2. Students should hold the ball in the middle of the chest with two hands on the ball until
the throwing motion is initiated
3. Non-throwing hand of the student should serve to open the shoulders and engage the
hand in the throw
4. Students elbow should be above the shoulder plane at the point of release.
5. Wrist should snap the ball out towards the target with a clean spiral (minimal wobbles)
6. Ball should finish its flight within the body frame of the target, and no higher than an
arms length overhead.

4 3 2 1 0

Pre-Pass Shoulders are Shoulders are Shoulders are Shoulders are Shoulders are not
Position always usually perpendicular to rarely perpendicular to
perpendicular to perpendicular to target and two perpendicular to target and two
target, two hands target, two hands hands on ball target and two hands are not on
always on ball prior usually on ball prior to pass half hands are rarely the ball prior to
to pass prior to pass the time on ball prior to the pass
pass

Elbow Position Elbow always Elbow usually Elbow rotates Elbow rarely Elbow never
rotates through rotates through through above the rotates through rotates through
above the shoulder above the shoulder plan above shoulder above the
plane shoulder plane roughly half the plane shoulder plane
time

Wrist Wrist always snaps Wrist usually Wrist snaps out to Wrist rarely snaps Wrist never snaps
Snap/Spiral out towards target, snaps out towards target half the out to target and out to target and
ball always has a target, ball usually time, ball has ball rarely has never has
discernible spiral has a discernible discernible spiral discernible spiral discernible spiral
spiral half the time

Catchable Ball Ball is always Ball is usually Ball is catchable Ball is rarely Ball is not
catchable by target catchable by by target half the catchable by catchable
target time target

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