QUARTERBACKS and CHEERLEADERS Tag: AWESOME K-5 Football Throwing PE Game

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag is a crazy fun elementary PE football game that combines tag, overhand throwing, aim and accuracy practice.

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag

It’s one of those K–5 PE games my students absolutely LOVE because it takes a simple game of tag and adds a silly football-themed twist!

Students run, chase, flee, and dodge their way around the gym, but when they get tagged, the fun isn’t over.

They get to choose whether to become a Quarterback and practice overhand throwing, aim, and accuracy, or grab some pom-poms and become a Cheerleader before jumping right back into the game.

QUARTERBACKS & CHEERLEADERS TAG | Football Overhand Throwing Elementary PE Games

Snag your own QUARTERBACKS and CHEERLEADERS TAG Complete Lesson Plan HERE!

Hi there, it’s so great to meet you! I’m Mrs. T. (or you can call me Jen) – a Michigan mom, wife, new grandma (aka “Jemma”) K-12 PE teacher, blogger (Love 2 Teach and Learn) and author of 59 CRAZY FUN Elementary PE Games that ROCK!

59 Crazy Fun Elementary PE Games that ROCK - Love 2 Teach and Learn

I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time telling Silly SPORTS JOKES and exercising, while laughing with my students.

I’m also on a serious mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN and I believe physical education class is the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY to do just that!

READY! SET! LET’S MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN!

Since the main PE focus skills for this game are overhand throwing and aim/accuracy, it’s important to communicate those skills to your students before playing the game.

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag - I Can Statement - Love 2 Teach and Learn

So grab your footballs and pom-poms, turn up some fun music, and let’s play Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag!

Equipment Needed

For this game you will need the following:

2-4 POOL NOODLES
1-2 LARGE TUBS
1-2 BASKETBALL HOOPS
2-4 FOOTBALLS
2-4 SETS OF POM POMS
2-4 POLY SPOTS
1-2 HULA HOOPS (One for each Basketball Hoop)

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag – Game Setup

FIRST, choose 2-4 students to start as taggers, give them each a pool noodle and send them to the middle of the gym.

THEN, place a tub filled with footballs/pom poms next to the basketball hoop(s).

NEXT, ring a hula hoop around each basket and place one poly dot next to each basket and a poly dot in front of the hoops.

FINALLY, have the rest of the class line up around the perimeter of the gym and wait for the game to begin.

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag Directions

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag Game Directions - Love 2 Teach and Learn

When the music starts, or the game begins, a regular game of tag is played with the taggers trying to chase and tag other students.

When a student does get tagged they must decide if they want to be a QUARTERBACK or a CHEERLEADER to get back into the game.

QUARTERBACKS run to the tub, grab a football and then head to the poly dot in front of the hoop. They must successfully overhand throw the football through the hoop before getting back into the tag game.
CHEERLEADERS run to the tub, grab a set of pom poms and then head to the poly dot that is next to the hoop. They must perform a fun little “cheer” of their choice before getting back into the game.

*Play for about 60-90 seconds, then switch Taggers. Play as many rounds needed to give everybody a chance to be a tagger.

WATCH How to Play: Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag

@pewithmrst
🏈📣QUARTERBACKS and CHEERLEADER Tag: Super Fun K-5 Warmup Football Throwing PE Game! #pewithmrst #love2teachandlearn #footballgame #pegames #fungames
♬ Thunderstruck – AC/DC

Game Teacher Tips

📌TIP #1: I usually play this game twice during the school year. I first play this with my students in the fall in celebration of back to school, homecoming time, and then again in February during Super Bowl season. The kids love it.

📌TIP 2: My two favorite songs to play during this tag game are We Will Rock You by Queen and the Instrumental Version of Thunderstruck by AC/DC.

📌TIP 3: Feel free to move the poly dot closer to the hoop for younger grades and further away for older students.

📌TIP 4: Although this game touches on a variety of PE skills and standards, I like to mainly just focus on OVERHAND THROWING the football as well as ACCURACY and AIM.

Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag Additional Skills

Although I mainly focus on overhand throwing of the football, aim and accuracy when playing this game, Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag provides an opportunity for students to practice the following additional skills:

Running / Locomotor Skills – Students are continually running while chasing and fleeing during the tag portion.
Chasing & Fleeing – Students practice changing speed and direction while pursuing or avoiding taggers.
Spatial Awareness / Personal Space – Students must safely move through general space while avoiding other students.
Cardiovascular Fitness – Repeated 60–90 second rounds provide short bursts of moderate-to-vigorous activity.
Agility / Change of Direction – Students dodge, cut, stop, start, and change direction during tag. Body Control — especially important while students navigate the tag game and transition into/out of the throwing and cheer areas.
Creative Movement / Self-Expression – Cheerleaders independently create and perform a short cheer or movement sequence.
Rules & Safety – Students follow tagging rules, equipment procedures, boundaries, and designated throwing/cheering areas.
Sportsmanship / Respect – Taking turns as taggers, playing fairly, respecting classmates, and following the rules.
Decision-Making – Tagged students independently choose between the quarterback and cheerleader challenge and complete the task before returning to play.

The Final Whistle

QUARTERBACKS and CHEERLEADERS Tag: AWESOME K-5 Football Throwing PE Game

QUARTERBACKS and CHEERLEADERS Tag is such an incredible whole-class Warm Up PE game that keeps everyone football throwing, chasing, cheering and most importantly, having a total blast.

So, why not blast some “clean” and upbeat PE music and bring the excitement of Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag to your gymnasium TODAY!

Don’t Forget! You can grab your very own PDF of this awesome PE Game RIGHT HERE!

Mrs. T’s K-5 PE GAMES “Always Growing” BUNDLE

And if you want the absolute BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders Tag is also included in my “ALWAYS GROWING” K-5 FULL YEAR PE Game and Resource BUNDLE too!