TACTILE MAPS TO EXPLAIN GAME SITUATIONS

As introduced earlier, tactile maps are an essential tool for orientation and familiarization. However, their usefulness goes beyond spatial exploration: they can also be effectively employed to explain game strategies and dynamic situations in sports.

Using Tactile Maps to Teach Game Concepts

Tactile maps provide tangible spatial representations of the playing field, allowing children with visual impairments to:

• Understand player positions and team formations

• Follow the movement patterns of the ball or players

• Grasp tactical concepts such as zones of defense or areas of attack

• Visualize set plays such as corner kicks or throw-ins in football.

By touching the map, children can mentally construct the game scenario being discussed, reinforcing their understanding of both static layout and dynamic gameplay.

Practical Application

• Create maps with raised lines, textures, and Braille labels to represent key elements like goals, midfield lines, player positions, and ball location.
• Use different materials (e.g., soft felt, rubber, string) to distinguish between teams or types of movement (e.g., dashed lines for a player’s run, solid lines for a pass).
• Encourage the student to feel the layout while the instructor verbally describes the situation being modeled.

For children with visual impairments, tactile maps transform abstract game concepts into concrete understanding. This fosters not only tactical awareness but also greater confidence, engagement, and inclusion in team sports like football.

In the following video, observe how the coach uses a tactile map to explain a football game phase. The coach guides the child through player placements and ball movement, helping them understand conceptually and by touch a real in-game moment.