Engage Every Student In Every Lesson
MatchPlay Cards are your complete PE teaching toolkit.
Built for all abilities & ages, MatchPlay Cards are your complete PE teaching toolkit for Primary, Secondary or Sports-Specialist settings. Turn every pupil into a confident decision-maker, thinker, and team-player — on AND off the field.
Pick, add and play with MatchPlay Cards, your new teaching assistant to helping you to help pupils with communication, problem solving and decision making.
Save time, and deliver higher quality lessons
Streamline your planning with ready-to-go challenge cards that cut down your prep time and let you focus on teaching.
Foster student ownership and leadership
Use team and player challenges so pupils make choices, collaborate, and self-direct, building resilience and leadership skills.
Easily differentiate lessons to different skills + abilities
Adapt activities for different skill levels and abilities, keeping every student involved, challenged, and progressing at their own pace.
Engage every student from the get-go
MatchPlay Cards turn tired drills into meaningful learning. They give you ready-made games that build decision-making and game sense not just fitness.
Teachers, these are the PE tools you've been looking for!
Meet Our MatchPlay Cards
Trusted by teachers in over 75 countries
Our MatchPlay Cards were built for PE Lessons
Here's 4 ways to play:
1. Set the Game Focus (Start of Lesson)
Use a card to define what success looks like in the game.Instead of explaining a drill, the teacher:Introduces the gameUses the card to frame the learning intentionLets the game reveal the problem
Impact: Clear purpose without over-instructing. The game does the teaching.
2. Layer Challenge Without Stopping Play
Drop a card into the game once it’s started.
The teacher:
- Observes how the game is going
- Adds a constraint or challenge via a card
- Lets play continue with minimal interruption
Impact: Maintains flow while increasing complexity and thinking.
3. Differentiate Without Changing the Task
Use different cards across groups or individuals.The teacher:
- Keeps everyone in the same game
- Allocates different challenges based on ability or need
- Adjusts stretch without isolating players
Impact: Inclusive differentiation without creating separate drills or groups.
4. Hand Over Control to Players
Give players ownership of the cards.The teacher:
- Lets players select or apply cards themselves
- Encourages them to adapt the game
- Positions themselves as a facilitator, not director
Impact: Builds autonomy, decision-making, and deeper understanding.
5. Drive Reflection and Learning Conversations
Use cards as a prompt for review.The teacher:
- Pauses briefly or uses end-of-game reflection
- Links discussion back to the card focus
- Asks players what changed and why
Impact: Turns activity into learning — makes thinking visible.
Press Play on MatchPlay
MatchPlay Cards Support Key Themes in PE Curriculums
Perfect for PE teachers who want lessons that blend physical development, teamwork, problem-solving and tactical learning, all through the power of play. MatchPlay Cards were built to support the curriculums like UK National Curriculum, Australian Curriculum: Health & Physical Education plus IB PYP and SHAPE across America.
Find your match:
Choose from single decks, or grab our bundles to share with your whole department.
Need a school invoice?
Using your AUS Sporting Schools or UK Sports Premium? Let us know.
2 FREE decks when you buy 6!
2 FREE decks when you buy 6!
Tired of the same old lessons? Your students are too.
Gamify your lessons with MatchPlay Cards and engage pupils with brand new ideas. MatchPlay Cards are your go-to deck for team challenges, player missions and promoting student ownership. They're made to be your teaching assistant and toolkit to engaging your people in games. Perfect for:
- Primary PE Teachers
- Directors of Sport
- University Lectures
- Secondary Sports Staff
We know you'll love MatchPlay cards because...
No more late-night planning
We all know the feeling… scrambling to plan a lesson late at night or hoping the drills you’ve picked actually land with the group in front of you. MatchPlay Cards take that pressure off. One flip gives you a ready-to-run game constraint, challenge or idea you can use straight away.
Keep players hooked
Players drop out when sessions feel boring, confusing or overly instructional. Coaches drop out when the load feels too heavy. MatchPlay Cards boost engagement for players and reduce stress for teachers — helping clubs keep more people involved for longer.
Challenge every skill level
Players arrive with different skills, motivations and understanding. Keeping everyone engaged at the same time is tough.Add MatchPlay Cards to provide flexible, levelled challenges that allow coaches to adapt activities to every player without designing separate drills.
Build real game awareness
Repetitive drills lose players fast and telling players what to do doesn’t build game intelligence. Using MatchPlay Cards you can create fun, game-based learning environments that put decision-making and creativity at the centre.
What we get asked:
I am Primary PE Teacher, what deck is best for me?
Animal MatchPlay Cards are a must! This playful deck of challenge cards can be used with pupils as young as 6 years old.
The BIG Bundle would be a great starting point for you to be able to target all year groups.
Do you ship Internationally?
Yes! We've shipped to 77 countries and counting. When you checkout on the website, your shipping will automatically be added based on your shipping address.
Can you deliver a staff development session?
We love spending time with teachers! Get in touch to explore how a game changing session may look for your school and what dates are possible.
This could be online or in person, you decide.
How many cards are there in decks of MatchPlay Cards?
Each deck has 35-50 cards to play. MatchPlay Cards are even made of credit card plastic because we know durability is key for busy coaches and teachers.
Maximise Your MatchPlay Cards
Year's worth of games with MatchPlay Cards©️ E-BOOK
The MatchPlay Cards® Ebook is the essential companion for coaches and teachers who want to design better games, engage every player, and coach the game – not the drill.
Built from real-world experience across schools, grassroots sport, academies, and talent pathways, this practical ebook shows you exactly how to use MatchPlay Cards® to create high-engagement, games-based learning environments that develop smarter, more confident players.
Whether you're teaching football, hockey, netball, rugby, or deliver PE, this ebook gives you ready-to-use game ideas, session structures, and challenges that transfer directly to game play.
Save 10% when you buy 2 or more!
Build your bundle
Teachers love MatchPlay cards. Here's why...
Inclusive Learning & Differentiation
- Adapt challenges for all ability levels.
- Promote success pathways for every learner.
- Reduce barriers to participation in mixed-ability groups.
Game Sense & Decision-Making
- Develop tactical awareness through play.
- Encourage students to think, choose and adapt.
- Transform lessons into rich problem-solving environments.
Student Leadership & Ownership
- Promote peer coaching and team responsibility.
- Build confidence and communication skills.
- Encourage pupils to manage, reflect and reset activities.
Active Learning & Engagement
- High participation: no waiting lines or long explanations.
- Dynamic small-sided games ensure 100% engagement.
- Students learn by doing, not watching.
Physical Literacy & Skill Transfer
- Improve movement competence in realistic situations.
- Build fundamental skills without repetitive drills.
- Support long-term athletic and movement development.
Check and challenge your pupils learning.
Purposefully designed questions to check and challenge pupil learning in more ways than one. Meet Reflection MatchPlay Cards..
THEY'RE ZOO COOL
Animal Matchplay Cards are perfect for ages 5-10!
Explore Animal MatchPlay Cards for Primary School pupils and take them on an adventure of playful game challenges