Defending outnumbered

Organisation

• Divide the players into two teams with everyone starting at the same time
• Each team has to retrieve cones or balls from the other half and return them to home base without being tagged in the opponents’ half
• The first team to bring all the cones/balls to base wins
• If a player is tagged in the opponents’ half, he/she must drop the cone/ball and return to base before trying again
• Develop the game so players have to go in pairs, or groups, or the whole group
• You can vary the running or movement styles

Ways to make the exercise easier

• You can limit the number of taggers on each team

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Players can be tagged anywhere on the field

Great questions to ask the children

• Can you show me how to change direction quickly?
• Can you escape the taggers by being clever?

Safety tips

• You can only tag players on the back or the knees
• Create a safe playing area

Organisation

• Organise your group into two teams, which attack the opposite goal in threes
• Begin with both teams starting at the same time and scoring into an empty goal – the first team to score wins the point
• Develop the exercise so that players pass their ball to the opposite team, then race to score a goal with no opposition apart from a goalkeeper
• Make one of the three a defender so that it becomes harder to score first and also to defend your own goal

Ways to make the exercise easier

• No goalkeepers to start with and no conditions

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Every player has to touch the ball before they can score
• Every player can attack and defend at the same time, no limits

Great questions to ask the children

• Can you score a goal at the earliest opportunity?
• Can you try different types of shots?
• Can you follow up for rebounds?

Safety tips

• Players must wait for you to say “go!” once the area is clear
• Create a safe playing area

Organisation 

• Organise your players into two teams of 7v5 or 6v4 including goalkeepers and create mini-pitches
• Encourage the team with extra players to keep the ball and spread out
• Can the spare players find space to receive the ball?
• Can the defending team work out the best way to defend when outnumbered?
• Let the children referee their own games
• Rotate players every few minutes so they get to play on both teams
• Set conditions for how to score and let players find the solutions

 Ways to make the exercise easier

• You could play 7v4 or 6v3

Ways to make the exercise harder

• You could play 7v6 or 6v5

Great questions to ask the children

• Can you spread out as a team to create space?
• Can you retain possession and find your players who have no markers?
• Can the defending team work out the best way to defend when outnumbered?

Safety tips

• Create a safe playing area