Warm-up: 1v1, 2 goals with goalkeepers
Organisation
- Organise two teams to start from opposite ends: one player at a time from each team runs with the ball and tries to score past the opposing goalkeeper.
- The players start on the coach's command and race to score – if both players score, only the first goal is worth a point.
Ways to make the exercise easier
- To start with, if both players score, both goals count for a point, not just the first one.
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Introduce a chaser/defender.
Great questions to ask the players
- How can you travel quickly with the ball?
- Can you try to play the ball out of your feet so that you can run quicker?
- Can you get your head up and take note of the goalkeeper's position before you shoot?
Safety tips
- The next players should only start when the pitch is clear.
Skill development: 3v3 including goalkeepers, + 2 floaters in the channels
Organisation
- Organise a pitch for 3v3, including goalkeepers, plus two floating players in the wide zones (channels).
- When in possession, either team can combine with the floaters, who have no opposition.
- Rotate the goalkeepers and floaters every few minutes.
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Give one team more players in the middle area.
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Give one team fewer players in the middle area.
- Limit the number of touches that both teams' (or just one team's) players in the middle can take before passing or shooting.
Great questions to ask the players
- Can you spread out as a team and try to find the wide players with a pass?
- Can you receive a pass from a wide player in a shooting position?
- Can the wide players deliver crosses that can be attacked?
- Can the players in the middle use the overload to create scoring opportunities?
Game application: 11v11, positional zone-based game, 2 goals with goalkeepers
Organisation
- Organise two teams of 11v11 and divide the pitch into three zones, with four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards in each zone, plus a goalkeeper for each team.
- A player in each zone has to touch the ball in order for a team to score.
- The players are restricted to their own zone.
- Rotate the players between zones after a goal is scored or after a given amount of time.
- You can also ask the players to decide how many players they want in each zone.
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Let teams play straight to the end zone, by passing the midfield, if it's possible.
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Limit the number of passes in each zone.
Great questions to ask the players
- Do you always have to play forward from the middle zone?
- Can you try to find positions in your zone to support the player on the ball?
- Which zone do you prefer to play in and why?