Warm-up: Agility courses and 2v2 with mobile goal and no goalkeepers
Organisation
- Organise separate working areas, with agility courses at one end and a playing area at the other
- Split your group into two – half do the agility exercises and half compete 2v2
- The players doing the agility tasks take turns to complete the courses that you have set up and rotate between them
- The other half work in pairs to score by passing through mobile goals
- The mobile goals can be two players holding a stick, a skipping rope or two bibs tied together, etc.
- After a few minutes, swap the players over
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Require the players who serve as the mobile goals to walk to begin with – i.e. they cannot run away
- Make the mobile goals bigger
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Challenge the players to race each other through the agility tasks
- Make the mobile goals smaller, or require goals to be scored with a first-time pass
Great questions to ask the players
- Can you challenge yourselves to move as quickly as possible?
- Can you keep your heads up as you chase the mobile goals?
Safety tips
- Make sure that the agility courses are spaced out, so there are no collisions
- Passes through the mobile goals should be played along the floor
Skill development: Rotating 2v2 and 2v1, 1 goal per pitch
Organisation
- Make mini-pitches for 2v1 and 2v2, with one goal per pitch; for 2v1, the two members of a pair should take turns to play alone, while the other one waits off the pitch
- The two attacking players start with the ball and try to score
- Rotate the players, so they all get to attack, defend and play in goal
- Each team has five balls and sees how many goals it can score from five attempts, to make a competition
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Use bigger goals
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Use smaller goals
- Limit the number of touches that the attacking players can have
Great questions to ask the players
- Can you combine and shoot as soon as possible?
- Can you follow up any shots in case of rebounds?
- Can you experiment with different types of shots?
Safety tips
- Waiting players should stand away from the goals
Game application: 8v8, normal game with positional rotation
Organisation
- Organise two equal teams of 8v8, including goalkeepers
- Normal rules, but let the players decide how to restart the game (e.g. kick-ins instead of throw-ins)
- Ask the players to make their own team formation, or start them in a 3-3-1 (plus the goalkeeper) and give them the chance to adjust their shape after a few minutes
- If you have several teams, rotate every few minutes or make multiple pitches
- Try to use large goals if possible
- If you have an odd number of players, it’s fine to play with uneven teams or one player can be a floater and play for both teams
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Give one team more players
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Teams have to play through each third of the pitch (i.e. a defender, midfielder and attacker has to touch the ball) before they can score
- Give one team fewer players
Great questions to ask the players
- Can you discuss and agree on a formation as a team?
- Can you try to spread out as a team when you have the ball?
- In which areas of the pitch can you take risks on the ball?
- How did you work as a team to agree your formation?
Safety tips
- Create a safe space to play, as well as safe zones between pitches where relevant