Know your next move

Organisation

• Organise the players into a large circle; each player gets a turn to share a physical movement or a ball skill with the rest of the group, who have to copy it
• Encourage the players to come up with something creative, challenging and fun

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Give the players time to think about what they will show the others
• If a player is stuck for ideas, he/she can ask a friend for help

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Pick players at random to show a movement/skill, instead of following an obvious order

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you show the others what to do?
• Can you clearly explain what to do?
• Can you copy what is being demonstrated?

Safety tips

• The purpose is not to embarrass the players – if you think there is the potential for that, only pick players to demonstrate who you know have confidence in front of others, or ask for volunteers

Organisation

• Organise three groups, each member of which is assigned one of three colours
• The players in each group have to pass the ball in sequence to each colour; each group starts with a ball, so three balls are moving from one colour to the next simultaneously
• Progress so that the players in two colours play together and keep one ball away from the others; when the defending players win the ball, they swap with the colour that lost it
• Next, everyone plays in the middle area and after five successful passes, the three players of one colour can break, chased by one defender of another colour, and try to score a goal

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Allow the attackers to break with no chasing defender

Ways to make the exercise harder

• More than one defender can chase the attacking three

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you break quickly when you attack the goal?
• Can you react quickly to become a defender?
• Can you follow up any shots for rebound opportunities?
• Were you able to express your opinion before and during the activity?
• Did the other players provide the space for you to voice an opinion?

Safety tips

• Create a safe space to play

Organisation

• Organise the players into teams of 5v5 and create mini-pitches. Have three teams per pitch and rotate, or two teams per pitch and rotate teams between pitches
• If a team is waiting, it can also play 3v2 or complete a mini-skills challenge to stay active
• Just let the players play
• Allow them to learn through playing and the different challenges posed by new opposition
• Let the players referee their own games
• Set conditions for how to score, e.g. headers and volleys only, and let the players find the solutions

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Give a team one or more extra players if you have uneven numbers or a weaker team

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Limit the number of touches
• Add further conditions to the game

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you organise yourselves as a team?
• Can you all take turns to have a go in goal?
• Can you create passes or crosses that enable your team to score in the air?
• Were you able to express your opinion before and during the activity?
• Did the other players provide the space for you to voice an opinion?

Safety tips

• Create a safe space to play