From shooting to a 11v11 game

Organisation

• Organise an area with four goals on the outside
• Players work in pairs to move clockwise and try to score in each goal
• Each goal has a goalkeeper
• Start four pairs at once and they race to complete the circuit and see who scores the most goals
• Rotate players with any resting players

 Ways to make the exercise easier

• Allow players to have a go without racing to start with

 Ways to make the exercise harder

• Limit the number of touches between each goal/shot

Great questions to ask the children

• Can you work together as a pair to create the best shooting opportunities?
• Can you follow up any rebounds?
• Can you try different types of shots? 

Safety tips

• Make sure players all rotate in the same direction

Organisation  

• Organise two equal teams of 5v5/6v6/7v7
• Position two large goals diagonally opposite each other
• Start with normal rules; let the players decide how to restart the game
• Ask the players to referee their own games
• If there are more than two teams, then rotate or make multiple pitches
• If you have an odd number, 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

• Make one team play with fewer players

 Great questions to ask the children

• When your team has the ball, can you spread out as quickly as possible?
• Can you look to get the ball out wide as soon as possible?
• In which areas of the pitch can you take risks on the ball?
• When your team loses the ball, can you try to get between the ball and your own goal as quickly as possible?

Safety tips

• Create safe zones between pitches

Organisation

• Organise two teams on a big pitch and make two wide channels
• You might play 9v9, 10v10 or 11v11, depending on the size of the pitch
• Each team nominates two players who will play only in the wide channels
• Teams can play a normal game but should try to pass the ball to the wide players at every opportunity
• The wide players have no opposition, allowing them to travel with the ball and deliver a cross or combine with players infield
• Make sure the pitch is not too wide and that players can cross the ball into the goal area
• Encourage the attacking team to meet the crosses and try to score either in the air with headers or with shots from the ground
• Award two points for each goal scored with the head
• Swap the players in the channels regularly

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Make the pitch narrower

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Ask players to score from headers only or with one‑touch finishes from crosses
• Let the player in the channel be chased by his opponent in the channel

Great questions to ask the children

• Can you try to play a wide pass to the free player in the channel at the earliest opportunity?
• Can you time your run to meet the cross?
• Can you be brave and try to be the first player to meet the cross?

 Safety tips

• Make sure the players have practised heading a ball before trying to head from crosses