Warm-up: Reaction Game
Organisation
- Ask the children to pick their own partner of equal ability, or to challenge themselves
- Create lines for children to work across and leave space between each pair
- Players score a point each time they touch the cone before their partner
- Ask players to show you different ways to move between the cones
Ways to make the exercise easier
- To begin with, players can pretend they are looking in a mirror and just copy and follow to introduce movements
- Reduce the space between the cones
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Make it a race to touch the cone
- Allow players to dummy and change directions
- Move the cones wider apart
Great questions to ask the children
- How can you accelerate to the cone? Show me
- Can you be tricky and deceive your partner?
Safety tips
- Players should keep on their own side of the line
- Ensure there is sufficient space between each pair to avoid collisions
Skill development: 3v3 Game
Organisation
- Let the children pick their own team‑mates
- Alternatively, pick the teams yourself and try to make them of equal ability
- Try to give each team a nice area to practise in, to encourage movement off the ball in order to receive possession
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Let the children decide how to pass and move between themselves and score a goal with no opposition
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Require a particular number of passes before a goal can be scored
- Introduce opposition
Great questions to ask the children
- Can you show me ways to pass the ball between you?
- Can you make sure the ball does not go off the pitch?
- Can you call for the ball when you want to receive it?
Safety tips
- Create a safe zone between each pitch
- Ensure players have rest between pitch rotations
Game application: 3v3 with 4 goals
Organisation
- Let the children pick their own team‑mates
- Ask the children to referee their own match
- Rotate the teams after every couple of minutes
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Children can start by handling the ball
- Give one team extra players
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Limit the number of touches players can have on the ball
- Make a team play with fewer players
- Add the condition that teams have to score in all four goals to score a point
Great questions to ask the children
- How can you find space as a team? Show me
- What should you do when you lose the ball?
- Which is the best goal to try to score in?
Safety tips
- Create a safe zone between each pitch