Improving all areas

Organisation

• Try to have a maximum of four players on each team
• After each goal, the other team starts with the ball
• Rotate teams so that they play against different opponents

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Players can score in any of the four goals 

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Players have to complete a minimum number of passes before they can score
• A team has to score in all four goals to win one point

Great questions to ask the children

• How do you play as a team?
• What do we need to do to make successful passes?

Safety tips

• Create a safe zone between each mini‑pitch
• Keep each match to a short time limit and provide rest breaks between matches

Organisation

• Try to have a maximum of eight players on each team (i.e. four players on each side) to limit waiting times

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Make the gates wider
• Bring the children closer to the gates
• Allow the children to roll the ball through the gates to begin with

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Make the gates smaller
• Move the children further away from the gates
• Put a time limit on the race
• Ask children to use their weaker foot to pass the ball

Great questions to ask the children

• Which part of the foot do you think you should use to pass the ball?
• Which different parts of the foot can you use? Can you show me?
• How hard should you kick the ball?

Safety tips

• Create a safe zone between each mini‑pitch

Organisation

• Group children by size or ability
• Organise a tournament – players swap pitches every few minutes, winners play winners, count how many goals they score in the session as a team in total

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Play the matches with no goalkeepers to encourage lots of scoring
• Play games with big goals

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Limit the number of touches each player can have on the ball
• A different player has to score each time – the same player cannot score twice in a row
• Play games with small goals

Great questions to ask the children

• What positions will you play?
• How do you play as a team?

Safety tips

• Create a safe zone between each pitch
• Give children a short rest between matches if needed