Warm-up: Shooting Circuit
Organisation
- Group of players start in the middle of four goals with goalkeepers
- Players take a shot at the goal, then complete agility task before moving to the next goal in a clockwise direction
- You might use four players behind goals to collect and return balls if there are no nets
- You can make four players at a time race to complete the circuit first and with as many goals as possible
Ways to make the exercise easier:
- Take shots closer to the goal
- Strike the ball when it is not moving
Ways to make the exercise harder:
- Take shots further away from goal
- Strike a moving ball
Great questions to ask the children:
- Can you think about the type of shot – power or accuracy?
- Can you take advantage of any rebounds?
- Can you try to shoot with both feet?
Safety tips:
- Make sure all players move in a clockwise direction
- Make sure goalkeepers concentrate on shots and the areas are clear
Skill development: 3v3 with different number of goals
Organisation
- Organise mini-matches of 3v3, but each pitch is different
- Pitch 1 has one goal each end, pitch 2 has two each end and pitch 3 has three each end
- Children move from one pitch to another to work out the best way to score goals on each pitch
- All pitches are one-directional
Ways to make the exercise easier:
- Goals can be as big as possible
Ways to make the exercise harder:
- Goals can be made smaller or different sizes
Great questions to ask the children:
- Can you adjust quickly to each pitch?
- Can you work out the best way to score on each pitch?
- Can you work out the best way to defend on each pitch to protect the goal/goals?
Safety tips:
- Create a safe zone between each pitch
Game application: 6v6 Game
Organisation
- Two teams of six to play in a formation
- One goalkeeper, two defenders, one midfielder, two attackers
- Also allow the players to make up their own formation and see how it works
- After two or three minutes, ask the players to rotate their positions so they all get to play in all positions during the match
- At the end of the game, ask them which position they liked best and why
Ways to make the exercise easier:
- One team can have more players than the other
Ways to make the exercise harder:
- One team has fewer players than the other
Great questions to ask the children
- What qualities do you think certain positions need?
- Which position do you think you are best at and why?
Safety tips:
- Create a space between pitches if more than one game at a time