From fundamentals to free-flowing football

Organisation 

• Make four equal teams and a square playing area, with a goal on each side
• Each player takes turns to run to the middle and collect a ball – first by hand and then by foot – and score into an empty goal
• Then add goalkeepers
• The players can only attack a goal that no one else is shooting into
• The team with the most goals wins

Ways to make the exercise easier

• The players can shoot closer to the goal
• The players can shoot into any goal at the same time as others

Ways to make the exercise harder

• The players have to shoot from further out
• Make it a race to score: only the first goal counts between all four teams

Great questions to ask the players

• What techniques can you use to score a goal?
• Can you show me how to strike the ball with your laces?
• Can you show me your favourite goal celebration?
• Was there any conflict between players in the game? How was this conflict resolved?

Safety tips

• The players should keep their heads up and slow down as they arrive in the middle area

Organisation

• Organise a circle or square and place players around the outside, with a 1v1  in the middle
• The attacker combines with team-mates on the outside to retain the ball and circulate it among other team members on the outside, while the defender tries to win possession
• Swap the players in the middle regularly
• Set the attacker a target of ten completed passes
• epeat but with 1v2 to see if the attacker can find space to receive the ball among two defenders and then combine with team-mates

Ways to make the exercise easier

• To begin with, the defender can act as a “shadow defender”, i.e. without putting pressure on the receiver
• Encourage the attacker to receive the ball with an open body stance

Ways to make the exercise harder

• The attacker has to turn with the ball before he/she can pass to a team-mate on the outside
• The attacker has to try to play one-touch football
• The players on the outside are limited to two touches

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you find space to receive the ball away from the defender(s)?
• Can you think about your body stance when you receive the ball?
• Can you show me how you receive the ball and turn with it before combining with the players on the outside?

Safety tips

• Make sure you rotate the players in the middle regularly to avoid fatigue

 Organisation

• Create two equal teams (maximum of 6v6)
• After starting with normal rules, play a game with certain conditions: e.g. teams have to complete a particular number of passes before they can score, players have to dribble past an opponent before they can score, players have to play a one-two before they can score
• The players referee their own games

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Play normal football with no conditions

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Limit the number of touches per player
• All of a team’s players have to be in the opponents’ half for a goal to count

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you recognise the opportunity to dribble in a 1v1 situation?
• Can you show me how to keep the ball as a team?
• How can you create space as a team?

Safety tips

• If there is more than one pitch, leave a space between pitches