Warm-up: World Cup in pairs
Organisation
- Players play in pairs and compete against each other to score a goal
- If a pair scores a goal, it is through to the next round
- The last pair each round that does not score is knocked out of the game
- Repeat the process each round until you have the final two pairs
- The first pair to score in the final round is the winner
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Players can play in teams of three or four
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Players play individually
Great questions to ask the children
- Can you think about the best way to play the game?
- Can you think about rebounds and deflections as ways to score?
- Can you think about the areas on the pitch where you are most likely to score?
Safety tips
- Players who are eliminated should wait at the side of the pitch and not by the goal
- Create a safe playing area
Skill development: Volley´s and headers
Organisation
- Organise a maximum of ten players including a goalkeeper, and one goal
- Each player starts with three points and the oldest player starts in goal
- Goals can only be scored with headers and volleys
- If a player scores a goal, he or she wins an extra point each time; if a player misses the target, he or she loses a point and has to go in goal
- The goalkeeper loses a point each time a goal is scored
- Once a player’s personal points total goes to zero, he or she is eliminated
- When the goalkeeper is eliminated, the person with the highest score goes in goal
- Continue to play until you get to the last two players on the pitch, who are the winners
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Players can set each other up by hand to make volleys and headers easier
Ways to make the exercise harder
- No hands allowed: players can only use their feet to lift the ball to each other in the air
Great questions to ask the children
- Can you be positive and take the shooting opportunities?
- Can you try to be accurate every time?
- If you miss the target, can you reflect on how to improve your technique next time?
Safety tips
- Players who are eliminated should wait at the side of the pitch, not by the goal
Game application: 6v6 game
Organisation
- Normal 6v6 game including goalkeepers
- Short pitch with large goals
- Players play normal football, with the objective of scoring with the ball in the air, i.e. by a header or a volley, to improve technique
- Encourage different types of finishes and creativity
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Let players pick up the ball in the attacking half and throw it to set up a team-mate
Ways to make the exercise harder
- No hands allowed
Great questions to ask the children
- Can you show me the correct techniques to volley a ball and keep it low?
- Can you show me how to head a ball with power?
- Can you show me that you can be creative with different types of headed goals?
Safety tips
- Don’t play this game on concrete pitches
- Create a safe playing area