Working together as a team

Organisation:

• Organise areas with 4v4 (two players are always resting)
• You can vary these numbers or have uneven numbers
• The player who catches the pass cannot move with the ball
• Other players should provide support through movement off the ball
• When defenders win the ball,  they become the team of four as players rotate

Ways to make the exercise easier:

• You might want to start with 4v1 and then increase to 4v2

Ways to make the exercise harder:

• Increase to 4v3 or 4v4
• Require a higher number of passes to win a point
• If the ball hits the ground, then the attacking team becomes the defending team
• Ask the players to pass the ball with their feet instead of throwing it

 Great questions to ask the children

• Can you find good positions to receive the ball?
• Can you think of ways to create space to receive the ball?
• Can you show me different ways to pass the ball by hand?

 Safety tips:

• Make sure the defending players rotate regularly

Organisation:

• Try to have a maximum of six players on each team
• Create several games if needed
• Players in the circle should count how many passes they complete
• They have as long as it takes the running team to all complete a lap of the circle
• The running team can also dribble a ball
• Both teams have a go and the team with the most completed passes in the circle are the winners
• Ask the players to have a go clockwise and anticlockwise

Ways to make the exercise easier:

• Reduce the size of the areas

Ways to make the exercise harder:

• The players in the circle can use a smaller ball
• Ask the players to use their feet to pass the ball instead of throwing it
• Ask the players to head the ball around the circle (with or without catching)
• Make the players dribble the ball around their own circle before they pass to the next player

 Great questions to ask the children:

• What is the ideal body position as you pass the ball in the circle?
• What does a great pass look like?
• Can you try to pass using your weaker foot?

 Safety tips:

• Create a safe zone between each pitch
• Make sure the running team goes one player at a time

Organisation:

• Evenly matched teams of 4v4 and no goalkeepers
• Set up multiple pitches and rotate teams every few minutes
• Create a tournament format, with points for winners or goals scored
• No corners or throw ins; restart with a kick‑in
• Ask players to referee their own matches

 Ways to make the exercise easier:

• Give one team extra players 
• Create different ways for teams to score extra points – e.g. fair play

 Ways to make the exercise harder:

• The nearest player to goal can become the goalkeeper
• Place conditions on how goals can be scored – one‑touch only, etc.
• Limit the number of touches per player

 Great questions to ask the children:

• How can you find space to receive a pass? Show me as a team
• In what ways can you communicate with your team‑mates?
• What should you do when your team loses the ball?

 Safety tips:

• Create a safe zone between each pitch
• Give players a short rest between each mini‑match, and drinks breaks if needed