The importance of targets and rules

In this second part, we turn to the remaining two game-design levers: targets and rules. While players and space shape the environment in which the game is played, targets and rules influence what players are trying to achieve and how they choose to achieve it. Together, these levers allow coaches to guide behaviour, emphasise specific learning objectives and create more effective learning environments. 

Targets define the objective of the game. By adjusting how and where teams score, coaches influence what players look for, how they use space and which tactical behaviours become most relevant in both attacking and defending phases.

3.1 Target type
The type of target determines which actions and tactical behaviours are most likely to emerge. In simple terms, the way players score is often the action they practise:

• Traditional goals encourage finishing.
• Mini-goals reward accurate passing and combination play.
• Gates emphasise running with the ball and outplaying opponents.
• End zones reward penetration beyond the opposition, through passing and movement.

Coaches should select target types deliberately and align them with the intended tactical objective, positional role or developmental goal.

 
3.2 Number of targets
The number of targets influences how players perceive and use space. A single goal focuses play towards one objective and often encourages direct progression and compact defending.

Multiple goals create constant choice. Players must scan, compare options and identify the most advantageous route foreward. This encourages behaviours such as strategic positioning, changing direction, switching play, attacking weak-side space, and exploiting overloads. Defenders must organise collectively to protect multiple scoring threats.

 
3.3 Position of targets
The positioning of targets shapes how teams attack and defend. Centrally positioned goals promote realistic attacking behaviour, with defenders naturally protecting the middle. Placing goals in wider areas stretches the pitch and encourages width, circulation and switching play, while forcing defenders to shift horizontally.

Less conventional positioning – such as placing goals inside the pitch or staggering them at different heights – creates multiple spaces to attack and defend. By manipulating target locations, coaches can guide tactical behaviour more subtly. For example, positioning gates inside the pitch can encourage teams to defend and press higher without explicitly instructing them to do so (Game 13).

Rules are a powerful way to guide behaviour within a game. By adjusting what is allowed, required or rewarded, coaches can influence what players pay attention to, which actions become valuable and which patterns of play emerge repeatedly. 

 
4.1 Constraints and restrictions
Constraints limit or channel player behaviour by reducing available options. They are often used to increase the frequency of specific actions or to encourage players to explore solutions they might otherwise avoid.

One of the most common examples is the use of touch restrictions (e.g. one-touch or two-touch play). Touch limits can increase passing frequency, encourage movement off the ball and promote scanning before receiving. Other types of constraints influence behaviour in different ways:

• Minimum passing constraints (e.g. five passes before scoring) prolong possession and encourage composure under pressure. They also allow defenders to organise, apply pressure and rehearse pressing behaviours more consistently.
• Maximum passing constraints (e.g. attempt on goal within five passes) accelerate play and encourage early forward thinking, increasing the frequency of risk-taking and line-breaking actions.
• Time constraints (e.g. regain within five seconds or score within eight seconds) emphasise transitions, counter-pressing and the rapid exploitation of space.

Constraints can be particularly valuable when coaches want to challenge habits, push players beyond their preferred behaviours or increase exposure to specific situations. However, because they limit available options, they can also reduce realism and narrow decision-making. If overused, players may make choices they would not make in a real game simply to comply with the rule.

For this reason, constraints should be applied selectively and with a clear learning purpose.

4.2 Rewards and incentives
Incentives guide behaviour in a different way. Rather than restricting options, they reward specific actions, making them more attractive without removing alternative solutions.

Examples include:

• Extra points for switching play or using the weak side
• Bonus goals for regaining possession in advanced areas
• Additional points for progressing through central zones

Incentives often create more natural learning environments because players remain free to choose among multiple solutions. They increase the likelihood that desired behaviours emerge while preserving game flow, realism and player autonomy.

Understanding each lever individually is important. Understanding how they interact is even more important. Player behaviour does not emerge from a single modification, but from the way different modifications interact. The same change can produce very different outcomes depending on how it combines with player numbers, space, targets and rules.

When designing games, several principles can help maximise learning.

1. Start with the learning objective
Every game should serve a clear purpose. Begin by identifying what you want players to develop. Learning objectives can target different levels of the game, for example:

• Phases of play, such as pressing, counter-attacking, building from the back or defending compactly
• Principles of play, such as creating space, providing support, penetrating forward, maintaining possession or switching play
• Individual actions, such as receiving on the half-turn, scanning, dribbling, finishing or defending 1v1 situations

2. Modify as little as necessary
Small changes often produce significant behavioural effects. Limit modifications to those that directly support the objective, allowing the game to remain clear, representative and easy to understand.

3. Align coaching with the design
Game design and coaching interventions should complement each other. Well-designed games create learning opportunities, but effective coaching helps players recognise, interpret and build on those experiences.

Together, these two articles introduced a framework for understanding how games can be designed to support player development. In the articles that follow, we will examine specific game formats through the lens of the four design levers and explore how design choices can produce different learning outcomes.

Click here to go to Game 1.