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Three and in

This is a classic game from the past that was played in the street, the park and the playground.

It’s a great way for everyone to have a turn in goal.

Objective: To score lots of goals!

Set up: Divide a suitably size playing area in two so there are two games going on in each half.

Split your players into groups of four plus two goalkeepers.

How to play: Keepers start the game by kicking or throwing a ball into space.

The players play against each other. Everyone is trying to score!

The keeper gets a “goal” for every save he makes and changes places with an outfield player after three goals are scored.

Who is the winner – the keeper or the outfield players?
Who is the winner between the outfield players.

Progressions: Play two teams of two against the keeper.

Players can’t enter an exclusion zone marked in front of the goals.

“The goalkeeper is the lone eagle, the man of mystery, the last defender. Less the keeper of a goal than the keeper of a dream.” – Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born novelist

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The three zone game

Objective: To improve passing accuracy, decision making, spotting opportunities.

Age group: U8s to U14s.

Set up: Create a 40×20 yards playing area, dividing into thirds as shown below.

Note: The goals at each end are only required for the progression.

Divide your players into three teams of three.

How to play:

The teams on the end try to pass the ball through the centre area to the opposite end without the team in the middle winning the ball.

If the team in the middle wins the ball, it changes places with the end team that played the last pass.

Teams score a point each time they pass a ball through the central area.

Progression:

Play 5v4 using the whole playing area.
The central zone is now a “no tackling” area. Encourage the defending team to drop back behind the ball and regroup as soon as its opponents enter the central zone.

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Three musketeers

Objective: To improve passing, support off the ball, teamwork and communication.

Age group: U8s to U12s.

Set up: Divide your players into teams of four – a goalkeeper and three outfield players.

Two teams play football in a 30×20 yards area with one condition: All three outfield players have to touch the ball before a goal is scored.

All for one and one for all!

Play for a set time or until one team scores X goals.

Coaching notes: The three outfield players have to touch the ball without a player from the other team touching it. If the ball is intercepted, the sequence has to start again.

Variation: Award a bonus ‘goal’ for five or more consecutive passes.

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Is heading dangerous?

There has been (and still is) a lot of discussion about the dangers of heading the ball but the short answer to the question “is heading dangerous?” is “no”.

There is no evidence that heading a ball has ever resulted in actual, long-lasting harm… as long as you teach your players to do it properly.[1]

What age to begin?

Children under the age of six have neither the body awareness or ability to visually track the flight of a ball and are very unlikely to even try to head a ball during games.

That said, you can help children as young as four or five develop the skills they need to head the ball safely by starting with a balloon instead of a ball.

Just make sure you teach the “mouth closed, eyes open” technique (see below) and encourage your players to jump up to meet the balloon on its way down.

You can also make it a fun team game. Have four or five children in each team and see which one can keep the balloon in the air the longest.

How to teach the basic technique

When your players get to U8 level, you can expect them to try to make contact with the ball when it’s in the air. So it’s important to make sure they do it properly.

Give every child a beach ball or a small, light football ball and demonstrate the following technique before allowing them to have a go themselves by throwing the ball up and heading it on the way down.

Keep your eye on the ball.
Eyes open – if you can’t see the ball coming, it could hit you anywhere.
Mouth closed – if you don’t, you could bite your tongue.
Chin tucked in – helps keep your neck stiff.
Use your arms to balance.
Use your legs to move your head towards the ball – don’t let it hit you.
Make contact with your forehead – the thickest part of your skull.
Follow through towards the target.

Have your players hold the ball in their hands and move their forehead to the ball (you want to ingrain the habit of meeting the ball with the head, not waiting for the ball to hit the head). Then ask them to throw the ball a couple of feet in the air and head it back into their hands.

If you ensure your players are using this technique and heading the ball correctly, their forehead will absorb the impact of the ball and their neck will not flex.

Games to practise heading

Throw, head, score

Set-up: Divide your players into teams of four or five and set up a 40 yards by 20 yards playing area with a goal at each end for each pair of teams.

How to play: The players advance towards the goals by throwing the ball to each other.

They can only take one step with the ball before throwing it again. If they take too many steps or allow the ball to fall to the ground, possession is given to the other team.

Goals can only be scored with a header.

Coaching note: Correct faulty technique as soon as you see it.

Heading volleyball

Set-up: Divide your players into teams of three or four. Set up a badminton net or rope attached to two poles in the centre of the playing area.

How to play: Teams play volleyball by heading a beach ball over the net or rope.

Serves are made by punching the ball over the net by hand.

A point is conceded if a team allows the ball to fall to the ground inside its half of the playing area.

A ball that lands outside the playing area results in a point to the defending team.

Challenge!

You can also play a small-sided game (SSG) called Challenge!

It’s a standard 4v4 game with the condition that every time the ball goes out of play you restart by throwing the ball in the air and awarding a point to the team whose player heads it first.

Tip: Don’t allow players to push each other to reach the ball. You’re looking for decisive jumping and a desire to get to the ball first. If the ball hits the ground before anyone heads it, throw it up again.

Reference

[1] The American Academy of Pediatrics, Heading Soccer Ball Doesn’t Cause Brain Damage, Pediatrics, February 2010; 410-414

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coach Weekly.

Six goal game

This is a classic coaching game that I use several times a season with players aged from six to 15.

It works on several key skills – attacking, defending, communicating, making decisions, passing, shooting. In fact, just about everything your players need!

Set-up: Mark out a 40×30-yard area with three evenly spaced goals at each end.

Create two evenly matched teams of four or five players. No goalkeepers.

How to play: Each team defends its three goals and tries to score in the opponent’s three goals. The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins.

You can play for a set time or until one team scores a certain number of goals.

Variations:

Play three or two-touch.
Goals must be scored with a player’s first touch.
Dribble through the goals instead of shooting.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coach Weekly.

The role of the referee in youth soccer

Officiating at youth football matches involves a lot more than simply applying the Laws of the Game.

Refereeing a match involving children requires tact, a sense of humour, an ability to temper the Laws with common sense, a desire to make the occasion as enjoyable as possible and a strong focus on the health and safety of the players.

Keep it safe

1. The pitch

Whether you’re a qualified, neutral referee or a parent who has been “persuaded” to officiate, you need to arrive at the ground in plenty of time to inspect the pitch properly.

If it’s cold and frosty, look at every part of the pitch very carefully. Wear boots/cleats during your inspection and pay particular attention to the goalmouths and centre circle. But even if these areas are playable you should call the game off if any other part of the pitch, no matter how small, is too hard to “take a stud”.

Check for holes in the pitch and ask that they be repaired before play begins and also ask for any debris, especially animal faeces, to be removed.

2. Goal post safety

A child being seriously injured or worse, losing their life, is the worst possible thing that could happen during a youth football match.

Yet hundreds of children have suffered major injuries and, sadly, many have died as a direct result of insecure or damaged football goals falling on top of them.

We don’t want any more headlines like these:

“Goalie had football goal blown on top of her by a gust of wind. She suffered fractures to both legs.”

“Ten-year-old Hayden Barnes Ellias died while playing goalkeeper for the Winchester United U11s team when the goal fell on top of him.”[1]

So please make sure you inspect the goals and refuse to let the match take place unless they are firmly anchored to the ground and free of defects.

And if a goal is damaged during the game, the match must be abandoned. Do not allow temporary repairs to be made.

Make it fun

The role of a referee in youth football is very much that of a “game leader” rather than on official.

Flexibility and friendliness should be combined with instruction at appropriate moments.

Incorrect throw-ins, for example, need not be penalised immediately. If a seven-year-old lifts her foot off the ground an inch or two or steps onto the pitch while taking a throw-in, it is sensible to explain the correct method and give her another chance.

It’s best not to try to coach while officiating but offering advice and saying “well done” to players who show good sportsmanship or good skills helps create a friendly, supportive atmosphere.

And having a quiet word with players who get overexcited, even if no foul has been committed, can help avoid fouls and injuries later in the game.

Keep it fair

It goes without saying that the Laws should be applied consistently but it’s also important that you aren’t seen to be too friendly with one team or coach.

If you are a parent referee, avoid using first names if you have to speak to your child’s team mates and discourage your son or daughter from asking “dad” to tie up boot laces when you’ve got the whistle in your hand!

Look the part

If you have a referee’s outfit, wear it. If you don’t, wear a smart tracksuit or plain football kit.

Appropriate footwear is a must – nothing amuses players more than seeing the ref sliding around on a muddy pitch in trainers!

Be a role model

Always be polite when speaking to players, coaches and spectators. Speak to others as you would wish to be spoken to.

If you are being criticised, stay calm. Explain your actions if you feel it’s necessary but don’t allow yourself to be abused. If a parent or coach oversteps the mark, you are quite entitled to stop the match and insist they are quiet and if they won’t, ask them to leave the area.

You can show young players that referees are human by acknowledging any mistakes you make (and you WILL make some!) but try to learn from your mistakes too. Don’t keep making the same error over and over again.

Finally, remember that youth football is only a game. It’s supposed to be fun, not serious.

So don’t forget to smile!

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The reset game V2

The original Reset Game was submitted by Coach Carey in New Zealand)

This modified version of the Reset Game is for two teams of four players.

I’ve used it with my U13s girls to good effect. It really did show them the benefits of constant movement and making angles so they can receive passes. It also sharpened up their first touch.

Age range: U9s to U14s.

Number of players: Eight.

Set-up: Place three small cone goals randomly in a 30-yard square.

Divide your squad into teams of four. Two teams per playing area.

The two teams spread out and you give one team a ball.

How to play: The team with the ball has to complete three passes before it can score in one of the cone goals.

The passes must involve all four players, i.e., player 1 passes to player 2, who passes to player 3 who passes to player 4.

If, for example, player 2 passes back to player 1 it doesn’t count towards the team’s three passes.

However, pass backs may be used (and should be encouraged) if the third or fourth player isn’t in a good position to receive the ball.

Players must not allow the other team to touch the ball and they can take as long as they like to make their three passes.

If an opposing player does touch the ball, however slightly, yell “Reset!”

Possession is then given to the other team who must now make three passes in order to score.

As soon as one team scores, it gets to keep the ball and try to make another three passes. The game does not stop.

Coaching notes

1. Players should see they need to create angles in order to receive passes. If they don’t, ask them if it’s a good idea to form straight lines if there is an opponent standing between two of their own players.

2. After a while the better players will start to see that the last player to receive the pass is the most important and they will need to mark him well in order to disrupt the passing sequence.

3. They should also begin to understand the need to control and shield the ball effectively. Ball retention is absolutely encouraged. “Hoof it and hope” definitely does not work in this game.

4. You need to keep your players moving – the team in which one player stops moving usually loses.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coach Weekly.

The gridlock game

Objective: To encourage one-touch passing and quick movement off the ball.

Age range: U9s to U12s.

Set up: Set out 30 cones as shown below.

The cones are about 1m apart.

How to play

Two players start in where the black dot is (bottom right). Their objective is to take the ball to where the green dot is (top right).

Rules

There can only be one player in each square of four cones.

For each square in the grid there can only be one player and they must pass the ball to other squares and the other player must receive it i.e. a player cannot pass to him/herself.

They cannot pass diagonally nor can they cross the red markers.

They cannot pass in the same direction twice. So if they pass across, the next pass must be up or down as shown by the purple arrows.

Coaching notes

At first glance, the restriction of not being able to pass diagonally means that there is only one pattern of getting the ball around the red markers up/across/down/across/etc, but the coach can give them different patterns to get there. E.g. down/up/across/down/up/across/down/up/across so that the player is forced to remain in the square after they’ve passed it and they only move on the second pass.

To make it competitive, pair up players and time each pair as to how long it takes them to get the ball to the target square.

Alternatively, record the times and in the next training session encourage the same pair to beat their own time.

With the clock running, the intention is to see if the players can instinctively move from trap and pass to one-touch passing without being told.

Decrease the distance between each marker to improve passing accuracy or increase it to make the game easier.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coach Weekly.