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Age range: U6s and upwards.

Number of players: Eight.

Set-up: Create a 30×20 playing area with two goals set in about five yards from each end line.

How to play: Divide your players into two teams of four.

Goalkeepers are optional.

Each team is given one goal to defend and one to attack.

They can score from either side of the goal.

Coaching notes: Encourage players to attack the back of the goal if their path to the front is blocked.

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

Attack v defence

This game improves defending and attacking skills.

Age group: U6s to U10s.

Number of players: Maximum of eight, minimum of four plus a goalkeeper.

Set-up: Use half a pitch with a goal at one end and two cone goals at the other (see picture below).

Divide your players into two teams – defender and attackers.

How to play: A defender (X), standing beside the goal, kicks the ball out to two attacking players (O), who are standing at the far end of the playing area.

The defender follows the pass and tries to win the ball back and score in either of the two cone goals on the halfway line. The attackers try to score in the normal-sized goal.

The attackers get five attempts to score before team roles are swapped.

The team that scores the most goals with its five attacks wins the game.

If the ball goes out of play, the defender scores or a shot is saved, the attack is over.

Coaching points

The attacker not in possession should be in an open position ready to receive a pass. Tell him not to get in the defender’s shadow.

The defender should close the ball carrier down quickly and try to channel the attacker with the ball towards the sideline, away from the other attacker.

Progression

Restrict attackers to a set number of passes (or a time limit of, say, 30 seconds) before they must shoot.
Allow another defender to enter play once the first pass is made.
Require a one-touch shot from an attacker who receives the ball in front of the goal.

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

Quick decisions

This is a deceptively simply game. It’s easy to set up and easy for players to understand but it presents many problems to solve and requires good ball control skills. For that reason, it is not suitable for very young players.

Objective: To improve decision making and accuracy of passing.

Age range: U9s to U15s.

Set-up: Divide your players into groups of four.

Create a 10-yard square (marked with a cone in each corner) for each group.

Two balls per group.

How to play: Three players in each group (the attackers) try to keep both of their balls away from the fourth player (the defender) who is identified with a training vest or by holding a cone.

All players can move anywhere within the playing area.
The defender wins the game if he can tag a player with a ball. He does not have to tackle.
The attackers win if they can make 10 passes before being caught in possession.

Coaching notes: If the attackers find the game difficult, increase the size of the playing area. If they find it too easy, make the area smaller.

Encourage attackers to play in a triangle shape and use the full width and length of the playing area.

Progression: Restrict the number of touches the attackers are allowed.

Variation: Place a goal and a goalkeeper about 20 yards from the playing area. If the defender forces the attackers to lose control and allow either ball to leave the playing area, they receive another ball from you and try to score in the goal.

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

Concentrate!

Objective: to improve concentration and speed of transition.

Experience: any.

Set-up: for U10s, 40 yards long by 30 yards wide is a suitable-sized playing area. Place a goal at each end.

Split your players into four teams of three or four.

How to play: two teams play against each other while the third and fourth teams link arms and stand in opposite goalmouths. Their job is to try to stop goals being scored but they cannot use their hands.

Award one point for a goal and award one point to teams which stop a goal being scored.

When you shout “change”, the teams standing in the goalmouths come out and play each other on the pitch. The teams who were playing on the pitch link arms and go into the goalmouths.

Coaching points:

Encourage fast transition by deducting a point from any team who plays on after you call “change”.
To encourage your players to shoot, make the goals big and the pitch shorter.

Targets

This is a small-sided game that will improve your players’ communication and attacking skills as well as their passing and receiving technique.

Age group: U8s to U14s.

Number of players: Ten.

Equipment required: Training vests, cones, two goals and a ball.

Set-up: The goals are set up at each end of a 30×20 yards playing area.

Divide your players into two teams of five – four outfield players plus goalkeepers.

One outfield player from each team waits on the end line next to the goal her team is attacking. These are the target players.

How to play: Before a goal can be scored, the attacking team must play the ball to their target player. He or she plays the ball back and the shot must be taken immediately.

If possession is lost or a shot cannot be taken immediately, another successful pass to the target player is required before the attacking team can score.

Play for five minutes then change the target player and goalkeeper.

Progression:

Limit the number of touches the target player is allowed.
The player who passes to a target player swaps places with her.
The target players come off the end lines and continue their role in the field of play (harder).
Both teams play 2v2 plus two target players, one on the end line and one in the field of play (easier).

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

Ghost

Objective: This game aims to improve communication and to practise defending as a team.

Age range: U9s and upwards.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Set-up: Divide your players into two, evenly matched teams.

Create a 40 yards long by 30 yards wide pitch with goals at either ends.

How to play:

The coach picks a “ghost” player for each team.
The opposing team does NOT know who the ghost is.
The ghost is the only player who can score a goal.

Note: If a player other than the ghost scores, it counts as an own goal. Award a point to the other team.

Change the ghost every time he or she scores.

Coaching notes: The attacking team has to work together to create shooting opportunities for the ghost while the defence tries to figure out who the ghost is and defends, or doubles up on the ghost to prevent a goal from being scored.

Coach Nathan says: “I have a striker on my team that simply refused to pass the ball. She would rather kick the ball out of bounds before making a safe back pass. Ghost helped her learn the meaning of team work and all my girls love the game!”

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Knock out soccer

Objective: to practise passing, shooting, defending, switching play, communication and teamwork.

Set-up: create a large, circular playing area. For 10-year-olds, I suggest the circle is about 40 yards across.

Evenly space three or four goals around the edge of the playing area.

Divide your players into teams of three or four. Goalkeepers are optional.

How to play: three or four teams (depending on how many players you have) play football in the playing area.

Each team has one goal to defend and tries to score in all the others.

Each team starts with five “lives”. If they concede a goal, they lose a life.

If they lose all their lives they are out of the game.

Coaching notes: teams that are knocked out should move to another activity. An assistant coach can work with them, perhaps they can have a keepie uppie contest among themselves or they can play a 2v2 match. It doesn’t matter what they do, but don’t let them just stand around.

Teams will often work together to knock out another team and it’s interesting to see who co-operates with who and which group of players become the targets.

Warning: this is an ultra-competitive game and feelings can sometimes run high! But Knock Out Soccer is great fun and it’s a game that my 11-year-olds ask for time and time again.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Invaders

Objective: To improve ball control skills, tackling and passing.

Age group: U6s and upwards.

Number of players: 10 players divided into two teams of five. If you have more than 10 players, create extra playing areas and play two games (with smaller teams if necessary) alongside each other.

Set-up: Create two 15-yard square playing areas with a five-yard gap between them.

Divide your players into two teams, one team per playing area.
Each player has a number.
One ball per team.

How to play: The game begins with both teams moving and passing to each other in their playing area.

After a few seconds, shout a number and the corresponding player runs into the other team’s square and tries to win the ball.

If they win the ball and kick it out of the playing area, they get one point for their team. If they can win the ball and take it back into their playing area, they get three points.

Allow 30 seconds for a steal to take place. If the defending team can keep the ball away from the attacking player for that length of time, they get a point.

Progression: Call more than one number.

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