Carnmoney Colts Academy badgeCarnmoney ColtsAcademy Join

Practice games

Sleeping Giant

Creep your ball close to the sleeping giants, then escape when they wake.

Warm-up 10 min 8 to 12 players Cage Half pitch 2019 to 2021

Brave 1v1 Be brave

At a glance

  • A 20 m square, a ball each. Two giants in bibs (adults first) lie asleep in a 3 m cave of discs in the middle.
  • Dribble round the square and creep close to the sleeping giants.
  • The coach whispers The giants are waking! The giants get up and try to win a ball with their feet. Turn and escape.
  • If a giant wins your ball, do 5 sole taps and the giant hands it back. After 45 seconds, pick two new giants by lucky dip.
  • Progress 1: Add a third giant.
  • Progress 2: No whisper: the giants get up when they choose, so keep an eye on them.

If it's not working: The giants walk with their hands on their heads.

Sleeping Giant: set-up1231 creep close, 2 giants wake, 3 turn and escape.20 m by 20 m
  • children
  • giants
  • run
  • dribble
  • 1in this order

Everyone dribbles round the square at once, creeping close to the two giants asleep in the disc cave. When the coach whispers that the giants are waking, they get up and chase, and the children turn and escape with the ball.

Full details: set up, how to play, tips and age tweaks

Set up

  • Cone out a 20 m square.
  • Put 4 discs in the middle to make a 3 m cave.
  • Give every child a ball.
  • Two giants in bibs (adults the first time) lie asleep in the cave.

8 to 12 children, 1 to 2 adults. A 20 m by 20 m square with a 3 m cave in the middle.

How to play

  • Children dribble around the square and creep their ball close to the cave.
  • The coach whispers, The giants are waking!
  • The giants get up and try to win a ball, using feet only.
  • Children turn and escape with the ball.
  • If a giant wins your ball, do 5 sole taps and the giant hands it back.
  • After 45 seconds the giants sleep again. New giants are picked by lucky dip.

Keeping everyone moving

Every child has a ball all the time. Losing the ball means 5 taps and straight back in. Giants change every round.

Make it easier

  • The giants walk with their hands on their heads.
  • Make the square bigger.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. Add a third giant.
  2. No whisper: the giants get up when they choose, so keep an eye on them.
  3. Creep and escape using the practice foot only.

Three things to say

  • Small touches near the giant.
  • Eyes up to spot the giants.
  • A quick turn away.

Words that work: "So brave, right up to the cave!", "Great escape, keep going!", "Thanks for cheering your friend back in!"

Colts habit

Be brave and get close.

Both feet

Creep with the practice foot.

Heads up

Find the giants before they find you.

For your birth year

Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.

2020 to 2021
Adults are the giants and walk only.
2018 to 2019
Children are giants in pairs.

A young leader can run this one, with an adult coach beside them.

Safety: Feet only, no grabbing or pushing. Adult giants move at walking pace. Leave 3 m between the cave and the edges.

Keeping score: Each child puts a disc where they dared to creep to, and tries to get closer next time.