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Practice games

Drop Off Zone

A front player loses their marker, drops into a free zone to take a pass from a back player, and dribbles out to start a 2v2 attack.

Game 22 min 8 players Half pitch 2016 to 2017

Win It, Keep It, Score Pass, Receive, Heads Up Off the Ball Work hard

At a glance

  • 50 by 25: two halves with an 8 m free zone between, a goal at each end. Teams of 4: two front (F), two back (B), no keepers.
  • Blue attack the top: F in the top half, B in the bottom, each marked by a yellow. A blue B starts with the ball and passes into the zone.
  • A blue F loses their marker, drops into the free zone, takes the pass and dribbles out into the top half: 2v2.
  • Yellow can't enter the free zone. Blue have 10 seconds from the pass to score, then yellow attack the other way.
  • Progress 1: One yellow may follow F into the free zone and tackle.
  • Progress 2: Keep that and take the free zone out: F finds their own space in the middle to receive.

If it's not working: Make the free zone bigger, about 12 m, so the pass into it is easier.

Drop Off Zone: set-upfree zoneFFBB1231 F drops in, 2 B passes, 3 F dribbles out.25 m by 50 m
  • yellow team
  • Ffront player
  • Bback player
  • run
  • dribble
  • pass
  • 1in this order

Two halves with a free zone across the middle and a goal at each end; blue attack the top goal. A blue front player (F) loses their yellow marker with a run back into the free zone. A blue back player (B) passes in as they arrive, and F dribbles out to make 2v2 with the other F. Yellow can't enter the free zone. Blue have 10 seconds from the pass to score, then yellow do the same the other way.

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

Set up

  • Mark a pitch 50 by 25 with two halves, an 8 m free zone across the middle, and a goal at each end.
  • Two teams of 4 in bibs: 2 front players (F) in the half they attack and 2 back players (B) in the other, each marked by an opponent. No keepers.

A pitch 25 by 50: two halves with an 8 m free zone across the middle, a goal at each end.

How to play

  • Blue attack the top goal. A blue B starts with the ball in the bottom half and passes into the free zone.
  • A blue F in the top half loses their yellow marker with a run, drops into the free zone, takes the pass and dribbles out into the top half. That makes 2v2 with the other blue F.
  • Yellow can't enter the free zone. Blue have 10 seconds from the pass to score. Next time, a different F drops in.
  • Then yellow do the same the other way, with a yellow B starting the ball.

Make it easier

  • Make the free zone bigger, about 12 m, so the pass into it is easier.
  • B can dribble out of their own half before passing into the zone.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. One yellow may follow F into the free zone and tackle.
  2. Keep that and take the free zone out: F finds their own space in the middle to receive.
  3. B follows the pass in and joins the attack: 3v2.

Three things to say

  • Lose your marker, then drop in.
  • Take it on the foot furthest from the passer.
  • Dribble out fast.

Colts habit

Work hard: lose your marker to drop in.

Both feet

Receive in the zone on the foot furthest from the passer, whichever foot that is.

Heads up

Look before you drop in.

For your birth year

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

2016 to 2017
Use a longer pitch, 30 by 60, as the booklet has it.
The Colts change: Teams of 4 with no keepers, so a back player starts the ball. With a keeper, they roll it out to a back player.

Safety: Keep the area clear of bags and bottles. Stay on your feet, no slide tackles. No heading.

Keeping score: Goals from a drop and a dribble out.