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Practice games

Rats and Rabbits

A pairs listening and sprinting game: Rats run home and Rabbits chase, or the other way round.

Warm-up 10 min 6 to 16 players Cage Half pitch 2016 to 2021

Moving Well Work hard

At a glance

  • 20 by 20 with a row of cones at each end for home. Pairs face each other on the middle line: one Rat, one Rabbit.
  • The coach calls Rats! Every Rat sprints home, behind them, and their Rabbit chases. Rabbits! is the other way round.
  • Tag your partner before they cross their home line. Then everyone walks back to the middle for the next call.
  • Progress 1: Change the start: back to back, sitting or lying on your front. On the call, jump up and go.
  • Progress 2: Opposites: when the coach calls Rats, the Rabbits run, and when they call Rabbits, the Rats run.

If it's not working: Point to the team that runs as you call it. Play the first few calls at a walk.

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  • Rats
  • Rabbits
  • Ccoach
  • run
  • 1in this order

Pairs face each other across the middle line, Rats (blue) on one side and Rabbits (yellow) on the other, with a home line of cones behind each team. The coach calls Rats: every Rat sprints for home and their Rabbit chases, trying to tag them before the line. Call Rabbits and it is the other way round. Then everyone walks back to the middle for the next call.

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

Set up

  • Mark a 20 by 20 area with a row of cones at each end as home.
  • Pairs face each other on the middle line: one is a Rat, the other a Rabbit. The Rats' home is behind the Rats and the Rabbits' home is behind the Rabbits.

Bibs, cones and balls. Players pair up and face each other at a halfway point.

How to play

  • The coach calls Rats or Rabbits.
  • On Rats!, every Rat sprints home and their Rabbit chases them. On Rabbits!, every Rabbit sprints home and their Rat chases them.
  • Tag your partner before they cross their home line. Then everyone walks back to the middle for the next call.

Make it easier

  • Point to the team that runs as you call its name, so children can see and hear it.
  • Play the first few calls at walking pace, so everyone learns which way is home.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. Change the starting position: back to back, lying on your belly, lying on your back, sitting. On the call, jump up and go.
  2. Opposites: Rats means the Rabbits run and Rabbits means the Rats run.
  3. Dribble home: the one who runs dribbles a ball and the chaser has none.
  4. Different names: North and South, or football teams.

Three things to say

  • Listen, then turn and go.
  • Small quick steps to get going.
  • Lean forward and pump your arms.

Colts habit

Work hard: sprint every time, caught or not.

Both feet

Run home with the ball on the practice foot.

Heads up

Listen for the call, look for the line.

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

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

Keeping score: New partner every few goes.