Carnmoney Colts Academy badgeCarnmoney ColtsAcademy

Practice games

Dribble the Line

A game where carrying the ball past players is the only way into the other half.

Game 22 min 6 to 14 players Cage Half pitch 2016 to 2021

Me and My Ball Be brave

Dribble the Line: set-up 30 m by 40 mC

Goals at each end and a coned halfway line; the ball must be dribbled, not passed, over halfway.

Set up

  • Put goals in the middle of each short end and a cone at each end of the halfway line.
  • Teams start in their own half.
  • The coach stands on the halfway line on the touchline with the spare balls.

Suggested training sizes: 20 m by 15 m (3v3), 30 m by 20 m (5v5), 40 m by 30 m (7v7). Per pitch: 4 corner cones, 2 halfway cones, 2 small goals (or 4 cones making two 2 m gates), bibs, 6 spare balls with the coach.

How to play

  • Play a normal small-sided game, but the ball must be dribbled (not passed) over the halfway line.
  • Every time any player beats an opponent by dribbling past them, the coach shouts Brave! and adds 1 to one Brave Total shared by both teams.
  • Goals are celebrated but not added up.
  • When the ball goes out, the coach plays a new ball in straight away.
  • With two pitches, teams swap opponents every 4 minutes by the clock, never by result.

Keeping everyone moving

New ball from the coach straight away. Two pitches if numbers are large.

Make it easier

  • A bigger pitch.
  • A free dribbler who is always on the team with the ball.

Make it harder

  • No passing in your own half.
  • A goal only stands if the scorer dribbled past someone first.

Three things to say

  • Get on the ball and dare to take someone on.
  • Clap anyone who tries, whichever team they are on.
  • Win it back straight away if you lose it.

Words that work: "Brave!"

Colts habit

Be brave: one Brave Total shared by both teams.

Both feet

A Brave point counts double when the beating touch is with the practice foot.

Heads up

Look for the space before you cross halfway.

For your birth year

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

2020 to 2021
3v3. Skip the halfway rule and simply celebrate every dribble.
2018 to 2019
5v5 as written.
2016 to 2017
7v7. Add no passing in your own half.

Safety: Stay on your feet. Spare balls kept off the pitch.

Keeping score: The shared Brave Total, beaten next week.