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Practice games

Dribblers and Robbers

Also called Dribblers and Robbers (Colts Version)

Arrival game for keeping the ball close and head up while someone tries to steal it.

Arrival 5 min 4 to 16 players Cage Half pitch 2016 to 2021

Me and My Ball Be brave

Dribblers and Robbers: set-up 20 m by 20 mC

A cone on each corner and the robber in the middle; children take a ball as they arrive and dribble anywhere inside.

Set up

  • Put a cone on each corner of the square.
  • The coach stands in the centre in a bib with no ball.
  • Each child arriving takes a ball, steps anywhere inside the square and starts dribbling at once, in any direction.

20 m by 20 m square; 4 cones, one per corner; 1 ball per child; 2 bibs for robbers.

How to play

  • Dribblers keep their ball moving inside the square.
  • The robber tries to win a ball with no body contact, then hands it straight back, and that dribbler does 5 toe taps and carries on.
  • Pass the bib to a new robber every 60 seconds. Nobody can be robbed twice in a row.
  • On the whistle everyone freezes with a foot on the ball, and the whole group counts how many balls are under a foot inside the square, trying to beat the last total.

Keeping everyone moving

Every child arriving joins straight in with a ball. Being robbed means 5 toe taps and straight back on.

Make it easier

  • Make the square bigger (25 m by 25 m).
  • Have the robber walk.

Make it harder

  • Add a second robber.
  • Shrink the square to 15 m by 15 m.

Three things to say

  • Keep your ball close enough to touch it every step.
  • Look up to see where the robber is.
  • When you get robbed, smile, do your toe taps and go again.

Colts habit

Be brave: keep dribbling near the robber, and go again when robbed.

Both feet

Dribble with the practice foot for one round.

Heads up

Look up to see where the robber is.

For your birth year

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

2020 to 2021
The coach is the only robber and walks.
2018 to 2019
As written, with a child robber in a bib.
2016 to 2017
Use two robbers in a smaller 15 m by 15 m box.

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

Safety: No body contact from the robber. Keep the square clear of bags and bottles.

Keeping score: The whole group counts the balls under a foot at the whistle and tries to beat its last total.