A square with a cone on each corner; everyone dribbles and tries to poke other balls out while keeping their own.
Set up
- Mark the square with a cone on each corner.
- All players start inside, spread out, each with a ball at their feet.
15 m by 15 m for 6 to 8 players, 20 m by 20 m for 9 to 14; 4 corner cones; 1 ball per child.
How to play
- Dribble around and try to poke other players' balls out of the square while keeping your own.
- If your ball goes out, fetch it, do 2 keepy-ups (or 5 toe taps) and come straight back in.
- Rounds last 90 seconds.
- Each child quietly counts how many times they had to fetch their ball and tries to fetch it fewer times next round.
Keeping everyone moving
Fetching your ball takes seconds and you are straight back in. Nobody is knocked out.
Make it easier
- Only the coach can poke balls out.
Make it harder
- Shrink the square by 2 m each round.
Three things to say
- Put your body between your ball and the other player.
- Keep the ball on the far foot from the challenge.
- Tackle fairly and get straight back in.
Colts habit
Be brave: keep playing in the middle, not the corners.
Both feet
Keep the ball on the far foot, whichever foot that is.
Heads up
See who is coming before they arrive.
For your birth year
Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.
- 2018
- As written.
- 2019
- Play in a bigger area and have the coach be the only one trying to knock balls out.
- 2016 to 2017
- Everyone plays and the area shrinks each round.
Safety: Poke the ball, never the legs. No barging.
Keeping score: Times I had to fetch my ball this round. Fewer next round.