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Practice games

Knights, Castles and Dragons with a Ball

Practice game for dribbling into safe spaces and escaping pressure.

Practice 12 min 6 to 16 players Cage Half pitch 2016 to 2021

Me and My Ball Lift each other

Knights, Castles and Dragons with a Ball: set-up 20 m by 20 mcastlecastlecastlecastle

Four cone castles, one in each quarter; knights dribble in and out for treasure while the two dragons prowl the middle.

Set up

  • Mark the big square with 4 corner cones.
  • Place one 3 m by 3 m castle in the middle of each quarter of the square.
  • The 2 dragons wear bibs, have no ball and start in the centre.
  • All knights start on the outside edge, each with a ball.

20 m by 20 m square (4 corner cones); 4 castles, each a 3 m by 3 m square of 4 cones (16 cones); 1 ball per knight; 2 bibs for dragons.

How to play

  • Knights dribble into any castle and back out, and every visit adds 1 point to the whole group's treasure total.
  • Dragons cannot enter castles but try to touch a knight's ball with their foot. A touched knight does 5 toe taps and carries on.
  • New dragons every 60 seconds so everyone gets a turn.
  • After each round, the group tries to beat its treasure total.

Keeping everyone moving

Every knight has a ball and there are four castles. A touch means five toe taps, not out.

Make it easier

  • One dragon only.
  • Bigger castles (4 m by 4 m).

Make it harder

  • Knights cannot visit the same castle twice in a row.
  • Add a third dragon.

Three things to say

  • Look up to find the castle with no dragon near it.
  • Change direction when a dragon comes.
  • Shout out the treasure total together.

Colts habit

Lift each other: the treasure total belongs to everyone.

Both feet

Enter one castle with the practice foot for a bonus cheer.

Heads up

Look up to find the castle with no dragon near it.

For your birth year

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

2021
The coach is the only dragon.
2018 to 2020
As written, with two child dragons.
2016 to 2017
Make castles 2 m by 2 m and knights must leave through a different side from the one they came in.

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

Safety: Dragons touch the ball, never the knight. Keep castles clear of the edges.

Keeping score: The group's treasure total, compared with its last round only.