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Practice games

Sole Stop Garage

A game for keeping the ball under control right to the end of the dribble.

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

Me and My Ball Work hard

At a glance

  • Two teams in bibs, no goals. A garage strip 2 m deep across each end line. 5v5 on 30 m by 20 m.
  • Score by dribbling into the far garage and stopping the ball dead under your sole.
  • Pass anywhere except into the garage: the ball has to be dribbled in. Each sole stop adds 1 to one total for both teams.
  • After every stop or ball out, the coach plays a new ball in.
  • Progress 1: Make the garage shallower, 1 m deep.
  • Progress 2: The sole stop must be with the practice foot.

If it's not working: Make the garage deeper, 3 m.

Sole Stop Garage: set-upgaragegarageC1231 pass, 2 dribble into the garage, 3 sole stop.20 m by 30 m
  • attackers
  • defenders
  • Ccoach
  • dribble
  • pass
  • 1in this order

Attacking the top garage, shown as three against two. A pass is fine anywhere outside the garage, but the garage itself has to be dribbled into. One attacker takes a pass, dribbles into the garage and stops the ball dead under the sole for a Sole Stop. The coach waits on the touchline at halfway with the spare balls.

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

Set up

  • Mark the pitch with 4 corner cones.
  • At each end, put a cone on each touchline 2 m in from the end line. The strip between these cones and the end line is that end's garage.
  • Teams start in their own half, attacking the garage at the far end.

Same pitch sizes as Dribble the Line. Per pitch: 4 corner cones plus 4 more marking a 2 m deep garage across the full width of each end line; bibs; 6 spare balls with the coach. No goals.

How to play

  • A team scores by dribbling into the other team's garage and stopping the ball dead with the sole.
  • Passing is allowed everywhere except into the garage, which must be dribbled into.
  • The coach keeps one Sole Stop count for both teams together, and the group tries to beat it in the next round.
  • New ball from the coach straight away after every stop or out of play.

Keeping everyone moving

A new ball comes in straight away after every stop.

Make it easier

  • A deeper garage (3 m).
  • Allow a sole stop anywhere in the attacking half after beating a player.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. A shallower garage (1 m).
  2. The sole stop must be with the practice foot.

Three things to say

  • Keep the ball close all the way in.
  • Get your sole on top of it to finish.
  • Get back and help your team every time.

Colts habit

Work hard: get back and help your team every time.

Both feet

Make the sole stop with the practice foot.

Heads up

Look for the open side of the garage.

For your birth year

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

2020 to 2021
3v3. Make the garage 3 m deep.
2018 to 2019
5v5 as written.
2016 to 2017
7v7. Make the garage 1 m deep, and the dribbler must change direction in the attacking half before entering.

Safety: Stay on your feet. No sliding into the garage.

Keeping score: The shared Sole Stop count, beaten next round.