At a glance
- Two pitches side by side, a goal at each end, 2v2 or 3v3 on each. With an odd number, a joker plays for the team with the ball.
- Every 5 minutes, whistle: freeze while the coach, or two children, change the shape in 30 seconds. Then kick off.
- Shapes: Long street (long and narrow), Lamp post (a tall cone nobody may touch), Tiny doors (goals turned sideways).
- And Wide road (short and wide) and Corner shop (an L-shape).
- Progress 1: Long street with two touches only.
- Progress 2: Keep two touches. On Lamp post, a goal only counts after a pass round the post.
If it's not working: Use wide and short shapes, which give more space.
- blue team
- yellow team
- dribble
- pass
- shot
- 1in this order
Three of the five shapes on one of the two pitches, 2v2 with a goal at each end. Long street is narrow and long, so a pass down the line sets up the shot. Lamp post puts a tall cone in the middle that nobody may touch, so you dribble round it. Tiny doors turns both goals sideways, so you go round and shoot into the open side. Wide road and Corner shop (an L) are the other two. Every five minutes the whistle goes, the children freeze and the shape changes.
Full details: set up, how to play, tips and age tweaks
Set up
- Mark two pitches side by side with discs, one goal at each end of each pitch.
- Keep 4 tall cones and spare discs by the pitch.
- Split children into two games by random bib draw.
- Keep a card showing the pitch shapes in your pocket.
8 to 12 children. Two pitches running at the same time, starting at about 25 m by 15 m, with the shape changing every 5 minutes.
How to play
- Play 2v2 or 3v3 on each pitch, the same number on each team. With an odd number, one child is a joker who plays for whichever team has the ball. A new joker at each shape change.
- Every 5 minutes, blow the whistle. Children freeze while the coach, or two children, change the pitch shape in 30 seconds.
- Shapes to use: Long street (narrow and long), Wide road (short and wide), Lamp post (a tall cone in the middle that nobody may touch), Corner shop (an L-shape), Tiny doors (goals turned sideways).
- Kick-off happens straight after each change.
- No scores are kept between shapes.
Keeping everyone moving
Two pitches run at once, and children help change the shapes. With an odd number, the joker job moves round at each shape change.
Make it easier
- Use wide and short shapes, which give more space.
- Allow dribble goals only (the ball must be stopped on the line).
Make it harder, step by step
- Long street with two touches only.
- Keep two touches. On Lamp post, a goal only counts after a pass round the post.
Three things to say
- Children spotting where the space is in each new shape.
- Children changing direction and speed to fit the pitch.
- Children talking to each other about the new layout.
Words that work: "Brave to try that on a crazy pitch!", "Great work adjusting fast!", "Nice, you helped your team understand the new shape!"
Colts habit
Each team elects a pitch leader (a different child each time) to explain the new shape to their team.
Both feet
In the Corner shop shape, goals only count if the corner is turned using the other foot.
Heads up
After each change, children must point to where the space is before kick-off.
For your birth year
Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.
- 2020 to 2021
- 2v2, 3 shapes per session, a coach changes the pitch.
- 2018 to 2019
- 2v2, children choose the next shape.
- 2016 to 2017
- 3v3 on bigger pitches, children design one new shape and name it.
Safety: Keep tall cones away from goalmouths. Check that no shape puts a goal near a wall, fence or path. No heading.
Keeping score: Children say which shape was hardest and try to score on that shape next week.