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Several 3v3 mini pitches at once: every 6 minutes one team on each pitch moves along to the next.

Game 22 min 12 to 24 players Half pitch 2019 to 2021

Colts Street Football Lift each other Be brave

At a glance

Pitches 20 m by 15 m, a pop-up goal at each end, one pitch for every 6 children. Teams of 3 by random bibs.
Play 3v3 for 6 minutes, with the nearest child dribbling it in when it goes out. After a goal, the other team restarts.
At 6 minutes, high-five the other team. One team stays, the other moves along one pitch (last pitch to the first).
Numbers don't split into 3s? Some teams have 4, so a game can be 4v3.

Progress 1: Two touches at most, then pass or shoot.
Progress 2: Keep two touches, and a goal only counts after at least one pass.

If it's not working: Make the pitches wider, so there is more space to dribble.

blue team
yellow team
run
dribble
1in this order

One 3v3 pitch of about 20 m by 15 m, one of two to four, two moments. Top: the ball goes out and the nearest child dribbles it straight back in, no throw-ins. Bottom: after six minutes everyone high-fives the other team, one team stays and the other moves along one pitch, so a new team arrives. Nobody writes down a score. The 5v5 pitches for 2019s are bigger, about 30 m by 20 m.

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

Set up

Mark one pitch for every 6 children (2 to 4 pitches) side by side, 3 m apart, each in a different disc colour.
Put a pop-up goal at each end of every pitch.
Put spare balls in a bag beside each pitch so play restarts at once.
Split children into teams of 3 (or 5 for 2019s) by handing out bibs at random as they arrive. If the numbers don't split evenly, some teams have one more.
Give each team a starting pitch, and on each pitch tell one team it stays and the other moves at the change.

12 to 24 children. 3v3 on mini pitches of about 20 m by 15 m, one pitch for every 6 children (2 to 4 pitches), with 3 m gaps between pitches. 2019s can play 5v5 on pitches of about 30 m by 20 m when there are 20 or more.

How to play

Every game lasts 6 minutes.
On the whistle, all pitches kick off together.
If the ball goes out, the nearest child dribbles it back in (no throw-ins).
After a goal, the other team restarts from their own goal line straight away.
At the end of 6 minutes, everyone high-fives the other team. One team stays and the other moves along one pitch (from the last pitch back to the first), so everyone meets a new opponent.
Nobody writes down or announces scores. Each child can keep their own count in their head if they like.
After the last round, the group shouts out the bravest thing they saw.

Keeping everyone moving

Teams of 3 (or 5), and some teams have one more if the numbers don't split evenly, so a game can be 4v3. There is no knockout: who stays and who moves is set at the start, never by the score.

Make it easier

Make the pitches wider, so there is more space to dribble.
Allow the goal to count from anywhere, including by dribbling in.

Make it harder, step by step

Two touches at most, then pass or shoot.
Keep two touches, and a goal only counts after at least one pass.

Three things to say

Children getting on the ball again quickly after losing it.
Children trying to beat a player, not just passing it away.
Children looking up before they pass or shoot.

Words that work: "Brave try!", "Great work getting it back!", "Love how you helped your teammate!"

Colts habit

Each team names one player who lifted others, and that player chooses the next pitch direction.

Both feet

Shout Other foot goal! when someone scores with the foot they use less.

Heads up

Before each rotation, ask who looked up before they passed.

For your birth year

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

2020 to 2021: 3v3, 5-minute games, size 3 ball, no keepers.
2018 to 2019: 5v5 on 30 m by 20 m pitches when there are 20 or more (3v3 otherwise), 6-minute games, and a roaming keeper only if a child would like to, who must also leave the area to play.
2016 to 2017: If used as a fun end-of-term festival, play 5v5 on bigger pitches when there are 20 or more, with 7-minute games.

Safety: Keep a 3 m gap between pitches so balls and runners do not collide. Peg or weight the pop-up goals. No heading: if the ball is in the air, restart it on the ground.

Keeping score: Before the first game, each child picks one thing to try, for example take someone on 3 times. At the end, they tell a coach whether they beat last week's count. The child keeps the count, not the coach.