Corner Calls

Set up

• Use one end of the pitch and its goal. Mark a box 14 m wide and 10 m deep with discs if there isn't one.
• Put one disc on the edge of the box in the middle, and one on the penalty spot.
• A taker at the corner with a pile of balls.
• A keeper who'd like a turn in goal, and one defender (none with 5 children, two with 8).

7 children: a taker, a short player, an edge player, two in front of the keeper, a defender and a keeper who'd like a turn. With 6, one in front of the keeper. With 5, one in front of the keeper and no defender. With 8, a second defender. If no child would like a turn in goal, the coach goes in.

How to play

• Before each corner, the taker shouts a call: Quick, Edge or Zip.
• Quick: the short player runs to the corner for a pass. Now it's 2 against 1. Run the line and cut it back along the ground to the penalty spot for a first-time shot.
• Edge: the taker passes along the ground to a player arriving at the edge of the box, who shoots first time. Two teammates stand still in front of the keeper, arms down, no touching, so the keeper can't see it coming.
• Zip: hard and low into the middle of the small box in front of goal, curling in. The two in front of the keeper attack the near post and the middle, the short player slides in at the back post, and the edge player waits for anything that comes out. Any touch can go in.
• With 5 or 6 children there is one player in front of the keeper: they screen the keeper on Edge and attack the near post on Zip. With 5 there is no defender, so Quick is a free run down the line. With 8, the second defender starts by the edge disc.
• Everyone follows in until the ball's in, out, or the keeper has it.
• A shot is 1 point and a goal is 3. Keep a count of shots for each call.
• No heading in training. Nobody kicks the ball when the keeper is down.
• Move round a job after every corner: taker, short, edge, in front of the keeper, defender, then the keeper's spot for anyone who'd like a turn.

Keeping everyone moving

Every child has a job on every corner and moves to the next job each time, with a corner every 30 seconds or so.

Three things to say

• Make it a pass, not a cross: firm and along the ground.
• Arrive and hit it first time, low, through the crowd.
• Always follow in. Lots of goals come from the second go.

Words that work: "Great call!", "Brilliant first-time shot!", "Lovely follow-in!"

Safety: No heading in training: that's the Irish FA's guidance for primary school children. Players in front of the keeper stand still, arms down, and never touch the keeper. Nobody kicks the ball when the keeper is down. A child goes in goal only if they'd like to.