Carnmoney Colts Academy badgeCarnmoney ColtsAcademy Join

Practice games

Cannon Ball Clear

Two teams strike balls along the ground into the other half, hunting for a Boom! in a pop-up goal.

Warm-up 10 min 8 to 12 players Cage Half pitch 2018 to 2021

Shooting and Scoring Work hard

At a glance

  • 20 by 15 m box with a 3 m no-go strip across the middle. One team per half, two pop-up goals on each end line, balls scattered.
  • On Cannons!, everyone strikes balls low along the ground into the other half. High balls do not count.
  • A ball that rolls into the other team's pop-up goal is a Boom! Shout it: that is 1 point.
  • Stay out of the no-go strip: a grown-up fetches balls that stop there. After 60 seconds shout Freeze! and count Booms.
  • Progress 1: Booms only count with your other foot.
  • Progress 2: Put hoops in each half: you can only strike from inside a hoop.

If it's not working: Make the no-go strip narrower, so the goals are closer.

Cannon Ball Clear: set-upno-go zone1231 strike low, 2 Boom! 3 fire one back.15 m by 20 m
  • one team
  • other team
  • shot
  • 1in this order

Two teams, one in each half, with a 3 m no-go zone across the middle and two pop-up goals on each end line. On Cannons! everyone strikes balls low into the other half. Here a blue strike rolls into a yellow goal for a Boom! while a yellow fires one back. Nobody steps into the zone.

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

Set up

  • Mark a 20 m by 15 m box with cones.
  • Mark two cone lines across the middle, 3 m apart. This is the no-go zone.
  • Place 2 pop-up goals on each end line, facing in.
  • Split into two teams, one per half, and scatter all the balls evenly.

8 to 12 children, 20 m by 15 m split into two halves by a 3 m no-go middle zone.

How to play

  • On Cannons!, everyone strikes balls into the other team's half.
  • Balls must roll or skim along the ground. High balls do not count.
  • A ball that goes into the other team's pop-up goal is a Boom!: your team shouts and scores 1 point.
  • Nobody enters the no-go zone. Balls that stop in it are collected by an adult.
  • After 60 seconds the coach shouts Freeze! Each team counts its Booms.
  • Rest 30 seconds, then play again.

Keeping everyone moving

Every child has a ball or is hunting one. No one is ever out.

Make it easier

  • Make the no-go strip narrower, so the goals are closer.
  • Make the pop-up goals wider with cones.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. Booms only count with your other foot.
  2. Put hoops in each half: you can only strike from inside a hoop.

Three things to say

  • Head up to find a goal.
  • Standing foot beside the ball.
  • Strike through the middle of the ball.

Words that work: "Brave strike!", "Found a goal, great eyes!", "Well done for sharing that ball!"

Colts habit

Work hard, keep hunting balls.

Both feet

Other-foot Booms score double.

Heads up

Look for the goal before you strike.

For your birth year

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

2020 to 2021
15 m by 12 m, no counting, just Boom! shouts.
2018 to 2019
Count Booms.
2016 to 2017
Try Volcano instead.

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

Safety: Ground balls only. Children do not stand in front of the pop-up goals.

Keeping score: How many Booms did I make this round? Can I beat my own number next round?