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Practice games

Scorer's Choice

3v3 where a shot that misses scores 1, a goal 2 and a goal with your other foot 3.

Game 20 min 6 to 12 players Cage Half pitch 2016 to 2019

Shooting and Scoring Be brave

At a glance

  • Two pitches side by side, 20 by 15 m, with a pop-up goal at each end. 3v3, no keepers, spare balls by every goal.
  • A shot at goal that misses scores 1, a goal scores 2 and a goal with your other foot scores 3.
  • The coach calls every point. When the ball goes out, the team that didn't touch it last restarts at once with a spare ball.
  • Play 4-minute games, then swap opponents. With an odd number, a joker plays for the team with the ball.
  • Progress 1: Only first-time goals score 3.
  • Progress 2: Add a shooting zone in front of each goal: only shots from inside it score.

If it's not working: Make the goals wider with cones.

Scorer's Choice: set-up1231 brave shot, 2 follow in, 3 restart with a spare.15 m by 20 m
  • blue team
  • yellow team
  • run
  • pass
  • shot
  • 1in this order

One of the two pitches, side by side 3 m apart: 3v3 with no keepers, a pop-up goal at each end and spare balls beside every goal. Here a brave shot from distance goes just wide, and still scores 1 (a goal is 2, a goal with the other foot 3); the coach calls the points out loud. A teammate follows the shot in, and yellow restarts straight away with a spare ball from beside their goal.

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

Set up

  • Mark two pitches side by side, 3 m apart.
  • Put one pop-up goal at each end of each pitch.
  • Put spare balls by each goal.

12 children as two 3v3 games side by side, each 20 m by 15 m (25 m by 20 m for 4v4 with 2017s and 2016s).

How to play

  • Play 3v3 with no keepers.
  • Scoring: a shot at goal that misses gets 1 point. A goal gets 2 points. A goal with your other foot gets 3 points.
  • The coach calls the points out loud so everyone hears.
  • When the ball goes out, the team that didn't touch it last restarts at once with a spare ball from beside the nearest goal.
  • Play 4-minute games, then swap opponents. With an odd number, one child is a joker who plays for whichever team has the ball.

Keeping everyone moving

Small teams and quick restarts, with a joker if the number is odd.

Make it easier

  • Make the goals wider with cones.
  • Allow a free player who plays for whichever team has the ball.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. Only first-time goals score 3.
  2. Add a shooting zone in front of each goal: only shots from inside it score.

Three things to say

  • Shoot when you see the goal.
  • Follow in.
  • Use the other foot when the ball is on that side.

Words that work: "Great decision to shoot!", "Brave with the other foot!", "Brilliant pass to set up your mate!"

Colts habit

Be brave, points for trying.

Both feet

Other-foot goals get top points.

Heads up

Look for the shot before you dribble.

For your birth year

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

2018 to 2019
3v3, no keepers.
2016 to 2017
4v4 on 25 m by 20 m, and a volunteer keeper is allowed using the keeper safety rules (8 m line, shots below the waist).

Safety: Keep a 3 m gap between the pitches. With keepers, the keeper safety rules apply: 2016s and 2017s only, volunteers only, shooting line at least 8 m out, shots count only below waist height, side-foot passes only inside 4 m, nobody shoots when the keeper is down.

Keeping score: How many shots did I have this game? One more next game.