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Practice games

Back Door Goals

Each goal is two cones 5 m in from the end line, and you can score through it from the front or the back.

Game 16 min 6 to 8 players Cage Half pitch 2016 to 2019

Win It, Keep It, Score Work hard Be brave

At a glance

  • 3v3 on 25 m by 20 m, blue against yellow. Each goal is two cones 2 m apart, 5 m in from the end line, with room to run round it.
  • Score by passing or dribbling the ball through the other team's goal, from the front or the back. Defenders guard both sides.
  • After a goal, the team that let it in restarts with a dribble from beside their goal. A ball that goes out is dribbled back in.
  • Play 4 minutes, then swap ends.
  • Progress 1: A goal only counts after a pass, so nobody can dribble in alone.
  • Progress 2: As well, two touches only within 5 m of a goal.

If it's not working: Make the goals 3 m wide.

Back Door Goals: set-up1231 blocked, 2 pass round, 3 back door goal.20 m by 25 m
  • blue team
  • yellow team
  • pass
  • shot
  • 1in this order

Each goal is two cones 5 m in from the end line, with space all round it. A yellow blocks the front of the top goal, so the blue on the ball passes round the side to a teammate who has run behind it, and the shot goes in through the back door. All six children shown.

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

Set up

  • Mark a 25 m by 20 m pitch.
  • Make each goal from two cones 2 m apart, 5 m in from the end line, so there is space all round it.
  • Each team attacks one goal and defends the other.

3v3 on 25 m by 20 m. Older children can play 4v4 on 30 m by 25 m.

How to play

  • Play a normal game to goals.
  • Score by passing or dribbling the ball through the other team's goal, from the front or the back.
  • After a goal, the team that conceded restarts with a dribble from beside its goal.
  • Balls out of play come straight back with a dribble.
  • Play 4 minutes, then swap ends.

Keeping everyone moving

Play flows all round the goals, so defenders must turn and recover and there are no dead spots or keepers.

Make it easier

  • Make the goals 3 m wide.
  • A larger pitch.

Make it harder, step by step

  1. A goal only counts after a pass, so nobody can dribble in alone.
  2. As well, two touches only within 5 m of a goal.

Three things to say

  • Switching sides of the goal quickly.
  • Defenders staying between the ball and the goal.
  • Spotting the open side.

Words that work: "Brave to go round!", "Great recovery run!", "Nice pass to your mate!"

Colts habit

Work hard to get back round the goal.

Both feet

Finish from the side of your other foot.

Heads up

Check which side of the goal is open.

For your birth year

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

2018 to 2019
As written, with goals 3 m wide.
2016 to 2017
4v4 on 30 m by 25 m.

Safety: Peg pop-up goals down and keep 5 m clear round them. No diving at the goal.

Keeping score: Each child counts how many times they recovered to guard the goal, compared with last time.