Flip It!
Lose the ball, shout Flip!, and win it back before the coach counts to five for a bonus point.
A normal game to goals; when a team loses the ball, they shout Flip! and press together, and the coach counts how quickly they win it back.
Set up
- Mark a 25 m by 20 m pitch with a pop-up goal at each end.
- Give each team bibs.
- The coach stands at the side, ready to count.
3v3 or 4v4; 25 m by 20 m.
How to play
- Play a normal game to goals.
- When a team loses the ball, anyone on that team shouts Flip!
- The coach counts aloud to five, showing fingers.
- If any player on that team wins the ball back before five, the team gets a bonus point.
- Goals count one. Bonus points count one.
Keeping everyone moving
Losing the ball starts a new challenge instead of a pause, and every player on the team can earn the point.
Make it easier
- The coach counts to eight.
- A bigger pitch.
Make it harder
- Win it back and then make a pass for the bonus.
- The team with the ball can earn a point by keeping it through the count.
Three things to say
- The nearest player presses at once.
- Teammates close the spaces.
- Staying on your feet (no sliding).
Words that work: "Brave flip!", "Great work to win it back!", "Lovely shout!"
Colts habit
Leadership, shouting Flip! lifts the team.
Both feet
Steal with either foot.
Heads up
After the flip, look up for a pass.
For your birth year
Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.
- 2020 to 2021
- Not used.
- 2018 to 2019
- 3v3, count to eight.
- 2016 to 2017
- 4v4, count to five.
Safety: No sliding tackles. Win the ball with your feet, not your hands or your body.
Keeping score: Each child notes privately how many flips they helped win in one game and tries to beat it next week.