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Practice games

Honey Thieves

Everyone raids the other hive and guards their own at the same time, dribbling honey home.

Warm-up 10 min 8 to 12 players Cage Half pitch 2019 to 2021

Win It, Keep It, Score Work hard Be brave

Honey Thieves: set-up 20 m by 15 m

A hive hoop at each end with six balls in it; everyone steals from the other hive and dribbles the ball home, guarding their own as they go.

Set up

  • Mark a 20 m by 15 m box with 4 cones.
  • Put a hoop (the hive) in the middle of each short end.
  • Put 6 balls in each hive. Give each team a bib colour and its own hive.

8 to 12 children, two teams; 20 m by 15 m.

How to play

  • On Buzz!, everyone is a honey thief and a guard at once.
  • Go to the other team's hive, take one ball and dribble it home to your own hive.
  • You may win a ball off a thief who is dribbling and take it to your hive.
  • Nobody stands inside a hive, and balls only move by dribbling (no carrying).
  • After 90 seconds, shout Freeze! and count the honey together. Play again.

Keeping everyone moving

Every child is always raiding, guarding or dribbling. Nobody is caught or out.

Make it easier

  • Put more balls in each hive.
  • Make the box bigger.

Make it harder

  • Guards may also steal from the other team's hive-bound dribblers near their own hive.
  • Only one ball in a hive may be touched at a time.

Three things to say

  • Little touches when dribbling home.
  • Heads up to spot a free ball or a thief.
  • Going straight for the ball when a thief passes.

Words that work: "Brave steal!", "Keep buzzing!", "Great help for your team!"

Colts habit

Work hard, keep going until Freeze!

Both feet

Bring one ball home with your other foot.

Heads up

Find the hive with the most honey.

For your birth year

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

2020 to 2021
Play 60 seconds, and the coach buzzes like a bee.
2018 to 2019
Stop the ball on the hive with your sole.
2016 to 2017
Not recommended, use Double Trouble instead.

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

Safety: Balls on the ground only. Remind children to look up to avoid bumps. Keep the hoops flat.

Keeping score: Each child counts the balls they brought home and tries to beat their own number next round.