SOCCER GAMES
BALL COLLIDE (Decision making, passing, receiving, agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, speed)
- Cones
- 1 bib per two participant
- Three soccer balls per 10 to 14 participants
Arrange the participants into groups of 10 to 14; then separate each group into two equal teams. Number the teams in each group 1 and 2, and have one team put bibs on. Cone out a large playing area of approximately 20 by 20 metres for each group.
Team 1 starts with one of the balls, which they must pass to each other to try to make a set number of consecutive passes (e.g., 15). As they pass they should count up(starting from zero) each time a pass is made so that the opponents know how many they have completed. Team 1 scores a point each time the players complete the set number of passes. They have a set time (e.g., 3 minutes) to score as many points as possible. If the ball rolls or is passed out of the area, the team must start counting passes from zero once the ball is back in the area. Although participants will play most passes along the floor, they can use a chip pass in the air to play the ball to teammates.
Team 2 is given the other two soccer balls, which team members can pass around the area trying to hit Team's 1 ball. If team 2 hits Team's 1 ball with one of its own, the pass count returns to zero. However, any completed points are kept. If a participant from Team 2 kicks one of the team's balls out of the area, one of them should collect it, so they can kick it again. After the set time, stop the game, then have the teams switch roles. After Team 2 has taken a turn at trying to score points, the team with the most points wins.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- Watch carefully for participants hitting the ball too hard or too high.
- Ensure that the participants know why they must keep the ball low and how to do this. Give them these tips:
a) Keep your head over the soccer ball as you strike it; do not lean back.
b) Use the inside of your foot to pass the ball.
c) Hit the ball just above its centre.
-Advise the participants who are trying to collide a soccer ball against the opponents' ball not to kick or pass the ball too hard in case it misses. If they kick it too hard the ball will travel for long distance out of the area. Their opponents would have a great advantage if they had only one ball to avoid.
EASIER: Make the game easier for the team trying to make passes by reducing the number of passes they have to make (e.g., 10) or by taking away one of the opponents' balls.
GAME VARIATION: All the participants in Team 1 have soccer balls. Team 2 has two balls. If team 2 collides one of its balls against any of Team's 1 balls, the ball that has been hit is removed from the game. If a participant's ball is hit and removed, teammates can pass to that person, so all the participants in Team 1 can work together to prevent their other balls being hit. Time how long is taken for Team 2 to hit all of Team's 1 soccer balls, or continue for a set time (e.g., 3 minutes) and count how many balls have been removed. Teams should then swap roles and try to beat the opposing team's performance.
GAME VARIATION: All the participants in Team 2 have soccer balls, whereas in Team 1passes around only one soccer ball. Participants from Team 2 dribble their ball around, and when they are in close range, try to kick it at Team's 1 ball. Team 1 scores a point for every five passes its members make, but loses a point each time an opponent's ball hits their own. Have them play for a set time and then switch roles. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
HARDER: Make the game harder for the team trying to make passes by increasing the number of passes team members have to make (e.g., 20) or by giving their opponents more soccer balls.
HARDER: Make the game harder for either team by restricting the number of touches each participant can have before the he must pass the ball on - for example, a participant can touch the ball only twice before a teammate does.
SMALLER GROUPS: With a group of six to eight participants, you could play in pairs. One pair starts with a ball and tries to score points by making a set number of consecutive passes (e.g., five). Call this pair the passers. The remaining participants work in pairs, each pair with one ball, trying to pass theirs against the passers' ball (call these pairs colliders). The passers continue for a set time (e.g., 2 minutes) and score a point each time they make the set number of passes. The colliders score 3 points each time they hit the passers' ball. Each pair should have a turn being the passers, and when each of them has taken a turn, the pair with the most points wins.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be modified for use in basketball, netball or rugby. Use similar rules, but players must pass and catch balls with their hands. All passes must be low (bounce passes are advisable for basketball and netball). Participants cannot move when they have possession of the ball, but they can run when they do not have it. When a participant tries to throw the ball at an opponent's, the hit must be mid-air. They should not throw the ball at an opponent's ball when the opponent is holding it. Participants can only have possession of the ball for 3 seconds before they must pass it to a teammate.
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WEIGHTED PASS (Passing, receiving, balance, coordination)
- Cones
- One soccer ball per participant
Use this activity to develop the correct weighting (or power) for short passes. Use cones to mark a passing line, behind which the participants line up with their soccer balls. Use cones to mark out a scoring zone in front of the participants. The area between the passing line and the scoring zone and the area past the scoring zone are no-score zones. The scoring zone should be between 5 and 10 metres wide, and the distance from the passing line should be dependant on the age and ability of the participants.
When the game starts, the participants have to pass their soccer balls so they roll into, and stop in, the scoring zone. A point is scored for each successfully weighted, pr powered, pass that stops in the scoring zone. Any ball that does not reach the scoring zone or rolls past it will land in a no-score zone, and the participant will not receive a point for that pass or kick. Participants collect their balls and dribble back to the passing line. Each participant has 10 attempts to pass the ball into the scoring zone. The participant who scores the most points after all have taken their 10 passes wins the game.
- Participants should not pass their ball if someone is in front of them, close to the passing line. They should wait until this participant has moved out of the way before kicking their ball.
- A participant should watch for other balls being passed when they run out to collect their ball and when they dribble it back in.
- Warn participants to be careful with collisions.
- The ball must stop completely in the scoring zone to earn a point.
- The game cannot be played on fast-rolling surfaces (e.g., in sports halls or on Astroturf)
- Space participants appropriately.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the size of the scoring zone to make the game easier or harder.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the distance between the passing line and the scoring zone to make the game easier or harder.
GAME VARIATION: Participants work in pairs or teams and line up behind the passing line; the front participant in each pair has a ball. Once they have taken their pass at the scoring zone, participants collect the ball and pass it back to the next participant before joining the back of the line. When the participants have each taken a set number of passes (e.g., 5 to 8), the pair scoring the most points wins.
GAME VARIATION: Participants play for a set time (e.g., 2 minutes) and race to see how many points they can score. After each kick, they quickly collect their balls and dribble them back to the passing line before taking their next kick. They must make sure the ball has stopped in the scoring zone before they count it as a point.
GAME VARIATION: Play with a circular target with three scoring zones similar to an archery target. The centre is worth 5 points, the next outer ring is worth 3 points and the largest ring is worth 1 point. No points are awarded if the participant misses the target completely.
GAME VARIATION: This game can be adapted to long-range, chipped passes. Participants are set up in pairs. Pairs are set up facing their partner with a passing line in front of them and the scoring zone in between them. The rules are similar, but the participants try to power their kicks so that the ball's first bounce is in the scoring zone.
HARDER: Participants can use only their non-dominant foot to pass the soccer ball.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted to hockey using similar rules.
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CHIPPING GAME (Decision making, goalkeeper catching skills, receiving, soccer chip pass, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, speed)
- Cones
- One soccer ball per two participants
Arrange the participants into teams of four, and cone out a playing area for each team. There should be two 10-by-10 metre areas, with a distance of 15 to 25 metres between them. Two of the participants from each team stand in one of their team's areas, and their teammates stand in the other area. The distance between the two areas depends on the age and ability of the participants; a shorter distance is preferable for younger or less able participants. The aim of this game is to chip the ball across to the teammates in the other area so that they can catch it.
One participant tries to chip the ball (from inside his area) to his teammates in the other area. If one of them catches the ball before it bounces, the team gains a point. The passer must chip the ball from inside his area, and the catches must have both feet inside his area for a point to be awarded. Regardless of whether the ball is caught, it should be placed on the ground inside the area for one of the participants in this area to chip across to the other area. Teammates take turns to chip pass when the ball is in their area. Have them continue for a set time (e.g., 3 minutes), after which, the team with the most point wins. Alternatively, have them play until one team has scored a set number of points (e.g., 10).
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- Ensure participants have completed a thorough warm-up before playing this activity because it involves ballistic kicking actions.
- There should be a large gap between groups, so there is less risk of participants being hit by stray passes from other groups.
- To avoid collisions, instruct participants to call out their names when they are going to catch the soccer ball so teammates do not go for it at the same time.
- Use this game only with participants who are competent at chipping the ball.
- Here are the key coaching points for chipping a ball:
a) Take a run-up and place the non-kicking leg beside the ball so the foot is pointing towards the target area.
b) Use the instep of the foot to strike the ball and contact it below its centre.
c) Lean back during the kicking motion.
d) If you are not getting enough power behind the chip, take a high back lift, especially at the hip joint, and follow through after striking the ball.
EASIER: Participants are allowed to catch the ball before it bounces or after it has bounced once.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the size of the areas and the distance between them to change the level of difficulty.
HARDER: The ball must be controlled or received by one participant and caught by his teammate. The controlling touch must be played to the teammate so that he can catch it without the ball touching the floor. This first touch must not be with the hands or arms, but participants can use their feet, thighs, chest or head to control the ball. For example, one participant can use a cushioned header to control the ball to his teammate for him to catch it. Both the control and the catch must occur inside the pair's playing area. For extremely advanced participants, you can add more touches or controls before they have to catch the ball.
LARGE GROUPS: This game can be played with more participants per team. Depending on the age or ability of the participants, make the area bigger if required.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted for use in other passing and receiving and throwing and catching activities using similar rules. For example, participants could kick a rugby ball across to teammates, or throw a cricket ball.
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PASSING FORWARDS (Attacking and defending skills, passing, receiving, agility, balance, coordination, endurance, power, reaction time and speed)
- One bib per two participants
- One soccer ball per eight participants
- Cones
Use this game to develop passing and receiving skills. It is also a good game to develop the tactics of passing the ball forwards when attacking, as well as to teach how to move and lose a marker when passing up field. It is also a great game for teaching players how to stop forward passes when they are defending. Arrange the participants in groups of eight, and separate each group into teams of four. Use cones to mark out each group's area, which should be approximately 20 by 20 to 25 by 25 metres. Use the cones to mark out the side boundary lines and three mini-goals on the other sides. Number the teams 1 and 2, and have one team put bibs on. Each team should nominate two target players and two outfield players. The target players from each team stand on the ends where their teammates will be attacking.
When the game begins, the target players can move sideways along the lines they are standing on, but they cannot move into the playing area and they cannot stand in the mini-goals. The aim of the outfield players is to score by passing the ball through any of the mini-goals that they are attacking. The ball must roll along the floor through a mini-goal to be counted as a score. Participants in the outfield role can pass to each other, but to score a goal, they must pass the ball to a target player. At that point, he or a teammate should look to make a forward run to receive the ball back from the target player to score. The ball must be scored with one kick, pass or touch after it has been played back from one of the target players. The target players are limited to taking onlin two touches any time they have possession. When a ball is passed to them, they can pass it back into play to either outfield teammates, but they cannot pass the ball to the other target player on their team.
If a goal is scored, the outfield opponents (the participants who were defending) receive the ball in front of the mini-goal where the goal was scored, They then try to score by playing up to their target players and making a forward run to receive the ball back. Have them play for a set time (e.g., 3 minutes) and keep count of their scores. The target players and the outfield players then switch roles. Again, have them play for the set time, after which the team with the highest combinated score wins.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- Provide adequate space between groups.
- This game can be very tiring, so don't let the outfield players play for too long before switching to the target player role.
- Have a few spare soccer balls behind the target players to start the game quickly, if the ball being used is kicked out of play. Collect the balls at the end of the set time before starting the next game.
- Demonstrate how a goal is scored so the participants can see this happening.
- Ask questions after explaining the game to check understanding.
- Try to encourage the participants to look to pass forwards as often as possible. It helps if the target players are moving laterally so they are always available for a pass.
- Participants who pass the ball forwards to the target player should power, or weight, the pass correctly so it is easy for their teammate to control.
-Participants who have passed to one of their target players should sprint forwards and lose their opponents to receivee the ball back.
- If your focus is on improving defending, encourage the participants who are closing down the player in possession of the ball to make a run that cuts off a forward pass. They should also track the opponent they are marking to prevent him from scoring once he has played the ball up to the target player.
EASIER: To make the game easier, increase the number of target players or allow the target players to have more touches (or do both).
EASIER: Allow outfield players to use two touches to score once they have received the ball back from the target player.
GAME VARIATION: Teams have five participants. Each team still has two target players, but three participants play the outfield.
HARDER: Limit the number of touches the outfield participants can take (e.g., a maximum of two).
HARDER: Allow only one target player to have one touch to play the ball back into play.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted for use in hockey sessions using similar rules.
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THROW, HEAD, CATCH (Catching, decision making, heading, throwing, agility, balance, coordination, endurance, power, reaction time, speed)
- One bib per two participants
- One soccer ball per 12 participants
- Cones
Arrange the participants into groups of 12, and then separate each group into two teams of six. Number the teams 1 and 2, and have one team put bibs on. For each group, cone out a large rectangular playing area. Teammates work together to try to score points during the game. To score a point, teammates must pass the soccer ball around inside the playing area using the specific throw, head, catch sequence five times.
To start the game, give one of the participants the ball. This participant should hold the ball in their hands. The participants must throw the ball to a teammate for him to head it. After the ball has been headed, it must be caught. A point is scored when a team has repeated this sequence five times. Once a point has been scored, the team in possession can continue to try to score another point. To prevent a team scoring, the opposing team tries to gain possession of the ball. To gain possession of the ball, the opponents must participate appropriately in the throw, head, catch sequence, for example:
- If a participant from Team 1 has thrown the ball, a participant from team 2 must head it to a teammate to gain possession of the ball;
- If a participant from Team 1 has headed the ball, a participant from Team 2 must catch it to gain possession of the ball.
After a header, a teammate can catch the ball without a bounce or after it has bounced once; if the ball bounces twice (or more) after a header, the opponent gains possession. A team can also gain possession of the ball if an opponent throws a ball that is not headed by a teammate. If a teammate gains or regains possession of the ball from its opponents, its members must start their throw, head, catch sequence from zero. When participants have the ball in their hands, they cannot move with it. Participants can move around the area when they do not have possession of the ball; if the ball is thrown or headed out of the playing area, the opposing team gets the ball, which it must throw into play from where the ball left the area. Have teams play for a set time (e.g., 5 to 10 minutes) or until one team has scored a set number of points (e.g., 10).
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions, especially when they are competing against an opponent when trying to head the soccer ball.
- When jumping for a header, a participant should swing her arms up for lift, but also to position them so they are protecting her head. However, she should be careful not to elbow an opponent in the face or head when she is doing this.
- Participants should call out their names when they are going to head or catch the ball if other teammates are in close proximity. This should ensure that participants from the same team do not collide when challenging for the ball.
- Have younger participants practice throwing and heading the ball first so their throws are not too hard. You can also encourage participants to use a slower, looping underarm action to throw the ball.
- Demonstrate the throw, head, catch sequence to the group before starting the game.
- Clearly explain to (and show) participants that when the opposing team has the ball, they must follow the throw, head, catch sequence to gain possession.
- Ask questions after explaining the game to check understanding.
- To head the ball participants should do the following:
a) Use their forehead to head the ball;
b) Keep their eyes open and focused on the ball;
c) Lean back before heading the ball;
d) Use a powerful neck movement;
e) Follow through with the head and neck movement after heading and ensure that the head and body are facing the intended target.
EASIER: After a teammate has headed the soccer ball, participants are allowed to catch it after two or three bounces.
EASIER: Opponents can intercept the ball only after a header (remember this must be with a catch). They are not allowed to compete for headers after one of the opponents has thrown the ball.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the number of throw, head, catch sequences a team must make before scoring a point.
GAME VARIATION: Add two goals. Team 1 attacks one of the goals, and Team 2 attacks the other. Participants can score a point by heading the ball through the goal they are attacking or by making the throw, head, catch sequence five times consecutively.
HARDER: Participants cannot head the ball back to the teammate who threw the ball to them; they must head it to another teammate.
HARDER: Possession changes to the other team if the ball is not caught (after a header) before it bounces.
HARDER: Participants must throw the soccer ball using the correct throw-in technique. The ball must be thrown with both feet on the ground as the ball is released. The ball must start, or be taken, behind the head before throwing. It must also be released above (and not in front of) the head.
From the book, More Fun and Games: 100 new Sport-related activities (Anthony Dowson)
