Staying on the ball

WHY  USE IT

This is a great game for introducing the idea of staying on the ball with young players.

SET-UP

Set up a playing area, relative to the age and ability of your players. Split players into two teams, divide the pitch in half and place a goal at each end. You will need enough balls for half of the players to have one each.

HOW TO DO IT

The game starts in the normal way but when a goal is scored the ‘stadium game’ can begin.

If the Blue team has scored, then each Blue is given a ball and a Red opponent to play against in their ‘stadium’ (one half of the pitch). On “go”, each pair of players will play 1v1 for a short amount of time.

The Blues are trying to keep the ball in their home stadium while the Red team are trying to take the ball off their opponent and take it into their home stadium (in the other half of the pitch).

At the end of the time, if more Blues than Reds have possession in their half, then the goal the Blues scored is given and they lead 1-0.

But if more Reds have the ball in their home stadium, the goal for the Blue team does not count and the game resumes at 0-0.

Once another goal is scored, the Stadium Game begins again.

COACHING POINTS

Encourage players to ‘hide, manoeuvre and reveal’ their ball in order to stay in possession and beat their opponent to find new space. Players should try and keep their body between the defender and the ball to protect it.

ADAPTATIONS

If working on defending, and a team scores in the normal game, then in the ‘stadium game’ the ball is given to their opponent and they have to take it off them and into their home stadium.

In the stadium game the numbers can be 2v2, 2v1 and even 1v2 depending on the focus.