Small-Sided Games: Fewer Players More Touches
Small-Sided Games: Fewer Players More Touches
Small-Sided Games: Fewer Players More Touches
SMALL-SIDED GAMES
Fewer Players = More Touches
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Dear Coach,
If you’re reading this, the chances are you’ve heard of small-sided games, but
Soccer Coach Weekly
offers modern and easy
may not have used them…not knowingly, at least.
to use football (soccer)
drills, coaching sessions,
In fact, I’m certain you will have used them. After all, in its basic form a small-
practice plans, small- sided games is exactly what it sounds like, a game between two teams of
sided games, warm-ups, fewer than normal players – normally 4- or 5-a-side.
training tips and advice.
The resources are created Small-sided games are popular for many reasons, some specifically relating
for the grassroots youth
coach following best to player development, others down to practicality. How many of us are able
practice from around the to run a full 11v11 game in training with limitations on space and player
world and insights from
the professional game. availability?
Using small-sided games in training gives a number of coaching benefits:
Telephone
+44 (0)1483 892894
1. More player participation
Head Coach
David Clarke 2. More touches of the ball
david.clarke@coach-soccer.
com
3. More passes attempted
Illustrations
Mike Ronald 4. More 1v1s attempted
Cover Photography
E.W. Scripps School of 5. More goals scored
Journalism/Flickr
Production
6. More goalkeeper participation
Green Star Media Ltd
7. Different games mean different problems to solve and skills to use
Customer Services
Duncan Heard I put together An Introduction To Small-Sided Games to show you how
Marketing the small-sided game in its simplest form can be developed to coach specific
James Turner
skills and tactics.
Managing Director
Andrew Griffiths The games are taken from my coaching manual 64 Small-Sided Soccer
Games. To highlight the breadth of what can be achieved with games I’ve
Published by Green Star
Media Ltd, Meadow View, selected two games from the beginner, intermediate, and advanced sections
Tannery Lane, Bramley,
Guildford GU5 0AB, UK. of the manual.
To subscribe to
Soccer Coach Weekly
call Duncan Heard on
+44 (0)1483 892894
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Wide Pitch
Set up 1
l Pitch size: 30 x 20 yards
(minimum) up to 40 x 25 yards
(maximum)
l Place the goals on the longer
touchlines, making the pitch wide
l Two teams of four players
l Two keepers
l No offside
l If the ball leaves play, you have a
few re-start options:
1. The coach passes a new ball onto
1. The coach feeds the ball to the black team to begin attacking the white goal.
the pitch
2. The players take a roll in
3. The players take a throw in 2
4. The players make a pass in
5. The players dribble in
Rules
l The game is played on a wide pitch
that is short in length. This
encourages the following tactics
from the teams:
3. It should also encourage your players to get wide and get crosses on goal.
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Possession
v Pressure 1
Set up
l Pitch size: 30 x 20 yards
(minimum) up to 40 x 25 yards
(maximum)
l Two teams of four players
l Four keepers
l No offside
l If the ball leaves play, you have a
few re-start options:
1. The coach passes a new ball onto 1. The white team pass the ball around amongst themselves.
the pitch
2. The players take a roll in 2
3. The players take a throw in
4. The players make a pass in
5. The players dribble in
Rules
l One team starts on the pitch and
passes the ball around.
l On your whistle, the team on the
outside must race onto the pitch and
try to win the ball and then score a 2. The black team enter and apply pressure on the white team.
goal.
3
l The passing team must try to keep
possession.
l The passing team can use their
keepers to keep possession of the
ball.
l The pressuring team have 30
seconds to win the ball and score a
goal - if they fail then the passing
team is awarded the goal
l Rotate the teams for the next game.
3. The black team win possession and create an attack.
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- Add One
1
Set up
l Outer pitch size: 30 x 30 yards
Inner pitch size: 15 x 15 yards
l Two teams of four players
l No goals
Rules
l One team act as the passing team.
1. To begin with, this is a simple 4 v 1 possession game.
l
The other team act as the defending
team. 2
l The passing team spread out into
the 15 x 15 yard area and begin the
game by playing 4v1.
3. 4 v 4 takes it to another level. Which team can make the most successful passes?
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Overload
Game 1
Continuous
Set up
l Pitch size: 30 x 20 yards
(minimum) up to 40 x 25 yards
(maximum)
l Two teams of four players
l Two keepers
l If the ball leaves play, pass a new
ball onto the pitch 1. Enter the pitch, three touches and shoot!
Rules 2
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Middle
or Wide 1
Advantage
Set up
l Pitch size: 30 x 20 yards (minimum)
up to 40 x 25 yards (maximum)
l Two keepers
l Two teams of four players
l One team play with all four players
on the pitch
1. Start with 4v2. The team in possession must look to use their use their numbers advantage to score quickly.
l The other team play with two players
on the pitch and two wide players
off the pitch 2
l This set up gives the teams different
tactics when in possession and
when defending.
Rules
White team
The white team have all four players on the
pitch.
When in possession they need to pass the
ball quickly in order to create an opening
to score a goal. 2. The black team have won possession but the white team are forcing them inside preventing use of their wide players.
In defence, this team can pressure quickly
as they have the extra players and attempt
to force the black players to play inside
3
and not towards their wide advantage.
Black team
In possession the black team need to try to
pass out wide quickly. This enables them
to get another one of their players into the
game.
The receiving wide player can choose to
dribble down the outside unopposed or
dribble onto the pitch and attempt to score.
In defence, the black team must try to drop
off and reduce the space for the white
team to exploit. 3. But the black team manage to get the ball wide and the attack is on.
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Two Goal
and End 1
Zone
Set up
l Pitch size: 30 x 20 yards (minimum)
up to 40 x 25 yards (maximum)
l Two goals, one at either side of the
pitch
l Two end zones, 5 yards deep, at
either end of the pitch
l Two teams of four players 1. The teams start 4v4 attacking the normal goals.
Rules 2
3. The white player must stop the ball in the end zone to score a “goal”.
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This free ebook is a sample from the
best-selling manual
64 Small-Sided Soccer Games
64 SMALL-SIDED
SOCCER GAMES
Fewer Players, More Touches
by Michael Beale
SOCCER COACH
WEEKLY
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Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy February 18 2015 Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy February 25 2015 Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy March 4 2015 • Issue 410
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CREATE SOCCER
KEEPER
toUChline tales ThE LEssons of MarIo BaLoTELLI TOUCHLINE TALES why warM-ups work
WEEKLY
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MIDFIELDERS DRIBBLE TURN
BE A GOAL SCORING, TOUGH
CREATE A CONFIDENT gOALIE TACKLING, GAME CHANGER
GHOST INTO THE FINAL THIRD
GAMES THAT INVOLVE YOUR
ORGANISE YOUR DEFENCE PLAY LIKE MAGICIAN DAVID BLAINE
TOUCHLINE
STANDING POSITIONS
COME AND COLLECT
WIN GAMES WITH CLEVER PLAY MANAGING TALES
SET PIECE POSTIONS Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy
DON’T LET THEM SCORE
SWAP ATTACKERS
March 11 2015 Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy TEMPERS
March 18 2015
WHY ARE THE
UNDER-14s
wanted DEFENDER
Issue 411 SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST
Issue 412
S0 GOOD?
$6.99/£4.99 DAN ABRAHAMS GIVES
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DAVID DE GEA
safe hands FIvE MINUTE SIX TIPS
aT Man UTd >
wORkSHOP
5
< FRANK < PAUL POGBA
ATTACKS
LAMPARD JUVENTUS GENIUS
In new YORK
ON FIRE FOR
RUNNING WITH THE BALL
MANCHESTER
ONE-TWO WORKOUT
CITY
POGBA
ADDED INGREDIENTS ATTACKING FROM THE BACK
STOPPER KEEP BALL OR SHOOT!
IN CONTROL OF THE CAUGHT OUT ON THE COUNTER
teCHnIQUe
GOALS
FOR CHELSEA
EvERy wEEk
> COMBINATION PASSING > FORCE MISTAKES HIGH UP
> KEEPER AND DEFENDERS FUN WAYS TO GET YOUR > ATTACK FROM HALF-WAY LINE > WORK YOUR STRIKE FORCE > SCORE LIKE POGBA
> DEFENSIVE DIAMOND > IMPROVE DEFENSIVE PRESSING
TEAM LINKING PLAY
4
proven coaching tips for your team “WHY YOUNG PLAYER DECISIONS ARE NEVER ‘WRONG’” TURN DEFENDERS THE BEST SOCCER PRACTICE PLANS EVERY WEEK
FROM OUtSIde
tHe BOX THRILLS
WITH TONY DICICCO & SKILLS ExCLUSIVE
WARM UP / FREE-KICK / LONG SHOT EVERy wEEk SESSIONS
the best sessions for player development SOCCER PRACTICE PLANS fOR TEAm PLAy
30-DAY TRIAL
FOR 97p ATTACKING CENTRE BACKS
PSG’s David Luiz scores
against Chelsea
Become a better
WORKSHOP
NEW SERIES
Pass, turn, shoot then move quickly to get back into position – this>>session
Two balls work simultaneously.
encourages
P
but players must be up
period. remier League history boasts many Real in his debut season, and a goal for central defenders and Chelsea also got a Words by:
to the task – this session vital goals scored by centre backs Madrid away to Getafe in 2007 when he goal through a central defender from a Andy Greeves
will give them a good en route to winning the title. Who ran the full length of the pitch to slide in shot in the penalty area. Activities by:
workout for scoring goals. can forget Tony Adams’ unstoppable a move he had started on the edge of his Indeed Thiago Silva won the tie for PSG David Clarke
volley for double-winning Arsenal versus own penalty area. with his headed goal and moved them
Everton in 1998 or Vincent Kompany’s If you want to turn your central backs into the quarter finals. Gary Cahill scored
SET UP header for Manchester City at home to into strikers, take note of the training first for Chelsea with a volley but former
You need balls, bibs, cones local rivals United in 2012? sessions on the following pages. These Chelsea player David Luiz scored to bring
and a goal. Use half your It shows that having a scoring centre will not only show you how defenders the game level at 1-1 and then Silva won
30-day trial of
normal pitch for the session. back in your team can be a real asset, not can be an attacking threat in the air at set the game for PSG on away goals.
Set up four cones 5 yards The striker must take a touch only giving extra support to your front pieces, but also how they play a part in That is some goal scoring by the PSG
from the half way line, spread and turn and shoot making men at set pieces, but also shaking things forward movement to score in open play. defenders both with headers.
Soccer Coach
So far this season, Real Madrid skipper be predictable and should try to recognise the right time to make a
takes a touch to move the
How to do it Sergio Ramos has netted seven times for difference to the game. They should…
ball, turn and shoot through
Real in La Liga and has scored nearly 50
the two cones. Then runs and > Split players into pairs with a working > Advance higher up the pitch and join in with the midfield
goals already in his professional career.
touches a cone and returns to player and a server. > Pick out risky passes to the forwards and follow with support play
5yds
As well as his many headed goals when
get the next ball. Once all four > Put 3 cones in a triangle with 5 yards > Attack all aerial balls with power, purpose and timing
5yds
joining the attack for set pieces, his most
cones have been touched, between each cone. > Shoot when the opportunity arises Thiago Silva
When the striker shoots
notable goals have included a long-range
> The server stands 5 yards in front of > Support attackers with good movement around the box celebrates
switch the players around and he then runs to touch free-kick for former club Sevilla against
see who scores the most from the triangle. a cone and returns to
four goes. Add a defender to > The working player shoot
startsthe
at the
nextback
ball
put pressure on the striker. cone. SoccerCoachWeekly.net Issue412 SOCCER COACH WEEKLY 7
Add a defender to make it
> The server passes a ball to the outside
harder to score who can press
of the cone on the working players’
TECHNIQUE but not tackle the attacker
Weekly for
right and the player runs to receive it.
First touch to get the ball > The player returns the ball and runs
from under their feet is back around the top cone to the far
important for the striker. cone where the play is repeated.
Good shooting technique to > Switch players every minute.
shoot through the cones.
Issue 410
Shot