Bunnies Warm-up:
Area: The size of the square depends on the number & speed of the players. Approximately 12x12 yards for 10 players illustrated above.
Instructions: Each player wears a pinnie tucked into the back of their shorts. The object of the game is to run around the square trying to steal as many pinnies as possible from your teammate’s shorts. When you steal a pinnie, keep it in your left hand, then get another until all the pinnies are stolen. If you lose your pinnie you’re still in the game because the objective is to steal as many as you can.
Variations:
1) Winner is person who steals the most pinnies (above)
2) Winner is the last player to have their pinnie stolen
3) Play with 2 teams, each with different color pinnies, players steal only opposing teams’ color. Whichever team steals all opponents’ pinnies first is the winner.
Progression: Dribbling Bunnies
Area: Slight larger area when you introduce balls, approximately 15x15 for 10 players above.
Instructions: Same game as above, except now each player has a ball, and must keep their ball close while attempting to steal pinnies from teammates. If the ball goes out-of-bounds they’re still in, but they must give the coach 1 pinnie to get back into the square (if they have none, there’s no penalty).
Technical Coaching Point: The key element this game encourages is dribbling with the head up
Variations:
1) Winner is person who steals the most pinnies
2) Winner is the last player to have their pinnie stolen
3) Play with 2 teams, each with different color pinnies, players steal only opposing teams’ color. Whichever team steals all opponents’ pinnies first is the winner.
Battleships for Short Passing:
Area: The size of the square depends on the number & ability of players. Approximately 10x10yards for U8s, perhaps 10yds (wide) x 7yds (length) for U6s.
Instructions: 2 teams have a ball each. Ask for teams to invent Battleship names for their respective teams. The coach selects 1 different colored ball to be the “atomic bomb ball” in the middle of the grid. The object of the game is for the players to pass their ball to hit the “atomic bomb ball” in the middle, and make it go over the opponents’ line. After the first pass players’ retrieve any ball and fire again. If the atomic bomb ball goes off at the side the coach intervenes and puts it back in the middle. Important rule: No player must enter the central playing area, but the coach may enter this area to retrieve balls. All passes must be fired from the teams’ start line (no shots fired from the side).
Key Technical Points: This game encourages short passing along the ground. The key factors of which are: Plant foot points to target, strike the middle of the ball, ankle locked, toe of kicking foot points slightly up, 90 degree angle of plant foot to kicking foot maintained throughout contact and follow through. (However, be careful not to overwhelm young players with technical information, teach only one piece of information at a time. Remember attention span and comprehension is minimal, so try “Can you do this?” and let them copy you).
Dinosaur Catch:
Area: The size depends on the number and ability of players. Approximately 15 yards wide x 18 yards in length for illustration above.
Instructions: Dinosaurs (dribblers) have a ball each (ask to hear players’ best dinosaur roar). The objective is to keep their ball close and dribble it to the safe end line on the opposite side. The dinosaur catcher attempts to kick balls out of the playing area. If a dinosaur has their ball kicked out, they join the catcher and also become a dinosaur catcher.
Technical Coaching Points: This game encourages dribbling with the head up. It’s also useful for early development of 1v1 attacking and defending.
Dinosaur Catch (continued)
NB. When the dinosaur catchers outnumber the dinosaurs, have the catchers hold hands in groups of 2 or 3. The catchers can only kick a ball out if they’re hands are linked to another catcher.