1v1 / 2v2 (22-24 mins) Organisation: Mirrored pitches Mini goals Zones / more pitches if required Key Points: Small sided games Defending conditions. E.g. winning the ball 1v1 and then scoring = 2Pts Rotate teams to challenge other players Progressions: Add more players. 3v3 Add halfway line, encourage players to try win the ball in certain halves After scoring players run round the scoring goal and have to recover to stop attacker
Try not to go more than 3v3 as we want players to have plenty opportunities to defend, add a 3rd pitch if required Add zones for guidance, splitting the pitch into 3 can give players awareness of where the danger is and when they really have to protect the goal. Can make it a competition by adding a total at the end of all games for the team that conceded the least goals.
This practice has no coaching points
This practice has no progressions
in more ways than one
sportplan_football
Deliberate heading is now out of U11 grassroots matches. Here is how to coach chest, thigh and foot control so your players still win the ball in the air.
Long-range goals doubled at the 2026 World Cup as teams sat deep. Here is how to coach when to shoot from distance, the technique, and the follow-up.
Under FutureFit, your Under-9s stay at 5v5, your Under-11s stay at 7v7 and your Under-13s stay at 9v9. Same pitch, same numbers, one more year. Here is how to make sure that year feels like a step forward rather than a repeat.
