Team bonding

Organisation

• Three teams of four – two teams play against each other and the third  team spaces out on the outside
• The players start by playing throw and catch and have to keep possession and receive a pass from all four players on the outside to score a point
• Stress the importance of the players working as a team

Ways to make the exercise easier

• One team can have more players in the middle

Ways to make the exercise harder

• One team can play with fewer players

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you try to spread out as a team?
• Can you communicate as a team?
• If your team doesn’t have the ball, can you try to intercept a pass?

Safety tips 

• Create a safe space to play

Organisation

• Three teams of four – two teams play against each other and the third team plays as goalkeepers in each of the four goals
• The players start by playing throw and catch and have to throw or roll the ball past a goalkeeper into a goal to score a point
• Ask the players to play as a team, spreading out and passing to each other
• Develop the game, so that it becomes normal football with the same objectives

Ways to make the exercise easier

• One team can have more players in the middle
• Make the goals bigger

Ways to make the exercise harder

• One team can play with fewer players
• Make the pitch bigger
• Make the goals smaller

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you try to spread out as a team?
• Can you communicate as a team?
• Can each member of your team score a goal to win the match?

Safety tips 

• Create a safe space to play

Organisation

• Organise the players into even teams and create mini-pitches for games of no more than 4v4 (have three teams per pitch and rotate or two teams per pitch and rotate teams between pitches)
• If a team is waiting, it can also play 2v2 or complete a mini skills challenge to stay active
• Just let the players play
• Give the players the chance to learn through playing and the different challenges posed by new opposition
• Let the players referee their own games

Ways to make the exercise easier

• A team can have one or more extra players if you have uneven numbers or a weaker team

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Limit the number of touches
• You can place conditions on the game – e.g. ways to score

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you organise yourselves as a team? 
• Can you all take turns to go in goal?

Safety tips

• Create a safe space to play