Warm-up: Crab-lizard-trolley race
Organisation
- Simple to organise – class warm-up activities to raise the heart rate and practise physical movements
- Be creative and fun with physical movements
- Ask the players to suggest their own movements
- Give the players the chance to lead the group
- Develops confidence and personalities
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Put the players in pairs and only one of them has to go at a time, so they have a rest in between
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Increase the complexity of the movements – focus on agility, balance and coordination
- Make it a race
Great questions to ask the players
- Can you see the coach/leader?
- Can you show me a different way to move?
Safety tips
- Make sure that the players have some personal space to move in safely
Skill development: 2v2 with various balls
Organisation
- Ask the players to organise their own teams
- Make multiple pitches, which can be the same size or different sizes
- On each pitch, place a different size or type of ball
- Rotate pairs, so they also play against pairs on other pitches
- Create a tournament format – winners accumulate points
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Use bigger goals or targets, and larger balls or soft balls
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Smaller goals or targets
- Use small balls like tennis balls
Great questions to ask the players
- Which ball do you like playing with most and why?
- What do you need to do to be successful?
- What benefits do you get if you practise with different-sized balls or on different types of pitches?
Safety tips
- Create a safe zone between each mini‑pitch
Game application: 5v5, 2 goals and goalkeepers, free play
Organisation
- Pick equal teams and make one or more pitches. Two teams play and after three minutes or goals, one team rotates with another team
- This is a chance for the players to now play matches using the different-sized balls to practise their skills
- Rotate the goalkeepers every match or after each goal
Ways to make the exercise easier
- Use the normal ball for players who need more help
- One team can have extra players to make it easier for them
Ways to make the exercise harder
- Ask the better teams to play using the smallest ball
- A team can play with fewer players than the other team
- Limit the number of touches per player
Great questions to ask the players
- Can you organise yourselves into positions?
- Can you try to spread out as a team?
- What can you do as a team when you lose the ball?
Safety tips
- Create a safe zone between each pitch
- Give players a short rest between each mini‑match, and drinks breaks if needed