This small-sided soccer (football) game works on reactive speed skills and forces your attackers and defenders to work at match speed in order to be successful.
Set up for small-sided soccer game
Mark out an area 25×25 yards with three poles, three balls and one goal set up as in the diagram below.
How to play block the shot small-sided soccer game
Split your players into two lines, with one line acting as defenders and one line as the attackers.
The players pass the ball back and forth. On the whistle, they quickly run around their poles.
The attacker must then shoot first time and the defender must try to clear the ball or block the shot.
What to call out to develop skills
“React.”
“Get in line with the ball.”
“Stop the shot.”
Click here for soccer coaching tips to improve your players’ reaction times.
Perfect Defending by Michael Beale, Chelsea FC academy coach, has 67 easy-to-coach soccer drills for marking, tackling and blocking. Click here to order a copy.
Anticipate the ball being played through the lines and intercept passes by blocking passing routes. Players will also need to be able to tackle and win the ball MORE
Teams can turn up and launch long balls behind your defenders. This game will get players watching for, and reacting to, the danger of the long ball. MORE
One of the ways to improve your team in 2021 is to get them communicating on the pitch. Players do this by verbal and non verbal actions, like pointing where they want a ball to be passed or calling for the ball when overlapping from behind like a fullback running outside a winger. MORE
Use this session to teach players to press opponents high up the pitch – so they can win the ball nearer to the goal. By pressing quickly and working together, attackers will win the ball back nearer the opponent’s goal and have a greater chance of scoring.
MORE
This session is all about saving long shots and making sure any rebounds go safe. Long shots can cause problems if the goalkeeper drops the ball – lurking attacker only needs a sniff of the ball and it’ll be in the net. MORE