Small sided soccer game using wide advantage

This small-sided soccer game shows you how to coach your young soccer players to use the advantage of having more players to create space and score goals.
How to set up this small-sided game

• Pitch size: 30 x 20 yards (minimum) up to 40 x 25 yards (maximum).
• Two keepers.
• Two teams of four players.
• One team play with all four players on the pitch.
• The other team play with two players on the pitch and two wide players off the pitch.

The set-up of this soccer coaching session gives the teams different tactics when in possession and when defending.

How to play the game

White team
The white team have all four players on the pitch. When in possession they need to pass the ball quickly in order to create an opening to score a goal.

In defence, this team can pressure quickly as they have the extra players and attempt to force the black players to play inside and not towards their wide advantage.

Black team
In possession, the black team need to try to pass out wide quickly. This enables them to get another one of their players into the game. The receiving wide player can choose to dribble down the outside unopposed or dribble onto the pitch and attempt to score.

In defence, the black team must try to drop-off and reduce the space for the white team to exploit.

To get more tried-and-tested small-sided soccer games, click here to order a copy of 64 Small-Sided Soccer Games, by Michael Beale, Chelsea FC academy coach.