Category: Small sided games

“We didn’t need a referee; we accepted the rules of the game and stuck by them. For us not to have done so would have spoilt the game for everyone. It taught us that you can’t go about doing what you want because there are others to think of and if you don’t stick to the rules, you spoil it for everyone else. Of course, that was not a conscious thought at the time, but looking back those kick about games on the waste ground did prepare us for life.” Stanley Matthews

“For me, the ball is a diamond. If you have something that precious you don’t get rid of it, you offer it.” Glenn Hoddle

“Keeping possession is a way for a team to get a breather.” Gordon Taylor PFA

Basically this is keepaway by another name and with a real purpose. It’s my favourite small sided game.

The 1-0 game is a possession game, played like a standard 4v4 game but with a twist.

Because of the nature of the game I limit each match to 5 minutes, but may play 2 or 3 games one after the other.

• Age Group – U11s to adults
• Pitch Size 40 x 20 – or at the discretion of the coach, but basically a standard 4 v 4 pitch
• Number of teams – 2
• Team sizes – 4-6 players
• Bibs optional
• Goals – 5 a side or mini soccer goals

The basic rule of the game is that you can only win by one goal.

The game begins as a normal 4 v 4 game with the usual rules.

When a goal is scored, the team that scored must just try and keep possession and can’t score into the goal. If they do, the goal is disallowed and a goal kick ensues.

If the other team then equalise and make it 1-1, either team can then score to make it 2-1. The team leading then just has to keep possession.

This is an excellent possession game and also allows a team to play out time by keeping possession, which is why I limit the game to just 5 minutes.

As well as possession, teams also have to attack with speed when needing to score and the game also focuses on transition.

“Liverpool FC was encapsulated in just three words: ‘Pass and Move.’”

Alan Hansen

“A lot of coaches in their fifties and sixties will tell you that with virtually all of the great players of their generation, their success was founded in the hours they spent playing football in the streets. It was an important part of the culture of working – class lads.”

Alan Hansen

In the 1970s and 1980s when Liverpool where at their peak and most clubs idea of training was a lot of running and physical work without the ball, at Liverpool they played 5 a-side games with the emphasis on simple quick passing.

Liverpool was renowned as the ‘pass and move’ team and Shankly made sure that everything was kept simple.

Players were encouraged to make their own decisions and solve problems.

Ronnie Moran, one of the legendary coaches at the club and very much part of the famous bootroom culture at Liverpool football club said of Shankly, “If he looked at a couple of kids juggling a ball, it wouldn’t matter to him which one was better. He would want to see how they played in a game situation. His argument would be that you don’t get opportunities to juggle the ball in a match so it was irrelevant.”

Moran also thinks that today there is a lack of game intelligence. “Players today don’t seem to have that ‘nouse’. I think all over the country now too much is being put in footballer’s brains about what they must and must not do.”

In Alan Hansen’s excellent autobiography ‘A Matter of Opinion’, he talks about a game they used to play at Liverpool. “Every player concentrated on giving the sort of passes that a team-mate wanted to receive, rather than the ones he wanted to play; and every player repeatedly made good runs off the ball to give the man in possession plenty of options.”

Hansen adds, “Liverpool FC was encapsulated in just three words: ‘Pass and Move.’ Liverpool occasionally had a training match rule that a player had to move two yards forwards, backwards or to either side immediately he passed the ball; if he didn’t, his team would be penalized and the ball given to the other team.”

• Age Group U12s to adults
• Pitch sizes 40 x 20 or at the discretion of the coach
• Number of teams – 2
• Team sizes 4-6 players
• Bibs optional
• Goals – 5 a side or mini soccer goals

This game is not suited for younger children and I think should not be tried with ages less than 12. It is very tiring and should only be used in small bursts as perhaps part of a normal 4v4 game.

As soon as a player in possession passes the ball he must move either back, sideways or forward to support the player with the ball. If he fails to do this, possession is immediately given to the other team.

1. Because we want our young football (soccer) players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skilful with it! (individual technical development)

2. Because we want our young soccer players to make more, less-complicated decisions during the game! (tactical development)

small sided games are fun!3. Because we want our young soccer players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in! (reduced field size)

4. Because we want our young soccer players to have more individual teaching time with the coach! Less players on the field and less players on the team will guarantee this! (need to feel worthy and need to feel important)

5. Because we want our young soccer players to have more, involved playing time in the game! (more opportunity to solve problems that only the game presents)

6. Because we want our young soccer players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball! (more exposure to attacking and defending situations)

7. Because we want our young soccer players to have more opportunities to score goals! (pure excitement)

Best of all, the game is simple, can be played without adult involvement and it’s FUN!

These are the reasons why we adults must foster “Small-Sided Games” in our youth soccer programs. The “Small-Sided” environment is a developmentally appropriate environment for our young soccer players. It’s a FUN environment that focuses on the young soccer player.