It's a Simple Game - 1 v 2 line soccer with goals with special scoring rules

A practice is successful if:

1. they have fun
2. they are challenged
3. they learn applicable skills without a lot of talking from the coach

This week my U10 girls played the "1 v 2 line soccer with goals with special scoring rules" game. (I think we need a new name.) It met the criteria for a successful practice by long shot. It really highlighted how little I've taught them about protecting the ball and supporting their teammates when we have the ball.

First, I'll explain the game. I setup a small field 15 yards wide by 20 yards long with 3 foot wide goals on each end. They play 1 v 2. The 2 person team can score by dribbling the ball through the goal. No shots. The 1 person team can score in 3 ways: stealing the ball, dribbling through her goal, or if the other team kicks the ball out of bounds. After 3 goals are scored by either side, you rotate who is the single player team.

The single players dominated. Most matches were 3 to 0 in favor of the single player at first. Toward the end, the 2 players were at least scoring a little bit, but they have a long way to go. The game is providing an excellent opportunity for them to learn how to protect the ball, how to support their teammate for a back pass, and even how to fake the pass to get by the defender. We even played some 3 v 1 and enforced the offsides rule. (We really need to work on understanding that rule this season too.) Finally, at the end, we played on a 20 x 30 field 5 v 2 with the same rules. You can see the wheels turning. It was very good.