Small-sided soccer games

Small-sided games are one of the best ways to help young players learn the game by actually playing it. With fewer players and less space, everyone gets more touches, makes more decisions and stays involved.

These games are simple to set up, easy to adapt and can be used to work on almost anything — from dribbling and passing to defending, finishing and teamwork.

Use these games when you want to create a lively practice where players learn through playing rather than waiting for their turn.

They are especially useful when you want to:

• Help players make quicker decisions.
• Encourage passing, movement and teamwork.
• Work on attacking and defending in realistic situations.
• Keep players active and avoid long lines.
• Give players repeated chances to score, defend, win the ball and start again.
• Finish a practice with something competitive and fun.

Small-sided games also work well when attendance is different from what you planned. Most of them can easily be adjusted by changing the number of players, field size or goals.

Keep the game flowing.
Try not to stop play every time you see something that could be better. Let players solve problems themselves and coach during natural breaks when you can.

Ask questions instead of giving all the answers.
“What could you do before the ball arrives?” or “Where could you move to give your teammate more space?” often works better than telling players exactly what to do.

Reward the behaviour you want to see.
If today's focus is switching play, defending together or taking players on, adjust the rules or scoring so those actions matter.

Make the field fit the problem.
If players have no time on the ball, make the area bigger. If they have too much time and space, make it smaller. A few metres can completely change the game. Use our Drill Area Calculator as a starting point.

Keep teams small.
2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 usually give players far more involvement than larger games. When possible, create two small games instead of one big one.

Have plenty of balls nearby.
Get a new ball into play quickly instead of spending practice time chasing the old one.

Change the challenge, not the whole activity.
A good small-sided game can often be made easier or harder by changing the space, team numbers, scoring method or direction of play. You don't always need a new drill.

Let them compete.
Keep score, play short rounds and give teams another chance. Competition adds energy and gives players a reason to care about the outcome.

U6

Keep it very simple and let the ball do most of the teaching.

Use lots of 1v1, 2v2 and occasional 3v3 games with big goals and plenty of space. Avoid complicated rules or fixed positions. At this age, players should be encouraged to dribble, chase the ball, score goals and enjoy competing.

Short rounds work well. Restart quickly and accept that the game may look chaotic — that's part of learning.

Good focus: dribbling, turning, scoring, winning the ball back and having fun.

U8

Small-sided games should still give players lots of chances to attack, defend and score.

2v2 and 3v3 are excellent formats, with 4v4 useful when you want players to start recognising teammates and space. Encourage players to spread out, but don't spend too much time trying to make them hold positions.

Introduce simple challenges such as scoring in either of two goals or earning an extra point for a particular action.

Good focus: dribbling, passing choices, finding space, 1v1 defending and reacting when possession changes.

U10

Players are ready for more tactical problems, but the game should still be simple enough that they can discover solutions themselves.

Use plenty of 3v3 and 4v4, with neutral players or overloads such as 3v2 when you want to highlight a particular idea. Start asking players to think about width, support, movement away from the ball and how quickly they react when possession changes.

Conditions can help, but use them sparingly. Whenever possible, design the game so the behaviour you want appears naturally.

Good focus: support, combination play, width, creating overloads, pressing and transition.

U12

Games can become more directional and closer to situations players experience in matches.

3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 all work well. Use different field shapes, end zones, target players or multiple goals to bring out specific tactical behaviours.

Players can also take more responsibility for solving problems. Give them time to play, ask what they are noticing and let them suggest solutions before you step in.

Good focus: decision-making, creating and using space, combination play, compact defending, pressing, transition and game awareness.