Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): It's a Knock Out

It's a Knock Out (15 mins)

Set up:

• 1x Large-sized circle (smaller for higher-ability kids)
• 3 or 4 goals depending on player numbers (i.e. try to keep the same numbers on each team)
• 1x football
• 1x player from each team in the middle and their teammates around the outside

• Players try to defend their goal and score in any of the other goals
  
• When a player concedes a goal, they swap with their teammate

• Play with all players at the same time - each time a team concedes a goal they lose a player, and each time they score they get a player back. The winning team is the last team left in the game after everyone else has been knocked out
• If the ball goes outside the circle the last player to touch the ball is eliminated. They can only come back on the pitch when a goal has been scored by their teammate

• Head up
• First touch
• Finishing
• Decision-making - Where is the next pass going? Which goal is the best option? Which team has less players? Can we 'team' up to eliminate a team?
• Close-control

• What can you adjust to improve this?
• Space
• Time
• Equipment
• Players