Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Social/Psych Corner Session

Secret Agent

Organisation:

- 2 teams of equal number (if possible)

- Blue = attacking team

- Red = defending team

- minimum of 3 rows of cones (add extra rows for more players on each team) (This could also be arranged as a pyramid)

- the cones make gates (2 gates in row 1, 3 in row 2 and 2 in row 3. Make sure there are always more gates in one row than the number of defenders (i.e. there is a spare gate no being protected)

Instructions:

- Attacking team: can they get through the gates to the other side without being tagged? If they get tagged, keep going but keep count of how many times they are tagged. Wait at other end and then repeat.

- Defending team: must stay on the line of cones, but can move side to side (like a crab). They can only tag an attacker as they are running through the gates.

Allow attacking team to have 4 or 5 attempts, then swap:

- can they get through in fewer numbers of tags OR can they find a different route through if they are successful?

Progressions:

1 - attacking team to choose one member to be the "secret agent" IN SECRET - DON'T tell the defending team what's happening. The challenge now is to get that team member through without being tagged. Again, allow a number of attempts before swapping the teams over.

2 - give each attacking team member a ball. no secret agent this time, but can they get through without being tagged now with a ball (let players choose whether to carry, bounce or dribble the ball). Allow a number of attempts.

**the defenders are still to tag, not tackle, but if you wish to add tackling to make it more challenging make sure the defenders do not just kick the ball away. If they win the ball they must dribble it back to the area where the attackers started from for them to have another go.

3- add the secret agent element back in, now with a ball. Does that change their team tactics?

4 - give the attacking team 3 balls. This represents 3 attempts to get one ball safely through the gates to the box at the other end. Defenders can tackle. The ball must be passed through the gates.

Coaching Points/Questions:

- The focus is on their tactics and how they work as a team.

- Don't worry too much about the movement of the ball, you may wish to have ball in hands to start off with to allow some success

- Ask questions to challenge their tactics (e.g. can you find a different way through the gates? what if you move the ball differently, how does that change your tactics? what if you have 2 secret agents?)