29 Mar 2015
Switch Play – Multi Goal Game
Use this multi goal game to coach your players to develop and improve quick passing, support, switch play and dribbling skills. It is a conditioned game, that is fast moving, intense, challenging and competitive.
The game will create 1 v 1, 2 v 1 and 2 v 2 attacking situations. The game will also encourage players to react quickly, both from and an attacking and defending perspective.
Organisation
- Play 1 v 1 in 3 zones with goals at each end of all the zones. These players are conditioned to stay in their zones
- Two play makers for each team. The player makers can move and play in any of the zones.
- Supply of footballs with the coach / server.
- The size of the zones and the goals can be adjusted to suit the age and ability of the players, but suggest goals that are 3 – 4 yards wide and zones 25 x 10 yards.
- If the ball goes out of play the coach / server immediately passes a ball quickly onto the pitch to one of the play makers and a new game begins.
Structure
- Ball is served from the coach / server to one of the play makers and the game begins.
- Play maker on the ball decides how and where they want to attack
- Attacking team try and score
- Play makers to make runs to support the ball and to help out defensively
- As the ball is passed from zone to zone, play makers have to adjust and react.
- If ball is lost, team who win the ball try and counter attack.
- If ball goes out of play, coach / server immediately passes a ball quickly onto the pitch to one of the play makers and a new game begins.
Challenges
- Play lots of games over periods of agreed time and see which team can score the most goals.
- Play first team to score set number of goals
Progressions
- Rotate the play makers often with other players.
- Make the zones bigger and play 2 v 2 in each zone. Play makers are still the only ones who can move from zone to zone.
- Make one, two or three goals full size and play with GK’s (depending on numbers and GK’s available)
Coaching tips
- Players in the zones who are playing in the team that have possession to work hard to find space to receive the ball
- Accurate quick passing
- Good communication between players
- Try and create 1 v 1 attacking situations
- Try and create quick 2 v 1 attacking situations
- React defensively to restrict 2 v 1 attacking situations, work hard to make it 2 v 2
- Counter attack quickly if ball is won
- Switch play quickly to try and create 1 v 1 and 2 v 1 attacking situations