By the time you finish reading this, you would have understood the importance of Soccer practice games, especially the 4 v 4 small-sided soccer games. It works very well for younger players between 5 to 6 years of age. To play this game in its best form, find a field that is just about 50 yards long and 30 yards wide. This soccer training also requires you to design a goal post apt to it.
This game have very simple rules are it is deliberately done. It is aimed at taking away the kids attention from rules to just enjoying the game. This has the effect of improving their skills and movements.
Start the game with a kickoff. Next the kick off should be utilized only in the event of any one team scoring a goal. Every time the ball is kicked outside the touchline by either team, the opposite team gets a throw-in. The conventional rules of corner kicks and goal kicks are changed by this game. And this game has no goalkeepers.
What this does is allow the kids to score a lot of goals and become confident. It is also helpful in building their shooting, dribbling, and passing skills. They also learn to strike at the goal post pretty accurately. Since the players collide less, they suffer fewer injuries which is an additional benefit.
Another important point is that no player can enter the safety zone unless the ball is present there. Safety zone is right ahead of the goal and is marked as a boundary. If the ball is there, anyone can enter it and take the possession of the ball.
This rule allows the defense to defend a goal and the offense to mount an attack. However, the defense cannot place them in front of the goal. And there is no place for off-side rules or penalty kicks. Only free kicks when someone commits a foul.
The best way to get the most out of such soccer practice games is to make 8 players stand in the field whereas the other 8 stand on the sidelines. The players in the field start playing among themselves and then after about 10 minutes, the ones on the sidelines take their places.
Do not make the kids play soccer drills for more than 10 minutes since they are young. Else, they will feel exhausted and fatigued leading to chances of injuries.
These 4v4 games are the best since they allow continuous motion and scope for dribbling, passing, collection, and distribution. Kids feel happy that they are able to score a lot of goals which is good for their morale and confidence.
Lastly, the game should end in 30 minutes. This is enough soccer exercises for one session where the kids get a great deal of workout and opportunities for skill building.
Make no mistake about it! Such soccer practice games are the only way to build a great youth soccer team. For more such knowledge on soccer games, become a part of our youth soccer coaching community that has several soccer resources, news, articles, and tips covering soccer coaching.
Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Soccer Practice.
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