#4 A Tournament-Orientated Practice
An introductory session for ages 4–8 that incorporates competition through a league-ladder 2v2 mini-tournament format. The warm-up is a reactive body-parts mental game with a ball. The skill development is 2v2 on multiple pitches with a promotion/relegation ladder. The game concludes with 3v3 'World Cup winners' competition.
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Body parts mental warm-up: Pairs with one ball. Players step one step away from the ball; on the coach's instruction (e.g., 'hands on head', 'stand on one leg') they follow; on 'ball!' they race to pick it up. Play to 3 points, then swap partners. Easier: individual (no competition). Harder: 3–4 players per ball.
- •What kinds of communication help you work well with your partner?
- •t have the ball, how can you help a team-mate who has it?",
- •,
- •,
Skill dev — 2v2 league ladder: Multiple pitches of 2v2. Pairs assigned randomly. Short matches; winners move up a pitch, losers move down. Draws: penalty shoot-out. Encourage verbal and non-verbal communication. Easier: larger goals. Harder: smaller goals. Game application — 3v3 'World Cup winners': 3v3 on multiple pitches. Each team plays every other team in a mini-league. Before starting, pairs discuss their communication strategies. Encourage varied communication — shouting, arm signals. Easier: larger goals. Harder: smaller goals.
- •What kinds of communication help you work well with your partner?
- •t have the ball, how can you help a team-mate who has it?",
- •,
- •,
Source
FIFA Training Centre ↗No diagram yet
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