This document provides descriptions of several small-sided and conditioned games to practice different soccer skills and tactics. The games focus on finishing, combination play, dribbling to penetrate, pressing, switching play, speeding up play, combination play through passing, and overloading pitches with multiple games running simultaneously. Coaching points are provided for each game around technical, tactical, and physical elements like movement, passing, finishing, pressing, and taking advantage of overloads or underloads in player numbers.

1. Game related practices
FA Level 1 Tutor Delivery

2. FINISHING PRACTICE
The importance of this game is to generate
good quality goalscoring opportunities.
It is very simple, the ball starts with either
goalkeeper and with the aim to progress the
ball into the next zone where the team has 10
seconds to score. After a few repetitions, this
game should flow really well, where you can
change the time limit to challenge players.
You can allow one player to drop in and collect
the ball in the defensive zone to then advance
and arrive late to finish
COACHING POINTS
-Movement to receive; losing markers
-First touch to set up a shot
-Combination play; 1-2, 3rd player movement
-Range of movement; crossover, decoy, overlap
-Arrival to finish; stay or run ahead?
-Range of finish; what do you see?

3. COMBINATION PLAY & FINISHING
This game is designed to encourage players to
combine together to create opportunities to
score. Whilst finishing is important in this
practice, the key element to focus on is the
movement and support of your players as they
advance on goal.
The game starts in the middle third where
there is a 3v3, with the team in possession
looking to feed the ball into the final zone to
their teammate. As soon as the ball enters the
final third, a player from the middle third is
allowed to join the final third to make a 2v1 to
finish.
COACHING POINTS
-Striker movement to receive
-Layoffs; round corners, set-backs
-1-2 combinations
-Third player combinations
-Varied movement
-TIming of runs

4. DRIBBLING TO PENETRATE
This takes the technical component of
dribbling, where the principles of penetration,
creating space and creativity are used to
create situations where players can advance
with the ball dribbling.
This is a simple idea, where is a full game, just
with players initially fixed in their zones. In
order to advance to the next zone however is
by a player dribbling into the next one,
creating a 3v2 overload in midfield, and a 3v3
match-up in the final third.
COACHING POINTS
-Spotting the opportunity to dribble forward
-Scanning; see the picture before receiving
-Evasive dribbling, can you use deception to
advance?
-Feints, twists and turns to escape pressure
and play forward
-Creativity and unpredictability in the final
third when matched up

5. PRESSING
This is a simple practice which works
simultaneously on pressing from the front and
playing from the back.
The ball always starts from the goalkeeper,
where the blues aim to score by passing or
dribbling the ball into the mini-goals. You can
condition the blues to score in the mini-goals
only with a first time pass.
Reds are encouraged to press and recover the
ball;. 2 goals for winning the ball and scoring in
the final third, 1 goal from the middle third.
COACHING POINTS
-Pressing runs; bending runs, cutting angles
-Follow through or delay?
-Cover and balance
-Compactness; prevent forward progression
-Recover the ball to counter-attack
-Tease forward pass to intercept
-Set traps; wide & central

6. 4 GOAL GAME - SWITCHING THE PLAY
This is a well known practice, with the next few
slides adding constraints to produce a variety
of outcomes.
In this practice, the pitch is divided into two
vertical strips. The team in possession must
cover all two strips. The team out of possession
is encouraged to remain compact where the
ball is.
This game is excellent at working on
positioning when your team is in possession,
and utilising switches of play.
COACHING POINTS
-Movement away from the ball in possession,
creating space
-Body shape open; switch the point of attack
-Noticing when to retain or progress the ball

7. 4 GOAL GAME - SPEEDING UP THE PLAY
This time the pitch is divided into two halves,
with one player having to occupy the attacking
half in possession.
The rule is simple, as soon as the ball enters
the attacking half the team has only 5 seconds
to score. If the players are capable enough,
then a touch limit can be imposed in order to
facilitate quick combination play.
COACHING POINTS
-Pick the moment to advance
-Positioning to gain an advantage
-Creativity; encourage risk-taking and trying to
find a way forward
-First touch, can it help you play forward and
speed the game up?

8. 4 GOAL GAME - COMBINATION PLAY
This time the pitch is not divided into zones,
however a player on either team is positioned
on the end line and in between both mini-goals.
The rule is simple, in order to score the players
need to receive a set-back from the target
player on the end-line. The target players can
move freely along the line between the two
mini-goals.
This game can help develop combination play,
off the ball movement and supporting third
player runs.
COACHING POINTS
-Target player; open up a passing angle
-1-2 combinations
-Third player movement to receive off target
player
-Deceptive and varied movement; not running
in straight lines

9. MULTI PITCH OVERLOADS
This is a fun multiple pitch SSG that young
players particularly enjoy. Both pitches have a
ball in play, and both start matched up 1v1 and
3v3 playing in parallel.
The rule of the game is simple, when a team
scores in the 3v3 game the player who scored
the goal joins the opposite pitch. This then
creates multiple overloads on both pitches
which players need to recognise and deal with.
COACHING POINTS
-Players recognising the overload
-Play quickly or slow the game down
-If you have the free player, how can you use
this to your advantage?
-If you are underloaded, how will you cope with
this situation?