Reader,
Small-sided games (SSGs) are a fundamental tool for creating engaging and effective training sessions. I often ask coaches: Does the practice look like the game?
If we want players to get better at football, they need to play football. SSGs provide high ball-rolling time, ensuring players are active, making decisions, and solving problems rather than standing in lines.
Beyond the technical benefits, SSGs are highly motivating because they involve the key ingredients of the sport: direction, opposition, and goals. By manipulating the pitch size, making it wide to encourage switching play, or narrow to encourage verticality, we can achieve specific tactical and physical outcomes without sacrificing the joy of play.
Three Things to Consider
1 – High Repetition
SSGs increase the number of touches and decisions a player has to make compared to 11v11, providing a high volume of repetition in a realistic, opposed scenario.
2 – Physical Outcomes
You can use the shape of the pitch to drive physical returns. A long, narrow pitch promotes high-speed running and transition, while a tight area focuses on agility and quick reactions.
3 – Adaptability
Don’t be afraid to change the rules or size of the area on the run. If the game isn’t working or the challenge point is wrong, adapt the constraints to fit the needs of the players.
One thing to try this week
Plan a session that consists entirely of games using different constraints, such as pitch sizes, boundaries, goals, etc. Try a “back-to-back” goal game to encourage multidirectional play, or a 4-goal game to encourage switching the point of attack. Step back and observe how the changing constraints alter the players’ decision-making, without you saying a word.
One Critical Resource on the Topic
Check out this Masterclass Discussion on Small Sided Games for Youth Football, where the PDP team discusses the benefits and presents a range of games that you can use in your session design.
