Objective:

• To further develop the passing and support so essential to successful team play.
• To make possession of the ball increasingly challenging.

Organization:

• Mark a grid 12 x 12 yards depending on ability.
• If possible split group in half, say two groups of 4.
• Use another field if you have large numbers.
• Use pinnies to distinguish the groups.
• One group of 4 goes into the square and just one of the other group also goes into the square. The rest wait in line for their turn.
• The 4 players try to keep the ball away from the one defender.
• When the defender wins the ball or forces the ball to be played out of the area he/she changes with the next defender. This goes on until every defender has been through and they then change with the other team.
• The team that keeps the ball for the longest time (stop watch out) is the winner.
• If a team is doing so well the defender cannot get the ball after 30 seconds shout, "Change!" and the next defender replaces the one in the middle. However, the game continues until 4 interceptions or errors have taken place.
• The coach keeps a supply of balls handy so after an interception or a ball is kicked out of play he/she kicks or rolls another ball in.

Teaching:

• Coach must assess whether the playing area is too big or too small and make adjustments if necessary.
• For the first few minutes allow the players to play in a non-competitive way so that when a mistake is made, the coach can recreate the situation and then ask the player who made the mistake what the alternatives are. Praise him or her for coming up with the answers. If they can see what should be done they will learn more quickly to do it when the ball is in play.
• After a few minutes go into the stopwatch competition described above without any interventions by the coach other than putting the ball back in play.
• This practice should be used on a regular basis and progressed when the children are ready.

Target:

• To keep the ball for the longest time; for the defender to win the ball or force an error.

Note: This is one of the favourite practices for young players of Carl Valentine, former Canadian World Cup player and pro player with the Vancouver Whitecaps and West Bromich Albion, now the Head Coach of the North Shore Soccer Development Centre in Vancouver, Canada.