By the time you finish reading this, you would be convinced that in Soccer practice, games play a more pivotal role in skill building than soccer drills.

Not only are games more stimulating than drills, but the energy required is also the same like in a real tournament.

In relation to soccer training, games command passion, is a source of great fun, and in the process of learning it, kids benefit from various phases of the game.

You must remember the following rules while bringing in games in the training sessions.

1. Ensure that each player has the ball and gets to play with it frequently.

2. Each player’s participation in the game should be equal.

It shouldn’t be that the weak players are deprived of playing with the ball.

3. Do not adopt the practice of reward or punishment.

These are not intended for the games.

4. To build soccer skills should be the only focal point of the games.

Soccer practice

5. Preferably, you should abstain from enforcing any laws or limits in a game.

6. Games should be such that are easy to recognize and take part in.

If games are complex in nature, they lead to wastage of time and energy.

7. Finally, increase the level of difficulty in the game after the kids have managed to pass a given level.

Every player doing soccer practice should have at least 200-300 touches to the ball in one session.

This has the effect of ensuring each player’s progress in improving soccer skills.

Following are a few popular, interesting, and effective soccer coaching games that help in improving the skills of the players.

1. Shoot the coach: This game requires the kids to travel in a crowd while maintaining their head up and attempt to strike the ball into the goal.

As a result of this, the concentration power and dribbling skill of the players improve.

The best way to make the kids play it is start with 3 players and then increasing the number slowly.

2. Freeze Tag: Teach the kids the skill to keep the ball away from the defender with this game and it’s also an amazing war up exercise.

This game requires each player excluding one to have a ball and the one without the ball is supposed to touch the ball and not kick it.

When it occurs, the player who has the ball does not move and acts as a goal post.

He can be de-frozen only when another player hits the ball through the frozen player's legs.

Continue playing till the time all players are in a frozen state.

3. Red light, green light: In this, the kids must stand in a queue.

The coach shouts green light and turns his back to the players who must then move forward with their balls before the coach again shouts red light and face the kids.

If a player does not come forward, he is asked to go back.

This is a game that develops dexterity and attentiveness in kids.

Here you go!

If you like to know more about such soccer practice games, register for our youth soccer coaching academy where you will find several such resources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players' skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer practice