By Steven Smith
Area Size: Set up a 30 x 35 yard grid as shown. Place 7 black vs. 7 yellow inside grid. Seven red players each possess a ball on the outside of the grid ready to cross.
Teams: Three groups of seven
Time: For full progression approximately 15 minutes
Set up and Execution: The black and yellow teams compete to see who can score the most out of 7 services from the red team on the outside. The services should alternate so that the black team tries to score on their end without opposition and the yellow team scores on their end without opposition. Each red server must serve one ball to each team and then play rotates.
Upon completion of one full cycle where every group gets a chance to score, now the teams will compete with opposition. The yellow team tries to stop the black team from scoring during their seven services from red and vice versa.
The thirds step in the progression is to play 7 vs. 7 in the same space with all play starting from the goal keeper. Regular game rules apply (make it take it) and both teams attempt to score on each other. Two players from each team that are not currently playing are selected to be in the flank zones without opposition. Before the two team in the grid can score and upon loss of any possession, the ball must go out to the flank and only balls sent in from the flank in the air count as goals.
Variations:
In the final step the variation can be:
1. Balls from flank only count as goals
2. Balls from the flank count as two goals and regular inside the grid goals count as one
3. Players can leave the grid to defend the cross coming in from the flank players
By Steve Smith
Steve Smith has been a men's college coach that holds an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and a Doctorate in Physical Education.
