By Matt Carroll
The Squeeze game is a team-building/communication drill designed to help develop players’ concentration, understanding of verbal/visual cues, and trust in their teammates.
The drill starts with two teams lined up holding hands, sitting down, facing forward towards a goal with a goalkeeper. Halfway between the first player in line and the goal, four balls are placed and they are designated 1-4. These designations can also be displayed as colors, so 1= yellow, and so on. The player at the end of each line faces away from the goal and stares at a coach who is positioned facing the goal and staring at the players facing away from the goal.
The game begins with the coach initially displaying a number of fingers to the players, looking at them. The player looking then must squeeze the next player's hands the number of times displayed by the coach, and then the rest of the team must do the same, the way down the line. When the player who is last in line receives the information on which ball to go to they immediately stand up and sprint to the ball. If they go to the wrong ball they must immediately sit down, and their team is no longer active this round. If both players get to the correct ball, they then compete to be first to the ball.
Once a player reaches the ball, the game immediately becomes a 1v1, with the player reaching the ball first having a clear advantage. If the defender wins the ball, they become the attacker and can then score on the net. If the ball goes out of play the drill is over, and the players that were in the 1v1 move to the end of the line and become the players who identify which ball to go to from the coach, and the process begins again. Scoring can be modified, but generally -1 point for going to the wrong ball. +1 for the right ball. +3 for a goal. After everyone has gone, the team with the most points wins!
By Matt Carroll
