Small-Sided Games
Counter End Zone Game
Reward forward passing and running with the ball
Small-Sided Games
Attacking
Passing
Counter End Zone Game is a 18-minute small-sided games drill for 6-18 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill librarySmall-Sided Games
Attacking
Passing
Small-Sided Game
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Counter Attack
Duration
18 min
Players
6-18
Pitch size
40 x 30 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Counter End Zone Game — Marked area · 40 x 30 yards
Step 1 of 5Teams score by controlling the ball inside the opposition end zone.
- 1. Teams score by controlling the ball inside the opposition end zone.
- 2. The ball must be passed into the zone, not dribbled in.
- 3. Restart immediately from the conceding team.
- 4. The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5. Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Reward forward passing and running with the ball
- -Create a game that works without goals
- -Encourage runs beyond the defensive line
Setup
- 1A pitch with a three-yard end zone at each end in a 40 x 30 yards area.
- 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
- 3Balls with the coach, two sets of bibs.
Coaching instructions
- 1Teams score by controlling the ball inside the opposition end zone.
- 2The ball must be passed into the zone, not dribbled in.
- 3Restart immediately from the conceding team.
- 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
Coaching points
- -Run beyond the line to receive
- -Time the pass with the run
- -Defend the zone, not the ball
- -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run
Common mistakes
- -Runs made too early
- -Passing into the zone with nobody there
- -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on
Where this drill fits
- More football small-sided games drills
- More football attacking drills
- More football passing drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme