Small-Sided Games

Overload End Zone Game

Reward forward passing and running with the ball

Small-Sided Games
Attacking
Passing
Premium

Overload End Zone Game is a 18-minute small-sided games drill for 6-18 players, suitable for Under 5 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.

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Small-Sided Games
Attacking
Passing
Small-Sided Game
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Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Overload

Duration

18 min

Players

6-18

Pitch size

38 x 28 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Overload End Zone Game12338 x 28 yards

Overload End Zone Game — Marked area · 38 x 28 yards

Step 1 of 5Teams score by controlling the ball inside the opposition end zone.

  1. 1. Teams score by controlling the ball inside the opposition end zone.
  2. 2. The ball must be passed into the zone, not dribbled in.
  3. 3. Restart immediately from the conceding team.
  4. 4. The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
  5. 5. A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.
  • 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

  1. 1A pitch with a three-yard end zone at each end in a 38 x 28 yards area.
  2. 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
  3. 3Balls with the coach, two sets of bibs.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Teams score by controlling the ball inside the opposition end zone.
  2. 2The ball must be passed into the zone, not dribbled in.
  3. 3Restart immediately from the conceding team.
  4. 4The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
  5. 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.

Coaching points

  • -Run beyond the line to receive
  • -Time the pass with the run
  • -Defend the zone, not the ball
  • -Find the free player quickly before the defence shuffles across

Common mistakes

  • -Runs made too early
  • -Passing into the zone with nobody there
  • -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle

Where this drill fits

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