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Small-Sided Games

Three Team Rotation Games: Restart Realism

Keep intensity high with short games

Small-Sided Games
Transition
Possession

Three Team Rotation Games: Restart Realism is a 20-minute small-sided games drill for 9-18 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs, mini goals. 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
Transition
Possession
Small-Sided Game
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Set Pieces
Game Realistic
Organisation

Duration

20 min

Players

9-18

Pitch size

35 x 30 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Three Team Rotation Games: Restart Realism12335 x 30 yards

Three Team Rotation Games: Restart Realism — Marked area · 35 x 30 yards

Step 1 of 4Two teams play, the third rests and feeds balls in.

  1. 1. Two teams play, the third rests and feeds balls in.
  2. 2. Winner stays on, first goal wins or two minutes maximum.
  3. 3. Run a league table for the session.
  4. 4. All restarts are played as in a match — throw-ins, goal kicks and corners rather than a coach ball.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Dashed lines = zones / thirds
  • Ball
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Keep intensity high with short games
  • -Manage rest and recovery
  • -Compete across a series of games

Setup

  1. 1Three teams of equal size in different bibs.
  2. 2Mini goals at each end.
  3. 3Balls stored with the resting team.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Two teams play, the third rests and feeds balls in.
  2. 2Winner stays on, first goal wins or two minutes maximum.
  3. 3Run a league table for the session.
  4. 4All restarts are played as in a match — throw-ins, goal kicks and corners rather than a coach ball.

Coaching points

  • -Start fast, the games are short
  • -Fresh legs press hard
  • -Communicate roles before entering
  • -Shape up quickly on every restart
  • -Talk to organise before the ball is live

Common mistakes

  • -Slow rotation between games
  • -Resting team not feeding balls
  • -Dropping intensity in the last minute

Where this drill fits

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