How to Stop Kids Bunching Up in Football

1. Four-zone game

Holding width and depth

Set up

Split the pitch into four zones with cones. Each team must keep one player in each zone at all times during a 4v4.

Coaching points

Ask: 'Is your zone covered?' The ball moves, your zone stays.

Make it harder

Let one player per team leave their zone once the ball is in it.

2. Wide gates to score

Using the width of the pitch

Set up

Place a gate on each touchline. A goal only counts if the team dribbled or passed through a wide gate in the build-up.

Coaching points

When it's crowded in the middle, the space is out wide.

Make it harder

Goals scored after a wide gate count double instead.

3. Three-touch maximum

Passing instead of dribbling into crowds

Set up

Normal small-sided game, but each player has three touches maximum.

Coaching points

Look before the ball arrives. Move away from the ball to help the passer.

Make it harder

Reduce to two touches for older or stronger groups.

4. Corner targets

Spreading into all four corners

Set up

A small square in each corner. Teams score by receiving a pass inside any corner square.

Coaching points

Run to an empty corner, not to where the ball is.

Make it harder

Only score in the two corners furthest from the last one.

5. Freeze and check

Recognising good shape

Set up

In any game, freeze play briefly. Ask players to point to a teammate in space and where they should be.

Coaching points

Keep freezes under 20 seconds. Praise the player who found space.

Make it harder

Let players call the freeze themselves when they spot a crowd.

Why do young players bunch around the ball?

It's completely normal for under-8s. Young children focus on the ball and want to touch it. Spacing comes with age, small-sided games and simple rules that reward width.

At what age should players stop bunching?

Most groups start to hold shape naturally around U9–U10 when they move to 7v7 and play more passing games. Don't force rigid positions at U6–U8.

Should I shout 'spread out' from the touchline?

Shouting rarely works in the moment. Design practices where spreading out is the easiest way to score, then praise it when it happens.