The small-sided pressure game
Transcript
Studies found practising under pressure helps you perform under it. Here's the game. You need six players, a ball, two small goals and a twenty by fifteen metre pitch. Goals count double in the last minute. Watch. Two defenders close you down. Find the teammate in space. First, scan before it arrives. Then, play the simple pass. Not this. Forcing it through the middle. Lose it? Breathe out and go again. Our target is four games of four minutes, resting two to three minutes between. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Composure in a real game: 3 v 3 with a scoring twist that adds pressure. In experiments, practising under pressure helped performance under pressure (a meta-analysis). In players about 10, 4 v 4 gave twice the actions per player per minute of 7 v 7.
Set up
- 6 players, 3 v 3
- 2 small goals
- 20 x 15 m pitch
- Last minute: goals x2
Kit used here:
Pop-up goal
Pop-up goalFolding pop-up goal, about 110 x 80 cm, with ground pegs and a storage bag. Sold singly.Trend Checkout, our own shop - opens in a new tab. Sold by Trend Checkout, our own online shop (run by Apps 365 Ltd, the company behind Football Reach). Any similar kit works just as well.
How it works
- Warm up first. Mark a pitch about 20 x 15 m with a small goal at each end (two cones make a goal) and play 3 v 3, or 4 v 4.
- Add the pressure twist: in the last minute of every game, goals count double.
- As the ball comes to you, glance over your shoulder first, so you know where the pressure is and which teammate is free.
- Under pressure, play the simple pass. If you lose the ball or miss, breathe out once and get straight back into the game.
- Play 4 games of 4 minutes, with 2-3 minutes of easy rest between.
Coaching points
- Scan before it arrives. Before the ball reaches you, check over your shoulder to see the defenders closing in and the teammate in space. Then your decision is made before the ball arrives.
- Play the simple pass. Under pressure, pick the pass you know you can make: firm and along the ground to the free teammate. Keeping the ball beats a risky pass through a crowd.
Not this
Forcing a pass through the middle while two defenders close you down. It usually gives the ball away; the simple pass keeps it.
Dose
- 4 games of 4 min
- 2-3 min rest between
Our target: 4 games of 4 minutes with 2-3 minutes of rest between (the Football Reach target, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
Add one more pressure at a time: a two-touch limit, 10 seconds to score each attack, or an extra defender (our suggestions). Keep scanning and keep it simple.
Easier
Drop the twist, or add a spare player who always attacks (4 v 3), so there is always a free teammate. U8 to U11: 4 x 2-minute games, same rest (our suggestion).
Safety
- If in doubt, sit them out: anyone with a suspected concussion stops straight away, does no training for at least 24 hours and plays no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
- Defenders stay on their feet: no slide tackles, and keep the ball on the ground.
- Flat grass with space all round, never a road or driveway. Use flat cones, or small goals that are pegged or weighted down.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run, stop and tell an adult; a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- Heriot-Watt University - pressure training meta-analysis (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - what is a format in football (opens in a new tab)
- PubMed - Hintermann 2021, 4 v 4 vs 7 v 7 in children's football (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - growth and the physical corner (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
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