A worked practice for your team
Find your target after changing ends
Recognise which end belongs to the current attack, including after a planned change of ends, without following the nearest moving player.
ZIP includes the printable coach card, all three SVG diagrams, timeline and practice data. Extract the folder before opening the card.
Check the problem
A beginner collects the ball and runs toward whichever end is closest, or copies an opponent travelling in the other direction. Calling left or right from the sideline can keep the child dependent on the adult. Give each team a clear home end and time to identify the opposite target.
Set up the space and roles
Mark a 12 × 16 m rectangle with four corner cones. Four more cones mark a 2 m deep zone at each short end. Leave a clear 2 m perimeter, giving a 16 × 20 m footprint. Players 1/2 wear one bib colour; 3/4 wear another. Place one team’s spare bib behind each home end, outside the buffer. Use one ground ball and no goalkeeper. The bib shows the end that team protects.
Keep the rotation clear
Players alternate taking their team’s restart. Start focused rounds with 1, 3 and 2; start game rounds with 4, 1 and 3. Everyone carries, supports and defends; there is no permanent target player. Both teammates move the team marker together during an end change.
See the practice in three steps
Schematic views, not to scale. Player numbers match the roles below. Dark arrows show passes, dashed green arrows show movement and solid green arrows show carries. Use the written dimensions when marking your area.
1. Find home and the opposite target
2. Change ends while the ball is still
3. Keep the target after an interception
Your complete 30-minute plan
Briefing, planned role changes, water and reflection are included. Add rest or stop when needed; shorten active play rather than rushing a transition.
00:00–03:00 · 3 min
Check, explain and walk the layout
Walk both teams to their home ends. Ask each child to point first to home and then to the opposite scoring zone. Show a controlled carry into that far zone for one point. A point requires stopping the ball inside the zone; a long kick out does not score. Keep the same teams throughout.
03:00–08:00 · 5 min
Prepare the movement
Play two walking 2v2 games of two minutes, each followed by a 30-second pause. During the first pause, teams exchange home ends and move their spare bibs. Children point to their new target before restarting. Defenders intercept loose ground passes only and keep at least 1 m from carriers; all players avoid body contact and blocking another child’s path.
08:00–17:00 · 9 min
Focused practice and role changes
Use three rounds of 2 minutes 40 seconds plus 20 seconds of rest. Change ends during each pause, with the ball still. Before the first restart, each team identifies its target together. After a point, the other team restarts at its own end; after a ball out, the team that did not touch it last restarts there. Opponents retreat 3 m for either restart. If a child travels toward home, let them stop, find the team bib and choose again without losing a point.
17:00–19:00 · 2 min
Water and reset
Pause for water and check the surface and clear buffers. Keep the same marked playing area and its clear outside buffer. Extra rest takes priority; shorten the next playing block if needed.
19:00–28:00 · 9 min
Use it in a game
Keep 2v2 for three more rounds of 2 minutes 40 seconds plus 20-second pauses. Exchange ends at the pauses, then let players start without an adult naming the target. An interception changes possession but does not change the team’s target. Score by a controlled carry and stop in the opponents’ zone. Keep the same immediate restart and clear-gap rules. Ask a brief direction question during a stoppage if needed, then allow the next choice.
28:00–30:00 · 2 min
Reflect and choose the next step
Ask each child to show where their team would attack after another end change. Repeat the pointing and walking game if direction is still uncertain.
Watch for a useful change
- Child identifies the target from their own team’s home end.
- An interception changes possession without confusing direction.
- Child reorients after an end change before moving the ball.
Make it easier
Keep ends unchanged for another round and walk through one possession together. Make the whole far zone a generous target.
When ready
Remove the spare-bib marker after players reliably identify both ends. Retain bib colours and allow a pause to check direction.
Ask each child to show where their team would attack after another end change. Repeat the pointing and walking game if direction is still uncertain.
If conditions change
Stop active play when the surface, weather or available clear space is unsuitable. Use an indoor area only if it can hold the full written footprint and buffers. Otherwise keep the ball still, walk through the roles without pressure, and reschedule the live game. Extra rest takes priority over finishing the timetable.
Need a different group size or duration?
The worked example above uses the stated numbers. The related complete session has its own checked customizer, maps and rotations.
Open Play TogetherCoaching principles and further reading
Small games can help children connect their team’s possession with the target they attack and the space they defend.
Sources reviewed for this practice on 25 October 2026. Session Pitch created this worked example, timing, role instructions and diagrams; it is not a reproduction of the linked sessions. No FA or FIFA endorsement is implied. Live coaching effectiveness has not been evaluated.