The use of Small Sided Games (SSG) has become a popular way of training soccer especially for youth soccer. I always support this use as it develops players speed in both the game and thinking. The use of SSG improves players passing, movement and space creation. SSG has been evolved from the street soccer that children play all over the world. Every male child in Tanzania in one point in time of his life has played soccer in streets, or even in classrooms when teachers are not in.
Street games where road endings on each side being used as goals, you play while your conscious is being constantly reminded of the danger of accident from fast moving cars in the road. You play while taking precaution from the danger of injury if you fall on the hard ground of the road. All these dangers added some cream to the taste of the game, thus increasing creativity and quick thinking in the game.
Trying to remember those days in my childhood with a ball made from plastic bags, old clothes and cotton twine popularly known in Mbeya as ‘kinyengo’. A team of four to six people each side, a sense of fair play where all must play bare foot; too old guys must stay out. No referee but rules were known and adhered by everyone.
Andy Roxburgh, UEFA technical director once said in his editorial I quote "Football associations that are serious about the game's health and growth are duty-bound to promote mass participation and interest. Grassroots football, which acts as a vehicle for social integration, health and happiness, is the aim. As a by-product, talents will emerge. In Brazil, a love of the ball, expression through small-sided games, and the sheer joy of playing have been cultivated to such an extent that football passion and creativity have become part of the nation's DNA. (UEFA's Grassroots Newsletter)
Out of curiosity I asked Seifdin Kabange (a former player for coastal union and Lipuli of iringa and he had this to say; “in those days I had an amazing courage, we used to play in difficult environment where we had to compromise with the movement of cars and people. It was really amazing as sometimes you had to dribble and beat a number of people for you to score. It really improved my individual playing skills, and this helped me a lot when I played for first division teams”.
Skill development is perhaps an inevitable side-effect of playing 4v4 games, however, with children encouraged to get more involved, increase their touches of the ball and work on their close control. "We're not anti-coaching; we want smarter coaching, to set games that improve certain skills, like crossing or movement," Rick Fenoglio (UEFA's Grassroots Newsletter)
• Just as street football was for a previous generation, small sided games are fun and fosters a lifelong passion for the beautiful game
• Because it is so much fun, kids practise with a ball much more away from coaching and club sessions
• Play football to learn football
• Learn by doing
• Technique, football insight and communication are most effectively developed in game related situations
• Children naturally learn match situations by constant repetition and frequent ball contact.
• A small sided game maximises involvement in real football situations
• Freedom to fail
• Creativity & spontaneity
One of the famous SSG is the Player ground game;
The game is in fact two games. One game is 4 v 4, playing from North to South, the other game plays across that pitch playing East to West and is also 4 v 4.
• Age Group U8s to adult
• Pitch sizes – 40 x 40 0r at the discretion of the coach
• Number of teams - 4
• Team sizes 4-6 players
• Bibs optional
• Goals – 5 a side or mini soccer goals (But you can use a variety and have say big goals, north to south and small goals, east to west.)
The main aim of this game is to see how players adapt to a chaotic situation and how they can solve the problem. This can be made even harder by wearing no bibs. The players have to get their heads up to identify who is on their team, who the opposition is, which ball is theirs and who is playing in the other game.
For the first few minutes players may be a little confused, but very quickly sort themselves out and play.
Coach should not do any coaching here just observe and see how the players solve the problems given to them. At the end of the game, just ask them questions. For Kids results may be different from older players as Kids are very resilient and will just about cope with anything you throw at them. Their problem solving skills are probably better than you think, so this is a perfect set up to judge how they are coping with these issues.
As coaches you need to let go and allow the players to find their own solutions before you interfere and do their thinking for them.
Street games where road endings on each side being used as goals, you play while your conscious is being constantly reminded of the danger of accident from fast moving cars in the road. You play while taking precaution from the danger of injury if you fall on the hard ground of the road. All these dangers added some cream to the taste of the game, thus increasing creativity and quick thinking in the game.
Trying to remember those days in my childhood with a ball made from plastic bags, old clothes and cotton twine popularly known in Mbeya as ‘kinyengo’. A team of four to six people each side, a sense of fair play where all must play bare foot; too old guys must stay out. No referee but rules were known and adhered by everyone.
Andy Roxburgh, UEFA technical director once said in his editorial I quote "Football associations that are serious about the game's health and growth are duty-bound to promote mass participation and interest. Grassroots football, which acts as a vehicle for social integration, health and happiness, is the aim. As a by-product, talents will emerge. In Brazil, a love of the ball, expression through small-sided games, and the sheer joy of playing have been cultivated to such an extent that football passion and creativity have become part of the nation's DNA. (UEFA's Grassroots Newsletter)
Out of curiosity I asked Seifdin Kabange (a former player for coastal union and Lipuli of iringa and he had this to say; “in those days I had an amazing courage, we used to play in difficult environment where we had to compromise with the movement of cars and people. It was really amazing as sometimes you had to dribble and beat a number of people for you to score. It really improved my individual playing skills, and this helped me a lot when I played for first division teams”.
Skill development is perhaps an inevitable side-effect of playing 4v4 games, however, with children encouraged to get more involved, increase their touches of the ball and work on their close control. "We're not anti-coaching; we want smarter coaching, to set games that improve certain skills, like crossing or movement," Rick Fenoglio (UEFA's Grassroots Newsletter)
• Just as street football was for a previous generation, small sided games are fun and fosters a lifelong passion for the beautiful game
• Because it is so much fun, kids practise with a ball much more away from coaching and club sessions
• Play football to learn football
• Learn by doing
• Technique, football insight and communication are most effectively developed in game related situations
• Children naturally learn match situations by constant repetition and frequent ball contact.
• A small sided game maximises involvement in real football situations
• Freedom to fail
• Creativity & spontaneity
One of the famous SSG is the Player ground game;
The game is in fact two games. One game is 4 v 4, playing from North to South, the other game plays across that pitch playing East to West and is also 4 v 4.
• Age Group U8s to adult
• Pitch sizes – 40 x 40 0r at the discretion of the coach
• Number of teams - 4
• Team sizes 4-6 players
• Bibs optional
• Goals – 5 a side or mini soccer goals (But you can use a variety and have say big goals, north to south and small goals, east to west.)
The main aim of this game is to see how players adapt to a chaotic situation and how they can solve the problem. This can be made even harder by wearing no bibs. The players have to get their heads up to identify who is on their team, who the opposition is, which ball is theirs and who is playing in the other game.
For the first few minutes players may be a little confused, but very quickly sort themselves out and play.
Coach should not do any coaching here just observe and see how the players solve the problems given to them. At the end of the game, just ask them questions. For Kids results may be different from older players as Kids are very resilient and will just about cope with anything you throw at them. Their problem solving skills are probably better than you think, so this is a perfect set up to judge how they are coping with these issues.
As coaches you need to let go and allow the players to find their own solutions before you interfere and do their thinking for them.
Nice start, tuwekee kwa kiswahili ili tufaidi zaidi
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