In this blog, The FA’s course designer, Ronnie Reason discusses the benefits of using two-goal games and how to adapt them.
What are they?
The objective of two-goal games is for each team to defend one goal and attack another - it is the game! At times you can increase players' engagement by adapting the games and/or adding constraints to these games.
Why use them?
They are fun and reflect the game of football! They provide players with realistic and relevant situations of trying to outmaneuver the opposition to advance forward and score.
They are easy to set up with limited equipment, for example, you can use cones for goals. You can also adapt the size of the area and increase or decrease the number of players on each team. Doing this can help meet the needs of players and bring about the outcome you want from the session.
Benefits for players
Two-goal games can help players understand and practice the following skills:
- As a team, advancing up the pitch to score.
- Creating space, supporting teammates, and making forward runs.
- Finishing, turning, receiving, passing, moving with the ball.
- Pressing, marking, intercepting, and challenging to winning the ball.
- Being a skillful goalkeeper, defending the goal, the area, the space between defenders and the goal.
- Decision making and anticipation
- Working on transition.
Types of constraints you might use
The games below focus on rewarding players.
| Space | Task | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch divided into two halves | Win the ball back in the opponent's half and score and you will be awarded 3 goals. | High press to win the football in the opponent’s half. |
| Pitch divided into two halves | You have 10 seconds to score after regaining the ball in your own half. The number of seconds left on the clock equals the number of goals awarded. E.g., with 4 seconds left, you gain 4 goals. | Low block to win the ball back in the own half of the pitch. |
| Pitch divided into three channels | Goal scored from a cross (from wide areas) equals 2 goals. All other goals equal 1 goal. | Attacking from wide areas |
| Normal pitch | Must win the tournament – Play 7-minute games. 3 points for a win, 0 points for a draw, 0 points for a loss. | When and how to play forward |
These are just some adaptations and ways of using two-goal games. Hopefully, they have inspired you to have a go at using them with your players. The beauty of these games is that they are very reflective of a normal football match. This can help players to quickly develop skills in a game-like situation.
What do you think of Ronnie’s blog? Do you use two-goal games? If so, what adaptations and constraints have worked well for you? Let us know in the comments below!