Prepare the first decision
10 minPlayers this activity: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 · 8 attending
Begin at walking pace in the numbered stations. In a four-person group, pass to change ownership, pause and name the new carrier, nearest defender, cover and receiver. Share the ball when needed; an observer watches the same decision and takes a ball turn on the next assigned round.
Name the new job when possession changes. Each event changes the players movement and attention.
Run the activity
- In a four-person group, pass to change ownership, pause and name the new carrier, nearest defender, cover and receiver.
- Pause on a raised hand and point to the space you chose.
- Swap the ball on the round signal and notice this feature: Each event changes the players movement and attention.
Play
- In a four-person group, pass to change ownership, pause and name the new carrier, nearest defender, cover and receiver.
- Ground play only. No heading, sliding, body contact or tackles at a player's feet. Intercept loose ground passes only. Offer water or a pause whenever needed.
Watch for
Each event changes the players movement and attention.
If you see: Players continue the previous job after the event.
Try: Stop the ball at the change and have every player point to their next position.
Organisation
2 separate stations. Roles: carrier, nearest defender, covering defender, supporting receiver; extra players observe. Advance one slot each round. 4 turns cover every player. A first carrier turn can take up to 180s of activity. Waiting is active observation; add balls or reduce group size if it becomes too long.
7 rounds × 60 seconds. Timing: 420s activity · 60s briefing · 60s rest · 60s transition.
Adjust the challenge
Easier: Repeat the same event for two attempts.
Next step: Use the event without announcing the required response.
Move on: Stop the balls and identify the start positions for name the new role.
28 × 34 m clear area with a 2 m perimeter buffer. 2 numbered stations, 8 numbered player slots, 2 balls and 8 cones. Each station shares one ball and rotates roles; dashed arrow shows an example travel or pass route. Focus: Link delay, cover, recovery and a controlled first connection across changing game situations. Diagram shows starting positions, not fixed player locations. Three steps show decision game using the first round's numbered players. Solid gold routes show the ball; dashed pale routes show player movement; dotted blue routes show a shadow or defender. Routes stay inside each numbered station. 1. See the options: Look for a carry, pass or safe return. 2. Choose a clear route: Choose the route that is clear now. 3. Keep the next option open: Move to help the next player with the ball.
Round-by-round player roles
| Round | Assignments |
|---|---|
| 1 · 60s | 1: carrier (station 1); 3: nearest defender (station 1); 5: covering defender (station 1); 7: supporting receiver (station 1); 2: carrier (station 2); 4: nearest defender (station 2); 6: covering defender (station 2); 8: supporting receiver (station 2) |
| 2 · 60s | 1: supporting receiver (station 1); 3: carrier (station 1); 5: nearest defender (station 1); 7: covering defender (station 1); 2: supporting receiver (station 2); 4: carrier (station 2); 6: nearest defender (station 2); 8: covering defender (station 2) |
| 3 · 60s | 1: covering defender (station 1); 3: supporting receiver (station 1); 5: carrier (station 1); 7: nearest defender (station 1); 2: covering defender (station 2); 4: supporting receiver (station 2); 6: carrier (station 2); 8: nearest defender (station 2) |
| 4 · 60s | 1: nearest defender (station 1); 3: covering defender (station 1); 5: supporting receiver (station 1); 7: carrier (station 1); 2: nearest defender (station 2); 4: covering defender (station 2); 6: supporting receiver (station 2); 8: carrier (station 2) |
| 5 · 60s | 1: carrier (station 1); 3: nearest defender (station 1); 5: covering defender (station 1); 7: supporting receiver (station 1); 2: carrier (station 2); 4: nearest defender (station 2); 6: covering defender (station 2); 8: supporting receiver (station 2) |
| 6 · 60s | 1: supporting receiver (station 1); 3: carrier (station 1); 5: nearest defender (station 1); 7: covering defender (station 1); 2: supporting receiver (station 2); 4: carrier (station 2); 6: nearest defender (station 2); 8: covering defender (station 2) |
| 7 · 60s | 1: covering defender (station 1); 3: supporting receiver (station 1); 5: carrier (station 1); 7: nearest defender (station 1); 2: covering defender (station 2); 4: supporting receiver (station 2); 6: carrier (station 2); 8: nearest defender (station 2) |
Equipment: 2 balls · 8 cones · 0 goals
Round-by-round player roles
C = carrier · D = nearest defender · V = covering defender · S = supporting receiver. Times are activity seconds; briefing, rest and transition are separate.
| Player | Station | R1 60s | R2 60s | R3 60s | R4 60s | R5 60s | R6 60s | R7 60s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | C | S | V | D | C | S | V |
| 2 | 2 | C | S | V | D | C | S | V |
| 3 | 1 | D | C | S | V | D | C | S |
| 4 | 2 | D | C | S | V | D | C | S |
| 5 | 1 | V | D | C | S | V | D | C |
| 6 | 2 | V | D | C | S | V | D | C |
| 7 | 1 | S | V | D | C | S | V | D |
| 8 | 2 | S | V | D | C | S | V | D |