4v3 Counter Goals: A Defending Game for U10 to U14

How to set it up

• Mark a 30 by 30 metre area split into two halves.
• At one end a full goal with a goalkeeper; at the other end two small goals.
• Four attackers against three defenders and the goalkeeper.
• At the start, two attackers are in each half; one defender is in the half near the goal and two are in the far half.

How to play

• The attackers start from the far end and score in the big goal.
• Round one: everyone stays in their half, so near the goal it is always 2v1 plus the keeper.
• Round two: once the ball crosses halfway, everyone can move freely until a goal or the ball goes out.
• When the defenders win the ball, they counter into either small goal.
• Seven-minute rounds; swap roles.

Why it works

Outnumbered, the defenders cannot press everyone. They have to choose: the presser closes the forward pass and leaves the sideways one open, the covering defender reads where that pass goes, and the last defender protects the goal with the keeper.

The small goals give every won ball a purpose: a defender who reads the pass gets to score.

What to coach

• The presser blocks the forward pass and leaves the sideways one, for a teammate to attack.
• The covering defender stands where they can attack the sideways pass.
• The last defender: when the ball is far from goal, cover the pass; when it is close, block the shot.
• The goalkeeper talks and decides when to come out.

Questions to ask

• "Which pass did you leave open on purpose?"
• "When the ball got close to goal, what changed for the last defender?"
• "After you won it, how fast did you get to the small goals?"

Make it easier, make it harder

• Easier: 3v3 plus the keeper; a narrower area.
• Harder: 4v2 plus the keeper; the defenders must score on the counter within eight seconds.

How to adapt it by age

• U10 to U11: 3v3 plus the keeper, round one only.
• U12: 4v3 and both rounds.
• U13 to U14: the eight-second counter and a wider area.