Mark Your Rival

1. Mark a pitch about 27 metres long and 18 wide with a small goal at each end, no keepers. Five against five; with more players, run a second pitch beside it.
2. Before kick-off, pair every player with a rival of about the same level on the other team. Everyone has two jobs: score, and stop their rival from scoring.
3. Each player keeps their own count: a point for every goal they score, and a point every time they win the ball from their rival or block their rival's shot.
4. Play games of 5 minutes. At the end, each pair compares counts, and whoever has more adds one goal to their team's score.
5. Change rivals for the next game.

Every player carries two jobs at once, and the scoring makes both of them count. Without the ball the question never changes: where is my rival, and can I see them and the ball together? Close enough to step in front of a pass meant for them, or half a step off so they cannot spin past? When a teammate is beaten, the hard choice arrives: leave your rival to help, and they may be the one left free to score. With the ball it turns round. Your rival is shadowing you, so you have to shake them off, with a change of pace or a fake run, before you can receive or shoot.