How to play
- Mark an area about 20 metres long and 15 wide. At each end put a tiny goal about one metre wide: a mini goal, or two cones, in which case a shot counts if it goes through below knee height.
- Three or four a side. There is no fixed goalkeeper: whoever is nearest their own goal may guard it, with the feet only, and goes back to playing as soon as the danger has passed.
- Score in the opponents' goal from anywhere. No offside; restarts are kicked or dribbled in.
- Play games of five minutes or first to three goals. With more players, run pitches side by side: winners move up a pitch, losers move down.
The decision it trains
A one-metre goal does not reward hitting the ball hard. The player on the ball has to judge whether the shot is really on, low and through a gap, or whether to dribble closer or pass for a better angle. And because nobody is the keeper, every child keeps deciding whether it is their turn to drop back and guard the goal, or to stay up and attack. Leave the goal too early and it is open; stay too long and your team is a player short.
Make it harder or easier
What to ask at the breaks
"When did you shoot, and when did you decide to take one more touch first?"
"Who went back to guard your goal, and how did your team decide?"
"What did you see when their goal had nobody near it?"
A free account plans 2 sessions and talks to Hobbit 5 times a month; after that, Pro.
Who documents it
21 sources · each opens the originalIt has no single origin: it is a street game with a name in many places and rules that change from street to street. Iran has Gol Koochik ("small goal"), Côte d'Ivoire petits poteaux, which now has its own federation, Burkina Faso petit poteau, Nigeria monkey post (first called mocking post), Ghana small poles, Brazil golzinho and travinha, Colombia banquitas and Argentina La Mariadita. In some the player in goal may use only feet; in others nobody guards it at all.
Canada SoccerCanada
Football AustraliaAustraliacalls it Skittle Football
US Youth SoccerUnited Statescalls it Bricks
German regional FAs (Bavaria, Hamburg, South Baden)Germany · 2 documents
Revista Movimento (UFRGS)Brazilcalls it travinha- UnicampBrazilcalls it Gol caixote
EFDeportesArgentinacalls it La Mariadita
- Al JazeeraInternational
BeytooteIrancalls it گل کوچیک
Orange SportsCôte d’Ivoirecalls it Petits poteaux
11 more
- AllAfricaInternational
- Fraternité MatinCôte d’Ivoire
Burkina24Burkina Fasocalls it Petit poteau
Stranger's GuideNigeriacalls it Monkey post- BlueprintNigeria
- ZikokoNigeria
Indie MagGhanacalls it Small Poles- VermelhoBrazilcalls it golzinho
Radio Nacional de ColombiaColombia · 2 documentscalls it banquitas, micro
Fencibles United AFCNew Zealandcalls it Street Football
iCoachFootballIrelandcalls it 2v2 Street Football