Multiple Ball Soccer

Skill: Dribble, Kick, Run, Strike, Trap
Time Required: 20
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs
Play area: Gymnasium (large indoor space), Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the play area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up.
Remind participants to not kick the ball too hard or too high.
Equipment: 2-4 soccer balls.
5-6 cones per team.
Cones for boundaries if needed.
Objective:
For teams to knock over the other team's cones.
Other Skills:
Shoot
Coordination
Speed
Set up:
Divide the participants into two equal teams, or three if there are many participants.
Use the outside lines of the gym, or use cones to set up the boundaries.
Place and spread out 5-6 cones on each end behind a designated line on the gym floor or an imaginary line made by cones on the side of the play area.
Have one team start on one half, and the other team on the other half.
Step by Step:
1. One participant from each time is the goalie, and they are the only participant is allowed behind the line where the cones are located.
2. Start playing a normal game of soccer with one soccer ball (no hands, could do throw ins).
3. The cones on each end are what the teams are aiming to knock down.
4. Goalies can use any part of their body to stop the ball from knocking over a pylon, however, if they knock one over, then that counts as a point.
5. If playing indoors, participants can kick the ball off the wall and then hit the pylons.
6. Once they've played for a bit with one ball, throw in a second ball.
7. Then throw in a third, and fourth if you wish.
8. Participants play with the same rules, just with more soccer balls.
9. When a pylon is knocked down, the team that knocked it down gets a point. The goalie puts their pylon back up.
10. Switch goalies whenever a team's pylon is knocked over.
11. Play for a set amount of time or until one team has scored a certain amount of points.
12. Another way to play is that when a pylon is knocked over, it does get put back up. When a team's pylons are all knocked over, they are out.
13. Remind participants the importance of passing, communicating with each other and defending.
14. If there are 3 or more teams and only two net areas, have one team sit out and rotate teams after a set amount of time.
Variations:
Play with 3-4 teams and set up different pylons on different ends of the play area. Play with normal soccer rules.
Use soccer nets or create nets using cones, and play a typical soccer game with multiple balls.
No goalies allowed.
Do this using dodgeballs, and hand ball rules (when you have the ball, you cannot run with it). Participants have to throw/roll the ball to knock over the pylons.

Adaptations (General):
Some participants with disabilities may be well suited to play in the position of goalkeeper.

Adaptations (Blindness/Visual Impairment):
Consider using a soccer ball with a bell inside, or with a plastic bag tied around it, so that participants who are blind or visually impaired can hear it.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.