Firstly thank you all for your feedback....
for your information i am talking from Under 8's to Under 16's for this so it is possible to have different ideas for different age groups. Another issue that I perhaps didn't mention is that there is always a time limit to do these things, usually 5 minutes at MOST
Still don't think anyone has come up with the ideal solution but some good ideas. My view on your replies and then if you have the time if you can think some more that would be great
Captains fight to the death?
Erm, not sure on this one :|
winner is team with most shots on target in the 3 v 3
Would simply encourage teams to shoot from all distances including stupid ones and a stupid angles and simply not football related
3 v 3 - no kick off, ball is thrown in from side line by the ref (both team starting position is on the edge of their "18 yard box") or just a good old fashioned drop ball
not a bad idea, but having children running towards a ball from their area is a recipe for a mid pitch collision and injurys, Drop ball is good though.
10 mins time limit (or however long you can have) - winner is first team to score. if no score, winner is team with most shots on target in the 3 v 3
that's basically how it now works anyway with the current trend for 3 v 3, first goal the winner but going down to 1 v 1. Have mentioned my dislike for most shots on target above
Say there's 10 mins extra time. The team that can keep the ball in the opponent's half for the longest period is the winner. Only way to really achieve this is to keep passing meaning all players take some responsibility.
Quite like this idea
Two words - Crossbar challenge!
Not football related and at the younger age groups we would be their all day
Children have to learn, sport is a lesson in life.
All of the scenarios you describe, whilst true - also teach children positive things, how to take responsibility, how to accept defeat - as well as how to use a defeat as part of a learning experience (what do we have to do to prevent this from happening again?) As a society we have to stop protecting our children from learning harsh lessons, and what better way than in a benign environment like sport? Sport is war without pain or real loss (its just a game) sport is life without the genuine consequences of failure, nobody dies, no-one is poorer at the end, no-one loses a love. I dont want to come across as the competitive dad from the fast show, but kids need to learn harsh realities of life - and the bitter sting of tears is often a fantastic motivator to succeed next time.
You don't come across as a competitive dad but perhaps don't fully understand my objectives. As you mentioned football is a hard lesson in life anyway, war without pain or loss, I like it
, I am not trying to protect children from learning some harsh lessons, Children can already experience joy, excitement, disappointment, loss, failure and all lifes harsh lessons from football WITHOUT the further, and in my opinion, unnecessary procedure of THEN singling out one child to learn an even harder lesson, on their own, that there really is no need to go through and that i fail to see positives coming from it. Ie missing a penalty and feeling solely to blame
Don't jump straight to 3 on 3. Take one off every minute, plus one for every foul. When they get down to 3 minutes left, put another ball on the pitch. First goal wins.
not bad
why do you need a winner? can both teams settle as joint champions?
Quarter finals, semi finals need a winner, and no-one wants to come out of a tournament sharing, that is protecting children too much
otherwise if you really have to, you can pick the "cleaner" team with less fouls for the winner if possible - definitely a lesson there somewhere. or the one that scores first, to reward attacking play.
Surprisingly, not a great amount of fouls in youth football, especially when games are 12-15 minutes and at the younger level.
I think that whilst they can be heartbreaking to be involved in when you lose, they are amazing when you win. They are essentially reflection on football in general to be honest in the sense of it being about fine lines. I don't think there is a better way to settle a match currently and whilst it isnt nice for a youngster to miss a penalty......well thats life. It is a skill in itself to take a penalty under pressure and there is nothing wrong with youngsters stepping up to the plate and possibly missing.
You heartless git. My point is that is doesn't HAVE to be a case of '"well, thats life" get on with it. I have seen children quit football because of missing a penalty or simply refuse to actually take one ever again. These things care truly scar a kid
You cant take away penalties, its one thing thinking of the childrens feelings, but a large part of football is responsibility. If they dont learn it at a young age, they'll never learn.
But its a team responsibilty, not an individuals
i always think that penalties (especially shoot-outs) should be decided tactically by the manager. ie, he says: Pen 1 = bottom left. Pen 2 = central, low. Pen 3 = bottom right.
Problem here is, If I tell a child to hit it bottom left, and he hits it wide......same scenerio. He will feel responsible for the miss
Managers should take the penalties, One manager in goal, the other taking.
the game if for the children and should be decided by the children as much as possible.
Take the penalties from the edge of the D outside the 18 yard box, so about 23? yards out, Then it won't be the one who misses that loses the game... it will be the bugger that finally scores that wins the game = hero not villain
Not bad but potential to go on forever espeically the younger age groups and you still MIGHT end up with one kid missing
how about a point system that would mean a certain number of fouls by the ENTIRE team inside the penalty area would then result in 1 penalty. that way the whole team can share the responsibility and teach them that the fouls would result into a penalty. that way they may probably be a lot more squeamish fouling in the box at the penultimate foul?
What ??:-s
Have the penalty shootout before the match.
Initially liked this idea but then realised that the team that won the penalties before the match could take to the field and play very negatively knowing a draw would see them through
Go the Barca policy.. do away with competative games althogether if you feel that strongly.
I don't feel THAT strongly
Play till next goal wins. old fashion street football
Time issues
Thanks for all the above and so far my favourite so far is the possession game in the opponents half or simply who keeps the ball longest. The only real issue here is how to start it so it is fair.