Space Invaders soccer coaching game for ball control skills

Use this fun soccer coaching game to help your players control the ball under pressure when they’re running in a straight line.

The name of the game is Space Invaders and the main coaching objectives are to improve dribbling and close control skills, passing accuracy and pace, and one-touch passing.

Set up Space Invaders game

Create a 30 yards by 10 yards playing area with cones spread five yards apart along the length. Use 16 players split into four teams of four, with 10 footballs.

Progression

Introduce timing, so the quickest team to reach the safety zone wins, or stipulate a maximum amount of time. Alternatively, allow the passers an extra touch so they can be more accurate when firing the "laser".

Key soccer coaching tip

Keep an eye out for cheating in this game. If an invader’s ball is touched, they’re out. Make sure the passers are only using one-touch to begin with.