2 players 20-30 yards from each other put one of their balls on a cone 1/2way between them and they use the other to play. They compete to knock the ball off the cone the most times in a given round. You can set up many lanes and create games where winners and losers compete to keep it competitive.

At first, especially with younger or less skilled groups, I usually have the players strike a stationary ball. Later, I have them move back a few yards and they must dribble and shoot a moving ball to be more gamelike. You can progress to volleys and half volleys.

2 players 10-20 yards from a cone put one of their balls on the cone next to them and they use the other to turn around. They compete as a pair (against other pairs) to knock the ball off the cone the most times in a given round. You can set up many lanes and create games where winners and losers compete to keep it competitive.

The players, one at a time, must dribble down their lane and around the far end cone. After they turn, they must strike their ball and try to knock the other ball off the cone. After they have shot, they sprint back and their partner can immediately start dribbling down the lane. If they successfully knock the ball off the cone, it is quicker for the shooter to put the ball back up so that their partner can start dribbling quicker. You can progress to volleys and half volleys.

2 groups (they can either be simple shooters or 2 groups competing against each other) of players with balls are 30-40 yards apart with a goalkeeper in the middle of them with a goal made of 2 cones (or poles if accessable).

The 2 sides alternate taking a small touch forward and then attempting to finish in their 2nd. Immediately after a shot is completed, the GK must turn around and fend off a shot from the other side. The GK takes any balls they hold onto and rolls it towards the group who did not shoot it, while any balls going past or over them is kept by the group it heads towards. They can progress to volleys and half volleys.

I make the rule that the shots only count if they are the GK`s head height or below.

If competing, the 2 groups can compete for a score over a timed round (45-90 seconds).

2 teams play 3v1 in 12x15 yard grids located 12 yard on either side of the GK. The ball starts on one side with its group of 3 moving the ball to find finishing opportunities. They must stay in their zones and cannot enter the GK`s area accept to follow up a previously taken shot not held by the GK. Any other balls entering that zone are the GKs and the GK always players to the opposite group that last played when in possesssion of a ball. I tell my players they must finish below the waste for the goal to count.

After a short is taken, here are the scenarios:

-Save held by the GK-ball is distibuted by the GK to the team that didn`t shoot

-Ball is shot wide and into the opposite grid-play is live and the 3 try to score. If the defender wins it, he plays back to his team.

-Ball is shot and scored through to the opposite grid-same as a ball shot wide, but with a point scored for the shooting team.

-Ball leaves the grid-the attacking team on the opposite side of play quickly grabs a ball and starts playing

This is one of the classic header games with a twist. 2 teams of 2 compete in a 16x10 grid (up to 24x12 for older, more skilled players) with a halfline across it.

The team on defense must always be on their goalline as 2 GKs (they must immediately sprint there after their attack is over-no staying in the grid). They can only move across the line and never off of it (if they come off their line, the attacking team can try again). The team with the ball starts with an underhand service from where they won the ball (goalline for shots and saves, sideline for wide balls, and anywhere inside the grid if the other team drops the ball there). After the underhand throw, the 2 teammates, in any pattern or manner they`d like, try to take the ball to the opposite end and score past the 2 GKs (below their head height). The only rules are that the ball must remind in the air via heading and that they can only take one touch at a time (a player can`t juggle their way up the field-the ball must be consistently moved between players).

I like to use the halfline as a "volley line" that players can score from via volley if the ball is behind the line. As little as volleys are practiced, this provides great opportunity and also a nice balance with the headers.

This usually turns into a very high paced, competitive game that players love!

The classic 4v2+2 transition game with a twist.

2 teams compete. Each team owns a box at the opposite ends of the grid. When a team possess in their end, 2 opponents from the opposite team must enter to defend them. Teams score a point by either completing 10 passes in a row or by splitting the 2 defenders in possession. If the defending team wins the ball, they attempt to play the ball across to their teammates and go support it (along with 2 opponents going to win the ball) to reverse the situation. The hitch now is that there is a GK in the middle of the 2 grids and a rule. All balls played across must be struck with the laces and remain below waist height. The GK acts as a stop measure for the team whose box the ball is in. If the GK can stop the ball from going across, they can immediately play it back to that side for more possession.