If you could choose only one type of training to develop young players, small-sided games would be a strong candidate. Games of 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 in small spaces pack more touches, decisions, and game situations into every minute than almost anything else. It is why youth development programs around the world use them, and why the street soccer that produced so many great players looks like a small-sided game.
The benefits
More touches
With fewer players on the field, each player has the ball far more often than in an 11v11 game.
More decisions
Every player is involved in nearly every moment: attacking, defending, supporting, and transitioning. There is nowhere to hide.
More 1v1s
Small spaces create constant duels. Players learn to beat defenders and to defend one-on-one. Read Winning 1v1s.
More scoring chances
More shots and more goals mean more practice at finishing, for both attackers and goalkeepers.
Game understanding
Small-sided games teach the basic principles of soccer: width, depth, support, pressing, and transition, in a simple form players can grasp.
Fitness
High-intensity small-sided games build the kind of repeated sprint fitness soccer demands.
Why enclosed arenas are even better
In an open field, much of the time is spent chasing balls that go out of bounds. In an enclosed arena with walls, like the turf at BASE Athletics in West Midtown, the ball stays in play. Players can use the walls for passes, and the game never stops. That means even more touches and decisions per minute.
How coaches use small-sided games
Coaches adjust rules to target specific skills:
- Touch limits (two-touch) to train quick passing and scanning
- Small goals to encourage passing into space
- Bonus points for goals after a dribble to encourage 1v1s
- Neutral players to create overloads and teach possession
- Smaller spaces for more pressure, bigger spaces for more time
How much small-sided play?
In most quality youth sessions, a large share of the time is spent in small-sided games, after a technical warm-up and focused skill work. Players learn the technique, then use it under real pressure.
Small-sided games at Pro Path
Pro Path's partnership with BASE Athletics is built around this idea. Our sessions use the enclosed small-sided arena for high-intensity games that build touches, decisions, and confidence. Sessions run Saturday and Sunday 9 to 11 AM and Monday 5:30 to 7 PM, for players ages 9 to 17, at $180 per four weeks.
Read more about training at BASE Athletics, or reserve your player's spot.
