The Numbers Game
Two numbered teams wait off the field — you play a ball in, call a number, and those two players sprint on to fight a 1v1 until a goal or the ball goes out of bounds.
The whole 1v1 game in one rep — dribbling, shooting, shielding, turning, and beating an opponent.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
20 min tonight · Two even teams, numbered off
- Ages 4–14
- Two even teams, numbered off
- 20 min as the drill is written
- Cones, pinnies, balls, practice sticks, small goals
Grab Cones, the alternate jerseys for one team, a supply of balls, and your small goals.
Build Build a small 1v1 field, about 15 by 20 yards, with two small goals on each end line.
Place Split the group into two even teams and number the players on each — five per team means 1 through 5. One team wears the alternate jerseys; the teams wait off the field, as the diagram shows.
- 1
Organize the players
Make two even teams, one in the alternate jerseys, and assign a number to each player on each team — the same set of numbers on both sides. Take your spot with the ball supply.
“Number off — and remember yours. When you hear it, you're on.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk one rep — you play a ball into the area and call out a number; the player assigned that number on each team sprints onto the field and they play 1v1. The game runs until a team scores or the ball goes out of bounds.
“I roll the ball in and call a number. That's your ball, both of you — go win it.”
- 3
Play
Keep the reps coming, mixing your numbers. Encourage players to take on their opponent, to shoot whenever they have a chance at a goal, and to protect the ball when necessary.
“Take them on! See the goal? Shoot!”
Look for The take-on — a player attacking their opponent off the dribble and shooting when the chance shows, rather than waiting.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Work through the numbers so everyone plays. To grow it, run more than one 1v1 at the same time, or call out two or more numbers to create a 2v2 or 3v3.
“Two numbers this time — three and five! Now it's a 2v2.”
If the waiting players go cold, run more than one 1v1 at the same time — more numbers on the field at once.
Go deeper · 2 notes
Why it works
One call puts one attacker against one defender with a goal at stake, so everything the 1v1 asks — dribbling, shooting, shielding, turning, and beating an opponent — shows up in every single rep.
What they learn
The dynamics of the 1v1 — taking on an opponent, shooting when there's a chance at a goal, and protecting the ball when necessary.
Where does this come from?
SoccerXpert — their published drill library.
A published drill library. Useful and widely used, but not a governing body — so it fills gaps rather than leading.