End zone soccer game
The end zone game is a small-sided game with no goals in which a team scores by passing the ball to a teammate who arrives in the end zone to receive it. It trains forward passing and the timing of runs into space behind the defense.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
End zone game: setup diagram
At a glance
| Detail | For this drill |
|---|---|
| Ages | U8 to U12 (ages 7 to 12) |
| Players | 8 to 12, in two teams |
| Space | 20 x 30 yd (18 x 27 m) |
| Equipment | One ball and spares; cones for the field and two end zones; bibs |
| Time | 15 minutes, in games of four minutes |
| Skill | Small-sided games |
Change the size of the area to fit your group: bigger makes it easier for the player with the ball, smaller makes it harder. Everyone who goes out comes straight back in, and nobody runs laps.
How to run it
- Mark a field 20 yards wide and 30 long, with a zone 4 yards deep across each end.
- Play 4v4. A team scores when a player receives a pass inside the end zone it attacks and controls the ball there.
- Nobody may wait in the end zone. A player has to arrive as the pass is played, or after it.
- After a score, the other team starts from its own end zone.
- Later, allow a score by dribbling into the zone as well, worth one point, with a pass worth two.
Coaching points to say out loud
- “Run when your teammate looks up.”
- “Pass into space, ahead of the runner.”
- “Arrive, do not wait.”
- “If forward is closed, keep it and try again.”
Make it easier or harder
Easier
Make the end zones deeper, or play with an extra neutral player who is always on the team with the ball.
Harder
The pass into the zone must be one touch, or the scorer must be a different player each time.
Common mistakes
- A player standing in the end zone and calling for the ball. The no-waiting rule is the whole lesson.
- Long, hopeful kicks into the zone with no runner.
- Runs made while the passer is looking down. The runner needs to see the passer’s head come up.
Why it matters in a game
A pass into space for a runner is a through ball, and the no-waiting rule is a friendly version of offside: time the run so you arrive with the ball. Our 11v11 lesson on running on cue teaches the full rule.
The lesson that teaches it: Run When the Pass Is On.
Questions about End zone game
How do you score in the end zone game?
By passing to a teammate who receives and controls the ball inside the end zone. The receiver has to run into the zone and cannot stand there waiting.
Why play without goals?
It takes away the long shot and makes teams work the ball forward by passing and moving. Add goals back in the last game of practice.
How does it help with offside?
Players learn to start their run as the pass is played, not before. That is the habit that keeps a forward onside in 9v9 and 11v11.
Lessons that teach this idea
- Run When the Pass Is On (11v11 lesson)Run when the pass is on, and leave as it is played so you stay onside (Law 11). If the pass is blocked, check toward the ball first.
- Can You Turn? (11v11 lesson)Look before the ball arrives. Turn when you have room; use your support when you don’t.
- Parallel or Diagonal? (Futsal lesson)Choose a running route that is available, rather than following a fixed pattern.
- Step Out of the Blocked Lane (7v7 lesson)Move so the defender is no longer between you and the ball.
Related drills and guides
- Four-goal game (drill)It trains switching play: when one goal is crowded, the team moves the ball to the open one.
- 3v3 small-sided game (drill)It trains everything at once, dribbling, passing, shooting and defending, and gives each child far more time on the ball than a big game.
- Three-team keep-away (drill)It trains passing under pressure, spreading out to use the whole area, and reacting quickly when the ball is lost.
- Give-and-go (drill)It trains the wall pass, also called the one-two: the timing of the first pass, the sprint and the one-touch return.
- The offside ruleWhy the timing of a run matters
- Striker in soccerThe player who finishes chances
- 9v9 soccer formationsShapes for U11 and U12 teams
- U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
- U10 soccer drills for 9 and 10 year oldsTen drills for 9 and 10 year olds: rondos, first touch, 2v1 and first goalkeeping
- U12 soccer drills for 11 and 12 year oldsTen drills for 11 and 12 year olds: 4v2 rondos, possession, defending in pairs and finishing
- Soccer passing drills for kidsPassing drills in teaching order: pairs, triangles, give-and-go and rondos
- U12 soccer practice plan: first practice of the seasonA 75-minute plan that uses this drill
- All small-sided games drillsReal games with few players, so everyone is on the ball.
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.