Football-adapted gameFun Games
Treasure Thieves
Two teams race to dribble balls from the treasure in the middle to their base, then steal from each other. A favourite with U6 to U10 players.
- Age
- U6–U10
- Players
- 6–16
- Duration
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Intensity
- Medium
- Area
- 24 × 16 m
- Type
- Technical
- Approach
- Intermediate
- Format
- Football-adapted game
- Objectives
- Technical: Dribbling
- Tactical: Decision making
- Concepts worked on
- Technical:Running with the ballBall mastery
- Tactical:Scanning
- Physical:Acceleration
Training diagram
Each team dribbles balls from the treasure in the middle to its own base. When the middle is empty, they steal from the other base.
Legend
- Attacker
- Defender
- Run without ball
- Dribble
- Ball
- Cone
Treasure Thieves turns dribbling into a race. Every player makes lots of short trips with the ball, stops it in a target area and immediately looks for the next ball — exactly the actions young players need. Once the treasure in the middle is empty, the game changes: players have to decide which base to raid and when to go. Play it as an active warm-up or as the main game with the youngest groups.
Objective
Dribble the ball with small touches, keep it close when changing direction and stop it under control inside a target area.
Organisation
- Mark a 24 × 16 m area. Each team has a 4 × 8 m base at one end, marked with flat markers.
- Place 12 balls in a 4 × 4 m treasure square in the middle.
- Two teams of 3–8 players in bibs start inside their own base.
- With more than 16 players, set up two areas side by side.
How it works
- On the coach's signal everyone runs to the treasure and takes one ball.
- Players dribble the ball to their base and stop it inside with the sole. Only one ball per trip, and it must be dribbled, never carried or kicked long.
- When the treasure is empty, players may take balls from the other team's base.
- Nobody may stand inside a base to guard it.
- Play rounds of 90 seconds. The team with more balls in its base wins the round. Rest 30 seconds and play 4–5 rounds.
Coaching points
- Small touches with the laces and the inside of the foot, the ball never more than a step away.
- Look up on the way back: where is the next free ball?
- Slow down before the base and stop the ball with the sole.
- Praise good decisions, such as going for the base with the most balls.
Progressions
- Allow players to tackle a thief who is dribbling back to the other base.
- Balls must be dribbled with the weaker foot only.
- Add a gate in front of each base that players must dribble through.
Regressions
- U6: in the first round players carry the ball in their hands to learn the rules.
- Make the bases bigger so it is easier to stop the ball inside.
- Play without the stealing phase: the round ends when the treasure is empty.
Variations
- Four teams, one base in each corner of a 20 × 20 m square.
- Each ball scores differently: coloured balls or balls with a bib tied to them are worth two points.
Key principles
- Close control: the ball stays within one step.
- Scan while dribbling to find the next target.
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