Mini goal game with neutrals is a great game for players to work on keeping possession of the ball because they have lots of passing options with neutral players around the outside.
Set Up
Set up a field with one or two mini goals on either side. Split players up into three even teams. This works well with team sizes as small as four or as large as eight.
How It Works
Two teams start off playing each other in the middle while the third team acts as neutral players along the outsides of the field. Coaches can also assign one or two neutral players to be all time offense in the middle. The neutral players give whichever team is on offense a numerical advantage so that they can work on keeping possession of the ball. The offense must complete six passes in a row before they can score. Passes to the neutral players count towards the six passes as well. When one team scores, the winning team stays on and the players on the team that lost become the new neutrals on the outside.
Coaching Points
Try to make all three teams as even as possible to ensure competitive games. Coaches can also shuffle teams every few games to get players working with all of their teammates.
Similar Drills
For a simple drill that is similar to this one, take a look at points for goals and passes. Slightly more difficult drills that focuses on keeping possession of the ball include possession to target players and possession to finish with two goals.