Introducing Goalie

A good-for-all-ages soccer game to develop kicking and catching skills, as well as ball tracking. Play as the goalie, or swap it out and try and score!
Set up
Using available equipment, create soccer goals. Nominate one child to be the kicker, and one child/adult to be the goalie. Examples of ways to create goals include;
- Pop-up soccer goals
- Purpose built soccer goals on a field
- Two water bottles
- Draw a goal on a wall with chalk
How to play
Step 1:
- The goalie stands just in front of the goal, empty handed
- The kicker starts a few meters back from the goalie, and attempts to score a goal by kicking the ball along the ground
Step 2:
- The goalie is allowed to use any part of their body to stop the ball from getting in the goal
Step 3:
- Give each child 5 attempts at scoring, then swap roles
Variations
Make it easier
- Start the kicking children further back so that goalies have more time to track the ball
Make it harder
- Set up multiple goals, and kicking children can try and score in any of them to encourage the goalie to be more active
- Kicking children dribble around/pass to teammates before trying to score
Activity information
Age: 3-5 years, Kindergarten, Pre-Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
Participants: 2
+
Equipment: Soccer balls, Soccer goals
Duration: 10 minutes
Skill focus
Explore these skills for teaching tips
Skill teaching
Playing as goalie means children need to be prepared to catch and trap balls. Ready children for this by reminding them of the catching teaching cues;
- Eyes on the ball
- Soft fingers
- Butterfly hands: thumbs together and fingers pointing up for balls being caught above the waist
- Wriggly worms: fingers pointing down for balls being caught below the waist
- Move hands to the ball
Activity summary
Physical literacy tips
- Let children choose if they'd like to be a goalie or a kicker first
- Play in a large space
- Adults/older siblings join in!