Roundabout Relay (Soccer)

boy kicking soccer ball

A twist on a classic relay, children develop fast paced dribbling skills - requires multiple participants and a large playing space (a park or large yard).

Set up

Set out a starting marker. This is where participants will line up. Starting from here, set out a track with markers (water bottles, stacks of books, shoes etc) to indicate a gate. Follow the track around, setting out multiple gates, and looping back to the starting marker. You can use pre-existing lines on a court to help guide your track. Children line up each with their own soccer ball or if short on equipment, just give the first child in line a ball - returning children can pass their ball to the next child in line.

How to play
Step 1:
  • When you say, "Go", the first participant in line begins dribbling around the track, passing through the gates on the way
Step 2:
  • Once the child has been around the whole track, they high 5 the next person in line, who then begins dribbling around the track
Step 3:
  • Continue until all children have had a turn
    • Count how many gates you each pass through and total up your points!
    • Or, see how many times the team can get around in, for example, 3 minutes
Variations
Make it easier
  • When a child is halfway through the track, the next child can go (requires multiple balls)
  • Make the track shorter
Make it harder
  • You can have children dribble around the cones at the gate instead of just moving through it
  • Children can try dribbling on the run
  • Make the track longer
Activity information
Age: Kindergarten, Pre-Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
Equipment: Soccer balls, Markers
Duration: 10 minutes
Skill focus
Explore these skills for teaching tips
Skill teaching

When teaching soccer dribbling, first demonstrate the following teaching cues before handing out soccer balls;

  1. Keep the ball close like it is attached with a short bit of string to your foot
  2. Small, soft taps of the ball
  3. Use all parts of your foot
  4. Look up
  5. Use both feet

Then let the children have a practice before starting the game.

Physical literacy tips
  • Adults/older siblings join in too!
  • Let the children design a new track after the first round