The Restart

Every attack the other team gets starts with your restart, and every attack you get can start with theirs — so tonight the U12s learn that the goalkeeper's kick is the first pass of the move, not the end of the last one.

Ladies football
U12
60 min
14–24 girls
2 coaches
Effort 3/5
Half pitch
u12
ladies-football
goalkeeper
kickout
restart
press

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 10 footballs (size 4), 30 cones, 16 bibs (2 colours), 2 keeper bibs, a tee if your keeper likes one

Warm-up10 min

Catch the Restart

Setup: A 30m channel with a keeper (or coach) on the end line and a scatter of receivers spread across it. A ball supply beside the keeper. Rotate a new keeper in every couple of minutes so several girls try the role.

How it works: The keeper restarts the ball out into the channel — a gentle kick to begin — and the receivers read the flight, move to it and claim it with two hands to the chest, then hand-pass it back to the ball supply. No competition yet, just the habit of moving to the ball instead of waiting for it to land on your head. Build in the waking-up jobs between serves: leg swings, side shuffles, a few rising strides. After a few rounds, add a second receiver going for the same ball so they learn to call MINE early and attack the drop.

What to say

“Tell them: 'move to the ball — meet it, don't wait for it.'”
“Tell them: 'two hands to the chest, catch it like it's precious.'”
“Tell them: 'call MINE loud and early so we don't clash.'”

Easier

Keeper serves a high looping ball straight to one receiver; no competition; catch off the bounce is fine.

Harder

STEPR: keeper varies short and long with no warning; two receivers compete for every ball so the catch is contested.

Activity12 min

Short or Long

Setup: Set up a real restart shape on half the pitch: a keeper on the end line, two corner-backs on cones near each sideline, two midfielders further out. Cone targets for a short option near each corner and a long option through the middle.

How it works: The keeper has two pictures to read. On the call SHORT, a corner-back breaks hard to her cone and shows for a low, safe restart into the corner; on LONG, a midfielder attacks the middle target for a bigger kick. The keeper decides which is on and delivers, and everyone else adjusts — when it goes short, the near midfielder drops to offer the next pass; when it goes long, the corner-backs push up in support. No defenders yet, so the picture is clean. The point is simple and grown-up: the keeper picks the option, she is not just booting it and hoping.

What to say

“Tell them: 'keeper, look up and pick — short if it's safe, long if it's on.'”
“Tell them: 'receivers, break to the ball as she strikes, not before.'”
“Tell them: 'whoever isn't getting it, drop and offer the next pass.'”

Easier

Keeper is told SHORT or LONG by the coach each time; targets are cones, no receiver needed, just the accurate kick.

Harder

STEPR: add one defender who picks either the short or the long option to take away, so the keeper must choose the free one.

Activity14 min

The Press

Setup: Same restart shape, now add an opposition line in bibs: two players marking the corner-backs, one on the midfielder. Coaches manage the numbers so it stays fair.

How it works: Now the other team gets to make life hard. On the keeper's restart the pressers mark up tight and try to force the long kick or steal the short one. The receiving team learns the counter: corner-backs make a sharp move to lose their marker for a second, midfielders show and spin, and if nothing is on the keeper resets and goes again rather than forcing it into trouble. Play it as a set piece — restart, one phase, freeze, reset — so both the taking side and the pressing side get to rehearse their jobs calmly. Swap the teams over halfway so everyone presses and everyone builds.

What to say

“Tell them: 'pressers, mark tight and push them long — make the safe ball hard.'”
“Tell them: 'receivers, a quick move to get free, then show two hands.'”
“Tell them: 'keeper, if it's not on, reset — never gift it away.'”

Easier

Pressers must start a few steps back so the short option is usually available; one phase only, then reset.

Harder

STEPR: pressers may go man-for-man all over so the keeper has to earn every restart; a steal by the pressing team is worth a point.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

PitchPlans coaching team

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