Chipping

Air Control | Alligator River | Bombs Away

Chipping, or passing balls through the air, could just as easily be listed as a sub-category of passing. Chipping makes distant teammates available in possession situations, and creates quick attacks in breakthrough situations.

For players who can get the ball in the air a bit, Air Control is the ideal High Impact Skill Activity. Alligator River is for newer players and U-Littles. Bombs Away (also described under Heading) combines chipping and heading, and is also for more experienced players.

Air Control

One court can accommodate four players, in teams of two. To accommodate more players, set up as many adjacent courts as necessary. A player must chip over an opponent’s box to the box of a teammate. Both teams chip at the same time (see diagram).

Rules for Air Control

Court. Four large boxes are arranged in a row. Each box is fifteen to twenty-five paces long. Larger boxes force players to try longer chips.
Teams and Starting Position. Players pair off into teams. Each player occupies a box two boxes away from a teammate, with an opponent’s box in between. Each team has a ball.
Object of the Game. Players try to score points by chipping over an opponent’s box to the box of a teammate. The first team to perform ten successful chips wins.
How the Game Proceeds. Both teams begin chipping at the same time. The ball must be moving when it’s chipped, and reach the teammate’s box in the air. The teammate must then touch the ball at least twice inside the box, and the team must announce its point total. Players in the middle boxes may pause at any time to catch or deflect an opposing chip, but must give the ball back immediately. Each player must alternate between a right-footed and left-footed chip.

Air Control proves the value of a good challenge. Players don’t want to fall behind . . . or nail opponents in the behind. They find a way to get the ball up in the air.

Alligator River

New players usually aren’t ready for Bombs Away. Their chips will nail opponents. They need Alligator River as a stepping stone. Players chip over an imaginary river instead of over opponents (see diagram). For a laugh with U-Littles, tell players that an alligator will eat balls that land short.

Rules for Alligator River

Playing Area. Two parallel lines of cones, at least fifteen paces apart, represent a river. The river should be wide enough that players can’t chip over it too easily. If the players are of vastly different skill levels, the river may be wider at one end than the other.
Teams and Starting Positions. Players pair off into teams, and each team has a ball. One teammate begins on each side of the river, about three paces from the river bank.
Object of the Game. Teams try to score as many goals as possible by chipping over the river. The ball must be moving when it’s chipped, reach the other side in the air, and be touched twice on the other side before it stops rolling.
How the Game Proceeds. All the teams begin chipping at the same time. Players must alternate between right-footed and left-footed chips. After scoring a point, a team must announce its total score. The coach keeps time, and proclaims when the game is over. The team with the most points wins.

Bombs Away

This HISA which combines chipping and heading, and is also included in the heading session. Players chip into the goal area, where teammates head or shoot on goal (see diagram). If the chips are too short, opponents may head them in.

Rules For Bombs Away

Field Setup. The field is set up around a regulation-size goal. Corners and touch lines are located thirty to forty paces from the goal. An arc-shaped Keeper area surrounds the goal, and a dividing line extends from that arc.
Teams and Starting Positions. Each team has two to six players, divided evenly between Crossers and Shooters. Crossers line up along a touch line with several soccer balls. Shooters begin near the opposite post, behind the dividing line. Shooters may not cross the dividing line, or enter the Keeper area. The Keeper may not leave the Keeper area.
Object of the Game. Teams score as many points as possible by crossing balls and shooting on goal. A headed shot counts two points, while other shots count one point.
How a Try Works. A Crosser gets the ball moving and crosses it to teammates, one of whom may shoot. The shot must be made with one touch. If the cross is short, a Shooter from the opposing team may shoot for points or clear the ball away.
How a Round Proceeds. After crossing the ball, the crosser gets back in line as the other team crosses from the opposite side. The round continues for two minutes, with one team crossing and then the other. Each Crosser must cross with the right foot and then the left foot. To use the required foot, a Crosser may dribble into the corner, and pull the ball back in the opposite direction. After each score, a team must announce its point total.
Rotating to Other Stations. A new round begins every two minutes, as players rotate to new stations. For the second round, players switch places with their teammates. Then, they rotate to the other two stations. After four rounds, the team with the most points wins.