Play Phase session: hot potato caterpillar

Session overview   

This session will help players:   

• develop a variety of movement skills   
• improve their ability to work in a team   
• become comfortable with a football at a young age.  

If you like this idea, download the session cards and give it a go. And don’t forget to share your experience on the England Football Community. We’d love to know how you got on.

Organisation 

Hot potato caterpillar is a ‘closed loop game’. This is when you play for a set amount of time or to achieve a particular goal. Participation could be either individual or in a team. The key is that there is a clear ending for when the game stops.  

It is simple to set up. You only need a group of players, a ball for each team and some brightly coloured cones to mark a finish line. 

How to play

The aim of the game is to reach the finish line first. Split your players into teams of equal numbers. Each team sits down in a line, facing forward. This line is the caterpillar. 

The first player holds a ball, which is the potato. When you shout "GO", they pass the ball over their head to the player behind. The player who has passed the ball then gets up, runs to the back of the line and sits down. They then wait for the ball to reach them again. 

The caterpillar keeps moving backwards towards a finish line marked by cones. The winning team is the one that finishes quickest.