Popup goals

If you have a pair of popup soccer goals at your disposal, you’ll never have too much trouble setting up a game or training session. Whether you’re enjoying a family picnic or a day at the beach, lightweight and portable football goals you simply unfold and put on the ground have the potential to transform your relationship with the beautiful game. 

But if you want to make things a little more interesting, there are some unique and fun alternatives to five and six-a-side matches. Here are just a few of them.

1. Target Practice Challenge

Target Practice Challenge can be tailored to suit players of all skill levels. Coaches or organisers set up the popup soccer goals in a variety of configurations, including different heights and angles, to create varying levels of difficulty. 

Additionally, they can introduce challenges such as time limits or specific shot techniques to further enhance the players' abilities. By using a scoring system that rewards accuracy and consistency, participants are motivated to focus on improving their shooting technique, spatial awareness and decision-making under pressure.

2. Mini-Goal Football Tournaments

Think about playing mini-formats to keep the competition engaging. Even if there are only four of you, playing in teams of two is great fun on the beach, at the park or on the local playing fields. 

For example, your tournament might include knockout rounds, round-robin matches or even themed tournaments like a World Cup-style event. Introducing rules such as limited touches per player or specific field sizes adds an extra layer of strategy and challenge. By emphasising teamwork, communication and adaptability, players develop essential skills while having a huge amount of fun. 

3. Goalkeeper Wars

Lay down a line of football cones to mark the centerline between the two goals. Each goalkeeper starts in their respective goal — ready to defend and attack. One goalkeeper starts with the ball in their hands, and the game begins.

The aim of the game is for each goalkeeper to score goals while preventing the opponent from doing the same. Goalkeepers can score by throwing or kicking the ball into the opposing goalkeeper's goal. Points are typically awarded for goals scored. Different variations of the game may have varying scoring systems, such as awarding points for saves or specific types of goals.

The great thing about playing goalkeeper wars with popup football goals is that you can create your own version of the game. 

The goalkeeper who accumulates the most points or wins the most rounds/halves is declared the winner of the goalkeeper wars match.

4. Relay Race Dribbling

Improve your dribbling skills, touch and control with an impromptu game of relay race dribbling — at home, on the beach or at the local park. 

Arrange popup goals as markers along a designated course, spaced out evenly. Additionally, set up gates along the course using football cones or other markers. Ensure the course provides enough space for players to dribble comfortably. And, of course, you’ll need a quality football. 

Divide players into teams, with an equal number of players on each team. Each team should line up at the starting point of the course. One player from each team begins the race by dribbling the ball through the series of gates along the course. The aim is to navigate through the gates as quickly as possible while maintaining control of the ball.

Once the first player completes the dribbling section of the course, they pass the ball to the next teammate waiting at the next marker, who then continues dribbling through the remaining gates.

The last player in each team finishes the race by dribbling through the final set of gates and shooting the ball into a popup goal positioned at the end of the course.

5. The Crossbar Challenge

Made famous by Sky’s Soccer AM, The Crossbar Challenge is great for working on your long passing. It also happens to be lots of fun. 

Place a popup goal at a designated spot on the field. Players take turns standing at different distances from the goal. Each player — in rotation — attempts to hit the crossbar of the popup goal with their shot. They can choose their preferred shooting technique, whether it's a powerful strike, a finesse shot or a chip.

A successful hit on the crossbar earns the player a point. Keep track of each player's successful hits.

You can change things up by varying the distances from which players take their shots. You can also introduce obstacles such as football mannequins or require shots to be taken with the weaker foot.

The player who hits the crossbar the most times at the end of the game wins. Encourage everyone to focus on their shooting accuracy, technique and consistency throughout the challenge.

6. Passing Accuracy Challenge

When you have a set of popup football goals in your car, you can turn every day out into a training session. And if you need to improve your passing, this is the game for you. 

Arrange popup goals at various locations on the field, each with different distances and angles from the players. Ensure that there's enough space between the goals to create a challenging environment.

Divide the players into pairs. Each pair will work together throughout the challenge. Players take turns passing the ball to their partner — aiming to hit the popup goals. They can use different passing techniques such as short passes, long passes, ground passes or lofted passes based on the distance and angle of the goals.

Award points for successful passes that hit the popup goals. You can assign different point values based on the difficulty of the pass or the distance from the goal.

Encourage players to communicate effectively with their partners to coordinate their passes accurately. Clear communication enhances teamwork and ensures better execution of passes. By aiming at popup goals placed at various distances and angles, players develop spatial awareness and improve their ability to judge distances and angles accurately during gameplay.

7. Obstacle Courses

Not only is an obstacle course fun, but it’s also a great way to hone your dribbling skills, touch and control when you have football at your feet. 

Arrange cones, hurdles and other items you have available to create a challenging obstacle course on the field or court. Incorporate various obstacles such as zig-zag cones, agility poles and hurdles to test players' dribbling skills and agility.

Players navigate through the obstacle course while dribbling the ball. They must use quick footwork and precise ball control to manoeuvre around obstacles effectively.

Place popup goals at the end of the course as the final challenge. Players aim to score by shooting the ball into the popup goals after completing the obstacle course. This adds a finishing element to the challenge and encourages players to stay focused until the end.

Time each player's run through the course to determine the fastest time. Players can compete individually or in teams, adding a competitive element to the challenge.

Buy Popup Football Goals Today

Buy a set of portable popup football goals you can carry around or keep in the boot of your car, and you’ll be able to set up impromptu games and training sessions just about anywhere!