5-a-side

5-a-side football has been around for a long time, but has recently surged in popularity. This is due to several specialist 5-a-side centres opening around the UK, each having lots of pitches. It is a demanding game to play; although it will be a shorter match time the ball is nearly always in play as the game is played on an enclosed area (not much time for a breather!). Organised adult leagues are very popular and more centres are now running leagues for younger players.

You may well find that your child is playing 5-a-side football at school. It is a common sight to see the smaller 5-a-side goals in school gymnasiums.

It is a very good game for improving skills. Most kids love to play it and smaller sided games on small pitches are a regular feature of team training.