Empty the Nest

High-volume dribbling at speed with a tight turn at each end, plus pacing decisions — sprint empty-handed, control the ball coming home.

Cone a 6x6 yard nest in the centre of a 25x20 yard box and fill it with all the balls (the eggs). Mark a home nest with two cones on each end line. Teams of 3–4 line up behind their home nest.

1. On 'ROB THE NEST!', the first player on each team sprints to the centre, takes ONE egg, and dribbles it home.
2. The moment the egg is stopped dead inside the home nest, the next teammate goes — one robber per team on the pitch at a time.
3. When the centre nest is empty, count eggs: most eggs wins round one.
4. Then the coach yells 'MOTHER BIRD IS COMING!' — same relay in reverse, racing to dribble every egg back and stop it dead inside the centre nest.
5. First team with an empty home nest and hands on heads wins round two. Play 2–3 full cycles.

• Sprint flat out when you have no ball — save the careful feet for the egg.
• First touch out of the nest pushes the ball towards home, not sideways.
• Little touches like tip-toes as you arrive — the egg must STOP inside the nest.
• Look up mid-dribble to dodge robbers coming the other way.

• Players blast the egg home from distance and chase it — the egg must arrive under control, so demand a touch every stride inside the final five yards.
• The next robber creeps out early — make them hold one foot on the home-nest cone until the egg stops.
• Waiting players switch off — give them the counting job: chant the team's egg total every delivery.

• Eggs must be stopped with a sole-roll turn before they count.
• Allow stealing from other teams' home nests once the centre is empty.
• Weaker-foot-only dribbles for the older or stronger players.

• Move home nests closer to the centre.
• Carry the egg in hands for round one, feet from round two.
• Two robbers per team at once so turns come around faster.

• One egg per trip, and a rolling egg doesn't count — it must be stopped dead in the nest before the next robber leaves.