Jose Mourinho Fun Handball Game

Igniting energy into a training session can sometimes be a challenge when coaches have daily access to their players. Occasionally it can be a good idea to start the session in a different or unconventional way in order to spark some excitement or break the routine for the players. This is an example from Jose Mourinho during the Manchester United pre-season tour of 2019. It's a game which not only changes the routine for players, it also challenges them to make decisions and process information at speed and allows them to compete against one another.

The conditions of the exercise seem to be as follows:

- Teams are split into four teams with six players each

- Game takes place in approximately a 30x20 yard area

- Two teams work together to compete against each other: red and blue versus yellow and green

- The objective is to work with the other color to keep possession from your opponents with these restrictions

- Red are only allowed to use their hands and must roll the ball along the ground when playing to their blue teammates, who cannot use their hands. Blue players must chip the ball into the hands of the red players when looking to pass to them.

- When red passes to a red teammate it must be a throw, and when blue passes to a blue, it must a pass with their feet.

- The same conditions apply on the other team where yellows use their hands and green players can only use their feet

Below is a clip of the game with some explanations.

This article was written by Gary Curneen. If you would like to support the FREE articles and resources that MSC provides, enjoy the ideas or are looking for more on session design and breakdowns, please check out the Modern Soccer Coach books here.