[little sage]

Here is one of my favourite games. I learned it from a friend during my TEFL course and have been using it regularly ever since. It's a great fast-paced review of new vocabulary or words taught a few lessons ago that students may have forgotten.

Materials Needed: 1 game board (see downloadable attachment, below), 1 big stack of vocabulary cards (words or pictures), an eraser or coin or something else to act as the "soccer ball", at least 2 students.

Method:

1) Explain the object of the game: to advance the soccer ball into the net by answering questions faster than your opponent (correctly, of course).

1) Divide students into 2 groups- it doesn't matter if the groups are unequally numbered- and have them make two lines, facing you. Try to balance the teams by pitting same-level students against each other.

2) Flash the first students in line a card. The first one to read it gets to advance the soccer ball toward the net where they will score.

3) If both students answer at the same time, quickly flash them another card. This is when the game gets exciting.

4) After one student has come out the winner, these students move to the end of the line and the next students in line have a turn.

5) Repeat.

VARIATIONS:

A) Instead of the printable board, you can use a sketch of a soccer field on the white board. The disadvantage is that you have to erase the soccer ball each time a team moves.

B) Large classes: Demo the game with a few students, then designate some leaders and give them vocabulary cards and a game board each, break the rest of the students into groups and have them play for a set time. After say, 3 minutes, have the students with the vocabulary cards change and go to play with 2 different groups.


This game can get very noisy, but it's great fun. If your stack of vocabulary cards is thin, students repeat words so many times that they sometimes begin correcting each others pronunciation, aiming at perfection.

Since it is something like a drill, it's best to keep the game fast and short: over 10 minutes and everyone can lose interest. Again, keeping it fast does involve pitting students who are similar in level as well as vocal range against each other. Setting either a time limit or a score limit "first team to 3 points wins" also helps to keep up the pace. Enjoy!

[mesmark]

That's great Karen! I played a game similar to that but I like your version better. Yours is a much more exciting faster pace game.

For larger classes you can just use a magnet as the ball and kids can move the magnet around instead of drawing and erasing the ball.

The same can be done with the board you've uploaded. Just put it up on the board and move a magnet around as the ball.

******variation******

for this game or any line up game including slam, slap ...

I like to stop the students and have a rock-paper-scissors round.

1. All the students simultaniously play rock-paper-scissors against me.
2. Students who win or tie stay where they are.
3. Students who lose have to change lines.

I do it 3-4 times during the game.

They love to hate this!

It also puts a little bit of excitement into the game if you're playing it over and over. Also, everyone then has a chance to win or lose at any time.

- Mark

[Manuela]

Karen I like this game . I've just downloaded it and am going to use it with my troublemaking 10-year-olds tomorrow. It is a class that cannot concentrate on books so I find that the only way to keep them going is by playing. They've really learnt a lot and have come to like me as well.

[Manuela]

Thank you. My students loved your game. The moment they saw the board they knew how to play it, wanted to play it, did fine. I just started them by playing with two students who had finished their crossword puzzle first and then I let those students start two more game centers. What I liked was the fact that kids who are slow in replying really accelerated their responses. Thanks again.

[mesmark]

I've been playing the soccer game all week with different classes and the kids love it. I can review so much for so long without them getting bored.

Thanks a lot Karen!

Did you make that?

[little sage]

Quote Manuela

What I liked was the fact that kids who are slow in replying really accelerated their responses.

Yes, I agree. I've noticed the shy and quiet kids tend to find a louder voice within themselves in the spirit of the game.

Very glad you like it!

Karen

[little sage]

Quote mesmark

Did you make that?

Mark, the board posted on the site was created by hubby under my direction My Photoshop skills are lacking, to say the least. What takes me hours and ends in sobbing takes him only a few minutes. And no sobbing. Usually.

I'm glad you like the game. I like you're rock-scissors-paper change the teams around variation. Very useful when one team starts to dominate.


Karen

[Eric]

Here are some soccer balls to use as markers for the game. There are 20 different colors.

[mesmark]

You could also give out those soccer balls as point markers.

It's nice to get something tangible when a goal is scored.

[Eric]

Quote mesmark

You could also give out those soccer balls as point markers.

It's nice to get something tangible when a goal is scored.

Good call!

[osakajoe]

Quote Eric

Here are some soccer balls to use as markers for the game. There are 20 different colors.

I am logged in with my name showing, but when
I try to download the markers, I am thrown out to the log in page asking for my signon and password. I input it, but again am thrown out to the log in page....

Sure would love to download the markers.

[Eric]

Quote osakajoe

I am logged in with my name showing, but when
I try to download the markers, I am thrown out to the log in page asking for my signon and password. I input it, but again am thrown out to the log in page....

Sure would love to download the markers.

thats really strange. try doing a hard refresh on the page. also, make sure the address of the page contains a "www" in the title or click here and try again.

if you still have troubles, please post again and we'll take the next step to figure this out.

[eslPappaBear]

Great Game! You were mentioning that if you do this on a board, you may have to redraw the soccer ball. Most boards that I have seen support magnets that can also be used for the soccer ball. Seems to work well. Thanks for the idea, I'll be using it for most of my classes during World Cup Activities!

[mesmark]

This is certainly a good game during the World Cup

Welcome to the forums eslPappaBear!

[Chaulan]

Thank you for your hard work!!

[jakda]

I always play this game. I use a variation of it and play it on the chalkboard using bluetack for the football. It was very good during the world cup in Spain but things can get a bit rowdy, especially with football loving teenagers.

The variation I used was I asked a player on one team a question. If they couldn't answer it, it would go to the next player in line on the other team. This introduced a 'counter attack' and made it a little more exciting.

I tried it once when I was subsituting for an adult class. They were very quiet at first and it made a big difference.

[Aleksandar]

I am about to ''steal'' your idea, as I need to come up with a game for the 'material project', which is apparently very important for me to successfully finish my TEFL course. Am I glad I found it, I've been struggling for days here trying to come up with a game. I appreciate you sharing this one! Thanks a lot.

[ray9908]

great stuff, my 2 10yr old spanish boys will go crazy with this tomorrow. many thanks

[NEta]

Thanks for a great game idea - and replies that have added good ideas for variations and implementation.
I have always used games in class, and am giving a workshop on using and designing games for language learning. I'm so happy to have one more,DIFFERENT game to show the teachers- in fact I am going to get them to play it as part of the workshop. I'm sure the whole school will be playing "soccer" this term.
Will definitely be directing the teachers to this website.
HAve been away from EFL teaching for many years now, still miss it.

[arielhud]

This is awesome!!! I love it! ^___^ I'm going to suggest it to my fellow teachers tomorrow and see how my kindergarten class handles it.