Street Soccer Without a Referee: Agree, Play, Reflect
Based on the street soccer approach that uses mediators, each game has three halves: teams agree on their rules, play without a referee and then talk it over to award fair play points. Students practice self-regulation, conflict resolution and small-sided play.
How to play
- Set up two 22 x 16-yard fields with small goals and 5 teams of 5; each round, one team serves as mediators split between the fields.
- First half (3 min): the two teams and their mediator agree on three rules, such as everyone must touch the ball before a goal or no tackles from behind.
- Second half (7 min): 5-on-5 game with no referee; players call their own fouls by raising a hand.
- Third half (3 min): with the mediator, each team rates from 1 to 3 how well rules were followed, respect and self-managed conflicts.
- Final score: 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie, plus the agreed fair play points, recorded on the worksheet.
- Play 2 rounds, switching opponents and the mediating team.
Rules
- No slide tackles and no studs-up challenges.
- If you commit a foul, admit it and give the ball back to the other team.
- If players can't agree on a call, stop and restart with a drop ball.
- Mediators don't referee: they only guide the discussion in the first and third halves.
Variations
Easier
Play 4-on-4 with two agreed rules and the teacher as mediator.
Standard
Play 5-on-5 with three agreed rules and student mediators.
Harder
Each team also proposes an inclusion rule the other team must accept or negotiate.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student can play in a protected zone where no one pressures them, or serve as lead mediator.
- Hearing impairment: fouls are called by raising a hand and stopping, without relying on voice.
- Lower fitness: free substitutions every 2 minutes with a teammate.
Learning goals
- Agree on game rules and follow them without a referee.
- Resolve conflicts through dialogue with opponents.
- Make tactical decisions in small-sided games.
Equipment for a class of 25
- soccer balls: 3
- small goals: 4
- pinnies: 25
- cones: 16
- worksheets: 5
Teacher tip
First agreements tend to be vague, so push for specific, observable rules. Fair play points must count as much as the score or students won't value them.
PatioLab has "Street Soccer Without a Referee: Agree, Play, Reflect" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for High School
1-2-3 Touch Cooperative Rally
Two groups of three, one on each side of the net, work together to keep the longest rally possible in three phases: one touch, two touches, and three touches per side.
1-2-3-2-1 Running Pyramid Intervals
An interval workout where the fast segments build from 1 to 3 minutes and back down, with half that time as jogging recovery.
1-on-1 Self-Pass Volleyball
One-on-one games on narrow 10 x 20 foot courts where each player must self-pass before sending the ball over.
10-20-30 interval running in pairs
The 10-20-30 method strings together 30 seconds of easy jogging, 20 at a moderate pace and 10 at top speed, in five-minute blocks.
1v1 Ball Volley Matches
1v1 ball volley: singles games on a small court with a low net, hitting the ball over the net and allowing one bounce.
2-on-1 Fast Break with a Chasing Defender
Two attackers push a fast break against a defender waiting at the basket while a second defender chases from behind with a few yards' head start against them.