Game version
Flag dodge: a partner tries to pull your flag while you step and weave, with no body contact. A pulled flag just means swap.
Minnows Across the Pond
A team game: minnows run across with flags on while a shark tries to pull them.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Mark a 15-yard pond.
Core: Jogs. Beat your own count of flags kept.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Flag belts, cones, partners
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Evasion
The steps
How it works
- Mark a 15-yard pond.
- Minnows wear flags and run across on "go".
- A pulled minnow becomes a shark helper.
- Play 4 rounds and swap the first shark.
Coaching point
Find the gap, keep going.
Safety: Non-contact: keep your hands and arms away from your flags (no flag guarding), no stiff arms, and never leave your feet to avoid a pull. Wear a mouthguard in any partner or game drill (and soft headgear if your league requires it). Keep your head up, call for the ball, and give way in traffic.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (partner walks), Core (jogs), More (two cones to weave). Beat your own count of flags kept.
Story
You are a fox slipping past the farmer.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own count of flags kept. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
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