What is 3 vs 3 or Street Soccer or Pelada or Petit Goal or taking a sweat or kick-about ?
Street soccer is the most basic and most popular pick up game type. It is easy to organize, inexpensive and more importantly, it allows you to try all your tricks and improve your technical abilities without necessarily disrespecting the game and your team mates.
Every region has a different name for it. In the United States and Canada, we call it “pick-up soccer" or "Drop in Soccer.” In Trinidad, it is called "taking a sweat." In England, they call it "having a kick-about." In Cameroon, they call it "Petit-Goal". In Brazil, it is “pelada” which means "naked"— the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere—and it’s a window into lives all around the world.
I have learned all my soccer tricks and developed my soccer instincts while playing soccer on the streets when i grew up. We used to play after school, during the break in high school and on week ends on the streets.
All we needed was a small surface and a ball. We were using our bags or whatever we could find (stones, cones,..) to set up the goal. The game was played most of the time without a referee and we were calling our fouls ourselves.
Most street soccer games are played without a goal keeper and no hand ball is allowed anywhere on the field, even in the goal area.
To challenge ourselves, we were always keeping the score and we were reminded the current score after every goal.
"If there's one area Klinsmann fears the United States lags behind the rest of the world, it's in the amount of time kids spend kicking the ball around — especially on their own. Basketball has a thriving pick-up culture in America; soccer doesn't.
That has been the difference even on the highest level when you have a men's national team," Klinsmann said. "What are their technical capabilities? What is their vision on the field? What is their spontaneous decisions — are they making the right calls? Can they deal with emotions on the field?"
I have compiled some interesting street soccer sites, photos, articles and videos here:
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Amateur Co-Ed Sports Platform