Soccer goals for children: buying tips and useful accessories

mini foosball
Soccer goals for the garden and holidays: this is how you score a direct hit with your children

King Football was and is the number 1 ball sport for children. Of course, kicking in the garden or behind the house is only really fun with football goals. But which one is the right one and what should you pay attention to before buying?

More than seven million Germans were registered in a football club in 2022 – including many children and young people. Only fitness clubs had, according to one Statista survey from 2022 on paper more members. And no matter how excellently one can discuss the moral decay in professional football and the sometimes anything but exemplary behavior of so-called football idols: No other sport attracts as many would-be Messis and hobby Haalands to the fresh air as king football. The youth departments of the vast majority of football clubs can hardly save themselves from inquiries. And that’s good. Even if you are helpless in the face of this onslaught due to a lack of sports areas and supervisors in many places. But this is another story.

The DFB recommends these mini goals: Nothing for the garden

That “the round belongs in the square” is the undisputed wisdom of football. Now there are the angular (just like the round) in all kinds of designs. Especially when it comes to soccer goals for children, there is a large selection. In clubs, stable mini goals are played for the youngest. They are 1.20 meters wide and 80 centimeters high and are recommended by the German Football Association (DFB) for the Funino game form introduced in F and E youth. However, such gates with thick and fully welded aluminum profiles are rather unsuitable for your own garden. On the one hand, because they are bulky and heavy, on the other hand, the aluminum mini goals in a set cost up to 1000 euros. This saves space and, above all, is significantly cheaper.

BazookaGoal and pop-up goals

One of the most popular soccer goals for children is the so-called BazookaGoal. According to the manufacturer, the original stands within ten seconds, has the dimensions of an aluminum mini goal and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Including the carrying case, the pop-up case weighs just over four kilograms. The linkage is made of fiberglass composites. Integrated springs should ensure that that Bazooka Goal stands securely even without being fixed to the ground. Our opinion: An exciting option not only for the garden, but also for the holidays. Provided you go on holiday by car.

Pop-up goals with thin fiberglass poles are significantly cheaper. Although they stand a little faster than the bazooka, they are not nearly as resistant. For children up to the age of six, however, these foldable football goals also serve their purpose. Nice: They are usually offered as a set of 2. The Combo from EasyPlay weighs only about one kilogram and comes with four ground anchors and four protective feet for asphalt, which can be stowed in a cross-body carry bag.

They can be used as beach or indoor soccer goals Midgets of Umbro at. With a width of only 50 centimeters, you have to aim very precisely here, but the foldable set fits in any beach bag and at 1.3 kilograms is not too heavy. The rods are made of plastic and the folding technique is similar to that of the BazookaGoal.

Soccer goals in the garden: models for wind and weather

Anyone who has the opportunity to permanently set up football goals for the children in the garden should definitely make sure that the rods and the net are weatherproof and weatherproof. In addition, something more than a bent aluminum ground anchor is needed to fix it in the ground. If possible, it can be helpful to anchor the gates to the rear, similar to a tent. At Pro Tect by Hudora The post and crossbar are covered with soft foam to reduce the risk of injury. With a weight of around ten kilograms per goal, this variant can only be recommended for permanent installation. In addition, there should be a way to dry the goals in winter. Attention: Larger goals can usually no longer be folded up and require a corresponding amount of space.

Soccer goals for kids: These accessories are useful (and fun)

So that the soccer goals stand securely, they should always be fixed in the ground. If the supplied ground anchors are not sufficient, they can help U-shape wind skewers. They are placed on the cross braces from above and pressed into the ground. This reduces the risk of ripping the ground anchors out of the ground with a powerful shot. Mobile goal walls, which are mainly available for goals with larger dimensions, are more entertaining. The tarpaulins with the holes typical of goal walls at the bottom right and top left (here’s a Model by Hudora) are usually attached to posts and battens using a click system. The goal wall shooting can begin. And we almost forgot “the round”. In the E and F youth, the DFB recommends size 3 footballs Ultra Light Synergy 290 by Uhlsport weighs only 290 grams and is therefore perfectly suited for the still growing bones and joints of the little kickers.

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