Field space and access to goals are two things that youth soccer coaches are always struggling with. Selecting Pugg goals or Bownets is one of the first decisions a coach has to make. Small sided goals for youth soccer training is a must as they are key to small sided games and vital to teaching proper passing technique. Even if there is access to full size goals, small goals are a necessary part of any training package.
The question for the coach is what small goals should a coach purchase? Make no mistake, small goals are an investment, so choosing the right goal out of the gate is important. There are two industry leaders in the small goal manufacturing space, Pugg and Bownets . The following is a head to head comparison of the two based on the following four factors: Training Effectiveness, Ease of Set Up, Cost and Storage.
Training Effectiveness
The effectiveness in training is obviously very subjective, but there are some specific difference between these two goal systems. The shapes of the two goals are very extremely dissimilar. The Puggs are semi-circles and the Bownets are rectangles. If you are teaching players to aim for corners and the posts, then the bownets are likely the better choice. Another factor that has to be considered is the environmental impacts on these two goals. When the bownets are set up, they stay set up; while the Puggs are often blown over by the wind, or get flipped over by the shots of the players. The Bownets handle shots, weather, and player contact better than the Puggs.
On turf, there is no comparison between these two goal systems. You will often see backpacks, coaching equipment or water bottles placed on the Puggs to keep them down and in place. The Bownets on the other hand stand tall and firm with no assistance at all. Win Bownets .
Ease of Set Up
The Pugg set up is very simple, once they are out of the bag, they just pop right up. The Bownets require a more effort, especially if they were not taken down properly. I have spent a lot of time putting up Bownets when the nets get tangled up, from the tear down the practice before. The Puggs pop right up and are ready to play. Tear down of the Bownets is pretty quick, sometimes quicker than the Puggs when the Puggs won’t bend the right way and players struggle to get them into their case. On turf, the Bownets are ready to go once they are set up, but the Puggs often need a little help to make sure they stay upright. From a pure set up perspective, the win goes to the Puggs.
Cost
Obviously prices are constantly changing and I invite you to Amazon to check the current prices, but typically the Puggs are significantly less expensive than the Bownets. Last time I checked you could get two Puggs for less than the price of one Bownet Goal. So if price is the driving factor, then you can’t beat the Puggs. Pugg goals or Bownets? The win goes to Puggs.
Storage
This is a no brainer. The single biggest downside of the Puggs is the size of the Pugg goals. While they are flat, they are extremely large and difficult to get into most cars. The Bownet goals on the other hand, pack up into extremely small packages and are very easy to transport. If you are a coach with a small car, the size of the Puggs can be a real detriment as transporting balls, cones, and other coaching equipment can take up a lot of space. The Bownet goals fold down and basically take up no space in the trunk. Win Bownet.
Conclusion on Pugg Goals or Bownets
It is very close, but for me the Bownet wins as it is easy to store and transport, is more effective as a training aid, and stands up better during training. Those items overcome the extra cost and set up time over the course of training. So if you are looking for an investment for your coaching kit or the perfect gift for a soccer coach, you really can’t go wrong with either of these two, but I would lean toward the Bownets.
| Pugg | Bownet | |
| Training Effectiveness | X | |
| Ease of Set Up | X | |
| Cost | X | |
| Storage | X |
Hopefully you found this helpful!
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