Warm-Up- 5v2 Players must move after playing the ball. 5 minutes and Stretch. Play 5 more minutes.
5v5+5- The Game has 3 teams. 2 possess the ball as one team while the other defends. When the defending team wins the ball the team that lost it becomes the defending team. Play can be continuous or with younger teams the Coach should play king of the balls and play a new ball in when the defending team wins the ball sop the players have a little more time to communicate and transition to possession. 5 passes equal a point for both teams in possession.
5v2 + 5v2- Another 3 team game. Divide the playing area into 3 equal areas with 1 team at either end and the third in the middle. The coach will play a ball in to a team at either end of the area. Two players from the middle enter the end area to defend and the team with the ball must put together 3 passes and then play a ball in the air or on the ground to the team on the other end of the area to score if the possessing team fails top score they become the defending team and move to the middle of the area with 2 players entering the far area to defend as the coach plays another ball in. If the possessing team scores they stay in their end of the area the two defending players move back to the center and two new defenders enter the opposite area. The Three player left behind in the center play defense passive ly looking to knock down crosses and clos down passing lanes.
7v7+Goalkeeper- Offense vs Defense- Set up is one full goal with keeper and defense set up in front and the offense defending 3 counter goals set at midfield. The size of the pitch is half the field.
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Warm-Up- Partner Volleying- Players drop the Ball and play it to their partner waist. Both Players should be on their toes and moving the whole time. Coaching points: Ankle locked. Toe pointed down and knee over the ball when striking. 5 Minutes and Stretch. After stretching one player should toss the ball to her partner and it is volleyed back using the instep do 10-15 with each foot and switch.
Striking the Ball at goal- 2 goals and 2 lines shooting simultaneously at each goal. No goalkeepers. Start by dropping the ball from the hands and volleying it. All the same coaching points from the warm up and add landing on the kicking foot after striking the ball. Progress to putting the ball on the ground. With four lines shooting players should be shooting pretty much as soon as they get back from retrieving their ball so they will get plenty of touches and it doesn’t need to last long, just long enough for them to get the feel for it. 10-15 minutes
1v1 to goal- One line of players on the post with the balls and another 20-25 yards out. The players with the ball play it out and 1v1 play starts 1 touch is allowed. You simply want the players to get a shot off. Encourage proper technique but don’t be picky the important thing is that they are getting shots off.
Death Blow- This is a shooting game where every player starts off with three points and whoever starts in the goal gets 4 points. (Starting Points may vary) Players line up 25 yards from goal and have to shoot before they reach the 18 after a player shoots the next player can go. If the player fails to score they become the goalkeeper immediately. If the player scores they retrieve their ball and get back in line. When A player gets scored on they lose a point when all points are gone the player is put but stays in goal until the someone else misses and becomes the goalkeeper. Play continues until there is only one player left.
Striking the Ball at goal- 2 goals and 2 lines shooting simultaneously at each goal. No goalkeepers. Start by dropping the ball from the hands and volleying it. All the same coaching points from the warm up and add landing on the kicking foot after striking the ball. Progress to putting the ball on the ground. With four lines shooting players should be shooting pretty much as soon as they get back from retrieving their ball so they will get plenty of touches and it doesn’t need to last long, just long enough for them to get the feel for it. 10-15 minutes
1v1 to goal- One line of players on the post with the balls and another 20-25 yards out. The players with the ball play it out and 1v1 play starts 1 touch is allowed. You simply want the players to get a shot off. Encourage proper technique but don’t be picky the important thing is that they are getting shots off.
Death Blow- This is a shooting game where every player starts off with three points and whoever starts in the goal gets 4 points. (Starting Points may vary) Players line up 25 yards from goal and have to shoot before they reach the 18 after a player shoots the next player can go. If the player fails to score they become the goalkeeper immediately. If the player scores they retrieve their ball and get back in line. When A player gets scored on they lose a point when all points are gone the player is put but stays in goal until the someone else misses and becomes the goalkeeper. Play continues until there is only one player left.
Warm Up- 7v7+1- Possession in 40 x 60 grid. Players play simple possession for 5 minutes and stretch. For the second 5 Minutes the team that can put together the most consecutive passes gets out of fitness at the end of the warm up. Fitness 50 Crunches or One Half Field National (suicide). 15 minutes.
5v5+5 Possession- In a 40 x 60 grid, 2 teams play possession against a third team. When the defending team wins the ball the team that lost it becomes the defending team becomes a possessing team and the team that lost the ball becomes the defending team. For example teams 1 and 2 start in possession a player from team 2 kicks the ball out of bounds then teams 1 and three possess and team 2 defends. 20 minutes
5v5+5 Possession- In a 40 x 60 grid, 2 teams play possession against a third team. When the defending team wins the ball the team that lost it becomes the defending team becomes a possessing team and the team that lost the ball becomes the defending team. For example teams 1 and 2 start in possession a player from team 2 kicks the ball out of bounds then teams 1 and three possess and team 2 defends. 20 minutes
5v5v5- 40 x 50 grid divided into 3 areas of play. One team occupies each of the three sections of the grid. The coach plays a ball into one end of the grid. The team receiving the ball must put together 5 passes and successfully play a ball into the opposite area of the grid to score. When the ball is played in two players from the team in the middle enter the grid to create a 5v2 in the area with the ball. If the receiving team fails to score they become the defending team and the coach plays a ball into the opposite end. The first defending team then occupies the area that the original receiving team occupied. 20 minutes
Play to Full Goals- Continue Working on Transition- Divide the field in two halves. Restriction all players must be in the attacking half of the field for goals to count. Extra points added for defenders that are in their own attacking half of the field. 15 with restriction 15 without restriction.
Warm-up- Players get a ball and a partner. One player dribbles the ball at the other at 50%-75%. Not trying to beat the defender but changing direction from left to right every 3 or 4 touches. The defender must stay in proper defensive position while backing up in front of the attacking player. Have the players go across the pitch and back then switch attacker and defender. Once each player has crossed the pitch and come back have the players stretch. After stretching players with their partner each go across the pitch and back one more time at 100%. The attacking player should be looking to meg on the defender if the defender squares up. Coaching Points: Proper body Position shoulder facing defender. Defender looking for the right opportunity to take the ball- when the attacker takes a bad touch or is off balance. Patience is a huge key for the defender… Wait for your chance to win it. 10-15 minutes
1v1’s- There were 12 players at training so I set up 2 grids to do this drill in so everyone got plenty of reps. The playing grid should be 15x20 with three players at each end (hence my two grids for twelve players) One side has all the balls this side is the defensive side. The defender plays a pass to the attacker’s feet to start play and they play against each other until the ball goes out of play or one or the other dribbles over the end line to score. Once the ball is out of play the players switch sides. Coaching Points: Proper body position. Slow down as you approach the ball so as to not over run. Curve your run at the attacker so that at the end of the run you end in the proper position. 15-20 minutes
1v1’s- There were 12 players at training so I set up 2 grids to do this drill in so everyone got plenty of reps. The playing grid should be 15x20 with three players at each end (hence my two grids for twelve players) One side has all the balls this side is the defensive side. The defender plays a pass to the attacker’s feet to start play and they play against each other until the ball goes out of play or one or the other dribbles over the end line to score. Once the ball is out of play the players switch sides. Coaching Points: Proper body position. Slow down as you approach the ball so as to not over run. Curve your run at the attacker so that at the end of the run you end in the proper position. 15-20 minutes
2v2- Same as 1v1’s just widen the playing area and have 6 players on each side. Players should at this point be put in different colors. Have one side attack and the other defend and switch sides after 5-10 minutes. First defender provides pressure. Second defender provides cover. The first defender is the defender closest to the ball. When the ball switches position the players change role from first defender to second and vice versa. 15-20 minutes. Coaching Points: Same as 1v1 plus 1st and 2nd Defender roles of pressure and cover. Feel free to freeze play and demonstrate 1st and second defender roles when a mistake is made. Also making this into a competition between the two sides works well. The attacking team gets 1 point for getting the ball over the end line the defending team gets 2 points for taking the ball and scoring.
Game to Full Goals- Keeping first and second defender in mind and freezing play sparingly to illustrate and correct 1st and 2nd defenders’ positions on the field. Keep in mind that if the other team has the ball no matter what area of the field the ball is in the closest defender is the 1st defender and provides pressure while the next closest is the 2nd defender and should be providing cover (this situation should definitely give opportunity to freeze play and illustrate the point to the players.
My U-13 Girls soccer team is having problems with communication on the field. This is their first year playing together and they are a group of girls from all three levels of play in Louisiana that is Rec, Division I, and Premier. As a result of this there is a wide gulf in each individual’s knowledge of the game this is complicated by the fact that they are playing 11v11 for the first time. After a couple of game the first where we out classed the other team by a good deal and a second which we lost I came to the realization that the girls simply didn’t know the language of the game. There was another simple problem that I discovered in the second game, the girls weren’t moving to the ball so this training session is simply to get the girls to start communicating effectively and moving to the ball.
Warm-Up- Two touch triangle passing. This is the simple triangle passing drill with 2-3 players at each point of the triangle. The drill is simple. To start a player plays the ball to a player at another point on the triangle the receiving player takes a touch towards the third line and plays a pass with the second touch then follows his or her pass. I modified the drill by making the triangle bigger between 15 and 20 yards per side and placing cones 3-5 yards out from each point of the triangle on each side of the triangle. In the modified version the players start at the point of the triangle and have to move to the other side of the inside cone to receive the ball. As the ball travels around the triangle the players are required to not only call for the ball at their feet but to give direction to the players that are receiving the ball. Play for 3-5 minutes and stretch. During stretching go over the language of the game language can vary by region but the basics such as man on, turn, feet, drop, and switch should be talked about. I know these seem like elementary things but there are time when younger players have missed them or not been taught them as is the case with some in my group. After a good stretch the players go back into triangle passing for another 5 minutes or so.
Warm-Up- Two touch triangle passing. This is the simple triangle passing drill with 2-3 players at each point of the triangle. The drill is simple. To start a player plays the ball to a player at another point on the triangle the receiving player takes a touch towards the third line and plays a pass with the second touch then follows his or her pass. I modified the drill by making the triangle bigger between 15 and 20 yards per side and placing cones 3-5 yards out from each point of the triangle on each side of the triangle. In the modified version the players start at the point of the triangle and have to move to the other side of the inside cone to receive the ball. As the ball travels around the triangle the players are required to not only call for the ball at their feet but to give direction to the players that are receiving the ball. Play for 3-5 minutes and stretch. During stretching go over the language of the game language can vary by region but the basics such as man on, turn, feet, drop, and switch should be talked about. I know these seem like elementary things but there are time when younger players have missed them or not been taught them as is the case with some in my group. After a good stretch the players go back into triangle passing for another 5 minutes or so.
8v8 Possession- This is simple possession with 5 consecutive passes equaling a point. I also added fitness for players that do not communicate before or after receiving a pass. If a player fails to communicate she gets called out by the coach and has to sprint to the nearest side line and do 10 crunches before rejoining the game. Emphasize communication with specific direction between the players. 20 Minutes in a 40x50 grid
8v8 with six small goals- Each team has three goals to attack and three to defend. Keep the same Penalties for lack of communication. Having three goals gives opportunity for plenty of switch and drop calls for the ball as players should be looking to change the point of attack. 20 Minutes in 40x50 grid.
8v8 with six small goals- Each team has three goals to attack and three to defend. Keep the same Penalties for lack of communication. Having three goals gives opportunity for plenty of switch and drop calls for the ball as players should be looking to change the point of attack. 20 Minutes in 40x50 grid.
8v8 to Full Goals- Once again keep the same penalties for lack of communication and add in penalty for calling for a ball without specific communication (i.e. calling here or shouting a players name).
MSC Chaos vs Slidell Lightning 09/15/2010
Losing isn’t very fun but I can say that I learned a few things from Saturday’s Game against Slidell. The first is that despite the dry front that came through last weekend, summer isn’t over yet and I should have planned the girls playing time based on the fact that it was going to be hot. The thought never crossed my mind; it won’t happen again. That leads to my first point, which is team fitness. Fitness is included in the off day training schedule and while most players are only playing 50 percent of each game (because of our large numbers) all of the players need to be capable of playing for 20-30 minutes straight because there will be times when it is necessary. The fitness/running is designed to simulate 20 minutes of continuous play once you get comfortable doing 20 minutes it should be upped to 25 then 30. Our fitness needs to get better many girls were struggling by the 8 or 9 minute mark of their playing time. However, I do take responsibility for not being aware of something as obvious as the weather. Second, I am still trying to figure out where the girls fit into the lineup and what they are capable of. It is with this in mind that I put together the lineup for Saturday’s game. I wasn’t trying to put together the best lineup we can muster and I certainly learned a good bit from the game. Now on to the game…
The girls were at a disadvantage from the beginning of the game due to playing on a field that wasn’t even close to what we are used to. We have been working on short quick passes and the playing surface in Slidell isn’t exactly friendly to this type of play so we found our passes falling short of their marks a lot throughout the game. This can and will be remedied by moving to the ball rather than waiting on it. By waiting on the ball to get to its mark we found ourselves defending rather than possessing the ball (possession of the ball being our focus as a team). Our lack of movement to the ball resulted in Slidell getting to it first and no matter the field conditions we have to move to the ball rather than wait on it. Slidell didn’t do anything that we can’t handle most of the time when they won a ball it simply because we weren’t there to challenge it.
The other thing that resulted in Slidell being first to the ball was a lack of communication. As I mentioned in our last game review, communication is an incredibly important part of the game; and, for most of the game, we acted as though we were in a library. On several occasions we had two players challenge for the same ball and back off because they thought the other was going to get it. Instead of winning possession in these situations where we were first to free balls Slidell won possession. After thinking about it for the entirety of LSU’s Saturday night game against Vanderbilt I realized that this may be due to the fact that many of the girls don’t know the language used to communicate in a soccer game. This is my fault and we will be going over the language of soccer this week in training.
There were moments when we were able to put some things together that looked pretty good and they started with good communication and movement off the ball. Movement off the ball is moving into space to receive a ball rather than waiting for a ball to be played and then moving to it. Movement off the ball also results in getting to the ball first; when we did this, things looked promising and provided us with some opportunities on goal. I am disappointed in the loss but I believe that the girls put in a good effort considering the heat, the playing surface and a lineup not designed to give us our best shot at winning but to provide me with some much needed information. I believe I have all the knowledge I need now to begin putting lineups together designed to win games rather than see what individual players are capable of in different areas of the field.
The most important thing to take from Saturday’s game is that we are a much better team than the scoreboard showed. Some simple problems including not having a proper referee crew (a poor showing on Slidell’s part), poor field conditions, and some easily correctable problems on our part gave Slidell only a 1-0 advantage. (I say 1-0 because the second goal was simply an incredible piece of bad luck and had nothing to do with the other teams merit or our talent… unfortunately in soccer these things happen). All in all, I am O.K. with Saturday’s game and happy with the girls performance because it gives us some things to work on that beating up on Pearl River did not (i.e. the reason we aren’t doing a good job of communicating). The girls also showed great character in not complaining about the referee situation or the field both of which they could have easily blamed for their fortunes.
The girls were at a disadvantage from the beginning of the game due to playing on a field that wasn’t even close to what we are used to. We have been working on short quick passes and the playing surface in Slidell isn’t exactly friendly to this type of play so we found our passes falling short of their marks a lot throughout the game. This can and will be remedied by moving to the ball rather than waiting on it. By waiting on the ball to get to its mark we found ourselves defending rather than possessing the ball (possession of the ball being our focus as a team). Our lack of movement to the ball resulted in Slidell getting to it first and no matter the field conditions we have to move to the ball rather than wait on it. Slidell didn’t do anything that we can’t handle most of the time when they won a ball it simply because we weren’t there to challenge it.
The other thing that resulted in Slidell being first to the ball was a lack of communication. As I mentioned in our last game review, communication is an incredibly important part of the game; and, for most of the game, we acted as though we were in a library. On several occasions we had two players challenge for the same ball and back off because they thought the other was going to get it. Instead of winning possession in these situations where we were first to free balls Slidell won possession. After thinking about it for the entirety of LSU’s Saturday night game against Vanderbilt I realized that this may be due to the fact that many of the girls don’t know the language used to communicate in a soccer game. This is my fault and we will be going over the language of soccer this week in training.
There were moments when we were able to put some things together that looked pretty good and they started with good communication and movement off the ball. Movement off the ball is moving into space to receive a ball rather than waiting for a ball to be played and then moving to it. Movement off the ball also results in getting to the ball first; when we did this, things looked promising and provided us with some opportunities on goal. I am disappointed in the loss but I believe that the girls put in a good effort considering the heat, the playing surface and a lineup not designed to give us our best shot at winning but to provide me with some much needed information. I believe I have all the knowledge I need now to begin putting lineups together designed to win games rather than see what individual players are capable of in different areas of the field.
The most important thing to take from Saturday’s game is that we are a much better team than the scoreboard showed. Some simple problems including not having a proper referee crew (a poor showing on Slidell’s part), poor field conditions, and some easily correctable problems on our part gave Slidell only a 1-0 advantage. (I say 1-0 because the second goal was simply an incredible piece of bad luck and had nothing to do with the other teams merit or our talent… unfortunately in soccer these things happen). All in all, I am O.K. with Saturday’s game and happy with the girls performance because it gives us some things to work on that beating up on Pearl River did not (i.e. the reason we aren’t doing a good job of communicating). The girls also showed great character in not complaining about the referee situation or the field both of which they could have easily blamed for their fortunes.
Unnamed U-13 Girls Game Review 09/06/2010
Congratulations to my Mandeville Soccer Club U-13 Girls who, despite not having a team name,won their season opener against Pearl River 5-0. The girls played well for their first time playing 11v11, but have a long way to go to be the team that they have the potential to be. We played a 4-3-3 formation with the three midfielders pinched in to the center and the two outside forwards playing wide and a little withdrawn from the top. This is a difficult formation to play and the girls have a long way to go to get it; but, we have the players to play it well and after some time, their understanding of the system will grow. For now, the two biggest things that the girls need to improve are communication and finishing.
Communication is so important for the game to be played well that without it playing well can’t be accomplished. Communication allows players to know where they are on the field, where their teammates are and where defending players are. When defending communication is key to the player pressuring the ball so that she knows where to force the attacking player and where her options are once she has won the ball. The communication on the field should be constant and specific; the only information a player gets from another player shouting her name is, “She knows my name,” so specific communication is key. In soccer, there are very few set plays and so everything that happens changes what will and should happen next so knowing where a player is and where to play the ball due to specific information is key. Good communication, quite simply, makes the game easier for players to know what their options are and how they are changing as the ball changes position on the field. I know that communication will improve as the girls get used to each other and I look forward to seeing it. I think that when it happens we will see what this group is actually capable of.
The other thing that we need to improve is finishing. For those of you who are new or unfamiliar, finishing is shooting, specifically shooting to finish play which is what happens when the ball hits the back of the net. Yes, we scored five times but had countless opportunities that we missed or did not take and that cannot continue against teams of higher quality. We will play games this year where there are only a handful of good opportunities to score and we have to take them. The girls need to learn that there is no such thing as taking a bad shot the point is to shoot when the chance comes your way. This too will improve and we will certainly be working on it throughout the season, probably next week because tonight’s session got cut short. It is also something we haven’t worked on at all so there is nothing if not room for improvement.
Overall, I was very happy with the effort put in by the girls and am more than ever looking forward to our next games. It should be a fun and rewarding season for them. I honestly can’t wait to be able to look back over the season and see the improvement from this game to the last; although, I’m sure I’ll find something we can improve on
Communication is so important for the game to be played well that without it playing well can’t be accomplished. Communication allows players to know where they are on the field, where their teammates are and where defending players are. When defending communication is key to the player pressuring the ball so that she knows where to force the attacking player and where her options are once she has won the ball. The communication on the field should be constant and specific; the only information a player gets from another player shouting her name is, “She knows my name,” so specific communication is key. In soccer, there are very few set plays and so everything that happens changes what will and should happen next so knowing where a player is and where to play the ball due to specific information is key. Good communication, quite simply, makes the game easier for players to know what their options are and how they are changing as the ball changes position on the field. I know that communication will improve as the girls get used to each other and I look forward to seeing it. I think that when it happens we will see what this group is actually capable of.
The other thing that we need to improve is finishing. For those of you who are new or unfamiliar, finishing is shooting, specifically shooting to finish play which is what happens when the ball hits the back of the net. Yes, we scored five times but had countless opportunities that we missed or did not take and that cannot continue against teams of higher quality. We will play games this year where there are only a handful of good opportunities to score and we have to take them. The girls need to learn that there is no such thing as taking a bad shot the point is to shoot when the chance comes your way. This too will improve and we will certainly be working on it throughout the season, probably next week because tonight’s session got cut short. It is also something we haven’t worked on at all so there is nothing if not room for improvement.
Overall, I was very happy with the effort put in by the girls and am more than ever looking forward to our next games. It should be a fun and rewarding season for them. I honestly can’t wait to be able to look back over the season and see the improvement from this game to the last; although, I’m sure I’ll find something we can improve on
Defending: Pressure and Cover 09/06/2010
U-13 Girls Training Session; Friday September 3, 2010
Warm Up:
1v1 Shadow Defending and Attacking: Each player gets a partner and a ball between the two of them. One player takes the role of attacking but going about 50 percent. The defending player should be working on proper body position i.e. shoulder facing the attacking player and feet constantly moving. The defending player should also be looking for opportunities to knock the ball away from the attacking player. These opportunities are present when the player is off balance or the ball is touched too far in front of the attacking player. Switch attacking and defending players after one minute and repeat. After both partners have had a chance to defend up the intensity to seventy-five percent. Stretch after both players have gone at 75 percent for a minute each, After stretching each player goes at one hundred percent for a minute each.
1v1 and 2v2: in 20 x 30 area. Set a group of players at each end of each area. You will need more than one area to keep repetitions high. All of the balls should be at one end of the area and the defending player plays a pass out to the attacking player. Play until the ball goes out play. To score, either player must stop the ball on the back line of the opposing side. The attacking team gets one point for scoring the defending team gets two points for scoring. After 5 Minutes of play switch attacking and defending teams. Coaching Points: Proper body positioning, Keep feet moving, Force the attacking player backwards or to a sideline. 2v2 play woks the same way with the defending team playing the ball out. Before beginning 2v2 demonstrate cover and pressure and stress communication between defending players and switching roles when the ball changes position and add those things to the coaching points.
3v3+1: Depending on the number of players set up one or two 30 x 40 grids with a small goal at each end of the area. If the numbers work, play is continuous; if not, have players rotate on and off the playing area with each dead ball. The +1 player plays with the possessing team. Coaching Points: Communicate, Proper body position when Defending, Proper positioning for 2nd defending providing cover, Recognizing when roles change from 1st defender to 2nd defender.
8v8 to 1 Full Goal and Three Counter Goals: Play 8 v 8 with defense and a midfield set up as they would be in a game with a goalkeeper, going out to three small goals one in the center of the field and one each on the right and the left. The other 8 are set up as the attacking and midfield would be set up in full 11 a side game attacking the full goal and defending the three counter goals. This set up makes the field bigger and allows for the defending team to get a realistic feel; for moving the ball out of the back. Coaching Points: 1st and 2nd defender in proper position, Proper body position for 1st defender, Communicate about Pressure and cover.
Warm Up:
1v1 Shadow Defending and Attacking: Each player gets a partner and a ball between the two of them. One player takes the role of attacking but going about 50 percent. The defending player should be working on proper body position i.e. shoulder facing the attacking player and feet constantly moving. The defending player should also be looking for opportunities to knock the ball away from the attacking player. These opportunities are present when the player is off balance or the ball is touched too far in front of the attacking player. Switch attacking and defending players after one minute and repeat. After both partners have had a chance to defend up the intensity to seventy-five percent. Stretch after both players have gone at 75 percent for a minute each, After stretching each player goes at one hundred percent for a minute each.
1v1 and 2v2: in 20 x 30 area. Set a group of players at each end of each area. You will need more than one area to keep repetitions high. All of the balls should be at one end of the area and the defending player plays a pass out to the attacking player. Play until the ball goes out play. To score, either player must stop the ball on the back line of the opposing side. The attacking team gets one point for scoring the defending team gets two points for scoring. After 5 Minutes of play switch attacking and defending teams. Coaching Points: Proper body positioning, Keep feet moving, Force the attacking player backwards or to a sideline. 2v2 play woks the same way with the defending team playing the ball out. Before beginning 2v2 demonstrate cover and pressure and stress communication between defending players and switching roles when the ball changes position and add those things to the coaching points.
3v3+1: Depending on the number of players set up one or two 30 x 40 grids with a small goal at each end of the area. If the numbers work, play is continuous; if not, have players rotate on and off the playing area with each dead ball. The +1 player plays with the possessing team. Coaching Points: Communicate, Proper body position when Defending, Proper positioning for 2nd defending providing cover, Recognizing when roles change from 1st defender to 2nd defender.
8v8 to 1 Full Goal and Three Counter Goals: Play 8 v 8 with defense and a midfield set up as they would be in a game with a goalkeeper, going out to three small goals one in the center of the field and one each on the right and the left. The other 8 are set up as the attacking and midfield would be set up in full 11 a side game attacking the full goal and defending the three counter goals. This set up makes the field bigger and allows for the defending team to get a realistic feel; for moving the ball out of the back. Coaching Points: 1st and 2nd defender in proper position, Proper body position for 1st defender, Communicate about Pressure and cover.
Pass, Move and Create Space 08/30/2010
U-13 Girls Training Session; Wed September 1, 2010
Warm up-
Foundation Work. Side to side using the inside of the foot for 50 touches. Inside-Inside-Rake 40 touches.Inside-Outside Right foot 50 touches. Inside-Outside Left Foot 50 touches. Stretch.
Passing and Receiving.
Players in pairs spaced 5-10 yards apart.
1st- Receive Inside Right Pass Inside Left. 20 Passes. Receive Inside Left Pass Inside Right. 20 Passes. Stretch.
2nd- Receive Outside Right Pass Inside Right. 20 Passes. Receive Outside Left Pass Inside Left. 20 Passes. Stretch.
Coaching Points Proper technique and high work rate.
Pass and Move 9 v 9 Possession- 20 Min
Two Teams play possession soccer in a 60 x 60 grid with 5 consecutive passes equaling a goal. Players must move either forwards, backwards, or sideways after passing the ball. If they fail to move the player must leave the grid through one of two gates placed at opposite ends of the pitch sprint around the pitch and enter through the opposite gate.
Coaching Points: Be aware of open space. Move into that space. Proper passing technique.
Pass and Move to Goals- 20 Min
9 v 9 game in 60 x 60 grid with each teams defending two goals in the corners. Condition of moving after the pass stays in effect from the prior game. Coaching Points: Be aware of open space. Move into that space. Proper passing technique.
9 v 9 to Full Goals. 30 Min-
This is a simple 9 v 9 game to full size goals. Time will be spent going over movement after passing and how it should work inside a the formation or formations we are going to play.Coaching Points: Be aware of open space. Move into that space. Proper passing technique.
Warm up-
Foundation Work. Side to side using the inside of the foot for 50 touches. Inside-Inside-Rake 40 touches.Inside-Outside Right foot 50 touches. Inside-Outside Left Foot 50 touches. Stretch.
Passing and Receiving.
Players in pairs spaced 5-10 yards apart.
1st- Receive Inside Right Pass Inside Left. 20 Passes. Receive Inside Left Pass Inside Right. 20 Passes. Stretch.
2nd- Receive Outside Right Pass Inside Right. 20 Passes. Receive Outside Left Pass Inside Left. 20 Passes. Stretch.
Coaching Points Proper technique and high work rate.
Pass and Move 9 v 9 Possession- 20 Min
Two Teams play possession soccer in a 60 x 60 grid with 5 consecutive passes equaling a goal. Players must move either forwards, backwards, or sideways after passing the ball. If they fail to move the player must leave the grid through one of two gates placed at opposite ends of the pitch sprint around the pitch and enter through the opposite gate.
Coaching Points: Be aware of open space. Move into that space. Proper passing technique.
Pass and Move to Goals- 20 Min
9 v 9 game in 60 x 60 grid with each teams defending two goals in the corners. Condition of moving after the pass stays in effect from the prior game. Coaching Points: Be aware of open space. Move into that space. Proper passing technique.
9 v 9 to Full Goals. 30 Min-
This is a simple 9 v 9 game to full size goals. Time will be spent going over movement after passing and how it should work inside a the formation or formations we are going to play.Coaching Points: Be aware of open space. Move into that space. Proper passing technique.
Coaching Possession and Transition 08/08/2010
In this session I was working with a team of U-14 boys who had a strong tendency to play a ball off to a teammate and then watch that teammate rather than moving into space and preparing to get the ball back. The other thing the players on this team did was that they would play a ball into space before anyone was moving into that space. On the whole the players were reacting to where the ball was going rather than determining it with their own movement off the ball.
I needed to get this group to posses the ball and begin to move to open space when they didn’t have it. They also needed to refrain from simply playing the lazy ball into open space where a teammate may or may not get to it.
The warm up consisted of one touch passing, quick short movement after the pass and stretching during rest, (in between the short sprints after a one touch pass) at the five minute mark and at the ten minute mark. The boys felt at first as if the one touch passing drill was beneath them but quickly realized that hitting a good one touch pass to a players feet took much more concentration and technical skill than the originally thought. The players were split into two groups each group formed two lines facing each other 18 yards apart which called for about a 15 yard one touch pass to reach the intended target.
The one touch passing served a couple of purposes for me here. Obviously the first was to warm the boys up and to get them a lot of touch quickly right from the beginning of practice. The second purpose, I must admit was a little devious, it was to let the boys know that despite the fact that they had been successful in their season so far and from the looks of things would continue to be successful they weren’t nearly as good as they thought they were and with a simple drill like this you can make a small point like that known and keep the message positive.
From there we quickly moved into 3v3v3 inside a grid about 30 x 40 yards. In 3v3v3 two teams possess the ball as one while the other defends. Teams change over when possession is lost. The team which losses possession becomes the defending team and the team who gains it joins the team that did not lose possession to play as one team.
This little possession game serves several purposes in working on team possession and transition. The first is that it the players must work through the communication of a transition the only way to keep track of who is on who’s team is constant communication between the players. When players first learn this game it will break down often until the players get the idea that they need to communicate for the game to work.
The other thing it can be used to teach players is the advantage of creating a numbers up situation and finding another’s players feet rather than playing a ball into space which can often give a numbers down team the ability to make a play or create an equal numbers situation when a player has to turn his/her back to the pitch.
3v3v3 lasted 30 minutes and the boys got a 3-5 minute break for water and explanation of the next game. The 3v3v3 possession game was escalated at the 10 minute mark to a competition where the teams accumulated points for consecutive passes. Five passes equaled a point a piece for the two teams possessing the ball first team to five one and the other two teams did some quick fitness.
From there we went into a 5v5 transition game with on full size goals. For this exercise the field about 40 x 50 yards is divided into two halves with a 3v2 on each half the defending team has 3 and the attacking team has two players on each side of the field. The ball starts on the defending side of the field and after some short possession 3 to 5 passes the defending team is allowed to make a pass to a teammate on the attacking half of the field. After this pass is made the defenders two of three defenders, the one who played the ball in and another are allowed into the attack. This creates a numbers up situation and should account for a lot of shots on goal if the transition is made quickly.
The game simulates real game situation where attackers typically have a ball played into the attacking third of the field as the midfield pushes into the attack. It also can very quickly show the players what happens if they play a ball into the attack and decide to watch an attacker play rather than getting involved because there is usually a numbers down situation on front lines (except in a case where 3 are playing up top and there is a flat three in the back and in that case any decent coach should drop an extra player in to defend).
The game can also help to show players that playing a ball into space (in th attack), rather than a teammates feet often leads to the receiving player being cut off from help. On the other hand a ball played to feet followed by quick transition can turn into a numbers up situation or a quick shot on goal very fast.
By emphasizing the rewards of playing to feet and getting into the game rather than playing a ball and watching you can get players to see that they can get into the attack from anywhere on the field as long as they work off the ball. In the small sided game especially this leads to scoring goals and who doesn’t like to score goals.
The players were given another quick break for water and the final 25-30 minutes of the session were spent playing the same 5v5 game with the restrictions lifted both teams continued to play their 3-2 formation and the good transitional play continued to grant rewards to whoever worked hardest off the ball.
I needed to get this group to posses the ball and begin to move to open space when they didn’t have it. They also needed to refrain from simply playing the lazy ball into open space where a teammate may or may not get to it.
The warm up consisted of one touch passing, quick short movement after the pass and stretching during rest, (in between the short sprints after a one touch pass) at the five minute mark and at the ten minute mark. The boys felt at first as if the one touch passing drill was beneath them but quickly realized that hitting a good one touch pass to a players feet took much more concentration and technical skill than the originally thought. The players were split into two groups each group formed two lines facing each other 18 yards apart which called for about a 15 yard one touch pass to reach the intended target.
The one touch passing served a couple of purposes for me here. Obviously the first was to warm the boys up and to get them a lot of touch quickly right from the beginning of practice. The second purpose, I must admit was a little devious, it was to let the boys know that despite the fact that they had been successful in their season so far and from the looks of things would continue to be successful they weren’t nearly as good as they thought they were and with a simple drill like this you can make a small point like that known and keep the message positive.
From there we quickly moved into 3v3v3 inside a grid about 30 x 40 yards. In 3v3v3 two teams possess the ball as one while the other defends. Teams change over when possession is lost. The team which losses possession becomes the defending team and the team who gains it joins the team that did not lose possession to play as one team.
This little possession game serves several purposes in working on team possession and transition. The first is that it the players must work through the communication of a transition the only way to keep track of who is on who’s team is constant communication between the players. When players first learn this game it will break down often until the players get the idea that they need to communicate for the game to work.
The other thing it can be used to teach players is the advantage of creating a numbers up situation and finding another’s players feet rather than playing a ball into space which can often give a numbers down team the ability to make a play or create an equal numbers situation when a player has to turn his/her back to the pitch.
3v3v3 lasted 30 minutes and the boys got a 3-5 minute break for water and explanation of the next game. The 3v3v3 possession game was escalated at the 10 minute mark to a competition where the teams accumulated points for consecutive passes. Five passes equaled a point a piece for the two teams possessing the ball first team to five one and the other two teams did some quick fitness.
From there we went into a 5v5 transition game with on full size goals. For this exercise the field about 40 x 50 yards is divided into two halves with a 3v2 on each half the defending team has 3 and the attacking team has two players on each side of the field. The ball starts on the defending side of the field and after some short possession 3 to 5 passes the defending team is allowed to make a pass to a teammate on the attacking half of the field. After this pass is made the defenders two of three defenders, the one who played the ball in and another are allowed into the attack. This creates a numbers up situation and should account for a lot of shots on goal if the transition is made quickly.
The game simulates real game situation where attackers typically have a ball played into the attacking third of the field as the midfield pushes into the attack. It also can very quickly show the players what happens if they play a ball into the attack and decide to watch an attacker play rather than getting involved because there is usually a numbers down situation on front lines (except in a case where 3 are playing up top and there is a flat three in the back and in that case any decent coach should drop an extra player in to defend).
The game can also help to show players that playing a ball into space (in th attack), rather than a teammates feet often leads to the receiving player being cut off from help. On the other hand a ball played to feet followed by quick transition can turn into a numbers up situation or a quick shot on goal very fast.
By emphasizing the rewards of playing to feet and getting into the game rather than playing a ball and watching you can get players to see that they can get into the attack from anywhere on the field as long as they work off the ball. In the small sided game especially this leads to scoring goals and who doesn’t like to score goals.
The players were given another quick break for water and the final 25-30 minutes of the session were spent playing the same 5v5 game with the restrictions lifted both teams continued to play their 3-2 formation and the good transitional play continued to grant rewards to whoever worked hardest off the ball.
