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Vision and support play

By Vince Ganzberg

This session is geared for the advanced level player about the ages of 14 and up. The technical ability to play 1-2 touch, possessing a good first touch, and the ability to receive under pressure is something for you to consider if you are to do this type of training session with your players. The purpose is to work on player’s vision and getting support in order to have more productive possessions. This training session also works on speed of play.

Warm-up – 3 colour passing

In an area, have 3 different groups of colours. Have one ball to start. Instruct each colour that they must pass to another colour yet receive from a third colour. For example: Reds pass to Greens, Greens pass to yellows, and Yellows pass to reds. After a little bit add a second and third ball.

1st Activity – 3v3v3

3 Teams of 3. One of the coloured teams is the defending team. The other two teams are trying to see how many passes they can get against the defending team. The 2 attacking teams are counting the total number of passes in a time period. When the defence wins the ball or the attacking team plays out the ball, they keep the ball from the two attacking teams. It is then up to the attacking teams to win the ball back and keep possession. To work on vision and support, tell the attacking teams that they cannot pass the ball to their own colour. They must pass the ball to another colour, like the warm-up. Another variation is to put a touch restriction on like 1-2 touch.

2nd Activity – Multiple Goals

Two even teams of 5-8 players. Make small goals around a half field area with cones. Make one more goal than each team has players. So if there are teams of 6, have 7 small goals scattered around half a field. This is a familiar possession game in which a point is scored when a team plays the ball thru a coned goal to another teammate. A bonus point is scored If the ball gets thru a coned goal to a teammate who then plays one touch to a third player. Could also make this way the only way to get a point If your emphasis is getting support.

3rd Activity – 5v5 plus 2

Play 5 aside to two goals. Two teams of 7 players. Play to two goals. Each team has 2 target players on their attacking end line. Before a goal can be scored, the attacking team must play the ball to one of their two target players who then only have one touch to play the ball back in the field to their own team. Could play that whomever plays the ball to the end target must replace them. The target player then plays the ball in and can join their teammates on the field.

4th Activity – Play 7v7 plus 2 to goals

Play 7v7 and have 2 plus players who are always with the attack. The plus players are now on the field. To work on possession, vision, and support limit the plus player to 1 touch while everyone else has 2 touches. First team to 3 wins.

Concluding Activity – Play 8v8

Could put a touch restriction on them like 1-2 touch, but one of my favourite twists is to make them play silently, no clapping, hooting, hollering, etc. After a bit, then play normally.

U6-U9 moving with the ball

Warm up: Body Part Dribbling

In a 15 x 20 yd area, each player has a ball. The players dribble freely in the area. When the coach says “NOW”, the players must stop the ball with any body part. Keep it going

Variation: After the players try it a few times, the coach will yell out a specific body part. Each player must try to stop the ball with that body part. Keep it going.

The coach gives praise for creativity and asks each player what body part they used.

Red Light – Green Light

When the coach says “green light”, players dribble their ball with their feet. When the coach says “red light”, players must stop their ball and stand still. When the coach says “green light” again, the players begin to dribble their ball again. Have fun with their imaginations…have the players make “brake’ sounds when coach says “red light” and have them make loud “motor sounds” when coach says “green light”.

The coach gives praise for creative movement, whether the ball is being carried with the hands or dribbled with the feet. The coach applauds dribbling with the feet, change of direction, etc. The coach highlights players that are dribbling the ball with their feet and asks if everyone can try to dribble the ball with their feet.

Sharks and Minnows

10 x 15 yd rectangular grid. Two players, the sharks, do not have a ball. The rest of the players, the minnows, each have a ball.

The minnows line up side by side along one of the 10 yd lines facing the other 10 yd line. The sharks position themselves inside the grid facing the minnows. When the coach says, “swim”, the minnows try to dribble their soccer balls past the sharks, safely to the other side of the grid. If a shark steals a soccer ball from a minnow or kicks a ball out of the grid, the minnow becomes a shark and the family of sharks grows. The minnows that make it safely to the opposite side get to swim again on the coach’s command. Continue until all the players become sharks.

If a shark steals a ball and can dribble it over any line of the grid, then the shark becomes a minnow and the minnow becomes a shark.

(These are games of inclusion…no one sits out.)

Minnows must keep ball close when being pressured by the sharks. Minnows must recognize open space so that they can speed past the sharks if the sharks are busy elsewhere.

Sharks must concentrate on stealing (tackling) the ball.

Get Outta’ There

Set up a 15 x 20 yd grid with a goal at each end. The goal is 3-4 steps wide using flags or cones. The players are divided into to teams colour coded with pennies. NO GOALKEEPERS.

The coach is located centrally on one side of the field, outside of the playing area. Each team lines up single file on both sides of the coach facing the field.

The coach kicks a ball onto the field. The first player from each team chases the ball and plays 1v1. The players shoot at the goal that is farthest from their starting position. If the ball goes out of bounds or is scored, the players must get off of the field immediately and return to the end of their line. If they don’t get off the field quickly, the coach yells,” Get Outta’ There!” Once the players are off the field, the coach kicks the next ball onto the field and the next 1v1 begins. The ball is the cue.

If the coach says, “ONE” before he serves the ball onto the field, then the game is a 1v1, like above. If the coach says, “TWO” before he serves the ball onto the field, then the game is a 2v2…2 players from each line play against each other.

The players get repetition on dribbling to beat an opponent. The players get repetition on shooting. They get the opportunity to defend 1v1. They get repetition trying to steal a ball from an opponent (tackling).

The coach must praise their effort and make the game exciting with his/her enthusiasm.

Cool Down Activity…Hit the Cone.

Cones are scattered around an large grid. Each player has his or her own soccer ball.

Players try to kick their ball so that it hits one of the cones that have been scattered around the area. They can start from various distances. After they hit one cone, they can try to hit another cone.

Coordinate this activity so that everyone isn’t kicking their ball at the same cone. Let them play and have fun.

Give generous praise for their effort and hard work

U6 balance and co-ordination

Activity	Description	Objective
1
I can do something can you?	The coach begins the activity by saying “I can do something can you?” and demonstrating a physical activity such as jumping jacks. The children then do the same. The coach demonstrations several other physical activities such as: skips, one-legged bounces; star jumps, rolls, etc. After demonstrating several times the coach asked the children, “what can you do?” and takes their suggestions.	Body movement from skipping to balancing on one leg. The important thing is to allow the children to explore how their body moves.
2
Snake in the Grass	In an area 15 yds x 15 yds, two children begin by being “snakes” by lying on their stomachs. The other children’s starting position is with their hands touching the “snakes.” On the command “snake in the grass” the children try to stay away from the snake while the snake slithers around trying to catch a child. When any child is caught he/she becomes an additional snake. The activity continues until every one is a snake.	The children move in all directions trying to avoid the snakes. Once snakes, the children try to work together to create more snakes.

3
Find the Coach	The coach has all the children close their eyes and while their eyes are closed the coach moves. On the command, “find the coach” the children open their eyes and run to tag the coach. This progress from the coach staying still to the coach moving even after the children has opened their eyes.	This activity becomes “chase and flee” quickly. The children begin to run in a direction, and for a purpose. Later they will do the same with a soccer ball, but first they learn to run to a target.
4
Everyone is it	In an area 20 yds x 20 yds, each child runs around trying to tag as many other children as possible while not being tagged themselves. Each bout lasts for 30 to 45 seconds.	The children must be aware of their surroundings and make decisions about where to go and where to avoid.
5
3v3	The activity ends playing 3v3. Use a size 3 football.

Transition soccer

Objective: to practice passing, shooting, dribbling and changing quickly from attack to defence.

Age group: U10s and older.

Set up: Divide your players into teams of three or four. Create a 20 yards by 30 yards area for every two teams. Place a full-size goal at one end and two small goals at the other end.

How to play: One team attacks the big goal and the other team attacks the two smaller goals.

Whenever a goal is scored, the teams change ends. For example, if team A scores in the big goal they try to score their next goal in the two smaller goals and the team that was attacking the smaller goals now attacks the big goal.

Progression: play 3v4 or 3v5 to give your players more problems to solve.

Training the second defender

Ages: 8+; Equipment: Cones, balls; Players: 4+

Warm-up

Start with some basic ball-control movements, such as toe-taps, interspersed with assorted ball control moves.

Discussion

Defensively, the main players involved are the First Defender (“Pressure player”) and the backup supporting player (called the Second Defender or the “cover” player). The job of the Cover player is critical to the success of the team from a defensive standpoint. Only when Cover arrives and is in proper backup position is it possible for the Pressure player to move in to win the ball. Why? Because the backup player is available to instantly become the Pressure player if the first player is beaten. Of course, this means that the beaten player must loop around and become the new Cover player, so it is extremely important to work on this transition.

Small Group Work (drill)

To illustrate the concepts of proper cover, put all of the players in a large circle, except for 2 players (coach can be one player for illustration). Outside players try to pass ball around, while pressure player goes in and sets an angle to try to contain, and Cover player moves in to shut off more outlets.

Key coaching points

Cover player must sprint into position with a looping run to the outside of the direction in which the Pressure player is steering the attacker, and then shout “Cover” very loudly once in place, but not before.

Appropriate cover must be a distance of about 6-8 feet.

The outside of the Covering player’s shoulder should be aligned with the inside of the shoulder of the Pressure player so that the attacker sees a wall of two players in his way. Basically, the two defenders are trying to create a funnel that locks the attacker at the touch-line.

Cover player’s stance will be slightly more square, as he must be prepared to leap quickly to outside side if the attacker tries to spin around the outside of the Pressure player.

It is the Pressure player’s job to watch the ball and the Cover player’s job to watch the attacker and to give directions to the Pressure player. After showing the basic principles by using the circle, divide players into groups of 3. Make long/narrow grids (about 10′ by 25′). Put an attacker inside the grid and a defender at both ends, one with a ball. Have the on-ball defender play the ball into the attacker and immediately come in to close him down (he is the Pressure player). Then, have the Cover player (i.e. the defender at the other end) make a looping run to get into position to cover. Do 4 reps with the same player as the Cover player, then switch off.

As soon as he is in position, he must shout “Cover”, which is the Pressure player’s key to start closing down and/or jockeying the player to the nearest touch-line. The Cover player’s job is to give helpful instructions, including “Not yet” or “Don’t dive in” if the attacker hasn’t been pushed close enough to the touch-line to use the touch-line as an extra defender and “Now” or “Take him” when it is time to close in. It also can be useful for the Cover player to shout “Hold Him” or “Contain” as he is making the circle around, so that the Pressure player knows that help is on the way.

Note that the kids seldom talk if they are too busy concentrating on what to do, so you have made progress if you can get them to simply announce “Cover.” Additionally, younger children seldom can learn more than 1-2 things at once, so you will have to judge your group. You may want to just work on the positioning, while leave training on communications for another practice if you are giving them too much to think about. Older players, or ones with more experience, may be able to handle additional training on communications.

As soon as you are getting good positioning and some communication, start working on the recovery process. To work on recovery, tell the Pressure player to dive in just before the Cover player gets into position, which will force the Cover player to become the new Pressure player. The former Pressure player then must make a proper covering run.

Large Group

Play 5v2 keepaway in a narrow grid to encourage use of the touch-lines as an additional defender. Give the defenders a point for every successful steal, and give the attackers a point for 6 consecutive passes. Adjust the size of the grid to keep work-rates high. If the attackers can never be successful, the grid is too narrow while if they always seem to be successful, it is too big. Play to 3 points by either side, and then switch out defenders.

Scrimmage

Play 2v2 in a narrow grid with small cone goals at each end, with 2 extra players waiting on the sides. Rotate one fresh player to each side in after 2 minutes; play another 2 minutes; and rotate the resting players in to replace the 2 remaining players. Let the players experiment with providing defensive support versus marking.

Coaching note: You will repeat some variation of this practice several times per year, both to refresh memories and to add additional concepts. You will find further information on fundamentals of 2v2 defensive support elsewhere in the manual .

Defensive Tips For More Advanced Players

Speed of movement

Sprint! Be moving a split second after the ball is lost!

Angle of run

Run on a curved line that will bring you within a few strides goal-side of your pressure man and then close down on a goal-side line to the ball.

How close to get

Close enough to help choke off dangerous passing lanes on your side of the ball. Close enough for the challenger to hear and feel your support. Close enough to apply pressure immediately if the challenger is beaten.

Why communication is so important

Your position gives you a wider picture, so you can make better decisions. When the Pressure player knows his support is in place, he can work without seeing you, as long as he hears you. Continue giving encouragement and quick, clear, confident instructions. As a general rule of thumb, say nothing unless you are in position to back it up! Your teammate doesn’t just need support; he needs to KNOW that he has it. If he tackles and is beaten and you’re not in position to cover, you’re both beaten and out of the game until you can recover from behind the ball. Let the Pressure player know when he is Covered. Announce your arrival loud and clear!

Giving directions

One of the most common directions that the Cover player will give is “Take him wide” or “Line, line”. This instruction means that the Pressure player is being instructed to steer the attacker towards the nearest touch-line. He does this by showing him more space to the outside. The Cover player will be goal-side of the ball, and also goal-side of the Pressure player, so that he can quickly move to provide Pressure if the attacker manages to cut inside of the Pressure player. He is dropped down about 2 yards, so that he also is available to close down the touch-line run if the attacker accelerates past the Pressure player.

Another popular instruction, used mostly by older players, is “Turn him in”, meaning turn him towards the centre area of the field. If you see you cannot cover effectively if play goes wide, or you realize the defence is being stretched across the field, tell the challenger to show the inside path where cover can more easily be provided and the defence can retain depth and compactness. Take position a few strides closer to goal than the challenger, inside him in the direction you want play to go.

When to encourage the steal

As soon as you have steered the attacker within about 1-2 feet of the touch-line, it is time to consider a counter-attack. In addition, if the attacker appears to be losing courage and is considering turning his back on your group, it is time to shout “Go in!” or “Close” or “Take him”. When your Pressure player is on the counterattack, the Cover player must stay balanced, alert, and ready to close down and pressurize if the tackle fails.

What if the opponent succeeds in making a pass

If the ball carrier manages to make a pass, your response will depend on whether the pass is forward, square or back. With the changed situation, you must decide whether your job is now to pressure, support, track down, mark, or destroy opponent’s support.

Common Mistakes

The decision to provide support is made too late.
Player doesn’t work hard enough to achieve effective covering position and supports from too far away – which is no support at all.
Supporting player doesn’t tell the challenger he is in position, or tells him that he is covered while still too far away.
Supporting player doesn’t encourage the challenge.
Supporting player doesn’t maintain concentration and fails to react quickly to the play

Top tips for goalkeepers

Keeper/sweeper

The idea of having the goalkeeper push up to the edge of the penalty area or even the halfway line when their team is attacking is not new or particularly unusual.

Futsal goalkeepers routinely move out their goal area to give their team a numerical advantage and a regular football team goalkeeper often takes free kicks in his own half of the field. Goalkeeping goalies can even be seen in the opposition penalty area when their team has a corner, but only when their team is losing by the odd goal and time is running out.

Why do football goalkeepers leave it so late to move upfield? Because it’s a risky strategy, that’s why.

There is always a chance the goalkeeper won’t be able to get back to her goal in time to protect it if her team loses possession. Even more embarrassing, an alert opposition player with a strong shot could score in an unguarded goal from 30, 40 or even 50 yards away.

But pushing your goalkeeper up out of her penalty area to support an attack is a tactic that can pay off, especially if she is athletic and has an outfield player’s skill set: a good first touch, good “vision” and the ability to find team mates with an accurate pass.

Communication

A goalkeeper’s “job description” includes organising the defence at set pieces and coming off her line to claim possession of the ball wherever possible.

To do that, your goalkeeper has to be vocal. A quiet call of “keeper’s” is no good. As soon as the decision is made to come for the ball, you should hear a loud shout of “KEEPER’S”.

When defenders hear this, they know the goalkeeper is coming and they should get out of the way. Conversely, a loud shout of “AWAY” means the goalkeeper is not coming and defenders should deal with the situation.

At set pieces, your goalkeeper should give strong, specific instructions to the rest of the team. A vague shout of “mark up” is unhelpful. “Joe, mark the number 10” is much better.

Defenders should be taught to listen for and obey instructions issued by the goalkeeper and to let her know that they have heard them. A simple wave of the hand or “OK” allows the goalkeeper to quickly move on to organising the rest of the defence.

Quick clearances

When she stops a shot or collects a loose ball, your goalkeeper should immediately try to give her team an advantage with a quick, effective clearance.

She should first look for a team mate in space and within range of a roll or throw out. If there is no one available nearby, your goalkeeper should look upfield to see if any of her team mates are in a “numbers up” situation.

If they are, she should try to kick the ball to them without delay. If a quick roll, throw or kick is not on, your goalkeeper should wait until her team mates have moved to better positions before releasing the ball.

Know the rules

Goalkeepers and goalkeeper coaches need to know all the laws of the game but they need to be particularly familiar with those laws that relate directly to goalkeeping.

Note: the laws below are the laws according to FIFA, the game’s governing body. Your local league’s rules may be different. If in doubt, ask your league for clarification.

Law 4 – The Players’ Equipment

The goalkeeper’s kit must be a different colour to the players on both teams and the referee.

Law 8 – The Start and Restart of Play

It is important to note that a free kick awarded to the defending team inside it’s own goal area (the six-yard box) is treated like a goal kick: it may be taken from anywhere in the six-yard box.

It’s equally important to note that an indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in the goal area – for example, if the goalkeeper picks up a deliberate back pass – should be taken from the line of the goal area parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.

Law 10 – The Method of Scoring

It’s worth making sure your goalkeeper knows that the whole of the ball must cross the line for a goal to be scored.

Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct

Your goalkeeper must be aware that she cannot:

control the ball with her hands for more than six seconds before releasing it.
touch the ball again with her hands after she has released it and before it has touched another player.
touch the ball with her hands after it has been deliberately kicked to her by a team mate.
touch the ball with her hands after she has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team mate.

Any of these offences will result in an indirect free kick being awarded to the other team.

You should also make it clear to your goalkeeper that it is an offence to play “in a dangerous manner”. So she should take care not to charge wildly at attackers or jump for the ball in a manner that could injure an opponent. Referees usually allow goalkeepers more leeway than outfield players when it comes to Law 12 but they don’t have to.

Law 14 – Penalty Kicks

An easy one this. The defending goalkeeper must remain on her goal line, between the goalposts and facing the kicker until the ball has been kicked.

Three team keepaway

Objectives: To practice support play, ball control and ‘vision’.

Age group: U10s and upwards.

Set up: Create a 25-yard square with goals on two of the four sides.

Divide your squad into three teams.

How to play:

Two teams play keepaway in the area.
The third team is positioned around the sides of the square.
These players act as side supports, receiving and returning passes to the team in possession.
They cannot be tackled but should be restricted to two or three touches of the ball or have a time limit of four seconds to pass it back.
The team that puts together four or five passes (depending on the skill of your players) can shoot at either goal.

You can award one point for the required number of passes and additional points for scoring a goal. Play to a set score then bring the side supports on. The losing team becomes the new side supports.

Coaching note: Young players may have difficulty keeping the ball way from the other team, even for one or two passes. If they are getting frustrated, reduce the number of players on one team or make the playing area bigger.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coach Weekly.

Three easy steps to improve goalie positioning

Being in the right place at the right time is the most important part of the goalkeeping art.

You can help your goalie understand the basics of positioning by explaining these three key techniques.

1. Your goalkeeper must know where the goal is. This sounds obvious, I know. But ‘keepers can’t do their job unless they know exactly where the posts are relative to their own position. Make sure they glance behind themselves occasionally and get a fresh fix on the goal.

2. The goalkeeper should be positioned on a line between the centre of the goal and the ball. You can help very young players understand and master this by simply walking around the penalty box with a ball in your hands while they maintain the correct position. Once they have got the hang of it, play the games below to reinforce the technique.

3. The goalkeeper should be able to save a shot aimed at either post. This requires the goalkeeper to be in the right place relative to the centre of the goal and the ball, and also to be off the goal line.

Young players often stay rooted to the spot as an attacker advances. If you can get them to narrow the angle by moving out to meet the attacker, they will stop a lot of goals.

This is not just a good idea because they can save shots aimed at either post, but because their very presence will make many young attackers shoot too early and wide.

Soccer coaching note: If the shot is coming from a very narrow angle (from an attacker near to the end line), your goalie needs to be positioned so that the post is just behind him, not in front.

This will prevent the goalkeeper diverting shots aimed at the near post into his own net.