Home page – Page 41

Combination play

Soccer players up to age of about eight or nine tend to be self-centered.

That’s not to say they’re selfish – they just lack the ability to see the pitch in 3D and find it hard to see spaces and team-mates to pass to, unless they’re virtually standing on their toes!

But as your youngsters get older they begin to see that there is more to a soccer pitch than the patch of grass they’re standing on.

That’s when you can start thinking about teaching some simple combination play.

At it’s most basic, combination play is simply passing the ball. So that’s where you should begin: practising passing between groups of players as they move up and down the pitch.

It’s easy to do. Split your squad into two groups of four or five (if you have more than ten players divide them into three groups and have one group play a game of keepaway while they’re waiting).

Then put a group of players at each end of a 30yd x 40yd grid.

Ask the groups to spread out so that they make a diamond shape. If you have four in a group it’s one back, two wide and one up front. If you are playing with five it’s one back, three in the middle (two wide and one in the middle) and one up front.

Ask your players why they should always try to keep this shape while they’re playing (clue: it gives them passing options and provides cover if one player loses the ball to the opposition).

One group has a ball.

Ask the group with the ball to move it quickly from one player to another and from one end of the playing area to the other while they maintain their positions and the diamond shape.

Then they leave the ball for the other group to do the same exercise.

Make it competitive by timing each group and give them objectives such as ‘every player must touch the ball twice before you get to the other end’ or ‘make two short passes followed by a long pass’ etc.

When they have mastered this, start each group off at the same time so that they play through each other. Again, make it competitive – who can get to the other end first – without making a mistake?

Everybody up!

Objective: to improve speed of transition, passing and communication.

Age group: U9 upwards.

Number of players: whole team.

Set up: Create a 30 x 40 yard playing area with a half way line marked.

Divide your team into two teams. They don’t have to be evenly matched.

How to play: Play ordinary soccer with one condition: a goal only counts if every player in the team is in the opposition half when the ball crosses the line.

Progression:

Goals count double if the defending team fails to get all its players back into it’s own half.
Goals have to be scored with one touch (great for encouraging assists).
Goals have to be scored after X number of passes.
Every player on a team has to touch the ball before a goal can be scored.

Attacking corners

When your team has a corner it should result in a goal scoring opportunity. But very often it can result in frustration instead as a great ball comes flying in across the box and everyone ducks or swings and misses.

If your team find it hard to connect with a traditional corner kick why not try this simple tactic.

Have a player stand on the corner of the 18-yard box. He should be a player who can just appear in that position without the opposition picking him up, but often he will be left unmarked anyway because he doesn’t look as though he is threatening the goal.

But, he is threatening the goal. He should be ready for a quick pass from the corner-taker. He can then open himself up so he is facing the goal and play the ball left, right or even shoot.

This soccer tactic also gives your team more options when the penalty area is crowded as a simple pass out to a player on the edge of the box will pull the defenders out and create space for a pass across the box to an attacker who now has a clear sight of goal.

The job of a midfielder

In youth soccer, midfielders are usually just that, a player who plays in the middle of the field. But as their ball skills improve (and especially as they move into eleven-a-side soccer) they can fall into one of three different types:

Outside midfielder

When his team is defending, the left or right midfielder marks the opposition winger on his side of the field. If he has no-one to mark when his team is defending, he should concentrate on keeping the team shape compact by moving in towards the middle of the field.

In attack, the outside midfielder stays wide and makes supporting runs up the line. Even if he doesn’t have the ball, his presence on the flank will stretch the opposition defence and thus provide space in the centre for his team’s attackers to exploit.

So the outside midfielder has to be fit, have excellent ball skills and be confident in taking on the opposition 1v1.

Defensive midfielder

The defensive midfielder holds the team together. He operates between the attackers and the central defender or sweeper. His job is to put pressure on the opposition ball carrier and provide cover for any of his team mates who lose the ball in his ‘patch’ – the midfield.

When your team is attacking, the defensive midfielder stays behind the attackers, ready to pressurise the opposition and grab any loose balls. He should be in position to provide the attackers with the option to pass back.

Offensive midfielder

Offensive midfielders are the playmakers of the team and are often the fittest as they are involved in every attack.

Their job is to move the ball quickly from defence and join the attackers to create a numbers up position.

All midfielders need to have sufficient ball skills so they don’t have to think about the mechanics of controlling the ball but can concentrate on how best to distribute it instead. They also need to be able to anticipate what is about to happen next. All these skills require experience, so don’t try to introduce specialist midfield positions until your players are ready.

A goalkeeper’s role and responsibilities

The job of goalkeeper in youth soccer is not a glamorous one.

Games are either one-sided affairs where goalies are either picking the ball out of their net every few minutes or watching the rest of the kids on their team knocking the ball into the other net sixty yards away.

Or if the game is close, young goalkeepers are keenly aware that one mistake on their part could mean the difference between winning and losing. For a child that is a worrying thought.Is it any wonder that it’s often hard to find a player who actually wants to play ‘between the sticks?’ We can make our ‘keepers lives a bit more bearable by taking the time to coach them properly (not just for five minutes every other week…) and making sure they know exactly what their job entails.

So let’s give them some tips:

1. Always make a 100% effort to save a shot, even if you know you can’t stop it.
a) your team-mates will find it hard to blame you if you at least try to stop the ball and
b) you will find that you can stop shots you didn’t think you could. All you need to do is try!

2.If you dive to stop a ball, don’t lie on the ground any longer than you have to. Jump up quickly and look for a teammate to pass to. If there isn’t anyone available, tell them – loudly – that there should be!

3.If you do concede a goal, don’t complain. Don’t have a go at defenders, even though they may be at fault. What’s done is done. If you dwell on it it will affect your game and the confidence of those around you so just get on with the match and concentrate on the next save, not the last miss.

4. Communicate! Loudly! Goalkeepers need to tell their defenders where to stand at set pieces and warn them when attackers are approaching on their blind side.

But young ‘keepers are often reluctant to say anything, let alone shout instructions, and you will need to work hard on this aspect of their game. Encourage your keeper to talk to any team-mate who is in earshot and give him your permission to make as much noise as he wants to.

Look after your goalkeepers – they’re worth their weight in gold!

Building up from the back

Objective. To build up out of the back using quick, accurate passes.

Set up: Create a playing area about 60×40 yards or use a seven a side pitch. One one end place two small goals that can be marked with poles or cones. Put a full size goal on the other end of the playing area. Divide your players into two teams, wearing bibs. One team has an extra player.

How to play: Play soccer with the following conditions:

the team with the extra player defends the large goal and gets a goalkeeper;
all restarts begin with the goalkeeper.

Key soccer coaching points: Encourage possession, (‘if you can’t shoot, pass….if you can’t pass forward, pass back’) quick, accurate passing, good communication and supporting play (movement off the ball).

Heading skills for beginners

Coaching points

Contact with the ball should always be made with the forehead area.

From time to time, a player may use the top of their head to flick the football on from a long flighted pass or throw-in.

The eyes should always be open (at least until impact) and fixed on the ball and the body positioned in line.

The player’s mouth should be CLOSED!

To direct the ball downwards, the forehead must make contact with the top-half of the ball.

The side of the forehead can be used to glance headers on and the middle for more direct power headers. In a stationary position, the power comes from the legs, back and neck.

The player “rocks” backward and pushes his body forward to meet the ball.

Practise heading skills with throw, head catch:

How to play: players get into groups of three. One ball is needed. They get into a triangular shape. One person tosses the ball to another person who then heads it to the third person to catch. Every time someone is successful, they get a point.

Coach the right way to pass back to the goalkeeper

Remember, a goalkeeper cannot pick up a backpass or they will give away an indirect free kick!

Tell your players they must NEVER pass the ball back to the goalkeeper between the goalposts.

ALWAYS pass to the side so that if the goalkeeper misses their kick, the worst that can happen is your team gives away a corner.

Make sure your players always pass to the goalkeeper’s strongest foot. A left footed goalie doesn’t want the ball on their right foot with an attacker charging at them.

This means you must let all your players know if your goalkeeper is right or left footed!