Soccer Drills – Page 20

Two in one

Objective: To practise all the usual elements of a SSG: passing, receiving and support play. It also makes your players react to a sudden change of objective. One moment they can be trying to score in a goal, the next moment they are trying to dribble or pass the ball into space.

Create a 40 yards long by 30 yards wide playing area with a goal at each end. The playing area also has two five-yard-wide channels (end zones) marked parallel to the side lines.

Play with two teams of four players or four outfield players plus goalkeepers.

How to play: The objective for each team is to try to score in the goals or stop the ball in an end zone, depending on which game you tell them to play.

For the first three or four minutes they play “normal” football then you call out “end zones” or “change”. Now they score a “goal” by stopping the ball in an end zone.

The first team to score five goals is the winner.

Tips: If a team scores in a goal when they are supposed to trying to stop the ball in an end zone, that’s an “own goal” – a point to the other team.

The first time you change the game, tell your players which end zone or goal they are attacking but only tell them once.

Progression: Limit your players to three touches.

Put a target player in each end zone whose job it is to receive a pass when the end zone game is being played. In the two-goal game, goals can only be scored if the move includes a pass to the target player.

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Pass to the end player

This is a fun and effective way to improve passing and receiving skills as well as the ability to spot and execute a through-pass.

Age group: U8s and upwards.

Number of players: Eight to 16.

Set-up: Create a square playing area suitable for the age and number of your players and split your players into equal teams.

How to play: A player from team A stands on one end line and a player from team B on the opposite end line.

The rest of the players try to pass to their team mate who is on the end line. If they succeed, they join their end player on the line.

The team that gets all it’s players on their end line first is the winner.

Note: To be counted as successful, a pass must be controlled by the end player.

Progression: Play two or three-touch.

This game works well with most young players.

Several of my U12s, however, like to stay in the game for as long as possible and they won’t pass to their end player even when there is a clear opportunity to do so.

To stop that, I changed the game slightly.

The end lines are now called jails.

The game begins in the same way as before – with one player from each team in jail (i.e., on their end line) – but now if you make a successful pass you don’t join your team mate on the line.

Instead, you get to send a player on the other team to their end line – in other words, send them to jail.

The winning team is now the team that can send all the players on the other team to jail first.

Coaching tip

Generally, the more players you have, the bigger the playing area needs to be.

If I had 10 U10s playing this game, I would begin with a 20-yard square playing area. If I had 16 players, I would use a 30-yard square.

But regardless of the number of players you have (or their ages), it is good practice to progressively shrink playing areas.

Making the space smaller requires players to play faster, more accurately and is a good way to build the tempo of your coaching sessions.

With my 10 U10s, for example, I would start with a 20-yard square but as they got used to the game I would gradually move the cones inwards until they were playing in a 15-yard square.

Very competitive and loads of fun!

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End play

Why should my players play this game?

This game encourages movement off the ball, decision making and passing to team mates in space.

Can my players play it?

It is suitable for any player who can pass the ball reasonably accurately over a distance of about 10 yards.

Set-up: Split your players into teams of four or five and create a 20-yard square for each pair of teams.

How to play: A player from team A stands on one end line and a player from team B on the opposite end line.

The rest of the players in both teams compete for the ball and try to pass it to their team mate who is on the end line.

If they succeed, they join their team mate on the end line.

The team that gets all its players on the end line first is the winner.

Note: To be counted as successful, a pass must be controlled by the end player.

Progressions:

1. Restrict players to two or three touches of the ball.

2. When a player makes a successful pass to a player on the end line, she nominates a player from the other team to go on their end line. The winning team is now the team that can send all their opponents to the end line.

Coaching notes: This is a deceptively simple game. As it progresses, you will see how your players cope with numbers up situations, how well they communicate and if they can support each other off the ball.

Players on the end lines should be encouraged to move up and down the line, calling for the ball.

If the ball goes out of play the game can be restarted with a kick-in or a throw-in. If there is only one player from team A or B on the pitch, the ball may be dribbled in.

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Breakout

Objective: This game called Breakout helps to improve your team’s ability to get the ball back from their opponents and launch a counter attack.

Age range: U6s and upwards

Set-up: Divide your players into two teams of four, five or six plus two goalkeepers.

The game is played on a mini soccer pitch or a 50 yards long by 30 yards wide playing area with a centre line and a goal at each end.

How to play:

Both teams play in one half of the pitch.
One team attacks the goal in that half and other team tries to win possession of the ball.
If the defending team wins the ball, it tries to start a counter attack by passing or dribbling the ball into the opponent’s half (the empty half of the pitch).
If the defenders succeed in getting the ball out of their half, only one counter-attacking defender can enter the attacking team’s half and no attackers are allowed to go back to defend.
It’s now a 1v1 between the defending team’s counter attacker and the attacking team’s goalkeeper.

Progress by allowing an attacker to run back and try to defend.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Numbers up

Objective: To improve passing, shooting, communication and possession skills.

The players’ objective: To score or keep possession of the ball.

Age range: U9s and upwards.

Difficulty: Medium.

Set-up: Create a 40 yards long by 30 yards wide playing area with a small goal in each corner.

This game is played between two uneven teams. In youth football jargon that means you play it “numbers up”.

So you need to divide your players into one team of four or five and one team of two or three.

Tip: The younger or less experienced your players, the more uneven the teams need to be. With U9s, I usually start with 5v2.

How to play:

Each team defends and attacks two goals.
The team with the most players has to put three or four passes together before they can shoot.
The smaller team can shoot as soon as it gets the ball.
If the ball goes out of play, possession is always given to the larger team which passes the ball in from where it left the playing area.
Play first to five goals wins then switch the players around.

Coaching notes: If the larger team is having difficulty keeping the ball, reduce the number of passes they have to complete or increase the number of players on their team.

If the smaller team can’t get a touch, give them more players. If they can’t get a shot in before they lose the ball, allow them to score in any of the four goals.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

20 seconds to score!

Objective: To improve dribbling, passing, defending and shooting skills.

Players’ objective: To score a goal in less than 20 seconds.

Age range: U8s and upwards.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Set-up: Use an area 25 yards long by 20 yard wide with two small goals at both ends.

Divide your players into teams of three.

How to play:

One team attacks. The other team has two goalkeepers (who cannot leave goal areas) and one outfield player whose job is to try to stop the attacking team from shooting.
The attacking team has 20 seconds to score.
At the end of that time (or earlier if the sole defender can win the ball) the teams switch roles: Two of the attacking team retreat to their goals, and the two goalkeepers on the defending team come out and their team goes on the attack.

The teams score points in two ways: For every goal they score when they are attacking and by stopping the attackers from shooting for 20 seconds when they are defending.

Progression: The attacking team must make at least two passes before shooting.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Three ways to score

Objective: To improve dribbling skills, ball control and shooting.

Age group: U10s and upwards.

Difficulty: Medium.

Set-up: Set up a 30 yards long by 20 yards wide playing area with a goal at each end.

Place two gates (use flat cones placed about two yards apart) on each side of the playing area and 2ft in from the sidelines.

How to play:

Divide your players into teams of four plus goalkeepers.

Points are scored in three ways:

By passing the ball through a gate to a team mate.
By making a set number of passes.
Scoring a goal.

Coaching points:

Adjust the number of passes required to score according to the age and skill of your players but make sure the target is achievable.

With young players, I suggest you start with two or three passes and gradually increase the number. It’s important to let young players achieve success.

The number of points awarded can also be adjusted according to your main objective.

You may wish to emphasise passing. If so, award two points for a pass through a gate.

If you want to encourage possession play, give two points for keeping the ball for a set number of passes.

But always give the most points for scoring a goal. That’s what football is all about!

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Non stop shooting

Objective: To practise shooting skills.

Age range: U8s and upwards.

Difficulty: Easy.

Equipment: Four small goals, cones, balls.

Set-up:

Divide your players into groups of five.
Create a 40-yard square with a five-yard square in the middle.
Use one playing area for each group.
Place small goals on the side and end lines.
Put several balls in the central square.

How to play: One player starts in the middle, the other four players (the defenders) start in front of the goals.

The player that starts in the middle collects a ball from the centre of the playing area and attacks a goal of his choice.

If the player scores, he races to retrieve another ball from the middle of the playing area and attacks another goal.

However, if the defender stops the attacker from scoring, their roles are reversed. The shooter goes in goal, the defender grabs a ball from the centre and attacks a goal.

What to say:

“Stay on your feet and win the ball”

“Defend well and you get the chance to attack”

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.