Soccer Drills – Page 23

Easy 2v2

Just about every youth football coach knows the value of playing SSGs (small sided games) and many think that 4v4 is an ideal way for children to learn the game.

But sometimes even 4v4 is too big and complex.

Four and five-year-olds (and even older players) need to practise 1v1 skills and build their confidence in smaller-sided games before being asked to solve the problems posed by four-a-side football.

This 2v2 game is an excellent way to help your players practise their first touch, passing and support skills in a relatively unpressurised environment.

Age group: U5s and upwards.

Difficulty: Easy.

Number of players: Eight.

Set-up: Create a 20 yards by 15 yards playing are with two small goals set 10 yards apart on both end lines.

Divide your eight players into four teams of two.

How to play: Play 2v2 in the playing area. Each team attacks and defends two goals.

The other two teams wait at either end of the playing area. As soon as the ball goes over an end line or a goal is scored, the team waiting at that end immediately start attacking and the team that scored or kicked the ball over the end line must defend. The team that was defending leaves the playing area and waits behind their goal.

Progression: Increase the playing area to 30 yards by 20 yards and play 4v4 with four goals.

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

Bumpers

This is a great game for improving your players’ ball control and ‘vision’.

Experience: any.

Set-up: two teams of six (four plus two “bumpers” wearing bibs) play football in an area 30 yards long by 20 yards wide.

How to play: the bumpers are target players and can be placed on the sidelines, by a goal or allowed to move anywhere inside the playing area.

Game 1: teams earn a point for a successful pass to one of their bumpers.

Game 2: teams earn a point if they can score a goal after passing to a bumper.

Game 3: teams earn a point for passing the ball from one bumper to the other without the other team getting a touch on the ball.

Game 4: a regular game of football but only bumpers can score. Change the bumpers after each goal.

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

Snatch squad

This is a simple version of keepaway that is suitable for players who are able to pass the ball confidently over short distances.

Objective: To improve passing and communication skills.

Set up: Divide your players into two teams and create two playing areas next to each other, one for each team.

Each player has a number.

How to play: Each team passes the ball to each other in their playing area. After a few seconds, you call out a number.

The player with that number runs into the other team’s area and has 20 seconds to try to gain control of the ball.

They can either kick it into touch (for one point) or take it back to their own area (for three points).

The first team to X number of points wins.

Progressions:

1. Each team has two balls to protect.

2. Two players try to snatch the ball from the other team (call two numbers).

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

Soccer netball

Age group: All ages

Set up: This is a small sided team game (3v3 4v4 or 5v5) that uses netball-style play to develop soccer (football) skills.

Set up a goal at each end of a small square, circle or triangle. The shape of the playing area doesn’t matter, in fact an unusual shape makes the players think a bit more. The size of the area depends on the age and number of players. Just make sure they have plenty of room to play. For ten year olds, I would suggest 40 by 30 yards.

How to play: The aim of the game is to pass the ball among your team WITH HANDS, keeping possession and working up the field in order to score a point. Each team scores by placing the ball (or throwing the ball down) in their opponents’ goal or on the end line.

Alternatively, teams score by making a successful pass to a team mate who is stationed on their target end line.

Players pass the ball by throwing it. Once a player receives the ball they cannot run, they are frozen (or can take a limited number of steps depending on their age and ability) and then must pass to a team mate.

The opposing team can only intercept between passes – they cannot grab the ball out of players’ hands. If the ball goes out of the playing area, award a throw in to the opposing team.

When a goal is scored, the team that scored must try and keep possession and can’t score into the goal. If they do, the goal is disallowed and a goal kick is awarded.

If the other team equalise and make it 1-1, either team can then score to make it 2-1. To win the game, the team in the lead has to keep possession until the final whistle.

Coaching points

You may need to mark a ‘no entry’ zone a few yards from the end line or enforce a 1 or 2 defender rule. If you don’t, defending players tend to just crowd around the goal area.

Two ball soccer

This small-sided game, called “Two ball soccer”, will improve your players’ ability to keep the ball as a team. To succeed, they will need to support each other, communicate effectively and pass the ball accurately.

It will also improve their ability to play with their heads up and press their opponents quickly and effectively.

Age range: U8s to U14s.

Number of players: 3v3 (for eight to 10-year-olds) up to 6v6 (11 to 14-year-olds).

Equipment required: Some flat cones to mark out the playing area, four balls, training vests.

Set-up: Create a quarter pitch size playing area, e.g. 20×15 yards for eight-year-olds, 40×30 yards for 14-year-olds.

Divide your players into the appropriate size teams and give them training vests to aid identification.

Each team is given one ball.

How to play:

Both teams attempt to maintain possession of their ball and, at the same time, try to capture their opponent’s ball.
When a team has possession of both balls, the game is stopped and the team in possession is awarded one point.
The captured ball is returned to the team without possession and the game restarts.
Play for a set time or the first team to X points wins the game.

Note: If your players struggle to maintain possession of the ball, add a neutral player who supports either team or add two “safe zones” – small, coned-off areas where a player under pressure can take the ball and stay for up to five seconds without being tackled.

Progression

Increase the intensity of the game by reducing the size of the playing area.

Reduce the number of touches. Three-touch for younger players, two (or even one-touch) for older players.

Variations

Add two more balls. Now each team must keep and try to steal two balls. Award a point when one team possesses three balls.

Younger players can play Two Ball Soccer as a tag game. If the player in possession is tagged the ball goes to the opposition.

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

4v4, no keepers

Objective: improve players’ decision-making skills, passing, receiving and dribbling.

Set up

Use a grid marked out with flat cones with a small goal in each corner.

The size of the playing area depends on the age and ability of your players. Can vary from 30 yd x 20 yd up to 40 yd x 25 yd.

Generally, the younger or less able the player, the bigger the playing area should be.

How to play

The players play soccer with no goalkeepers. They score in one of two ways: dribbling the ball into one of the goals or by stopping the ball on the end line betwen the goals they are attacking.

You can award one point for a traditional goal and two for a controlled stop on the end line or vice versa.

Coaching points

Players need to get their heads up and see the ‘big picture’. They need to pass, move and make decisions quickly to take advantage of the unguarded goals.

Stuck in the mud

Age group: 3 year olds and over

Objective: To improve your players’ dribbling skills.

Age group: Three years old and upwards.

Number of players: Whole team.

Set up: create a 30×40 yard grid. Every player except one has a ball.

How to play: Select one player who is “it”. Each of the remaining players should be standing in the grid with a ball waiting for the coach to blow a whistle.

On the whistle, the players with a ball dribble round the grid trying to avoid getting tagged.

If a player is tagged, she must pick the football up, hold it over her head and stand with her legs apart.

Frozen players should be encouraged to shout ‘help!’ as loudly as possible.

To release the “frozen” player, an ‘unfrozen’ player must pass her ball through the spread legs of the “frozen player”.

Once the player is “unfrozen”, she resumes dribbling in the grid. If a player dribbles the ball outside of the grid, that player is “frozen”.

Key soccer coaching tip: if the tagger is finding it hard to catch the other players, add another tagger or two.

Coaching points:

Players must dribble and keep close control of their ball.

Players should keep their head up and see where the “tagger” is located.

Players should dribble away from the “tagger” and dribble toward teammates who need to be “unfrozen”.

Slow soccer

I have played Slow Soccer with children aged from eight to 15 but some players couldn’t do it, no matter how hard they tried, and some found it easy.

The one thing it did was make every player really think about what they were doing!

Objective: To play football thoughtfully, to plan ahead.

Age range: U8s and upwards.

Set-up: Play a 4v4 or 5v5 “match” on a small pitch. For U8s, 30×20 yards is a good size.

How to play: Tackling, shooting, scoring and passing as in normal football.

There is only one condition – running is not allowed.

When the ball goes out of play, the game can be restarted in a number of ways:

A normal throw-in.
A kick-in.
With a goal kick.

Note: Speed walking is allowed in Slow Soccer but if anyone breaks into a run, even for a second, a free kick is awarded to the other team.

Progression: After five or 10 minutes, lift the “no running” restriction and allow your players to play normally.

Why this works: Not being able to run to get back in defence or chase after a misplaced pass, makes young players see the importance of accuracy and anticipating what might happen next. And, believe it or not, it’s great fun!

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