Soccer Drills – Page 3

Soccer coaching and pre-school children – what to expect

What to expect from U-6s

Coaching pre-school, (i.e., under six), children is a lot of fun!

Their enthusiasm knows no bounds, they will turn up for practice in the most severe weather conditions imaginable and they smile all the time!!

Developmentally, however, they are very different from children who are just two or three years older.

For example:

Most of your players will cry immediately when they get hurt. Some cry even when they are not hurt,
No matter how loud you shout, or how much they “practice” it, they can not or will not pass the football,
Somebody will come off the field in need of a toilet. Somebody will stay on the field when they should be going to the toilet!
The only player to hold a position is the goalkeeper (if you play with one.) Don’t even consider teaching positional play,
Twenty seconds after the start of a game, every player will be within 5 yards of the ball.
Several players will slap at the ball with their hands, or pick it up. Several parents will yell at them not to do that.
A model rocket that is launched from a nearby field will get 99% of the player’s attention. By all means, stop whatever you are doing and watch for a couple of minutes.
During a season, you will end up tying at least 40 to 50 shoelaces
They will do something that is very funny. Make sure that you laugh.

How to coach pre-school children

It is important to understand at the outset that players coming to any sport prior to the age of 6 years old, in general, do not do so by their own choice. As a result, their coaches need to give them something about which to get excited. Further, at this age, learning to play soccer is secondary to most other things in their lives.

With the above assumptions, let’s look at some things that we can do to energise the U-6 players, and, hopefully, get them to the point where they will enthusiastically initiate the sign up for next year.

Each session should be geared around touching the ball as many times as possible. Basic movements such as running, skipping, hopping, etc. need to be emphasised. If these can be done while kicking, catching, rolling, or dribbling a ball… all the better.

Training should not last for more than one hour. This is primarily due to physical fatigue and attention span considerations. Train once or twice a week.

Have as many different kinds of activities ready as you can get into one hour. The emphasis must always be on FUN.

Encourage your children to bring their own size 3 or 4 ball.

Although your children may be very much the same age chronologically speaking, their physical and/or mental maturity may vary by as much as 36 months. You need to be aware of this and plan your activities accordingly.

Team play and passing is an alien concept to these players because they know that if they pass the ball, they may never get it back. In fact, they often will steal it from their own team-mates. So don’t be concerned if they won’t pass, just let them dribble to their heart’s content.

Plan for at least four 90 second drink breaks, especially in warmer weather. Their “cooling system” is not as efficient as in older players.

How to stop bunching around the ball

I coached U-8 boys to an undefeated season and difference was that we didn’t bunch. Not bunching allowed us to pass. Passing allowed us to control possession. Possession yielded shot opportunities. Shots lead to goals: 39 goals for, 7 goals against.

Here’s the drill:

Scrimmage using a Dutch 4X4 training method field – 40X30 yds.

Two goals 6-8 feet wide at EACH end set nearer to the side than to each other. Indirectly teaches spatial thinking (very hard to do).

Attackers could look up (new concept for 7 year olds) and make a choice as to which goal to attack, i.e. which goal was most open. Forces defenders to cover an open goal AND a goal that was likely to be attacked. Whenever defenders magnetized to the ball and subsequently got burned when play quickly switched to the more open goal and a goal was easily scored, I would stop and give a 15 second lecture, citing the situation that just occurred, about why its wrong for every defender to race to the ball. The situation was repeated many times before they finally started catching on.

When the players start bunching remember to blow the whistle and ask why; before too long they will scatter as soon as they hear the whistle blow.

Soccer coaching warm up moves

1) in-betweens with step-over 180 turn.

To do the “in-betweens” stand with the soccer ball between your feet which are about shoulder width apart. Using the inside of the right foot, tap the ball softly to the inside of the left foot. Then using the inside of the left foot, tap it back again to the inside of the right foot. The trick is to keep the ball constantly moving between the feet as the player “hops” from foot to foot to prepare for the next touch. Once you get the hang of it, begin to move forward with each step by tapping the ball slightly forward with each touch. Eventually you should be able to keep the in-betweens going without a miss as you move slowly all over the place.

Secondly, do the “step-over 180 turn”. (This is a very important turn! Watch the pros, you will see variations of this turn a dozen times a game.) Start with the ball between your feet, as it is during your “in-betweens”. Put your weight on your left foot as you swing your right foot up and over the ball (turning counter-clockwise towards the left). Plant the right foot down on the left side of the ball and step down. (This is the “step over” part of the move and will be used in lots of fakes and feints). Now using that right foot as a pivot, spin (turning clockwise this time) around with your left foot, back towards the ball. Once you have turned a 180, take the ball with your left foot and begin the “in-betweens” the other direction.

2) toe touches moving forward and alternating feet.

Begin with the ball between your feet and slightly to the front. Lift the right foot and lightly touch the top of the ball with the front (cleat side) of the shoe, underneath the toe. Replace that right foot and do the same with the left foot. Now begin to alternate touches faster until you have to make little hops back and forth with your feet while continuing to touch the top of the ball. Finally, push the ball forward a few inches with each touch as you begin to move forward with each step.
The trick is to touch the ball forward “just the right distance” and slightly in front of the other foot so you can keep the pattern going without a break. After moving forward about 10 yds. do a “pullback” turn and return to the starting spot continuing your toe touches.

3) toe touches moving backwards and alternating feet.

This is nearly the same as the toe touches moving forward but instead goes backward. With each hop backwards touch the ball back and diagonally toward your next foot. This is a little more difficult to learn but is great for developing quick feet and pull back touches.

4) Side hop rolls moving forward. (a.k.a. “side drag rolls”)

This is a shielding and rolling manoeuvre. Start by facing sideways (e.g. first face to the right) to the direction of travel, with the ball between your feet. Using the sole of your right foot, come up and over the top of the ball from right( the back) to left (the front). This gets the ball rolling to your left and down the direction of travel. After rolling over the top of the ball with your right foot, plant it down and “hop” onto your left foot and repeat. All the touches are with the right foot, rolling the ball to the left with your cleats as you “hop” down the field. You would use this to advance the ball and at the same time keep the defender to your backside. Repeat with the left foot.

5) Outside Touches

Push the ball to the outside with the outside of the foot then take 2 steps behind the rolling ball to prepare to touch it with the outside of the other foot.

6) Inside to outside roll right foot to the (right) side and touch forward with right foot.

Start with the ball between your feet. Begin with a little lean or lunge out to the right side of the ball by lifting your right foot and stepping down lightly beside the ball. Do not plant weight onto this right foot. Instead, plan to shift your weight back to the left and then “scrape” your studs over the top of the ball, from the right side to the left, to begin it rolling to the left. After it has crossed completely in front of your body, use the inside of your left foot to touch it forward. Now repeat the same starting with the left foot.

Sharks and minnows

Play in a large grid.

Half the players have balls and are the minnows. The rest don’t have a ball and are the sharks.

The Minnows start at one end of the grid. The Sharks stand on the opposite line.

The Minnows must try to cross the Shark’s line without losing possession of their ball.

The Sharks defend their line, trying to kick the Minnows’ balls out of the defined area.

Minnows who successfully dribble across the Shark’s line go back for round two.

Each Minnow who loses their ball join the Sharks. The last Minnow left in is the winner.

Passing and movement

A useful warm up before a match or training session or as part of a basic skills practice.

Start with 5 players in a circle with a 20 yard diameter. Then have another player behind each of these players.

See diagram on the left.

X1 starts with the ball and passes to X2. X1 then sprints behind X2 (so it’s a pass and follow the pass). X2 then passes to X3 and sprints and follows the pass. X 3 then passes to X 4 and does the same. X 4 passes to X5 and then X5 passes to X1. After each pass the player follows the pass and goes to the back of that line.

Do this for 2-3 minutes and then add a second ball. Now the balls start with X1 and X4. While X1 is passing to X2, X4 is passing to X5. This will require a lot of movement, hard sprints, communication and vision.

Next add one defender in the middle. The difference now is the players can pass in any direction they want. However, they still must follow their pass.

Next add a second defender so it’s sort of a 5 v 2 game but with much more movement and confusion than normal (must like a real game of soccer).

There are other variation you can do with this type of activity with the biggest limitation being your imagination.

Mini hurdle hops

Start 5 yards (4 metres) away from the first mini-hurdle. Sprint to the hurdle do a forward hop over it.

As soon as contact is made with the ground laterally jump left over the next mini hurdle.

As soon as contact is made with the ground jump forward over the next mini hurdle.

As soon as contact is made with the ground jump laterally right over the mini hurdle.

As soon as you hit the ground sprint 5 yards forward. At the cone side shuffle left. At the next cone drop step and sprint through the last cone.

This should help to build up the football players fitness.

Mega square warm up

Purpose

Designed to provide a rapidly switching soccer warm up which is suitable for all ages and allows the coach to ensure that interest is maintained.

With all age groups, continuing with one ‘drill’ for too long will cause players to get bored and to slow down to walking pace. The length of time for this to happen will vary with age and motivation but it will happen.

The warm up pulls together various strands within one set up to give the coach various directions for the drill and to maintain interest.

The set up

A 20 by 20 yard square with each side being made up of button cones of one colour (i.e. one side is red, one blue, one green, one white for example)

Out side of the square in a rough circle say 12 other markers such as slalom poles or traffic cones / mini traffic cones or button cones ideally of a colour not used in the square just to avoid confusion.

You will need enough balls for each player to have one each.

The warm ups

1) Ask the players to go into the square – initially without any footballs and for 2 or 3 minutes have them jog, side step, jump, stretch, shoulder roll etc around the square just to loosen up.

2) Ask the players to go and get a ball each from the pile that you have already left out to the side of the playing area

3) Traffic Lights – from the FA Level 1 – coach needs three button cones, one red, one yellow , one green. The players are invited to dribble their football around the square at their own pace, then introduce the red cone – when held up by the coach means ‘Stop with your foot on the ball’, continue the dribbling, introduce the Yellow cone – means ‘turn’ (or do a step over or whatever coach chooses) so when the coach holds up the yellow cone the players must turn and move in the opposite direction (you could even specify a particular type of turn here if you wanted to), introduce the green cone – means go – i.e. accelerate forward into space so long as it is safe to do so. Once the player have been briefed on the meaning of each cone its just a matter of cycling through them as you see fit. No verbal commands from the coach just the holding up of the cones – also the coach should move positions – idea is that the players have to look up not just down at the ball

4) Take Sides – end the traffic lights segment and then just have the players dribbling the ball round the square and the coach will then shout out a colour and the players all have to dribble to the side of that colour – do this a few times. You can turn the pressure up here a little by urging players to move quickly and introduce a competitive element – e.g try to be first to get there, try not to be last etc

5) Swap – end ‘take sides’ and simply explain to the players that they are to dribble around the square and on the command ‘swap’ they are to leave their own ball and move to one that has been left by another player and then carry on dribbling the ball in the square

6) progress to Get out – on the command ‘get out’ each player is to dribble their ball out of the square and around one of the poles / cones outside of the square and then back into the square – need to encourage players to maintain close control or ball and not ‘beat themselves’ by trying to go faster than they are able. You can turn the pressure up here a little by urging players to move quickly and introduce a competitive element – e.g try to be first to get there and back, try not to be last etc

7) King of the ring – nominate (or ask for volunteers) 2 or 3 ‘defenders’, the rest of the players keep their footballs and spread out inside the square. The defenders have to the job of knocking the balls of the other players out of the square – once knocked out the coach may allow the player to get their ball and return to the action or to tell the player to wait for the end of the game (by this stage them may be grateful to have a rest!). Players with footballs with dribble, shield and generally fight tooth and nail to defend the footballs from the defenders – the last man standing is declared ‘king’. Play 2 or 3 times – rotate the defenders.

With all of these sessions / games emphasise close control rather than pushing the ball ten feet away – dribbling not running with the ball.

I’m sure that you can think of other games to play along these lines and that you can adapt this idea to suit the age group involved and their level of ability (for eg you could introduce a ‘Simon says’ element for a bit of fun with younger players, I just think that the benefit of having one set up that facilitates a number of different game ideas will help to keep things moving along….

Enjoy!