Soccer Drills – Page 34

Through the wall

Objective: Encourages young players to pass the ball (rather than hold on to it for too long) and create space.

Age range: Six to 10.

Number of players: Eight to 14.

Equipment: Six balls, training vests.

How to play:

Divide your squad into two teams and create a 15×10 yards playing area.
One team becomes a wall and must link arms with each other facing the attacking team in the centre of the rectangle.
Once the attack has touched the ball, the wall can move forwards or sidewards but not backwards.
The attackers take their turn to dribble the ball past the wall and the wall has to stop them.
The wall is not allowed to break up – players must keep their arms linked.
Then the attackers have one ball per pair and must pass their way past the wall.
Once again the wall can only move forwards or sidewards and must not break up.

Progression:

Add more players to the wall.

Use three attackers to pass with one ball.

Magic boxes

Age range: U6s to U10s.

Number of players: Eight or 10, divided into two teams.

Set-up: For U6s to U7s, create a 20×15 yard playing area with a goal at each end (used in “progression”). Older children can be given a larger area to play in.

Mark out a 5×5 “magic box” about two yards in front of each goal.

How to play: One player from each team (the magician) goes into the magic box.

The rest of the players try to pass the ball to their team’s magician.
One point is awarded for each successful pass.

Note: A “successful” pass is one that is controlled by the magician within the magic box.

Magicians who earn a point for their team return the ball to a player on the other team.
The first team to earn five points wins.
Change the magician regularly.

Rules:

Only the magician is allowed in the magic box.

Magicians cannot be tackled.

Progression: The magician can score an extra point for their team if they can score a goal without leaving their box.

Run the gauntlet

Objective: To practise dribbling and passing skills.

Age group: U5s to U9s.

Number of players: Whole team, divided into three teams.

Equipment: Several balls (eight for every 12 players), some flat cones.

Set-up: Mark out a 30×8 yard channel with flat cones.

Team 1 and 2 stand opposite each other on either side of the channel. Team 3 (the red team in the image below) wait at one end of the channel. Players in team 1 and team 3 have a ball each.

How to play: You demonstrate how the side-foot pass works.

How to teach the side-foot pass

The players in teams 1 and 2 begin the game by passing to each other across the channel, using the insides of both feet.

After a few seconds, the first player in team 3 sets off. He has to dribble his ball to the other end of the channel without being hit by one of the passes being made between the players in teams 1 and 2.

Players who manage to get to the far end of the channel without being hit by a ball, score one point for their team.

Once all the players in team 3 have run the gauntlet, change the teams around.

When all the teams have had a go, the team with the most points wins.

Progression: Restrict the players in teams 1 and 2 to two-touch.

Tip: If the players in team 3 are getting hit too often, widen the channel. If they are getting to other end too easily, make the channel narrower.

Dribble, turn, dribble, turn

Objective: To improve dribbling skills and learn two simple turns.

Age group: U6s to U8s.

How to play: Players have a ball each and spread out around the perimeter of the playing area, facing inwards.

On your command, they all dribble across the square, turn around, and dribble back. The first player to complete 10 or 12 crossings yells out “Done”.

Between rounds, teach a couple of simple turns (see below) by first demonstrating them and then getting the players to use a specific turn when they get to the edge of the square.

The drag back

Stop or slow the ball by stepping on it with the sole of your foot. Run past it by a few feet, pivot on one foot, turn quickly and run back the way you came, collecting the ball as you go.

The stop and go

As you are dribbling the ball, suddenly slow down then explode away. The most effective technique is stop the ball completely with the sole of your foot then quickly push the ball forwards again with the instep (laces).

Criss cross soccer

Objective: To encourage players to keep their heads up, to develop soccer “vision”, communication, switching play.

Age range: U8s to U14s.

Set up: Create a 20-yard square for every eight players.

Place a small goal (or a couple of cones, three feet apart) in each corner of the area.

Divide your players into two teams of four.

How to play

Each team has two goals to defend and two goals to try to score in.

The first team to score X number of goals wins.

Coaching notes

It can take a few minutes for your players to get used to this game. But you should persevere – it really does reward the players who can get their heads up and make a good decision regarding which goal to attack.

Common ball control faults and how to fix them

During a ball control coaching session you are sure to notice some of your players having difficulty getting their body in line with the ball, choosing the wrong part of their body to receive it or allowing the ball to bounce off before they can get it under control.

Problem 1 – Your player misreads the path of the ball and misses it.

This is a really common problem for young players. When they begin to play football, almost all children see a pass coming and just stick out a leg and hope that the ball hits them.

How to fix it: pass a ball at your players from varying distances and at different speeds. Encourage them to keep their eyes on the ball and talk them through what they have to do: “move left”, “move right”, “turn to face me” etc.

Problem 2 – Your player chooses the wrong part of their body to receive the ball or has trouble deciding which surface to use.

How to fix it: working in pairs, one player shouts out the part of their body they want to receive the ball with and the other serves a ball towards that body part.

Problem 3 – The ball bounces off the player and they lose possession.

How to fix it: working in pairs again, encourage the receiving player to exaggerate the correct cushioning movement so a ball served in the air drops down at their feet and a ground pass “sticks” to the foot.

You could also try using a futsal instead of a regular ball. The slightly increased weight and much reduced bounce of a futsal makes it far easier to control.

Once you have worked on correcting these common faults, it’s time to let your players practise their ball control skills in the more pressured environment of a small-sided game.

One of my favourites for children aged 10 and up is based on Paul Cooper’s Xavi Game, named after Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez who is, perhaps, one of the most skilful players in the game today.

This is a 5v5 game with the condition that players in their own half of the pitch may only touch the ball three times but when they are in the opposition’s half they can have unlimited touches. Goalkeepers must roll the ball out.

This game is great for encouraging quick, decisive passing and, at the same time, allowing players to express their individuality when going towards goal.

Younger children can practise their ball control skills in a less structured 4v4 where the coach awards extra “goals” for good examples of getting into line with a pass or a nice, soft first touch.

Keep your bedroom tidy

Objective: To improve ball skills, communication and teamwork.

Age range: U5s to U9s.

Number of players: Whole team.

Equipment required: Some flat cones, a few larger traffic style cones or poles one ball for every player.

Set-up: Create a 30×20 yards playing area with a goal at each end.

A row of cones is spread across the centre of the pitch with larger cones or poles representing the “bedroom door”.

Two teams are placed facing each other, each in their own bedroom.

All players have a ball at their feet.

You stand at the side of the area with a few additional balls.

How to play: The game starts with each player moving around their bedroom, controlling a ball.

Before the game starts, demonstrate a couple of turns and ask the players to try them as they dribble around the playing area.

Drag back

Stop or slow the ball by stepping on it with the sole of your foot. Run past it by a few feet, pivot on one foot, turn quickly and run back the way you came, collecting the ball as you go.

The stop and go

As you are dribbling the ball (usually with an opposition player alongside you), you suddenly slow down then explode away. The most effective technique is stop the ball completely with the sole of your foot then quickly push the ball forwards again with the instep (laces).

Then tell your players to swap balls with a partner to encourage communication.

While players are moving around they are asked to select a captain.

Then shout “Keep your bedroom tidy!”.

All players retire to their bedroom and kick their balls through the Bedroom Door into their opponent’s bedroom.

The captain can select players to stand near to the door to intercept and return balls kicked by the opposition.

Other players will move around the bedroom collecting balls that have gone further into their bedroom.

Should a player score in the opponent’s goal their team gets five points and the ball stays in the goal.

Play for two or three minutes then stop the game.

The balls in each bedroom are counted.

One point is given for each ball – don’t forget five for any balls in the goal.

The team with the fewest points has kept their bedroom tidiest and wins the game.

During the game, you can throw additional balls into each bedroom to keep the game interesting.

Follow up

This game is designed to encourage your players to shoot quickly and accurately as well as follow up on their shots in case the keeper drops the ball.

Age group: U8s to U13s.

Set-up: Divide your squad into two teams of between four and six players. If you have more than 12 players, set up two games.

Create a 30×20 yards playing area.
Place a team behind each end line.
Make a goal in the centre of the playing area with poles or corner flags.
Place a cone about eight yards away from each goal to mark the point at which your players should take their shot.
Place a few balls at both ends of the playing area.

How to play:

1. To start the game, team A sends one of its players to be goalkeeper.

2. The first player in team B dribbles a ball (at speed) to the marker cone and shoots. This player follows their shot in and tries to score if team A’s goalkeeper drops the ball.

3. Whether team B’s player scores or not, team A’s goalkeeper retrieves the ball and returns to her team.

4. The shooter from team B is now in goal. She faces the first player from team A who dribbles out and shoots.

After taking their shot, this player takes over in goal and so on.

5. The first team to score X number of goals wins.

Coaching points: Impress on your players the need to dribble at speed, shoot quickly and follow their shot.

If the shooter does not follow her shot and get into goal quickly, the opposition will have an open goal to shoot at!

You can, if you wish, encourage a finishing mentality by awarding two goals if a player scores from a fumbled shot.

You probably won’t need to, but make sure the next shooter doesn’t wait for the goalkeeper to get ready. They should start to dribble at goal as soon as they have the ball.

Vary the distance to goal and the size of the goal so players can experience success then make it harder by increasing the distance to goal and making the goal smaller.

Note: Although this game involves players waiting in line, the speed of the game means they should only be waiting for a few seconds.