Soccer Drills – Page 47

Two simple games that improve passing and receiving skills

Warm Up

Divide the team in two. Place players in a 20 x 20 yd grid without a ball. Place an equal number of players on outside of the grid each with a ball. Inside players move around the grid freely, receive a ball from an outside player and return it as quickly as they can. Switch positions after a while.

Progression

Return with one touch, then two touches,
Receive with outside of the foot, inside of the foot, left foot only…
Receive balls out of the air.
Receive, turn and find a different target

Coaching Points

Quality of first touch. Keep it outside your “footprints” so that it can be returned quickly.
Prepare the receiving surface as soon as possible.
Be first to the ball, get into the line of flight of the ball.
Make “eye contact” with the server.
Changes of speed and direction.
Do not run “across” the server, check back at an angle. This makes it easier to turn and look back over your shoulder.

The ladder relay

Divide the team into two or three groups depending upon how many players are at practice. Set up a “ladder” of cones as shown. Players pass and receive moving the football up the ladder. Last player in ladder dribbles ball to bottom and re-starts the passing. When the original bottom rung player gets back to the lowest rung the team “wins”.

Chaos in the circle

The following game is used as a warm-up by the U.S. Women’s National Team as a way to work trapping skills in a match related type of environment.

Four (4) players are inside a 15 yard diameter circle with the rest of the team outside. Four (4) of the outside players have a ball. The inside players have to run around within the circle and free themselves for a pass coming from the outside.

Initially let them just return the ball to the outside player and then move on to take another pass from another outside player. After they have become relatively proficient at trapping the ball have them trap it and perform a three touch move and then return it to another outside player.

The quick movements within the circle, the heads up required so that you don’t run into a teammate all help to simulate match type conditions.

Sidekick game

Objectives

Practice for field players in clinical finishing; to develop goalkeeper understanding and decision making involved in attacks from the sides of the goal.

Organization

Set out the penalty box as shown in the illustration. The practice starts from one side and is later changed to the other.

Initially the “side kick” can be served in by the coach, later by the players.

The keeper must start at the near post area. If the keeper anticipates the cross, then shots/goals are permitted at goal in the open near post.

The squad should be split into two teams – one shooting while the other fields. The challenge is between the two teams. How many can they score from 20 shots.

The goalkeepers have their own challenge – to keep the success rate on scoring under 50%; or they split – one with one team and one with the other.

It is important that the placement of the cones is such that the cone nearest the goal line for the “side kick” is sufficiently close to the end line to make the cross a “pull-back.”

When players are crossing themselves place a cone or marker disk three yards or so out from the near post and decree that they must play the cross outside the cone not inside (stops simple passes to the far post).

Coaching Points

Goalkeepers must defend the near post first and foremost.

Encourage keepers to position marginally in front of the near post – so they won’t push a high shot into the top of the net, nor crash into the post. May consider inside hand extended sideways and backwards to touch the post.

After forcing the cross by holding position, the keeper can cut out the cross ball – or, more likely, move across the goal to defend the impending shot. As the ball is played across the goal, the keeper must move towards the far post fast, and attempt to “set” just before the shot.

A delay in the shot, may allow the keeper to advance a step or two to cut down the angle.

Praise each keeper for every effort and success (may not be many to start with!).

Field players have to time their runs or they will get ahead of the ball.

Clinical side of the foot finishing to the near and far post – depending on the GK position.
Avoid running around the ball with a cross from the left to get onto good (right) foot and vice-versa.

Side help game

I use this game regularly with my U12 girls team. It’s the best way I’ve found to improve their vision, passing and control. The only proviso is that the side players should be coaches if your players are under, say, 9 years of age. Rating: 5 stars

Minutes: 15-20 Players: 8-12 Ages: 6-50

Objectives:

Improve team passing and possession using outside support

Setup and Procedure: Football (soccer) field about 30 x 20, small goals, 3 vs 3 (up to 5 vs 5), and two “side-help” players. Normal football rules apply except the side-help players are neutral and roam up and down the side lines providing support to whichever team has the ball. The side-help cannot dribble and must pass back to the team which touched the ball last. Players on the field cannot take the ball away from a side help player. If the ball goes past the side-help player then it is a throw-in. This is a good and fun way to encourage passing and possession.

Tip: Really encourage the children to use their side-help. For younger teams it is better if the side-help are coaches and/or more skilful players. Encourage and-again’s using the side-help. Also, for younger teams (under 10) feel free to use a larger goal with goalies. Vary the field size taking into account age and number of players.

Shuttle sprinting

Set out a grid 10 X 20 yards using disc cones in 2 lines. The distance between the cones should be 5 yards. Place 4 balls at cone E at the opposite side of the grid to the players.

The players stand behind cone A and on ‘GO’ the red and yellow players run to collect a football from E and dribble it to a cone A through D.

– Which cone is first is the player’s decision, but at the end of the sequence, each one A through D must a have a ball.

– When all balls are placed, the player runs back to the start and touches the hand of the next player.

– The next player works in reverse and dribbles each ball back to cone E.

– Repeat until all players have had a turn.

Shuttle passing

Set up

Separate your players into groups of three.

end player……………cone……cone……………..end player

The two end players should be directly across from each other and approximately 20 yards apart. A third player (or third and fourth players) should be in the middle standing between two marker cones. Each of the end players should have a football at their feet.

note: you can have one or more groups of four by having two players in the middle or rotating a fourth player into a group of three.

Procedure

When the coach gives the command, the player(s) in the middle must run towards an end player, calling for the ball and showing herself. The end player passes the ball to the middle player’s feet. The middle player controls it and passes it back. As soon as the player in the middle passes the ball back she must turn and run towards the other end player. No stopping to admire the pass! The middle player(s) should be calling for the ball when they get about ten feet from the other end player. Again, they receive/return a pass, turn and run.

The middle player must continue running back and forth, receiving and passing balls. She should be running at pace and trying to maintain good speed and quality touches throughout the entire drill. Do not tolerate technical mistakes as players get tired.

When thirty seconds or so is up, the middle player switches with one of the end players and recovers. Continue this drill until all three players have been the middle person.

Make it competitive by seeing which group can complete the most passes in one minute.

What to look for

Quality passing, quick turns and hard work. The middle player will be tired towards the end of their session and will have to focus hard on making good quality passes. Applaud their efforts.

Variations

1. To increase the difficulty of this drill make the middle person use only one touch. This way she must concentrate even more.

2. Have the end players toss the balls into the middle person. The middle person can either bring the ball down to his/her feet or directly volley pass the ball back to their teammate.

3. Using one ball, the middle player shows for a pass from an end player, turns with the ball, runs back to the centre (marked out with two cones) passes to the other end player, continues the run, gets the return, takes the ball back to the middle and so on. It’s hard work but very good for fitness and improving basic ball skills.

Practice heading – the end players throw the ball to middle player who sprints to the ball, jumps to head it back to the server, turns, sprints to the other server. Servers should throw to allow middle player to sprint 15-20 yards between each header.

Shooting with training defender

ORGANISATION:

Set up and area 15x30yrds with 2 full size soccer goals. Balls are positioned next to the posts of the goals. R1 and R2 represent rebound players positioned on the sides.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The GK feeds a bal to one side or the other using either feet or hands, The player on the other side becomes a recovering (trailing) defender. On the first touch of the attacking player a player on the opposite side to which the ball was played enters the field to finish possible rebounds.

SCORING:

None.

KEY COACHING POINTS:

Good driven shooting technique (Knee & Shoulder over ball, non-kicking foot, etc.)
Correct technique for each attempt on goal.
Hit the target (force a save from the goal keeper).
Shots should be low and hard.
Side foot (in-step finish) on close range shots.
Finish at game speed.
Player entering field should be looking for rebounds.

VARIATIONS:

2 Touch finishes.
1 Touch finishes.
Require one foot finishing (i.e. left or right).

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:

Make sure the GK’s have a good supply of balls and distribute quickly after a shot is taken. This ensures everyone gets a lot of shots in. Shooting soccer drills should be fun and challenge the goal keeper. Shooting is one of the most valued skills in football and should be practiced often!

Shooting gallery

Skill: receiving and shooting

Number Of Players Required: Full U6 – U10 team

Equipment: 10 or more cones to mark grid, a lot of soccer balls (at least 2 per player).

Grid Requirement: 15 X 20 yard grid

Organization: Create a 15 X 20 yard grid marked with cones. Mark two goals with cones on each goal line. The coach will be located on the opposite touch line from the players with a good supply of soccer balls.

How The Game Is Played: The coach will call the name of the first player in line, when the name is called the player will run between the near 2 cones, receive a pass from the coach so the player can shoot on goal and return to end of the line.

Variations: Coach and players will switch sides. Players should try to one touch the shot on goal. Have players use their left and right foot.

Shooting from square passes

A soccer coaching game from Manchester United youth coach, David Williams.

David Williams has extensive coaching experience and credentials including coaching in the English Premier League and at the National team level. Prior to joining Manchester United, Williams was the Assistant Manager/First Team Coach at Leeds United, Norwich City and Everton of the English Premier League and the Assistant Manager of the Welsh National Team.

Most shooting sessions are set up where the player moves forward onto the football to shoot at goal. It is important that players receive practice at shooting where they receive the ball from different angles. This shooting practice involves receiving the ball from square passes and shooting on the second touch.

Organise two full-size goals with goalkeepers that are 36 yards apart (two penalty areas). Two shooters are in the middle of the field, one shooting to goal one and the other to goal two. They each face a line of players on the centre line who have a ball each.

Player 2 receives a pass from the first player in line 1. He has to receive and shoot using only his right foot and in one or two touches. At the same time the other shooter does the same. Both shooters then join the back of their line and are replaced by the passer.

Reverse the practice with the player facing line 1 shooting to goal two and the other shooter shooting to goal one. They will then have to control and shoot the ball with their left foot.

Coaching Point

Remember, the players are only 18-20 yards from goal, so encourage a short, quick first touch as this will be required in game situations close to a crowded penalty area.

Progression

This time the shooters have their backs to goal (side-on to the passer). The shooter allows the ball to go across his body to be controlled with his right foot and shoot with his left foot.

Coaching Point

The shots could either be curled toward the far post or hit hard and low toward the near post as shown in the diagram.