We've uploaded 27 new drills, ebooks and presentations to the Soccer Awareness Training Center. See what's new:

“On And Off The Ball” Striker Movement Developing Finishing Skills - New in Elite Plan eBooks

Striker movement is one of the greatest and most difficult ARTS to master. The situation is constantly changing and the striker is constantly moving to create space for him or herself but also for teammates. At the same time on some occasions the answer is not to move at all; and the when and where to do this comes from experience and playing.

I have tried to cover individual striker work as well as combined striker work and taken to; for example; a 1 on 1 technical finish with the keeper to building the ideas using more players and moving to small sided game situations, small sided Functions, to more player involved Phases of Play; to 11 v 11s.

Included also are special and specific sessions that are not so obvious as striker sessions but are equally important; such as the dropping off and receiving and turning 3 zone session in Zone 14.

Thirty Favorite Coaching Clinics For The Advanced Coach - New in Elite Plan eBooks

1. Awareness training and the psychological link between developing fast feet and a quick mind in decision making
2. The Three team awareness game
3. Dynamic Target games for Awareness Development
4. Developing awareness in movements “off” the ball between the units in overload situations
5. An awareness of how and where to create and exploit space in front of the defense using the shadow striker
6. Angled support and sideways on soccer the Brazilian way
7. A variety of individual striker runs developing movement and finishing techniques (Including the Vialli, the Crespo and the Del Piero)
8. Teaching strikers receiving the ball to feet with their backs to goal and introducing quick play in and around the box
9. Teaching combination plays and the opposite movements of strikers
10. Combination movements of the front two with an attacking midfielder
11. Quick pressing play versus one and two touch play
12. Shadow defending to win
13. Developing the “shadow defending concept and taking it into competitive situations on how to defend effectively
14. The Back 4: Defensive Positioning
15. Back four Zonal defending in a Phase of play
16. Shadow play team shape: Rehearsal method in an 8 v 8 with Game Situation work
17. Shadow play team shape in an 11 v 11: Rehearsal method including Game Situational work
18. Team shape Attacking: 4-4-2
19. Counter attacking, quick break and transitions: the Arsenal method
20. Four zone Attacking and Defending game
21. Quick transition 2 v 2 / 3 v 3 Game
22. Teaching zonal defending as a unit
23. A Shooting from Distance Game
24. Small sided games situations
25. Continuous passing and team shape training
26. Circle coaching for passing and support
27. Developing third man runs with a specific condition to introduce the theme
28. Using mannequins for spatial awareness and positioning OFF the ball
29. Teaching the 4-2-3-1 (presented at the NSCAA National Convention in Indianapolis 2013)
30. Attacking and defending functional practices

Important Alternative Information On How To Play The 4-2-3-1 - New in Elite Plan eBooks 

Some of this is thinking outside the box and addressing issues not always covered in this format. Contents:

1. How to play the 4-2-3-1: Attacking and Defensive Positioning: How to cover weaknesses in the system
2. The 5 Phases of development
3. Positioning at the back when losing the ball with both wing backs pushed and the resulting adjustment needed
4. Quick Pressing in the Attacking Third and when to drop
5. Changing shape to counter the opponents who are playing a 4-3-3
6. The Movement Off the ball interactions of 2 and 7, and 3 and 11
7. Developing Play in the Attacking Third: Free Kicks into feet or in open play
8. In and Around the box final positioning
9. Getting players in behind the Opponents back four from Deep
10. Team Game Preparation ideas we should be aware of; and Key Points we need to understand
11. Changing Strategy in the Game Situation
12. Distribution from the keeper and Playing out from the back
13. How to develop Spatial Awareness

Developing The Play In The Attacking Third And Then Inside The Penalty Area And The 6 Yard Box - New in Premium Plan eBooks

Do this as a shadow play at first for success, then bring passive defenders in; then play real with defenders defending correctly.

50 Fun and Developmental Coaching Sessions for 6 to 10 Year Olds - New in Premium Plan eBooks

These sessions have been designed for one soccer season. There may only be time for 30 training sessions for a team during the season (or less in many cases). Hence the coach needs to choose which of the sessions shown are the 30 or so most required out of 50 presented for their team’s needs. In some weeks, it may be that one particular session is appropriate because the team may have been poor in that area during that week of games. This may mean a session or two being done out of the order they have been prepared here. It is up to the coach to identify this need and choose “when and where” to do a particular session or even repeat it if necessary.

Common Problems that Occur Often and How to Fix Them - New in Featured Presentations

Certain things happen in games too often for them not to be a one off or coincidence. I have identified several that I have come across consistently with my teams over the years and I am assuming you may come across them too and have a need to focus upon them and put them right.

11 Principles of Team Play for Soccer Awareness - New in Featured Presentations

Patterns of Play at 9 v 9 Building from the Back - New in Building Play From The Back Section

Please watch your games and ask yourself:

1. How many times does your team try to build out of the back?
2. How many times do they play BOOT-BALL from back to front?

9 v 9 is at the younger ages; and not wanting to baffle them with science too early; we will choose far fewer ways to build out from the back than we do at 11 v 11. But we will establish patterns of play they can learn to do that are very simple; but also very effective when done correctly.

Teaching Defending as a Team in an 11 v 11 - New in Defending Section

Here we show our team playing the 1-3-3-1-3

The best form of attacking is expert defending. As a team we need to improve on this. Therefore a big part of our game MUST be heavy pressing all over the field with ALL players tuned into the way to do it. Players on the opposite side of the field when the ball is with opponents especially should understand their roles and the need to condense the spaces.

Simple Off the Shoulder Movements of the Central Striker - New in Striker Movements Section

Central Strikers 9 times out of 10 position facing backwards against a center back. This is a fact, watch any youth striker and you will see this. Rarely do you see a central striker come off the shoulder of a defender and FACE FORWARD. These following slides show you how to do this various ways. Its very simple movement and very effective movement and it causes all sorts of problems for center backs. There is more depth and detail to this but this is a starting point to initially learn these vital movements.

Changing Shape Depending on the Game Situation - New in Team Shape Section

Depending on the game situation we may need to change our team shape. We are winning with 20 minutes to go and the opponents are on top and pressing us hard. We MUST have a contingency plan to stop them.. We switch from 2 defensive Banks of 3 players to two defensive Banks of 4 players OR, we have a defensive midfielder between each defensive bank of players for extra security. We rely on our players 7, 9, 10 and 10 to counter attack when we win the ball, then if we lose possession we drop back into our defensive shape. So when we are dominating the game we are our usual 1-3-3-1-3 and we stay with that. But if under intense pressure we MUST be more solid defensively so we switch to either of these formations, 1-4-4-1-1 or 1-4-1-4-1.

New Turning Section

1. Individual Turning Technique
2. A Fun Game With The Ball Incorporating Running, Dribbling And Turning
3. Improving Turning With The Ball
4. Turns
5. Technical Development: Dribbles and Turns
6. Objective: Practicing And Improving Receiving, Controlling And Turning With The Ball In 3’s And 4’s
7. Practicing Turning With The Ball At Pace Receiving And Turning Relay Exercise
8. Relay Races For Turning And Running With The Ball
9. Dribbling, Turning And Passing In Fours
10. Technical Training Working In Three’s
11. Overlapping Plays
12. Passing, Receiving And Turning
13. Receiving, Controlling And Turning With The Ball
14. Receiving And Turning In Groups Of Four
15. Receiving And Turning In 1 V 1 Attacking Situations
16. 1 V 1 Receiving And Turning
17. Receiving And Turning Thru The Thirds In A SSG

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Whether you’re a beginning coach who needs help getting started or someone who wants to add some variety to their training sessions, the Soccer Awareness Training Center offers a wide variety of drills to choose from. Good coaches will find a variety of ways to teach their players a technique. Using different drills each day or week will keep your practices fresh and exciting - for you, your fellow coaches, and your players. Browse through various size small sided games or drills that target more specific functional team training needs. Each comes with a detailed description and photos to help ensure proper execution.