June 15, 2019

Free eBook: Teaching Strikers Receiving the Ball to Feet with Their Backs to Goal

June 15, 2019/ Wayne Harrison

All start positions should be with the idea of getting the ball into the strikers’ feet to receive it with their back to goal; and then developing the play from there. Emphasize the striker getting across the defender if the defender tries to get in front of them to intercept the pass to them, and using their body to block them off. This can be a big problem for a striker if they are not aware of where the defender marking them is. Secondary movements and developments will result from there. Using the three R’s to teach this; Review, rehearse and restart.

May 02, 2019

Circle Rondos

May 02, 2019/ Wayne Harrison

Passing and movement warm up for quick looking and thinking. Various movements to develop decision making with several progressions. An Introduction to all the basics of the thinking process and how it relates to decision making and movement.

January 03, 2019

6 To 7 Years Old Developmental Training Program Overview

January 03, 2019/ Wayne Harrison

Here is an overview of what coaches should be working on in their training with 6-7 year olds. This is the “Fundamental” stage of development. Coaching emphasis is on teaching Technical and Mental development in the correct Environment.

December 17, 2018

Sideways on Soccer Using Corridors

December 17, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

4 v 4 game. Players have to pass diagonally forward because of the condition set. This develops the checking and passing habits of players. Players stay in their same corridors or zones. Theme is to have them check off at an angle and sideways on so they can see the opponent, their team mates and the goal behind them.

December 17, 2018

A “Comfort Zone” Developing Width in Play in a 9 v 9

December 17, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

Objective: To Encourage Players To Use Width And Offer An Area To Play Without Pressure

November 26, 2018

The Arsenal Game

November 26, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

This game was based on how you would structure a small sided game in the style that the present Arsenal side would play. Their play is made up of lots of quick short passing with plenty of movement off the ball. They use give and goes a lot (wall passes) which I have highlighted in the game.

November 17, 2018

1-3-2-1: Patterns of Play at 7 v 7

November 17, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

The following presentation is designed to simplify the potential Patterns of Play of players at 7 v 7. Eventually we will show several movements but we need to build up to these slowly and with patience. Patterns of Play are designed to be practiced to help players identify common situations in the game itself.

November 05, 2018

How To Set-up A Small-Sided Game

November 05, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

Small-sided games are less than 11 v 11 and can be any number from 3 v 3 to 9 v 9. The general sizes of a game to establish team coaching themes are usually 6 v 6 or 8 v 8. Here are two examples of set ups for these sizes of games and information on U.S. Soccer's small-sided games standards.

September 14, 2018

Small Sided 4 v 4 Defending Games

September 14, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

One way to teach the basic tactical game of the 4 v 4 is to offer many different ideas on actual game situation that focus on certain themes. This is what the following presentations does. You cannot do better than put players into game situations to learn the game, we just take it one stage further by what we present here. We begin by teaching defending principles in a 4 v 4 game situation so several thoughts on different set ups to teach it individually and collectively as team players.

March 04, 2018

The Roles and Responsibilities of Each Player in 9 v 9

March 04, 2018/ Wayne Harrison

Here we are looking at players 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9; 10 and 11 of the 11 v 11 and we will look at them in this particular formation of 1-3-3-1-1. You could of course use different formations at 9 v 9 but I'm basing it on this one because it’s closer to the set up of the 11 v 11 so it transitions easily into it.

July 23, 2017

Simple 3 Player Rotational Combination Movements to Teach

July 23, 2017/ Wayne Harrison

Positioning and rotations correctly “off the ball” is vital for team success. Here are Simple 3 Player Rotational Combination Movements that can be taught in training.

May 08, 2017

2 v 2 To Goal

May 08, 2017/ Wayne Harrison

The coach serves the ball into the penalty area and both teams compete for the ball and try to score. If the team on defense wins possession, they can go to goal as well. If the goalkeeper makes the save or the ball goes outside the penalty area, the play is done.

October 21, 2016

Defensive Positioning to Fix in Defensive Team Shape

October 21, 2016/ Wayne Harrison

Teams should have 2 basic shapes, an attacking one and a defensive one; wide and long on offense, short and tight on defense. The differences between each should be significant in terms of spacing between players. A problem that occurs is defensive team shape is not short and tight enough and it allows opponents too much time on the ball.

February 07, 2016

Four Color Cone Defending Drill

February 07, 2016/ Wayne Harrison

Four cones, red, blue, yellow and white, coach calls different colors players have to adjust side to side to get there quickly. 5 to 6 seconds each pair. Defenders are now shifting quickly and against the movement of the attacker when the attacker decides to shift the ball one way or the other. Only do it for 5 or 6 seconds because in games defenders only stay down there like this for that time period generally. How quickly can they do it?

January 18, 2016

3 v 2 To Goal

January 18, 2016/ Wayne Harrison

Use the penalty area and a regulation size goal. Two lines of defenders stand on both sides of the goal. Three lines of attackers stand five yards out from the top of the penalty box. The coach or server stands on the end line, between the 6 and 18, with a group of balls.