Welcome to the Soccer Awareness Coaches Corner. Browse through soccer drills, small sided games, tactical thoughts, full sessions and a variety of resources. Posts marked “Training Center Exclusive” are for members only.
Introduction to the 5 Phases of Play for 1-3-1-3-1 at 9 v 9
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This is a very simple way to show how the team movement works. The main theme is movement OFF and often AWAY from the ball. Players position OFF the ball based on: The best spaces, the opponent's positions, their own teammates positions, the position of the ball. These are ALL EXAMPLES of what “might / could” happen. Players can interchange positions as we develop the play. This is an introduction to this presentation.
Read MoreRotating Shadow Strikers and Teammates In and Around Zone 14 - Training Center Exclusive
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This presentation shown through animations looks at the effective use of Zone 14 and the various uses of shadow strikers.
Zone 14 is located outside the penalty area. It is a factor to differentiate successful and unsuccessful teams because it provides the most assists in the game. The most effective way to use zone 14 is to make a forward pass into the penalty area from there. Moreover, the attacking play should be quick. The possession in zone 14 should not be more than 8 seconds. Not looking at the build up; but rather; focusing on the final pass into Zone 14.
In my opinion, the best way is to attack through zone 14 first as it is more effective. If they can’t penetrate through the central attacking area, then they attack the wide areas. Phase 3 shows how we overload Zone 14 with inverted runs by wide players to OUTNUMBER opponents CENTRALLY. This is the key.
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Read More5 Phases of Play for 1-3-2-1 and 7 v 7 Game Sizes
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This is a very simple way to show how the team movement works. Players can interchange positions as we develop the play. We offer great dynamics and fluidity to the players to allow them to express themselves on the field. With this we can show the discipline also involved when we lose the ball and we recover back. We are teaching players to find the best spaces possible in attack and we can use triangles and diamonds to highlight them here..
Read More3rd Man Run Rotations Shown Through Animation
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These animations show several players making third man runs; in actual fact it might be only one making this run in behind and the passer has to “spot” that run.. What we are trying to show is almost any player can make these third man runs if they have defensive cover.
Read MoreStructuring a Training Session
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It would be useful if we all worked at structuring our sessions along the same lines to ensure we provide the correct coaching for all the players in all the teams. The following presentation is one way to set it up and it helps you organize your time management for a session.
Read MoreThe Importance of Developing Players Through Teaching Rondos
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Rondos are a great way to prepare players for the game situations and especially the fast decision making needed within the game. Though the foundation of the basic rondo stays the same, it can be made more difficult or easier by the number of touches players are allowed for example so it benefits ALL players who practice with them.
Read MoreTwo Touch Prepare and Pass
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In this session we are working on accuracy and weight of passing. The activity encourages players to correctly receive the ball into space prior to passing.
Read MoreBall Control and Dribbling Skills Ideas
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Dribbling is a ball skill that's crucial in soccer. The best soccer players in the world can control the ball when sprinting at full speed and avoiding defenders. Better dribbling skills allows players to create space and time and therefore better control the ball and make plays. Here are two drills you can add to your practices to improve your teams dribbling skills.
Read MoreDiagonal Runs Without the Ball in a 6 v 6 Game
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The theme is making diagonal runs with or without the ball to receive or create space for a teammate. When it is a forward diagonal run the player making it must avoid running offside in a game situation.
Read MorePlaying in 5 Corridors and 3 Zones Using the 3-3-1-3 for Attacking and Defending Team Shape
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Using Corridors is a great way to work out individual and collective field positioning as a team both offensively and defensively and it also gives players real a “focal point” to work off. We use “Corridors” width wise and then introduce “Zones” lengthwise later. These “focal points of reference” I believe are a great way to really teach players to understand the differences between attacking and defending team shapes both widthwise and lengthwise. A great session to help players identify positional variations, the 4 lines are used as a clear guide widthwise.
Read MoreYouth Soccer Training & Development: Myelin & Training - The Scientific Concept in Skill Development
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In this article, I explain the scientific background to the Soccer Awareness training method. A previous article introduced Awareness Training and explained how it helps players develop skills more rapidly than traditional training methods. In this article I want to explain the scientific background to Awareness Training and how the approach speeds up and improves decision making and the thought processes in soccer.
Read MoreTeaching Angles of Support
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This session shows how to develop Angles of support OFF the ball to receive using corridors. You can use this in any size of game. Every player can move anywhere they like from both teams.
Read MorePlaying a 5-4-1 and Counter Attacking with Opponents Defending High
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In this presentation, we are playing a 1-5-4-1 (1-3-4-3) defending deeper and Counter Attacking. This strategy can be used when your team is winning but under immense pressure. Your focus is on defending then counter attacking. You can also experiment playing this way for an educational experience. Lastly, we look at the timing of various run so as not to be offsides.
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