Coaches Corner

Often players position to receive the ball with their back to play. These session plans show some ideas on how to position and instead "Face Forward" or at least Half Turned or three quarters turned rather than positioning square and facing back.

Here are 3 simple drills to help your players develop good technique for shooting at goal.

Development of the mental side of the game in terms of the Awareness program, i.e. seeing situations quickly and acting upon them is very important to the player to help him or her have success by scoring goals. The shorter and sharper the practice then the less time the players have to make the correct decisions to be successful, the more important it is to train them to be able to cope with these pressure situations.

This drill training also leads into the dynamic movement training where players have freedom of movement and the movements are not predetermined; as with many drills. The latter drills on this sequence have to be used ONLY with players with a high soccer IQ at these ages but likely you will have several who can do it successfully. Develop these decision making ideas between the developmental stages of learning forming the middle link between technique training and tactical training.

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This Is Essentially Training The Mind For Fast Decision Making. This is quite an easy way to develop; and be successful at; one touch passing and decision making (developing the SKILL FACTOR).

It helps develop peripheral vision (awareness) and stimulates quick reflexes making players PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE. This training also forces the receiving player to identify his options BEFORE he receives the ball, which is what awareness training is all about.

Here are 3 simple passing and possession based games from Playerdevelopmentproject.com. Each session can be adapted to age or ability to suit different players or achieve different outcomes.

Players often don’t use the full size of the field and set up in a more defensively positioned team shape when they have the ball and are attacking. This means its easier to stop them attacking because the spaces to cover are much smaller for the opponents..

In this presentation we are reviewing throw ins and then playing out from the back once we have established possession.

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The timing and angle of the movement is the key here. Making two runs instead of one (if you have time to do so) may be the difference between getting possession or not or receiving. Players need to be facing forward or receiving facing backwards. These drills keep the movements simple.

Lots of quick standing starts emphasizing the importance of the first stride (emphasize also a short step). This is the most important stride as it is the explosive one to move quickly. In this routine the players practice many of these.

This activity begins as a 6 v 6 game working on zonal marking (marking space). Use a rope (Orange lines in diagram) to tie the players together so they have to move as a unit and so they “feel it.” It can be a back four or a midfield four - the responsibilities are the same.

This is a very fast game that is constantly in action back and forth.

The field is divided into 3 zones. It is set up ultimately in a 4-2-3-1 which we will build up to but can be used for any system or formation.

Players must keep possession with a purpose and attack in numbers up as quickly as possible. Once the ball is into the attacking third the players have 10 seconds to score (or you can say 5 passes to score). Once this attack is over either the defending team has won the ball and passed it into the middle zone to attack the other way using the same ball, or the attacking team has scored or missed the target; the coach then passes another ball into the middle zone to the new attacking team going the other way.

A consequence of being attacking minded with both wing backs attacking is we can be exposed. We can be caught 1 v 1 in wide areas because of this. Defenders (center backs and defensive midfielders must adjust in “anticipation” of this happening.

So; One question I am always asked for defending in a back three or a very offensive back four…Are you not exposed in wide areas on the counterattack?

Yes and no; it depends on how you position.

Four FAST decisions to make here based on the movements of the outside players. Testing the LOOK behind, early positioning of the feet and body of the testing player as the ball is arriving in the middle. We are working on Developing Peripheral Vision from in front of and behind play.