Category: Basic soccer skills

From Amhurst Soccer
Dribbling Lesson Plans Dribbling Moves Dribbling to beat an opponent Dribbling with Turns Positive Dribbling Passing & Receiving Lesson Plans Receiving First Touch Passing #1 Short Passing Long Passing QuickPlay            Possession Switching the Play Combination Play Build up Play	Defending Lesson Plans Defending Pressing Defending from the Front Winning The Ball Incorporating the Goalkeeper Defensive Organization Attacking Lesson Plans Shooting Combination with Finishing Roles of the Attacking Players Speed of Play  Tactical Lesson Plans Transition Team Shape

Equipment: Cones, pinnies, one ball per player

Warm up

Instep Warm Up – Start with players sitting down and kicking the ball out of their hands. Look for good technique – ankle locked, toe pointed, strike ball with laces, plant foot facing target, leaning forward, no spin on ball, head position.

Progression

• Sitting
• Two insteps in a row
• Kick ball, stand up and catch it.
• While standing (moving), kick ball and catch it.
• Have the ball bounce in between touches, keep ball going.
• Two touches without ball hitting ground.

Body

Instep Passing – In pairs, players make instep passes back and forth.

Progression

• Start with ball being kicked after a bounce, dropped from hands..
• Ball kicked from the ground.
• Increase distance.
• Restrict player to 2 touches.

Instep Squares – Two squares are set up with two players in each square who are teammates. The more skilful the players, the smaller the squares are and the further apart they. are. The game starts when one team kicks the ball into the others’ square. The receiving team must control the ball without it going outside of their square. Each player is allowed to play the ball with one touch. The team has 3 touches to get the ball into their opponents square. The ball may not stop at any time. Play stops when a shot misses the other teams grid or is not controlled. Decide beforehand how high a ball may be played to be considered fair.

Coaching Points

“Drive” the ball into the other teams grid to make it difficult to control. Good shooting technique, Encourage an aggressive shooting mentality” To receive the ball, get in the line of flight, taking the first touch to “kill the ball” for your partner. Prepare the surface that will receive the ball early Keep the body balanced, weight on toes.

Application

• Steal The Bacon – Two teams, each player is designated a number. The coach calls out the numbers of the players. These players then run out from the endline to play the game. The coach serves balls from the sideline if the ball goes out of bounds or into a goal. Each group should play for a minute and a half of continuous action.

Players waiting to come on should return loose balls to the coach, or act as “support” players, returning passes back to the team who made them. The number of players playing at one time depends on the coach’s objectives. This game is best played 2 v. 2 or 3 v. 3.

Equipment: Cones, pinnies, 1 ball per player

Warm up

Passing Grid – Half the players inside the grid without a ball and the other half of the players around the outside of the grid with balls. The players on the inside move towards a player on the outside receive the ball and return it to the same player. Progressions: 2 touch, 1 touch, out of the air, turn and find a new target

Body

• Marbles – Players pair up each player needs a ball, staying within the grid player A passes their ball about 5 yards away and their partner tries to hit their ball, they then trade off. Players get one point for each successful hit. Have a competition of first team to 10. Loss of point if ball goes out of the grid
• Gatekeepers – Create four small goals one on each side of the grid, put one player in each of the small goals without a ball (gatekeeper). When directed the gatekeeper will step outside of their goal until told to move back in. The rest of the players are inside the grid dribbling around looking for the open goal to pass their goal through. How many goals can they get in 1 minute.

Application

4 v. 4 The Passing Game – Play a 4v4 game in 30X40 yard grid. Put two goals on the end line in the corners. Scoring is by stopping the ball anywhere on the line or passing through an open goal. Grid should be setup so it is longer than it is wide.

Equipment: Cones, pinnies, 1 ball per player

Warm up

Retrieve the ball – Get the players in pairs with one ball, each pair brings the coach their ball, the coach throws the ball in some direction giving the players directions about how they must retrieve the ball and bring it back

3 passes, 2 passes each, 3 different body parts, 8 passes, etc.

Body

• Golf – Setup gates (two cones close together) around your practice area, see the lowest number of passes a team can make in getting through all of the gates. Have each pair keep track of their scores. You may want to keep track of the score for the entire team and then challenge them to do it again in fewer passes.
• Passing with pressure – Now add in one or two defenders, see how many goals the players can score in 2 minutes, defenders go around blocking the goals but not taking the ball away.
• Fox & hounds – Tag game, one or two players start with balls and try to hit their team mates below the waist with the ball. If a player gets hit then they must also get a ball and help catch the others.

Application

4 v. 4 The Passing Game – Play a 4v4 game in 30X40 yard grid. Put two goals on the end line in the corners. Scoring is by stopping the ball anywhere on the line or passing through an open goal. Grid should be setup so it is longer than it is wide.

This is a practice drill designed to improve your players’ ability to keep possession. It is suitable for players with good ball skills.

Warm up

Split your players into two groups wearing two different coloured bibs, e.g. red and blue. The players jog around in half a small soccer pitch, passing the ball from red to blue to red etc.

Progressions:

• Add a second ball.
• Introduce a defender who tries to block the passes.
• Introduce a second defender and, if your players are still finding it easy to keep the ball from the defenders, add a third.
• Place a goal at one end of the playing area. The team in possession can shoot once they have put five passes together.

Small-sided game 1

Play a small-sided game with the condition that players can only have three touches before they pass the ball. All restarts are by the goalkeeper who has to roll the ball out.

Progression: move to two touch.

Small-sided game 2

In this small-sided game, use uneven teams. For example, 5v2 or 6v3. The team with the most players has to complete five passes before they can score. The team with fewer players can shoot as soon as they get the ball.

Progression: increase the number of passes required and/or make the playing area smaller to increase the pressure.

Coaching points

• Stress the need for constant movement – no standing still admiring your pass!
• Encourage players to find good angles of support– get out of the defenders’ shadows.
• Key messages: Keep the ball! Relax, get your head up and support your team mates.

This practice is designed to improve each player’s field vision through a variety of techniques.

Consider the following points:

Vision With The Ball

Many coaches instruct players to “trap the ball” before passing it. The word “trap” suggests stopping the ball. Young players get into a bad habit of trapping the ball using the sole of the foot every time the ball comes to them. Trapping or stopping the ball with the sole of the foot can cause many bad habits for the player and limit the techniques he can use immediately after his first touch on the ball.

The following are bad habits as a result of “trapping the ball” with the sole of the foot:

– As the ball travels towards the foot the head will drop and eyes will be fixed on the ball. The player at this point cannot see his passing options.

– In the attacking third, the player will not be able to see the position of the goalkeeper if his head is down, thus limiting his shooting options.

– If the ball is controlled with the sole of the foot on the first touch, the position of the ball will be too close to the players body for the player to pass over a long distance. There needs to be a distance between the player and the ball for the player to strike the ball over a long distance.

– In the attacking third, the player cannot afford to stop the ball with the sole of the foot. The player needs to set up shooting opportunities as soon as possible. If the ball is controlled with the sole of the foot, it will limit the players’ ability to shoot over a long distance.

– Trapping the ball with the sole of the foot will also affect the time in which a player makes decisions. The player will take one second to trap the ball, another second to push the ball out from the body and yet a third second before the player considers the option of whether to pass, dribble, shoot or run with the ball. During this period the nearest opponent will be closing down the ball and looking to dispossess the player.

Coaches should encourage players to use their first touch on the ball economically and effectively. As opposed to trapping the ball with the sole of the foot, players should look to play their first touch out of their body and into a position that will allow them to perform a variety of techniques on their second touch.

In general, right-footed players should look to play their first touch approximately one and a half yards in front and to the right side at a 45-degree angle (left footed players to the left side). By playing the ball out and in front of the body on the first touch, the player will improve in the following:

– Better all round vision as eyes follow ball out and up and not focused down at the feet.

– Can immediately see and evaluate passing and shooting options.

– Can pass the ball over a long range.

– Can shoot the ball over a long range.

– Less chance of being caught in possession of the ball due to improved vision.

During the course of a game it is not always possible to play the ball in the perfect position. However, it is surprising to note that on numerous occasions when players control the ball, they neglect to consider what they are controlling for, to pass, to shoot, to dribble or to run with the ball.

Vision Without The Ball

Consideration must also be given to the player’s body position when supporting the man on the ball. Whenever possible players should adopt a “side-on” position to see as much of the playing field as possible.

Remember, “You can only pass as quick as you can see.”

Warm Up

– Divide players into 2 groups; identify each team with different colored bibs.

– Have players jog around area 30 x 40 yards. Players alternate stretching and jogging every 60 seconds.

– While the players jog, heads must be up scanning the whole field, glancing behind them, looking far and near. On coaches command players must shout out the colour of “John’s socks”, make of Tom’s cleats etc. (forces players to scan all players quickly) Players heads should be like that of a “bird on a fence” always glancing and checking behind.
Fundamental Phase

– Introduce a ball into the area. Players move around grid passing the ball “2 touch”. The passes must always be in the sequence of “Red Player – Yellow Player” red can only pass to blue and blue to red). This forces players to scan the area before receiving the pass

– Progress to “1 touch” play.

– Encourage players on the ball to pass over a variety of distances, not always a short pass.

– Encourage players off the ball to get into a position in line of the players vision (don’t hide).

– Condition the players “Not to talk or Clap” for the ball. All communication is visual. Then take off this condition.

Fundamental Progression #1

Continue sequence from previous practice and develop to:

– Still ” 1 touch”. On the coaches command the player in possession must pass to the player named by the coach. When the coach shout’s “Johnny” the player in possession must quickly scan the field, locate the player, and pass quickly to the player’s feet.

– The receiving player “Johnny” is encouraged to receive the ball “side-on” if possible, turn quickly and pass to the most distant player on the opposite colour

– The play is continued with the “Red-Blue” sequence until the coach calls another players name.
Match Related

Finish with small side game with goalkeepers

– Reinforce all the main points in your small-sided game.