SoccerCoachWeekly. Press gang. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics. player movement ball movement

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1 Issue 253 Press gang TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly How to prevent long ball teams from getting their way Terry Call, coach of Under-12 girls side Yellowstone Fire, from Cody, Wyoming, USA, wrote in recently to ask how his team could combat long ball opponents. The simplest way of dealing with long ball teams is to make sure players press high up the pitch, particularly if you have fast attackers. By pressing like this, the opposition has to go backwards, or is forced to make long passes from deep in their own half. And the chances are these won t even make it past midfield. And a useful by-product of pressing like this is the creation of quick and accurate attacking situations that speedy forwards can exploit. This session replicates the scenario that Coach Call and his players face. Set up as shown in the diagram we re playing 4v4 plus a keeper. All four defenders start inside the marked out square. Attackers are comprised of a server who stands behind the halfway line, two players in the centre circle and a winger. The ball is passed by the server into the square. As soon as this happens, the centre circle players run into the box to press the defenders. Attackers have to prevent defenders from making four consecutive passes. If attackers successfully turn over possession, they sprint into the penalty area where the winger crosses for them to have an effort on goal. However, if defenders manage to complete four passes they can attempt a long ball back to the server. If it reaches him, they score a point. The threat of long balls means attackers must close down quickly. The session rewards this by offering them a point-scoring opportunity of their own. Defenders must move the ball quickly and accurately if they are to evade the attention of their markers, something the overload gives them a good chance of doing. Progress the game by allowing one defender to track the attackers should they turn over possession and attack the goal. 10yds 15yds The ball is played into the square containing the four defenders Attackers press the ball and intercept, allowing them the chance to combine with their winger for an effort on goal But if defenders make four passes, they can score a point with a successful pass back to the server 1

2 WARM UP Technique and movement Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach Set up as shown in the diagram players work in twos around a line of cones. Cones are three yards apart. Get one player to act as a server; the other player works. To start, the working player must move forward to receive a floor pass, then backpedal up and around the top cone in order to receive another floor pass on the opposite side. He then moves sideways between the middle cones and back to the first receiving position, where he receives a different serve. The serves are: 1. A floor pass 2. A bouncing serve and a half volley return 3. An aerial serve and a volleyed return 4. An aerial serve and a header Now swap players. In receiving a serve, the working player must plant his standing foot then drive off. He must concentrate on his technique and always be on the move. The server can dictate the pace of the warm-up, as desired. The working player moves forward, returns the pass then backpedals up around the top cone and down The working player now has to move back across to receive a bounced serve Cut off the corner David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly One of the most important positions when defending a corner is the man nearest the taker. A strong player in this position will help prevent short corners and put off the taker. That player is faced with a one-man wall which the ball has to get over or around. It s not easy, try it yourself! Ensuring your player is stood as close to the corner flag as the laws of the game allow is important, so make sure you know your yards! Under-8s: Defender can stand six yards away from the corner taker Under-10s: Defender can stand eight yards away Under-12s: Defender can stand ten yards away Best case scenario: your player blocks the cross and might even be able to control the ball and counter-attack Worst case scenario: the corner evades your player, but he has at least blocked the view of the corner taker, and maybe affected his aim Shortest distance A corner blocker must be as close as possible to the taker to give himself the best chance of the block Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. david.clarke@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0) Head Coach: David Clarke Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: Michael Beale, Petr Hillax, Adam Jones, David Lewis, Jared Swann, Duncan Town, Steve Watson Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. 2

FOOTY4KIDS Back to the castle Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk Set up as shown in the first diagram a 30x30-yard area with 3x3-yard safe zones in each corner, AKA the castles!

You ll need a good supply of balls - start by throwing two or three into the playing area. Players compete to take possession of the ball, passing or dribbling it into their castle.

3 FOOTY4KIDS Back to the castle Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk Set up as shown in the first diagram a 30x30-yard area with 3x3-yard safe zones in each corner, AKA the castles! Players are divided into four separate teams, and each allocated a corner, where one team member is placed. The objective is for each team to get as many balls into their castle as possible. You ll need a good supply of balls - start by throwing two or three into the playing area. Players compete to take possession of the ball, passing or dribbling it into their castle. Balls in a castle are safe and can t be stolen. Keep throwing or kicking balls in. Soon you will have lots of 1v1 and 1v2 mini games going on. The game is over when all the balls are in the castles. Now rotate players and restart. 3yds 3yds The coach serves two balls into the area Blues and greys link up, collect a ball each and head back to their castles Players should be encouraged to steal any ball that is not inside a castle. Throw the balls in different ways high, rolling, bouncing, fast, slow. If a ball leaves the playing area, it is dead. You can develop the game by reducing corner squares to one square yard, whilst inviting long passes into the castles. This means that any poor control might mean the ball becomes live again. With four balls passed in to their castle, reds are the winners A MULTI-BALL MASTERPIECE! run with ball shot 3

4 TOUCHLINE TALES A numbers game, or not? David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly At the weekend everything was looking good - the weather had cleared up and our game was on. But then, as I was preparing to leave the house, I was informed that three players had gone away for the half-term holidays without bothering to tell me. So I had a problem. And sure enough, within the hour I had only nine players present, and was being asked what time the others were turning up. Well, this is it, lads, this is the team... we ve been let down, I replied. We d beaten our opponents 1-0 earlier in the season, but a repeat performance seemed unlikely... not that I told my players that. We gathered for our team talk and I assured them that they could still perform with only nine men. It s not the first time this sort of setback has happened, and in the past I ve used different tactics one being to tell them to pretend we d had two players sent off. But nothing had worked because, simply, they wanted to be told that everything would be okay and they wouldn t be easily beaten. So this time I took a simple, honest approach, telling them that hard work would compensate for the loss of players, and how if everyone put in an extra bit of effort we could make up the difference. Well, this is it, lads, this is the team... we ve been let down. The reality was that the three who had failed to show comprised two strong covering players and a speedy trickster. So how was I going to cover that tactically? Well, the pitch seemed particularly narrow, so my first move was to sacrifice the left-back position and tell my defenders to cover left. The defenders were sure they could manage great. I wanted to leave my four-man midfield as it was, so that left a lone striker up front, but we d give it a try. It was an exciting challenge. And I m pleased to say the formation worked well. The opposition didn t really take advantage of our left defence problem - they had a fast winger but he continually attacked our right-back. The only thing that let us down was support in attack - we created more chances than them but couldn t get shots away, and when we did, there was no-one to follow up. The game finished 0-0 but the players were magnificent and it was a great lesson in how hard work can overcome a numerical disadvantage. In many ways, it was probably the best game we have played all season. The moral is don t be put off by what might appear to be a major setback. It s from such events that we usually learn most about ourselves and our players. Two-minute circuit training Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk Many children will complain at the sheer mention of the word circuit training but, at any age, it provides valuable fitness and strengthening benefits that will have a positive effect on match day. Here are six simple circuit training tasks set them up as stations so players move clockwise around an area. Do 20 seconds on each station (increase the time as players become more comfortable), then rotate players without allowing them to rest in between. They ll quickly learn that their only competition is themselves, and work really hard to do more each time. Then it s on with playing the game! 1. Line jumps Jumping back and forth across a line, making sure that the whole foot touches the floor. 2. Squats Ideally, with back against a wall, slide down so that knees are bent at 90 degrees. 3. Star jumps or jumping jacks The movement of arms above the head makes it a much harder workout. Jumps may be slow or fast, depending on the ability of the child. Make sure he bends his knees on landing. A star jump 4. Beanbag hold Arms are held out horizontally in front of the player, who has to hold a beanbag in each hand for the length of the exercise. This can be made more difficult by asking him to slowly rotate his arms! 5. Running on the spot A simple task, but encourage him to get his knees up as high as possible. 6. Ball roll or hoop-la-hoop The idea is to exercise the waist and stomach. The player can either roll a football around his waist - making a large circle with his hips at the same time - or twirl a hoop around his waist. Boys tend to prefer the ball rolls. This can be made more difficult by using progressively smaller balls. If possible, record your children s scores, then note their progress as the weeks go by. And remember to congratulate them at every step of the way. 4

SMALL-SIDED GAME Michael Beale Middle or wide advantage Premier League Academy soccer coach Whites must look to use their 4v2 overload infield to score quickly Set up two teams of four on a 30x30yard

Whites play with all four players on the pitch, greys play with two on the pitch and one on each left and right touchline. Serve to a white and the game begins.

5 SMALL-SIDED GAME Michael Beale Middle or wide advantage Premier League Academy soccer coach Whites must look to use their 4v2 overload infield to score quickly Set up two teams of four on a 30x30yard pitch with a goal at each end, and an additional 5-yard channel on each edge to denote where the ball goes out of play. Whites play with all four players on the pitch, greys play with two on the pitch and one on each left and right touchline. Serve to a white and the game begins. Play for 10 minutes before switching team roles. There are no offsides. If a goal is scored or the ball goes dead, restart with a new ball in. 5yds Greys have won possession but whites are forcing them inside preventing use of their wide players This set-up gives teams different tactics when in possession of the ball. The white team, when attacking, needs to pass the ball quickly in order to create an opening to score a goal. When defending, whites can pressure quickly as they have the extra players, and can attempt to force the grey players to play inside and not towards their wide advantage. The grey team, when attacking, needs to try to pass out wide quickly. This enables them to get another one of their players into the game. The receiving wide player can choose to dribble down the outside unopposed or dribble onto the pitch and attempt to score. When defending, greys must try to drop off and reduce the space for the whites to exploit. Focusing on a narrow or wide mindset for a concerted period of time is great practice for players. But greys manage to get the ball wide and the attack is on run with ball run with ball shot shot 20yds 5

YOUR SAY SCW Surgery This week Petr Hillax National B Licence holder, Chicago, US We ve a cup final coming Q up and my players have been told, via Facebook, that they re being watched by opposition

Firstly, you need to get to the route of what s being said and by who.

6 YOUR SAY SCW Surgery This week Petr Hillax National B Licence holder, Chicago, US We ve a cup final coming Q up and my players have been told, via Facebook, that they re being watched by opposition coaches. It has upset a few. What should I do? Tony Burrow, Morecambe In one sense, what you re A describing here is a subtle form of cyberbullying. Firstly, you need to get to the route of what s being said and by who. It seems unlikely (although not completely unheard of) that opposing coaches would take time to assess upcoming opponents, to me this seems more a case of opposition players (or friends of opposition players) looking to unsettle your team. To calm things in the meantime, why not put a positive spin on the story by telling your players they should be flattered that their talent is being taken seriously?! My team loses every Q match and it has become demoralising. How can I pick my players and myself up? Tom Nelson, Leicester Try to take on a new mindset A whereby soccer is about much more than victories and defeats. Break the team s aims down into much smaller chunks and use those as barometers for success. These could be anything from (a) scoring a goal, (b) limiting the opposition to three goals, (c) making 10 consecutive passes, (d) building an attacking move from the back that ends in a shot. This will also help your players train better because the end goal is more achievable. Change the criteria regularly and make sure your team achieve tasks before moving on. Results will soon become incidental when you ve got much more realistic short-term goals. us your questions: david.clarke@coach-soccer.com TACKLED: Competition good or bad? Two youth soccer coaches go head-to-head to discussing whether competitiveness in youth soccer is a good thing or not. GOOD Duncan Town FA Licensed Coach, Kent Our lives are full of competition and we shouldn t shelter our players from such an environment. What an ugly word win has become! There s nothing wrong with winning or wanting to win. If we didn t have winners we wouldn t have competition our lives are full of competition and we shouldn t shelter our players from it. If you take winning out of the game that diminishes a desire to improve - a desire to try harder. In essence, you re fostering a make do attitude. Competitiveness is the best motivator a player can have much more effective than a coach or parent screaming from the sidelines. It s an inbuilt desire and passion to achieve, or not to let oneself down. If we knock competitiveness out of kids how will they ever get focused for the things in life that really do demand a winner s mentality, like the job market? The problem is often in getting the right balance. In my mind, we should cut out the screaming but instil a desire to win. And sure, leagues do get the whole grading issue wrong where teams of wildly different abilities end up playing one another. That doesn t help, but if the structure could be created with more flexibility then everyone could really benefit from being in a competitive league. e.g. have leagues up to Christmas then start again and re-grade teams who would benefit from swapping divisions. The greater problem is what a winning mentality seems to have created, and by this I am referring to the touchline antics we see week-in, week-out. But the two things should not be confused. The whole point of soccer is to win. We should never try to eradicate this or the game ceases to be soccer. Streaming is acceptable in school, so why not soccer? BAD Jared Swann Birmingham Traders Under-12s PUT IT TO THE VOTE: Which of our guest coaches do you agree with? Visit our Facebook page and log your vote. Kids should be rewarded for effort, not results. A highly competitive environment causes coaches to focus too readily on the final outcome, and if that happens, there is less attention being paid to the development of a player s skill set. For example, if winning is the ultimate goal, a coach may instruct his team to suffocate a game for the last 10 minutes to ensure victory, rather than let players actually play the game. Weaker players have less time in competitive environments as well the chance that they ll make a fatal mistake isn t one that coaches want to take. And kids should be rewarded for effort, not results. It s the same when there is a competitive divide within a squad like when you have A and B teams. It creates a division amongst players, and parents as well. I m not saying competition is necessarily a bad thing. As a player gets older, there is a natural build-up of competitiveness. But only at Academy age should it be a core part of a player s philosophy. Most young players don t care about the competitive element. They re more entertained by individual events in the game or their team mates mud stains! Competitive soccer is great for teams that do well, but those who are reminded of their failings each time they look at a league table run the risk of becoming disheartened and walking away from the game. Non-competitive competition increases confidence, self-esteem and individual growth. Add to that acceptance, tolerance and compassion for the diversities and interests of others and you have all you need. 6

SoccerCoachWeekly. Dynamic defenders. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

SoccerCoachWeekly. Dynamic defenders. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES Issue 293 Dynamic defenders TOOLS, TIPS AD TECHIQUES David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Playing out from the back and switching the ball away from pressure is vital in the modern game when it