SoccerCoachWeekly. Vision attack. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. A brilliant transitional game. How to play it. Technique and tactics

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1 Issue 273 Vision attack TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly A brilliant transitional game I expect a lot from my players, so true to form, here s a session that means they can be defending one second and attacking the next! This practice helps to coach players in decision making, in knowing where the goal is, and in basic skills such as shooting, shielding and passing. Set up as shown in the diagram - you need balls, bibs, cones and goals. The game is 4v4 plus two neutral goalkeepers. Players are fixed in their zones 2v2 in the central zone with a player from each team in the end zones. Attackers can score in either goal, but the shot must be from within the end zone. If a defender wins the ball in the end zone, he becomes an attacker, though the ball must go back into the central zone before a shot can be taken. After each goal, or should the ball go out of play, the game is restarted by you throwing a ball high into the air in the central zone. Rotate players frequently and play for 15 minutes. The 2v2 in the centre is the engine room of the game. These players must be combative, and must link up and communicate well. Play is in both directions, so midfielders must look both ways, receive the ball on the half-turn where necessary and always keep their heads up. Attackers and defenders must be ready to alter their mentality quickly one second defending, the next attacking, they have to be ready to perform very different tasks. The game also takes patience and craft. Winning the ball in the final third doesn t present the attacker with an instant opportunity to score, so you re looking for him to problem solve in an attempt to fashion a clear chance. END ZONE CENTRAL ZONE END ZONE 10yds 10yds player movement ball movement shot The ball is lofted into the central zone The ball is moved around nicely to produce a goalscoring chance Here, the defender wins the ball, but it must go back to a central player before being returned to the man, who is now a striker 1

WARM UP Dribble, jockey and hold off Create a playing area big enough for your players to move around in comfortably. Arrange your players into pairs.

On your second whistle the player in possession now turns away from his partner and attempts to hold him off. On your third whistle, the players change roles. After two minutes switch partners.

2 WARM UP Dribble, jockey and hold off Create a playing area big enough for your players to move around in comfortably. Arrange your players into pairs. On your whistle, the man in possession of the ball must dribble and try various skills. The second player must jockey and continuously change position in relation to the dribbling player. On your second whistle the player in possession now turns away from his partner and attempts to hold him off. On your third whistle, the players change roles. After two minutes switch partners. The warm-up lasts for 10 minutes. Tell your attacker to try skills that will make life hard for the defender. He should look to get his body in between the defender and the ball, and should use his arms to hold off and add extra distance. Tell your defender to move his feet quickly and concentrate on the ball. Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach On the first whistle, one player dribbles while his opponent jockeys On the second whistle, the man in possession turns and attempts to hold off his opponent On the third whistle, the players change roles A CONFIDENCE- BUILDING WARM-UP run with ball turn with ball 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: Jim Beck, Steven Lapere, David Lewis, Shaun Moor, Steve Watson Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. 2

3 FOOTY4KIDS The no-go game Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk This game is great for encouraging children between six and 12 years to play with their heads up. Players are rewarded for spotting opportunities to score and switch play quickly. You ll require flat cones, training vests, six small goals and a ball. Divide your players into two teams of four and create a 30x20-yard playing area, with three goals at each end. There are no keepers. Place an adult assistant at both ends of the pitch, behind the goals, each of which are four yards wide. Each team defends and attacks three goals. Teams can score in any of the goals they are attacking, providing there is no-one standing behind that goal. The assistants work up and down the end lines, positioning themselves behind the goal they think is going to be attacked next. Play for 10 minutes or until a set score is reached. You can progress the challenge by limiting older players to two or three touches. Also add a rule that goals scored from a player s first touch count double. Alternatively, add a halfway line. To score now, all the players in the attacking team must be in their opponents half. 30yds Teams have three goals to aim for, but can they find one that s unprotected Switching play quickly opens up space here for whites, and they score Quick passing and vision is key in this game. Players must be encouraged to switch the ball from side to side if they are to successfully evade the attentions of the assistants. Young players really enjoy making adults work! For that reason, it helps to use two enthusiastic helpers behind the goals who will get into the spirit of the game. In the progression, greys think they ve scored, but the goal is disallowed because a player still remains in the defensive half GREAT FOR PLAYER/ COACH TEAM SPIRIT! player movement shot No goal! ball movement 3

4 TOUCHLINE TALES A new direction David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Instructing changes of direction when dribbling or running with the ball is a great way of seeing whether your players are developing their skills range, and is something I like to do frequently. And if I want to step it up, I ll incorporate a turning exercise as well, which requires even greater proficiency in soccer-related movements. After all, turning involves controlling the ball at speed, keeping it under control during a turn, and using a skill like a hook. This week, we had a number of players arrive at the club looking to tryout for the new season. It can be a hectic and stressful situation for all concerned me included! But I kept cool and broke the session down, for the first part introducing a simple change of direction task. When looking at new players, many coaches will insist on running small-sided games after all, kids get lots of touches of the ball. But, at the same time, some players go missing, especially when they don t know the other players and might not get the ball often. So I like to run a competition where, while the players are in a team, it is still the individual who counts. I create three teams - on the day there were three teams of four players. I set up a 20x20- yard grid with a goal at one end and a halfway line. Each team of four starts at the opposite end to the goal. This week, we had a number of players arrive at the club looking to tryout for the new season. It can be a hectic and stressful situation for all concerned me included! The first player in each team dribbles a ball to the halfway line, turns, and runs back to the start. He then repeats the process, meaning that he turns twice at the halfway line, making four turns in all. The player then sprints forward with the ball and shoots at goal. That s the cue for the next player to begin. The first team to complete the task wins. It is great fun, and for my tryout at the weekend, the new players eased themselves into a team environment whilst also being able to showcase their own skills. This gave me some great pointers going into the small-sided game we played afterwards, so that I could more easily pick out individuals, and which of the club teams they were most likely to perform best in. There s a lot to take in when you re confronted with a number of new players at once, but break it down into drills where you can really focus on each child. They ll feel more comfortable when it comes to the small-sided game at the end, as will you! Listen up! 8 top tipstop tips for ensuring that players are listening during practice: 1. Let your players play a match for a few minutes as soon as they arrive at training. This achieves three things - it allows them to burn off some excess energy, you can discuss how the rest of the session is going to go during the drinks break, and it encourages them to get to practice on time! 2. Tailor the practice to your players ages. For instance, it s fairly unproductive to attempt to teach players under the age of eight the technicalities of soccer things like corner kicks, goalkeeping skills and throw-ins. At this level, kids just want to have fun with a ball. This is why smallsided soccer is so important. 3. The smaller the group of players, the better the attention you ll receive from each. And extend that into playing fewer players on the field results in more children getting touches on the ball, and consequently, better learning and quicker development. So try to make your groups personal with a high level of attention to detail. 4. As much as you want players to listen, try not to be too hard on those whose attention drops. You run the risk of alienating them if you re too stern. Take the gentle approach. 5. Give talks in areas where players won t be distracted by other things going on around them. 6. Ensure that every player can see you at all times and don t make them face into the sun. 7. Work at earning your players respect, not their friendship. A few coaches have the ability to act like their players best mate whilst still managing to maintain maximum respect. But others fall down at this. If you re in the latter category, it s important to earn respect first. Be nice, don t be stern, but be firm. Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk 8. Never tolerate rude or disrespectful behaviour. Any behaviour like this should result in a time-out for the player who is acting up. And make sure you punish the behaviour, not the child. Make it clear that it is the behaviour that you find unacceptable, not the player. The way you respond to your players will have a direct effect on how they respond to you! 4

SMALL-SIDED GAME Rapid attacks Steven Lapere Aldershot Town Under-10s Each team sets up with two attackers on the pitch and defenders scattered around the defensive half Create a playing area

In the first part, and on your whistle, one of the two strikers from each team runs back to the middle channel. He collects a ball and turns back towards goal.

5 SMALL-SIDED GAME Rapid attacks Steven Lapere Aldershot Town Under-10s Each team sets up with two attackers on the pitch and defenders scattered around the defensive half Create a playing area measuring 35x20 yards. Set up players as shown, with 10 balls in a channel in the middle. This game takes an initial concept of 2v1 attacking situations and extends it into a full 6v6 game. In the first part, and on your whistle, one of the two strikers from each team runs back to the middle channel. He collects a ball and turns back towards goal. An opposing defender can now enter the practice. He must aim to prevent the attacking players scoring in a 2v1 situation. As soon as an attack comes to an end, the defender leaves the practice. One of the attackers returns to the middle channel, takes another ball, and a new defender comes in for another 2v1. Throughout, the race is on to score as quickly as possible. This isn t five balls each if a team can grab six or even seven balls out of the 10 before their opponents do, then they have a better chance of a bigger score! At the end of the 10 balls, all four defenders from each team enter the area. The team who scored most goals is served two balls in at the same time by the coach bonus balls. They attack 6v6 and have 30 seconds to score. Defenders can only block, not tackle. Add up the scores and rerun the game twice more. The team at the end with the biggest score is the winner. 35yds On your whistle, an attacker takes a ball from the central area and looks to combine with his team mate, as a defender moves in Greys, having scored the most goals (four), get the two bonus balls, and attack 6v6 against whites, who can only block, not tackle In the first part, defenders must be quick to sprint into the area and position well as one of the attackers retrieves a ball from the central area. Attackers must decide whether to pass to a team mate or go it alone. Tempo is essential, but accuracy is equally important if a team is to win the initial 10-ball battle, because only one team gets the bonus balls. player movement run with ball player movement run with ball shot ball movement ball movement 5

YOUR SAY SCW Surgery This week Steve Watson Soccer Coach Weekly My assistant coach has Q become increasingly vocal over the past year and is now questioning my decisions in front of the team.

Terry Ball, Shrewsbury In my opinion, you coach the A game as it is supposed to be coached - encouraging your players to share responsibility for wins and losses, and getting them to take their turn

While keeping parents informed - and getting their agreement on your coaching philosophy - is vital if you want to build a team for the long term.

If he stays he will continue to disrupt you and your players. Left unchecked, this could result in players leaving to play for other teams where the coaches don t argue with each other.

6 YOUR SAY SCW Surgery This week Steve Watson Soccer Coach Weekly My assistant coach has Q become increasingly vocal over the past year and is now questioning my decisions in front of the team. Last week it was because I d rotated a striker to go in goal. He is win at all costs, whereas I am the exact opposite. What should I do? Terry Ball, Shrewsbury In my opinion, you coach the A game as it is supposed to be coached - encouraging your players to share responsibility for wins and losses, and getting them to take their turn playing in the most difficult position on the field, the goalkeeper. And you do it in a sensible and democratic way too. Involving all the players (even the better ones) is only fair. While keeping parents informed - and getting their agreement on your coaching philosophy - is vital if you want to build a team for the long term. My advice to you is to take your assistant coach to one side and suggest (no, tell him) that his talents would be put to better use with a different team. If he stays he will continue to disrupt you and your players. Left unchecked, this could result in players leaving to play for other teams where the coaches don t argue with each other. Bite the bullet. You don t want this coach to upset your players any more. It s time for him to go. TACKLED: Results Here s the result of the poll we ran in Soccer Coach Weekly 271. We asked if parents should be allowed to incentivise their children to play well with the reward of extra pocket money. YES NO 14% 86% TACKLED: Fit for purpose? YES Jim Beck Dublin Colts Under-10s Should it be a requirement that youth soccer coaches are fit and in good shape? Yes, coaches do need to be physically fit, because if any group of players is capable of giving their tutor the run-around, it s kids! Yes, coaches do need to be physically fit, because if any group of players is capable of giving their tutor the runaround, it s kids! Younger kids will run and run all day long, while older kids are faster than most adults! You need to be able to keep up with them at every turn. It s important as coaches that we set an example to the kids in everything we do. And a big part of that comes in looking after yourself and staying in shape. What sort role model to a group of kids is an overweight coach? Kids will miss out on key bits of information if they re being tutored by a coach who is not in decent shape. It s not just the ability to run to different parts of the pitch in passing on information. I ve worked even with very overweight coaches who can do that. Unfortunately though, when they get to the players they re so out of puff they can t put their message across properly! Overweight coaches will also find it more difficult to perform basic techniques to show their kids. Can they do keepy-ups in the same way as a slim coach? I doubt it! I think the distinction should be between being fit and being capable. I m not pretending that every coach can do the same as his Premier League contemporaries, but keeping pace with his players must be a minimum requirement. NO Shaun Moor London Angels Under-12s Isn t an overweight coach better than no coach at all? Kids don t respect an overweight coach any less than they would do a short coach or a coach with tatty boots. Kids have authority figures in their lives in all shapes and sizes. As long as a coach can instil the basics, and give to his kids the offer of his time, experience, insight and passion for the sport, then he s more than fulfilling his function. A number of coaches get into youth soccer because not only do they want to pass something on, but want to improve their own fitness at the same time. This could easily be a chicken and egg thing, with coaches wanting to get something out of training (fitness) in the same way as children do (enjoyment). Let s give them the chance! Coaches shouldn t be joining in with kids when it comes to physical activities in any case. As a result, most of the time they will be stationary at the side of the pitch or in the middle. There s no great need for them to be sprinting around all over the place that s the kids job! Never in all my time have I seen the perfect coach some are a bit chubby, some have inadequate ball skills, others cannot maybe communicate as well as they might wish. The image of the perfect coach is probably best reserved for international soccer. Below that, we should all be grateful that people are giving up their spare time for the sake of the next generation of soccer player. And isn t an overweight coach better than no coach at all? PUT IT TO THE VOTE: Which of our guest coaches do you agree with? Visit our Facebook page or your thoughts to David Clarke at david.clarke@coach-soccer.com 6

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

SoccerCoachWeekly. Perfecting pressing. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES Issue 295 Wednesday, December 19, 2012 TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES Perfecting pressing David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Closing down and harassing opponents on the ball is vital if players are