Exercise book of technical practices for trainers By Sandro Grande
, 2011 Tous droits réservés. Il est interdit de reproduire, d enregistrer ou de diffuser, en tout ou en partie, le présent ouvrage par quelque procédé que ce soit, électronique, mécanique, photographique, sonore, magnétique ou autre, sans avoir obtenu au préalable l autorisation écrite de l éditeur. IMPRIMÉ AU CANADA LE «PHOTOCOPILLAGE» TUE LE LIVRE Club de soccer Les Étoiles de l Est inc. 4901, rue Saint-Joseph Laval (Québec) H7C 1H6 450 664-2198 info@etoilesdelest.com www.etoilesdelest.com
Dear Coach, It s my pleasure to present you with our Development Coaching Booklet. This booklet is the work that will be conducted in our Developmental programme. The programme is put in place to develop children and give them a chance to progress in our club. When planning a session, we aim to ensure that the practices are fun and game related. In addition, they should develop the players Technically, physically, socially (interaction with other players, Communication) and mentally (improve game awareness, decision making). We hope this booklet helps you in your role as a youth coach. If you should have any queries or feedback, please feel free to contact me. Regards Sandro Grande Technical Director Sandrogrande@etoilesdelest.com
Table Of Contents Part A: Warm Up Drills 1- Dribbling...Page 7 to 15 2- Passing...Page 17 to 29 3- Shooting...Page 31 to 40 4- Speed/Agility/Fun...Page 41 to 50 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno/Tactical Drills...Page 51 to 66 Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno/Tactical Drills U11+...Page 67 to 78 Part D: Small Sided Games 1- Final Game...Page 79 Part E: Coaching Information 1-15 Coaching Tips...Page 85 2- Practice Outline...Page 86 5
Part A: 1 - Dribbling 7
Jam Packed Dribbling Drill Create a circle of about 20 yards in circumference. Every player has a ball and places themselves outside circle Have players dribble around the circle in the same direction Players listen for Coaches cue Cues: Jog (dribble at comfortable speed) Full speed (dribble fast) Cut or Change (change direction) Cross (dribble across circle) Variations: Change direction with certain technique Use both feet Keep the ball close to the feet Keep your head up when entering the circle Find space in circle and accelerate through Part A: Dribbling 9
Jungle Dribbling Setup a square Layout several cones all around the square (minimum 5 yards apart) Every player has a ball Players dribble around the square, executing different dribbles Coach demonstrates different techniques/fakes when a player is faced with a cone Competition: Perform a fake at 10 cones, 1st to finish wins Competition: Sit on ball when finished Keep the ball close Keep your head up Search for free cones and accelerate towards it When you arrive at a cone, slowdown to perform proper technique 10 Part A: Dribbling
Magic Goals Square 20x20 yards with a number of small goals spread out. Players dribble in square while performing different skills in the Magic Goals. Demonstrate skill every time you ask for a new skill. Help players individually if need be (1on1). No need to stop the whole drill to correct. Have a player who is capable for a demonstration. List of Variations: Forward and Backward through goals with sole of foot Chip the ball and retrieve the ball on other side of goal Backheel through goal and retrieve ball Perform a figure8 around both cones of 1 goal and find another goal Pass the ball through a goal behind plant foot Juggle through goal, then dribble again Stepover through goal Double stepover through goals and then dribble Use proper technique Accelerate to the goal/performing skill in goal with speed/accelerate out of goal/decelerate around square to recuperate/then repeat with another goal. Not always fast, must change speeds Ball should be close to feet Dose passes when putting through the goals. Avoid balls from going everywhere. Keep your head up Use several ways of passing(inside/outside/sole/heel) through goals, but first and foremost inside of the foot Part A: Dribbling 11
Red Light Green Light Line up players and coach should be around 15 to 20 yards away in front of them Coach yells Green Light and players start dribbling across. Coach then yells Red Light and makes sure that players are able to keep the ball under control and come to a complete stop. If players are not able to completely stop, they go halfway back to the start line. List of Variations: Coach specifies which foot to dribble with (Left, Right, sole of foot, outside of foot, inside of foot etc. Coach can call out Red, Yellow and Green as different speeds. Red= Stop/Yellow=slow/Green=fast Keep the ball under control Keep the ball very close to feet Keep your head up 12 Part A: Dribbling
Sharks and Minnows Setup a square of 20x25 yards Every player has a ball except 2 Sharks. The Sharks will wear a different color pinnie Have the players dribble around square and send in the 2 sharks to win possession and knock the balls out of the square When a player s ball is cleared, they must retrieve it and run around the square before coming back in Change sharks every 3/4 minutes Variations: Have the players dribble around only with weak foot/strong foot/inside/outside etc. Have the sharks hold hands and work together Accelerate to free space to get away from sharks Keep the ball under control and close to feet Keep your head up to see where the sharks are Use technical fakes to get away from sharks Part A: Dribbling 13
Through the Goals from Field to Field Create 2 Squares of 10x10 yards and are 10 yards apart Between the squares, create two 3 yard Goals on each side One team plays in each field Players dribble in their square, executing moves directed by the coach(weak foot, strong foot, sole of foot etc.) When the coach says Left or Right, the players change square through the correct side Variations: Visual signals: For example Yellow Pinnie is Right and Green Pinnie is Left Players dribble to the other square and go all the way back to original square Competition: Which can get all its players to the other square? Competition: Which team can go around and back to original square first? Keep your head up Keep the ball close to your feet, don t push the ball forward and run after it Accelerate around to change square as quickly as possible 14 Part A: Dribbling
Freeze Tag Setup a Square of 20x20 yards Every player enters the square with a ball and dribbles around Gives out different dribbling techniques to execute Competition: Players dribble around trying to avoid being touched by the coach. If a player is touched they re frozen. They must stand in the same spot with the ball in their hand and legs wide open Players are frozen till another player passes a ball through their legs. Then they start dribbling again Keep your head up Try different technical moves to get around the coach Keep the ball under control and close to feet Keep head up to help save frozen players Accelerate to frozen player to unfreeze them Part A: Dribbling 15
Part A: 2 - Passing 17
3 Color Passing On a 3rd of the field, split the group into 3 colors 1 ball per color and just pass and move in your color Variations: Orange passes to Blue/Blue passes to Red/ Red passes Orange Only passing on the floor or only in the air(longer balls) Spread out and occupy all the space Don t ask for the ball at all times, be realistic. When not asking for the ball get wide and away from the play. Then ask for the ball into open space It is not the ball carrier who decides who to pass the ball to; it is the players without the ball that will ask for the ball by accelerating into free space. Be aware of where your teammates are so you know where your next pass will be. Take your 1st touch in the direction of your next pass. Don t take too many touches on the ball, find someone quickly After passing the ball move away, don t stay static. Part A: Passing 19
Bottleneck Passing Each pair has a ball and stand around 10 yards apart with a 3 yard gate between them Players pass the ball with the inside of the foot(both feet) to their partner Receive the pass and pass back Variations: Receive the pass with various parts of the feet Control the ball to the side and then pass back Competition: Which pair can complete 10 passes the fastest (ball must go through the cones) Keep your head up when passing so you can see the target Pass with the inside of both feet When receiving keep the ball close to feet Balance foot should be next to the ball pointed to the target 20 Part A: Passing
Checking In Passing Setup 3 lines as above Cones must be 5 yards apart (width) and 10 yards (length) Bottom Players line up between cones without balls Top Players line up with balls and act as Servers Bottom Players start at the bottom and ask for the ball between the cones in their lane. They receive and pass the ball back to servers. They then backpedal to the start line and ask for another pass Servers must always be on their toes and pass the ball to the players working Bottom Players do 10/15 passes and then change with servers Variations: Bottom players sprint back running forward instead of backpedalling Bottom players receive the ball with inside/outside/sole of foot. Right and Left foot Competition: Bottom players must complete 10 passes 1st Keep your head up and look at target before passing When receiving a pass keep the ball close to feet Accelerate to ask for the ball Call for the ball with mouth Keep your balance foot pointed towards the target Part A: Passing 21
Cone Bingo Setup several tall cones around a square of 25x25 yards Every player has a ball and tries to knock down as many cones as possible with a pass About 10 seconds after the players have started the coach will try and pick up the cones that are down Pass the ball from a meter or more away. No dribbling into cones Players yell bingo if all the cones are knocked down Can the players knock down all the cones? Variations: Have to knock the cones with a back heel Have players all start on the outside of the square with their back to play, so the coach can place the cones without the players seeing. Then say go and they must turn quickly and knock the cones down. Keep your head up to avoid traffic Keep your head up to see where the standing cones are placed Accelerate to the cones and then slow down to properly pass the ball Pass the ball with both feet and always with the inside of the foot Communication between all the players to find the free cones 22 Part A: Passing
Half In / Half Out Half of the players without ball and stand outside of the square Half the players with ball and stand inside small square Players with ball dribble out of Small Square and pass to an open player on the outside. Outside player passes back to inside player and inside player dribbles back toward the small square and find another free outside player to pass to. Pass always with inside of foot (both feet). When receiving return pass from support player, control with different parts of the foot(both feet) Variations: Inside player passes the ball to an outside player and runs around the player without ball. Then the inside player takes over the ball and dribbles towards the middle and finds another support player. Inside player pass to the outside player and takes his place. Outside then dribbles towards the middle and he finds a free support player to pass to Keep your head up to find free support player Accelerate towards free player to pass the ball Run slowly when returning back to the middle of the square, then accelerate again (not always same speed) Avoid waiting for a support player to be free, find someone else who is free Part A: Passing 23
Line Passing Setup 2 lines of cones. Cones should be 5 yards apart and 10 yard distance between the players Players have 1 ball for 2 players. The players stand between the cones 1st step: Player A and B just pass to each other in 2 touches (they proceed for 10/15 passes) 2nd step: Player A Passes to Player B and they switch side(they proceed for 10 switches) Competition: Have the players compete to see who makes 10 passes 1st (while switching sides) Variations: Place the lines closer. A has the ball in the hands and throws it underhand to B and he volleys the ball with the inside of the feet. Same as above, but now with the head. Same as above, but throw the ball to chest/control and dribble to other line Keep ball close to feet Keep your head up Accelerate 100% speed after receiving the pass. Slow down and look at where the target(partner) is placed to pass the ball Receive the ball close to the feet and not too far ahead Place the balance foot next to ball and pointed towards the target Good solid pass with the inside of the foot 24 Part A: Passing
Passing and Receiving 360 Degrees Setup a square 20x25 yards Players work in pairs with one ball Players pass to their partner and then move. Player receives the pass and does a 360 degree turn with ball at his/her feet. When the player is performing a 360 turn, the other player runs to another part of the square. Variations: Passes are to feet Passes are into the moving players run Passes are into space on the ground 360 is performed with inside/outside of foot(both feet) Passes are executed with the inside of both feet Keep the ball close during the 360 turn When finished the 360 turn, lift your head to find your partner quickly Pass the ball in front of the moving player not behind their run Find a corridor to pass the ball between all the other pairs in the square Part A: Passing 25
Passing Through Small Goals Setup a # of 2 yard goals in a 20x25 yard square Divide players into pairs with one ball Players play 3 passes and move to another goal, and so on. First practice, then have a competition Competition: Which pair can complete same sequence through all the goals Variations: Coach interferes a little when changing goals 1st pass is through the goal, 2nd is on the side of the goal and 3rd back through the goal, then they change goal Pass with the inside of foot Keep your head up when changing goals Accelerate to open goal Avoid waiting behind another pair of players to work, find a free goal Communication between the pairs to find the free goals 26 Part A: Passing
Square Passing Setup a 12x12 yard square and divide players evenly on each cone Ball starts at A and passes to B /receives and passes to C /receives and passes to D etc. Players follow their pass and move to the next cone. Variations: Part 2: A to B back to A then pass to C back to B and to D back to C and to A etc. Good solid passing to feet Control the ball with a good 1st touch towards the next target Head up to see where your target is Check away from ball and then move towards the ball to receive it in movement Part 2: Proper layoff for teammate to pass the ball long After you Layoff the ball, sprint to support and receive the next layoff Part A: Passing 27
Triangle Passing 1 Player Working Setup as the diagram Red Player is the working player Cones are about 10 yards apart Red Player asks for the ball from one player/controls and passes back/then runs around the cone and asks for the ball from the other player/controls and passes back Repeat this process for 10/15 passes and then switch the working player Variations: Same exercise as above, with servers only 5yards away from working player. The servers will have the ball in their hands and they will throw the ball for the working player to volley it back with the inside of the feet The servers will have the ball in their hands and they will throw it to the working player s chest/he controls and passes back Continue as above, but control with inside of feet and pass back/1 touch headers Keep your head up and look at target before passing When receiving keep the ball close to feet Accelerate to ask for the ball Call for the ball with mouth Keep your balance foot pointed towards the target Always pass with the inside of feet Players on the outside have to stay on their toes (never static) 28 Part A: Passing
Triangle Passing Setup a Triangle of 10 yards Players working are on the outside of the triangle and resting players on the inside 1st player passes to 2nd and runs to 2nd cone 2nd receives the ball and passes to 3rd player and runs to 3rd cone 3rd player receives and dribbles to starting cone Receive the ball with proper technique Keep your head up when passing to see your target Check away before going toward the ball to receive Player who dribbles must accelerate to the start cone Part A: Passing 29
Part A: 3 - Shooting 31
One Touch Shooting Place a Goal in the middle, with a cone in the middle of the goal Using cones, setup a shooting line 10 yards in front of the Goal Place a cone 5 yards away from either post(for servers) 1 player from each team stands at the shooting zone 1st server plays a pass with inside of foot towards the shooting line. Shooter runs onto the ball and shoots with inside or Laces of foot into the corners. Shooter retrieves the ball and goes behind the server s line. Server goes to shooting line. Competition: Which team can score 10 goals first? Round 2: players pass and shoot with weak foot. Variations: Players take 2 touches, 1 to receive the pass behind the shooting line and the 2nd to shoot before the shooting line. Balls in servers hands and they throw it towards the shooting line and the shooters volley the ball in/head the ball in. Keep your head up to see where the ball and goal are placed Accelerate to the ball and then slow down to properly shoot the ball Shoot the ball with both feet and use the inside of the foot or Laces Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Keep your eye on the ball in movement Shoot low in the corners Keep your body over the ball Part A: Shooting 33
Formula One Mark out a shooting line 8 yards away from a goal 1 player from each team stands next to the goal (ball retrievers) 2 or 3 players stand with balls next to the shooting line(ball placers) 2 players stand at the starting cone When the coach says go, the 2 players touch the cone between them and run towards to shooting line to shoot as fast as possible The 1st ball in the goal gets a point Shooters go next to the goal(ball retrievers) Ball retrievers go in line and become ball placers. Ball placers become shooters Competition: What team can score a certain number of goals Variations: Add another line in front of the shooting line(place ball on this line) and the shooters have to touch the ball forward and shoot before they pass the next line Have the shooters stand backwards/sideways/lying down/sitting etc. Coaching points: Keep your head up to see where the ball and goal are placed Accelerate to the ball and then slow down to properly shoot the ball Shoot the ball with both feet and use the inside of the foot or Laces Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Try to shoot in the corners and avoid the pole/cone in the middle Shorten your steps when approaching the ball before shooting 34 Part A: Shooting
King of the Pug Create a large circle of about 20 yards in diameter/ with a small circle of about 5 to 7 yards Put 2 small goals(pug net) back to back in the middle 1 player stands in the small circle and the other players with a ball each are in the big circle Red player defends the Goals and the other players have to pass the ball into the Pug Play for 1 or 2 minutes at a time and change the defender Count how many goals the defender lets in Players with the ball can move in the big circle, but can t go into the small circle. Red player can move in small circle, but can t go into the big one Variations: Remove the small circle and the Red player tries to score the goals this time. Blue players have to dribble around the circle and keep the ball away from the Red player If the Red player wins a ball from a blue player, he then tries to score in the small goals. How many goals can the red player score in 2 minutes? Then change the red player. Accelerate to free space to get away from Red player Keep the ball under control and close to feet Keep your head up to see where the Red player is Use technical fakes to get away from Red player Win the ball and accelerate to score a goal or to defend the goal 1st part: good passing technique (inside of feet) to score a goal 2nd part: Shield your ball from Red player (body between the ball and the defender) Part A: Shooting 35
Shooting Lanes Setup 2 squares of 10x10 yards or bigger, 5 to 10 yards away from a shooting zone Players dribble in the 2 squares using various techniques When the coach calls out a player s name, they must dribble towards the 1st shooting line and push the ball forward. Then they shoot before the ball passes the 2nd shooting line The player retrieves the ball and goes back into the dribble square Competition: 1st team to score 10 goals Variations: Juggle in the squares before dribbling towards the shooting zone Keep your head up Keep the ball under control and close to feet Keep head up to avoid the traffic when going towards the shooting zone Accelerate to the shooting zone and slow down to push the ball forward before shooting Shoot in the bottom corners Shoot the ball with both feet and use the inside of the foot or Laces Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Keep your body over the ball to keep the shot low 36 Part A: Shooting
Shooting Races Setup as in the diagram 1 Player from each team lines up at starting cones 10 yards away from shooting line On command they dribble and shoot the ball at goal from the shooting line They then retrieve their ball and go in the technical station The coach then calls out 2 more players Competition: Which team can score 10 goals 1st without passing the shooting line Variations: Players in the station can do various technical drills Shooters will start with their back to net Shooters can start lying down Keep your head up to see where the ball and goal are placed Accelerate to the shooting line, then slow down to properly shoot the ball Shoot the ball with both feet and use the inside of the foot or Laces Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Keep your eye on the ball when shooting Shoot low in the corners Keep your body over the ball Keep the ball in front of you when dribbling towards the shooting line Make sure to get the ball out of your feet before you shoot Part A: Shooting 37
Shooting Relay Setup as in the diagram 1 Player from each team receives a pass from starting line. Player turns to dribble around the far cone and go towards the Shooting Line Shooting line is 10 yards away from goal Shooters than retrieve their ball and go behind the line Competition: Which team can be the fastest to score 10 goals? Variations: Turn around the last cone using inside/outside of feet Shoot with both feet Keep your head up to see where the goal is placed Accelerate to the shooting line, then slow down to properly shoot the ball Shoot the ball with the inside of the foot or Laces Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Keep your eye on the ball when shooting Shoot low in the corners Keep your body over the ball Keep the ball in front of you when dribbling towards the shooting line Make sure to get the ball out of your feet before you shoot Keep the ball under control when dribbling 38 Part A: Shooting
Shooting with rotation Setup as in the diagram Part A : Pass the ball to the next player through the cones into feet. Then sprint around side cones and receive the next pass Part B : Dribble after you receive the pass from A and get behind the players in Part B. Dribble the cones and approach the yellow cones(shooting zone). When the player reaches the yellow cones, the player must push the ball forward and accelerate and shoot on goal before it passes the 2nd yellow cones. After the player shoots, the player becomes the GK. The GK goes behind the players in Part A. The sequence starts over again. Continuous exercise without stopping The shooting zone is 2x2 yards and is 10yards away from goal. The dribble cones are 2 steps apart and 2/3 yards away from shooting zone. Competition: Which player can score the most goals and complete the most passes(between the cones) Variations: Different dribbling techniques around the cones For more advanced players, aerial passing in Part A Passing and shooting with both feet Keep your head up to see where the goal is placed Accelerate to the ball and then slow down to properly shoot the ball Shoot the ball with both feet and use the inside of the foot or Laces Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Part A: Shooting 39
Turn and Shoot (180 degrees) The player closest to the goal receives a pass and turns around the cone and dribbles towards the shooting line. The passer moves to receive the next pass The shooter retrieves the ball and goes through the slalom dribbling course. If you have more than 10 players, you can work on both sides of the net (Back and Forth). Competition: Create 2 teams and see what team can score 10 goals 1st Variations: Receive the pass with the inside/outside of feet Shoot with both feet/ Shoot with Inside of feet and laces Several dribbling techniques through the cones Keep the ball close to feet while dribbling through cones Accelerate through cones and slow down before you pass the ball Accelerate when receiving the pass/accelerate around the cone and slow down before shot Keep your head up to see where the goal is placed Place balance foot next to the ball pointed toward the goal Keep your eye on the ball when shooting Shoot low in the corners Keep your body over the ball Keep the ball in front of you when dribbling towards the shooting line Make sure to get the ball out of your feet before you shoot 40 Part A: Shooting
Part A: 4 - Speed / Agility / Coordination / Fun When looking to improve your players movement, speed and reactions skills it s important that you try to get the balance between 1 - ensuring that the correct technique is used 2 - fun practices that include a ball or competitive edge. Firstly it is massively important that the players use the correct techniques when running, turning, jumping and landing etc, therefore you cannot neglect these key factors. If you could dedicate 10 minutes in each of your sessions to these practices then you can improve your players movement patterns, speed, agility and reactions times. All these skills are vital when playing the game. 41
Hunter and Rabbit Create a triangle as above Distance from Reds and Blues is about 15 yards Blue player start to run towards the middle and has to fake the defender and get passed one of the goals on the left or right before getting tagged Competition: Which team can get through the goals more times, without getting tagged Variations: Red starts with his back to the blue and turns on the coaches command Players start sitting/lying down Coaching points: Try and fake toward 1 goal and go to the other Use body fakes Accelerate through the goals Defender has to stay on their toes to be ready to react Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun 43
Jumping Vests Setup a square of about 20x20 yards Roll up several pinnies and lay the pinnies spread out around the square Players run around the square and when faced with a Pinnie, they jump over Competition: Who can jump over 10 pinnies first Variations: Jump with 2 legs/1 leg/3 consecutive jumps with 1 or 2 legs Jump forward/backward and also sideways over the pinnies Don t touch the Pinnies when jumping Don t wait in line for a pinnie to be free, find a free pinnie Accelerate to the free pinnie and execute exercises 44 Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun
Obstacle Course with Ball Setup as in the diagram Every player has a ball with them 1 player dribbles the cones 1 player passes the ball under the hurdles and retrieves, goes through the 2nd hurdle and does the same 1 player dribbles around the sticks 1 player clamps the ball between feet and jumps in the hoops Variations: Perform different exercises with ball Keep the ball under control Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun 45
Obstacle Course Without Ball Obstacle course without ball: Setup various materials as above, in a square of about 20x20 yards Players divide themselves at different obstacles 1 player sprints around the cones 1 player does jumps in the hoops (1 leg) (use both right and left) 1 player performs 2 legged jumps over hurdles 1 player does high knees over sticks/speed ladder/pinnies Work for 3 or 4 minutes and rest 1 minute. Do this 2 or 3 times Variations: 1 legged jumps backwards Side shuffle through cones Side jumps over hurdles Sideways high knees over sticks Work at 100% in obstacles. Rest when between obstacles Proper body position when doing these exercise Concentrate on not touching the materials 46 Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun
Partner Tag Setup a square and make pairs Designate 1 pair of players as taggers The taggers and runners have to be holding hands at all times Taggers must tag other players Competition: How many pairs can the taggers tag in 2 or 3 minutes Variations Add a ball per pair at their feet When a pair is tagged, they join hands with the taggers and work together Different running techniques (backwards, sideways) Work together Communicate on what direction to run in Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun 47
Pinnie Tails Setup a square of about 20x20 yards Every player is inside the square with a Pinnie of any color in their shorts The goal is to remove the pinnie of other players and make sure that you keep your pinnie When a player s pinnie is removed, they have to pick it up and run around the square before coming back in Competition: If a player loses his/her pinnie their eliminated. Try being the last in the square with their pinnie Keep your head up and be aware of the players around you Use different body fakes to get away from other players Don t be static 48 Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun
Relay Races Setup 2 lines as above Put 2 cones 15/20 yards in front of players Players run around the far cone and sprint back to touch the next player s hand Next player can only take off after his/her hand is touched Competition: Which team can finish first? After a player has done his/her run they must sit down Variations: Add a ball Run backwards or sideways Different starting positions Sprint as fast as possible Slow down and uses little steps when going around the far cone Use arms to go faster Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun 49
Speed Ladder Setup as in the diagram Players start at the bottom cone and sprint towards the ladder. They slow down before the ladder and execute different agility exercises. After finishing the ladder they sprint to the cones at the top (Right or Left) Variations: Add a ball at the start cone and dribble to the ladder, turn and pass to the next player and execute the ladder exercise After the speed ladder, coach calls Right or Left (works on player s reaction) Keep upper body upright Use your arms to execute the ladder properly 50 Part A: Speed/Agility/Coodination/Fun
Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 51
1v1 Defending/Attacking Use the 18 yard box as a playing area. Blue players split up half on either side of the goal. Red players stand 5 yards outside of the box 1 Blue player passes the ball out to the 1st Red player and sprints to defend the Red player. Defenders alternate and change sides as well Red player receives the pass and tries to score Competition: Which team can score the most goals with 10 attempts on goal? Attacking: - accelerate when you receive the ball and shoot as quickly as possible - get the your 1st touch out of your feet before shooting - control away from the defender and not into the defenders path - lift your head and shoot towards the corners - balance foot should be pointed towards goal and next to the ball when shooting Defending: - sprint after passing the ball to close down space as quickly as possible - stay on your feet and don t commit (no slide tackling) - Work hard to make sure the attacker doesn t score - don t run straight for the attacker; try cutting his/her path towards the goal - force the attacker to the outside, away from goal Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 53
1v1 plus alternates Setup a 15x15 yard square with two teams of 3 players 1v1 in the middle with 2 support players on opposite corners Middle players must keep the ball and find the support player to score a point. Middle players work for 2 minutes and then switch with the support players Competition: Which team scores the most points? After scoring 1 point, the middle player must go to the opposite corner to score another point. Not the same corner Variations: When a middle player passes to a corner player they switch roles. Point is scored on every successful switch Attacking: - Keep the ball close to feet when dribbling - Don t need to go very close to the corner players to pass the ball - use your body to shield the ball - use various fakes to get by the defender - accelerate towards a corner player when the defender is beaten - change direction often to beat the defender Defending: - Force the attackers away from the corner players and force to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes 54 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
1v1 Small goals Setup a field of 20x20 yard or more(depending on amount of players) Pair up 1 Red and 1 Blue player and they play against each other To score, 1 player has to dribble the ball through 1 of the goals Play goes on for no more than 2 minutes You only play vs your partner Must change goal after scoring, can t score consecutive goals on the same goal. Competition: What team can score the most goals? Add all Red goals and Blue goals. Attacking: - keep the ball and don t lose it - use your body to shield the ball - use various fakes to get by the defender - accelerate towards a goal when the defender is beaten - keep the ball close to feet - change direction often to beat the defender Defending: - stay on your toes and don t dive in - be active in trying to steal the ball - force the ball carrier to the outside and not towards the goals - keep your eye on the ball Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 55
2v1 plus a GK on one Goal Setup a six yard goal on each end line of a 15x20 field Divide players into pairs One player from the Red team acts as GK and one defends vs 2 attackers Both players from the Orange team participate in the attack If the Red team intercepts the ball they attack quickly and try to score on the other side. When the Orange team loses the ball they must quickly place one defender on the goal line to defend. Attacking: - Keep the ball and pass it trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate towards goal to score. - When in front of goal, the player must lift their head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) 56 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
3v1 Cone Bingo Setup a 12x12 field and place 3 Reds (attackers) and 1 Blue (defender) Reds try to keep the ball and knock over the cone Rotate defender every 2/3 minutes If the Blue the player intercepts the ball, he gives it back to the Red players and they play again Competition: Which defender can concede the least goals? Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free to score a point - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass must take a good 1st touch to pass right away or score a point. Defending: - Force the attackers on one side of the square. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) - Always try to be between the ball and the cone Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 57
3v1 + 2 GKs on four goals Setup a six-yard-goal on each side of a 20x20 yard field Teams play 3v3: each team defends two adjacent goals Two players from the defending team must act as GKs (taking turns) GKs can only defend on the goal line and can t come out Red team plays 3v1 and tries to score When the Blue team recuperates the ball, they attack and 2 Red players quickly go as GKs and 1 Red player defends the 3 Blue players. Attacking: - Keep the ball and pass it trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate towards goal to score. - When in front of goal, the player must lift his/her head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) 58 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
3v1 on Two Goals Setup a 15x20 field with the long part of the field as goals Two players from the defending cover their goal line and one player defends on the field All the 3 players of the attacking team participate in the attack. They attempt to get the ball across the goal line with a shot If the Blue team intercepts the ball they attack quickly and try to score on the other side. When the Red team loses the ball they must quickly place two defenders on the goal line to defend. Attacking: - Keep the ball and pass it trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate towards goal to score. - When in front of goal, the player must lift their head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 59
3v1 Possession Setup a 12x12 field and place 3 Yellow (attackers) and 1 Red (defender) Yellows try to keep the ball and make sure that the Red player doesn t recuperate the ball Rotate defender every 2/3 minutes If the Red player intercepts the ball, he gives it back to the yellow players and they play again Competition: Which defender can intercept the ball the most times in 2/3 minutes? Variations: To score a point the Red player has to intercept the ball and dribble it outside of the square on any side. Every 10 passes by the Yellow players is a point for them Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass must take a good 1st touch to pass right away. Defending: - Force the attackers on one side of the square. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) 60 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
3v2 on two goals Setup a six yard goal on each end line of a 15x20 field One player from the Red team acts as GK and two defend vs 3 attackers All players from the Blue team participate in the attack Note: If the attacking team isn t scoring enough, make the goals bigger (Positive experience for the players, makes it more enjoyable!) If the Red team intercepts the ball they attack quickly and try to score on the other side. When the Blue team loses the ball they must quickly place one defender on the goal line to defend. Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defenders - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate towards goal to score. - When in front of goal, the player must lift their head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) - Player closest to the ball puts pressure, the other defender covers. Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 61
3v2 plus 2 jokers Setup a 20x20 yard field as above. Place 2 goals with 1 GK in goal for the Blue team. Reds and Oranges (Jokers) play together trying to score on the Blue team. If the Blue team recuperates the ball their GK plays and Red must quickly send a player into the goal. Play for 5 minutes and switch the jokers Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defenders - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate towards goal to score. - When in front of goal, the player must lift their head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners - When you lose the ball quickly react and place a GK in goal. Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) - Player closest to the ball puts pressure, the other defender covers. 62 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
3v2 plus 3 servers Use the 18 yard box and create 3 teams of 3 players. 1 GK in goal Place 3 players (servers) outside the box with a ball each Red attack 3 times vs 2 Blue players (1 Blue rests) Yellow serves 1 ball in the box and the Red players attack vs Blue and try to score. When the 1st ball is cleared or the Red team scores, the 2nd ball is served by the next Yellow player. Play goes on till the 3 balls are served in. Then rotate teams. Attacking: - Keep the ball and pass it trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the box. - When in front of goal, the player must lift his/her head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners - Shooting is the object and the execution of the play should be quick. Must find a shot asap, not pass for a long time. Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) - Player closest to the ball pressures the ball and the other defender covers Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 63
4v2 Shooting Drill Setup 2 goals about 20/25 yards away from each other, in a 20x20 field Ball always starts from the GK of the team with 4 Players Blue players pass the ball and try to score If the Red players block a shot or recuperate the ball, they quickly try to shoot. Players stay in their own half When a ball goes out, GK plays the next ball in Attacking: - Keep the ball and pass it trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to shoot - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to block all shooting lanes - When a player has a clear view of goal, the player must lift his/her head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners - Shooting is the object and the execution of the play should be quick. Must find a shot asap, not pass for a long time. - Take a good 1st touch out your feet to shoot quickly Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the shooting lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Player closest to the ball pressures the ball and the other defender covers - When you win the ball, quickly shoot on the opposite goal 64 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
Guarding the Bridge Setup a 15x10 yard field with a 2 yard Bridge in the middle Yellow players must pass the ball from one side of the bridge to the side. Red player must try and intercept the passes Points are awarded to the defender every time he intercepts a pass. If the yellows pass the ball outside of the playing surface a point goes to the Red player as well Players rotate as defender every 2/3 minutes Competition: Which defender can score the most points Variations: Yellows are only 3 players and the player who pass the ball to the other side follows the pass and joins the player on the other side of the Bridge Minimum of 2 passes on one side of the Bridge before passing to other side. Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find the right moment to pass to the other side - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to cover the whole Bridge - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to pass to the other side must take a good 1st touch and pass quickly before defender closes the space. - The passers must lift their head and see where the defender is and where the other Yellow players are. Defending: - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills 65
Passing through the Defender Zone Setup a 15x20 yard field with a 2 yard middle zone 3 Red players each have a ball and try to pass the ball through the middle zone to the Orange players 2 Blue players try and intercept the passes (Rotate Blue players) Every time a Blue player intercepts a pass or forces the passes outside of the field, they get 1 point Competition: Which pair of Blue players can score the most points? Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find the right moment to pass to the other side - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to cover the whole Bridge - The passers must lift their head and see where the defender is and where the other Orange players are. Defending: - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Communicate with other defender to stay close to each other and not to spread out 66 Part B: Main Theme 1 Techno / Tactical Drills
Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+ 67
2v2 Plus alternates Players form two teams of four. 2v2 in the middle with 2 players from each team in opposite corners. Players in the middle try to maintain possession as long as possible. If they play a pass to the outside players, the passer and receiver immediately change places and roles. Maximum playing time is 4 minutes Every time a team is able to switch with a player in the corner, they score one point. Corner player must maintain possession and join the middle right away When the oranges recuperate the ball, they try and keep the ball and find their corner players The team that finds a corner, must then get the ball to the opposite corner and not the same corner as previous To score a point you have to use both corners, not only one corner. Attacking: - Keep the ball and move without the ball - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind a defender - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to the corner player must accelerate - Don t need to go very close to the corner players to pass the ball Defending: - Force the attackers away from the corner players and force to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t follow your man around the square. 1 pressures, the other covers. Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+ 69
2v2 plus two jokers and two support players Setup a 15x20 yard (or more) field Create teams in pairs and give them each a color Yellow starts with the ball and plays 4v2 (with Orange) vs Red players. Yellow tries to keep the ball and find the support players. Support players stay on the outside. A point is scored when the team in possession can successfully find both support players. If the Red team recuperates the ball, they then play with the Orange players (Jokers). After 5 minutes, teams rotate and every team works as Jokers/Support players. Attacking: - Keep the ball and move without the ball - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind a defender - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to the support player must accelerate and pass quickly. - Don t need to go very close to the support players to pass the ball - Support player must be active and can move along the line to give proper passing angles Defending: - Force the attackers away from the support players and force to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t follow your man around the square. 1 pressures, the other covers 70 Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+
3 Color Possession Setup a square on a quarter of a field (depending how many players you have) Split the group in 3 colors 1 color starts as defenders. The other 2 colors are in possession of the ball If the Yellow (defenders) recuperates the ball, the team that lost it becomes the defending team. Try to make 10 consecutive passes Competition: 1 point goes to the defending that allows 10 consecutive passes. The team with most points loses. Attacking: - Keep the ball and move without the ball - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind a defender - The player who receives a pass must take a good 1st touch to quickly pass it - When you lose the ball, quickly defend and try to regain possession. Defending: - Force the attackers to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t follow a man around the square. 1 pressures, the others cover. - Communicate on what direction to pressure Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+ 71
3v1 Ajax possession Setup two 12 yard squares attached next to each other. 5 Red players try to possess the ball 1 Blue player(defenders) stands in each box Reds play 3v1 in 1 square and try to make 3 passes. After 3 passes they try to pass the ball to the other Red players in the other square. When the ball is passed into the other square, one player must change square quickly and join the other Reds to create another 3v1. Any player can change square and join the attackers Variations: Depending on the level of players decrease or increase the number of passes before changing squares. Every successful switch is a point. Which defenders concede the least amount of points. Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free - Spread out and make it difficult for the defender to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defender - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass must take a good 1st touch to pass right away. Defending: - Force the attackers on one side of the square. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes 72 Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+
4v3 on two goals with a GK Setup a 20x25 yard field with two goals as above Yellow team has the ball and attacks 4v3 towards the Red s goal and try to score When the Red team recuperates the ball they quickly attack towards the Yellow team s goal and tries to score. The Yellow must react and place one player as a GK Note: If the attacking team isn t scoring enough, make the goals bigger (Positive experience for the players, makes it more enjoyable!) Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defenders - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate towards goal to score. - When in front of goal, the player must lift their head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) - Player closest to the ball puts pressure, the other defenders cover. - Quick transition when losing the ball to defend or when winning the ball to score Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+ 73
4v4 + Joker Setup a 25x25 yard field with 2 goals as above Play 4v4 and the joker plays with the team in possession Red attacks towards 2 goals and Blue attacks the other 2 goals Variations: Limit the touches of the Yellow player Limit the touches of all the players to 3 touch maximum Can t pass it into the goal, but you must dribble into the goal Attacking: - Pass the ball trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to score - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind the defenders - Don t dribble versus 1 defender. The better option is to pass the ball around the square. - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to goal must accelerate to score. Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Don t commit and stay on your feet (no slide tackling) - Player closest to the ball puts pressure, the other defenders cover. - Quick transition when losing the ball to defend or when winning the ball to score 74 Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+
4v4 Shooting Drill Setup 2 goals about 20/25 yards away from each other, in a 20x20 field Ball always starts from the GK when the ball goes out Blue players pass the ball and try to score If the Red players block a shot or recuperate the ball, they quickly try to shoot. Players stay in their own half When a ball goes out, GK plays the next ball in If a team scores, they attack again until they lose the ball or shoot out Attacking: - Keep the ball and pass it trying to find a player who is free and in a more dangerous position to shoot - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to block all shooting lanes - When a player has a clear view of goal, the player must lift his/her head and see where the GK is placed and shoot in the corners - Shooting is the object and the execution of the play should be quick. Must find a shot asap, not pass for a long time. - Take a good 1st touch out of your feet to shoot quickly Defending: - Force the attackers away from goal to one side. - Try to cut off the shooting lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the shot - Player closest to the ball pressures the ball and the other defenders cover - When you win the ball, quickly shoot on the opposite goal Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+ 75
5v2 Transition Possession Drill Setup two 12x12 squares side by side Blue tries to possess the ball and make 10 passes vs 2 Red players Reds try to recuperate the ball and play back into their square Every 10 passes is a point Rotate the 2 players who go in to defend Attacking: - Keep the ball and move without the ball - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind a defender - The player who receives a pass must take a good 1st touch to quickly pass it - When you lose the ball, quickly defend and try to regain possession. Defending: - Force the attackers to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - 1 puts pressure, the other covers. - Communicate on what direction to pressure 76 Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+
5v3 Wing to Wing Setup a 20x25 yard square with two 3 yard zone on either side as above Reds play vs Blues and try to possess the ball using the 2 Yellow players in the zones 1 Yellow player rest (above) and Orange team rest waiting to enter player. Rotate resting and supporting players. Try to keep the ball and play from wing to wing Play goes on for 5 minutes, then they rotate Can t defend the support player s pass Attacking: - Keep the ball and move without the ball - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind a defender - The player who receives a pass and has a free path to the support player must accelerate and quickly pass it - Don t need to go very close to the support players to pass the ball Defending: - Force the attackers away from the support players and force to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t follow your man around the square. 1 pressures, the others cover. Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+ 77
Possession with Small Goals Setup a field of 30x30 yards or more (Depending on how many players) Make two teams and place several 2 yard small goals in the whole area Teams possess the ball while trying to score in the small goals. Teams can only score with a pass through a goal to a teammate or dribble Attacking: - Keep the ball and move without the ball - Spread out and make it difficult for the defenders to intercept the ball - Give the ball carrier an angle to pass the ball, don t stand behind a defender - The player who receives a pass must take a good 1st touch to quickly pass it - When you lose the ball, quickly defend and try to regain possession. - Accelerate to an open goal to score a goal - Accelerate without the ball towards a goal to receive a pass through to score - Don t force the ball and be patient. Wait for the right moment to attack a free goal - Change the point of attack; don t stay on one side of the field Defending: - Force the attackers to one side. - Try to cut off the passing lanes - Be active and on your toes to try and block the passes - Don t follow a man around the square. 1 pressures, the others cover. - Communicate on what direction to pressure 78 Part C: Main Theme 2 Techno / Tactical Drills U11+
Part D: Small Sided Games 79
Part A: Dribbling 81
Part E: Coaching Information 15 Coaching Tips Practice Outline 83
15 IMPORTANT COACHING TIPS 1- Start and end the practice with fun 2- Ensure you have a ball to each player 3- Simple organisation and lay out of the session 4- Simple communication/rules of the practice 5- No bus queue of players waiting to play/shoot 6- No set playing positions 7- Develop individuals, not teams 8- Lots of 1v1 practices with experiences of playing different types of player (skill, speed, strengths etc) 9- As much as possible try to attack and defend the goals 10- Inspire players with the session, your personality, energy and enthusiasm 11- Don t over coach, give the players free playing time in the session 12- Give the players questions to answer and choices in technique and decision making. Involving them in this process accelerates learning and development. 13- From time to time give the players a homework task (skills to master etc.) 14- Encourage attacking football 15- Encourage players to work hard 85
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