CHAPTER 4
Exercises with ball for improvement in getting past the opposite player, achievement of the spaces, finding the goals, and scoring (with GK)
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK
Area Size:
Different geometric shapes (square, rectangle) depending on the focus. Vary the width or length size depending on the age and technical quality of the players.
Time:
10-15 minutes
Objectives:
• To create the space
• To run fast in the space created
• To get past the opposite player
• Movement of the players related to the defender
• Just a little bit of fitness work involving change of direction
• Ball mastery during a duel
• To score in the big goals
• Work on fakes
Execution:
This exercise is about the ability to create the space and score in the goals possessing the ball, in relation to the decision of the defender and the goal's location.
The striker has to score in the goals, but if the defender wins the ball, he has to score in the goals behind the striker.
After the striker scores in a goal, a player behind the goal will start another offensive action; so now the striker becomes the defender.
Same exercise of point n°. 1 but with the player that was striker becoming the defender.
The difficulties are increasing because now we have also to manage the ball, to be aware of the position of the goals and to be ready to stop the opponent player that will start a new action (so we can talk a little bit about offensive – defensive transition).
It is important to play a very fast game (so 30-45 minutes max, related to age of the player and area size).
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK
1st OPTION
Horizontal run and vertical game.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK
2nd OPTION
If we want to be more specific we can have different colored goals.
In this variation we also have changed the lines of movement (from horizontal movement in the previous exercise to vertical movement in this one).
It is more difficult for the defender because he will have to chase the striker. For the striker it is simpler because if he is very quick the path to the goal is free.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK
3rd OPTION
The players can score in the big goals or in the little goals.
Now we are working on 1vs1 with GK, but we also have the possibility to score in the little goals.
This work is about a situation that we can find a lot of times during a match: the striker want to shoot, but he can't, so he has to open the game up laterally.
The difficulties are increasing because the striker has more possibilities to score (big goal 2 points, little goals 1 point).
If the defender wins the ball, he has to go to score in the big goal or maybe to dribble across the white line placed on lateral corners of the field (as if he is counterattacking).
This exercise is also work on transition, because the roles can change in a second.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK
4th OPTION
Two players are working on 1v1 with GK and two players are working on 1vs1 with little goals.
Difficulties are increasing because the players have to maintain a higher level of attention; in this exercise there is a deep work on peripheral vision.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK + TWO 1VS1
5th OPTION
Two players are working on 1v1 with GK and four players are working on 1vs1 with little goals, in two different smaller fields.
This exercise is about the ability to create the space and score in the goals possessing the ball, in relation with decision of the GK and goal's location.
• The striker has to score in the big goals, but if the defender wins the ball, he has to score in the big goal behind the striker (Num. 1 in the picture)
• After the striker shoots in a goal, the GK will start another offensive action passing the ball to one of the defenders positioned in one of the lateral little pitches (Num. 2 in the picture)
• In the little pitch in which we have the defender receiving the ball from GK, we are going to play 1v1, while on the opposite lateral pitch the defender has to bring a ball and start another 1vs1 (Num. 3 in the picture)
The difficulties are increasing because now the players don’t know beforehand where they will play.
It is important to play a very fast game (so 30-45 minutes max, related to age of the player and area size).
It is also important to have quick decisions by the GK to make the exercise run quick.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK + TWO 1VS1
6th OPTION
Two players are working on 1v1 with GK and four players are working on 1v1 with little goals, in two different small fields.
This exercise is about the ability to create the space and score in the goals possessing the ball, in relation with decision of the GK and goal's location.
• The striker has to score in the big goals, but if the defender wins the ball, he has to score in the big goal behind the striker. Meanwhile, GKs are passing balls to each lateral side (it has to be chosen beforehand by the coach) (Num. 1 in the picture)
• In the little pitches in which we have the defenders receiving balls from GKs we are going to play 1vs1, after a little work on speed ladder before to receive the ball (Num. 2 in the picture)
It is important to play a very fast game (so 30-45 minutes max, related to age of the player and area size).
It is important also to have quick decisions by the GK to make the exercise very fast. GKs have to be very quick because after the pass they have to be ready to receive the shot from the striker.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK
7th OPTION
Two players are working on 1v1 with GK and four players are working on 1v1 with little goals, in two different small fields.
This exercise is about the ability to create the space and score in the goals possessing the ball, in relation with decision of the GK and goal's location.
• Defenders and strikers have to work just a little bit on speed ladder; after that defenders pass the ball to the strikers which creates a 1v1 situation; one GK (chosen previously by the coach) has to pass the ball to the striker too (Num. 1 in the picture);
• After the strikers' ball control we are going to play three 1vs1: one situation is played in the central pitch (where the players have to score in the big goals) and two others 1vs1 are played in lateral pitches (Num. 2 in the picture).
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS” - LET'S TRAIN GKs
Area Size:
Different geometric shapes (square, rectangle) depending on the exercise; size depends on age and technical quality of the players.
Time:
10-15 minutes
Objectives:
• We have to train GKs, so we have to play a very fast game to let them achieve experience playing a lot of different situations
• To create the space
• To run fast in the space created
• To overpass the opposite player
• Movement of the players related to the opposite player
• Just a little bit of fitness work about change of direction
• Ball mastery during a duel
• To score in the big goals
• Work on fakes
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS” - LET'S TRAIN Gks
1st OPTION
Defender has to pass the ball to the striker; then the striker has to score in the goal.
If the defender wins the ball, he has to score in the other goal.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS” - LET'S TRAIN Gks
2nd OPTION
GK has to pass the ball to the striker; then the striker has to score in the goal while the defender attempts to stop him.
This exercise is more difficult for the defender than for the striker.
If the defender wins the ball, he has to score in the other goal.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS” - LET'S TRAIN GKs
3rd OPTION
We have defenders on one side and strikers on another one side of the pitch.
• Defenders have to pass the ball to strikers (Num.1 in the picture)
• Strikers have to score in the goal while defenders are going to stop them (Num. 2 in the picture)
If the defender wins the ball, he has to score in the other goal.
1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS” - LET'S TRAIN GKs
4th OPTION
This is a time-related exercise.
Black team is playing against yellow team; players just have to go to score as many goals as possible (in a time limit chosen by the coach).
Coach can give them rules about the shot (right foot? left foot?) or the dribbling (one touch and shoot? two touches and shoot? three touches and shoot?); time rules are always the best (do we have 3 seconds to shoot? 2 seconds? 5 seconds?)
We can do this exercise with a high number of players in the team, but we need a minimum of 4 Gks.
