All Posts by Mike Saif

0 Pros and Cons of Counter Attacking

Counter-Attacking used to be reserved for underdog type teams who would sit back and defend and hope to sneak a win by scoring a goal on a fast break, counter-attack. But teams like Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp at the helm are now using quick counter-attacking as their style of play...and have done so with a

0 Various Ways to Penetrate the Opposition

By Philip Cauchi The aim of this session is to achieve penetration. Penetration can be achieved through various means but the most important outcomes are to have width in attack, length, movement off-the-ball, timing of passes through seams in the defence and timing of runs behind the defence. Session title: Achieve penetration. Total duration: Approximately

0 Sniffer Game

By Keith Scarlett This activity works on shooting and finishing. Set-up: Add an 18 x 44 yard grid to the penalty area as shown. Place a goal opposite the regulation goal at the end of the new grid. There are 3 defenders and two attackers inside each grid. Goalkeepers are in each net. The two

0 Soccers Biggest Problem

Let's face it, diving in soccer is cheating.  Pretending you have been fouled when you have not been touched is cheating.  Faking you have been hit in the face when you haven't been touched to try and get an opponent sent off, is cheating.This has become the biggest problem in soccer worldwide.  Here, I discuss

0 What Are Good Club Curriculum Practices?

By Philip Cauchi Question - What are some good club curriculum practices? Introduction. Having a club curriculum aids in having a direction. Coaches will know what is required of them and what content should their players be experiencing throughout their developmental process. Dividing this curriculum into smaller outcomes for each age group makes it more

0 Training the Center Midfielder For Anaerobic Capacity

By Anthony Hazelwood The following activity has a playing area where a Center Midfielder (CM) will play against three defenders and 4 teammates positioned on each sideline. The CM will be working to adapt their anaerobic capacity through phases of intermittent endurance by being in constant movement for a minute at a time. The grid

0 Two Man Rondo

By Matthew Carroll - Description: The two man rondo is an activity designed to improve player’s vision and mental conditioning by creating a series of distractions that increase as the activity proceeds, but still requires all the base technical elements to be executed to precision throughout Setup: Set up a normal rondo with every alternating

0 The Training Sessions I Used To Win a National Championship

I share the actual training sessions I used during the season I coached my team to a National Championship.

0 Don’t Get Mugged on Corners

By Mike Smith - Something which is more and more common these days, at least in my neck of the woods, is the instant shielding of the keeper by the attacking team on corners. While for me this tactic skirts the edge of legality sometimes, if done within the boundaries of the laws of the

1 Combination Play Before Shooting

By Arthur Bell - Setup: 8 - 12 players + Goalkeeper. Execution: Player 1 plays long through ball to player 2. Player 2 lays off to player 3 who receives and dribbles through to shoot. Players move on one level. Player 1 moves to replace player 3. Player 3 moves to replace player 2. Player

0 What is Your Holding Mid Holding For?

By Mike Smith This year I have a player who I think will make a text book holding mid. He loves soccer and has played recreationally his whole life but this year ( his junior year of high school ) is his first season of real, organized, competitive play. However, he has worked his way into

0 3-5-2 Defending eBook

0 The Tactics I Used To Win a National Championship

I share how I developed a group of 7 year old girls over 6 years and went on to win a national championship at the U14 age group.  I talk about how we developed technique in the younger the years and the tactics, formation and style of play we used during the season.

0 Communication Between Different Lines

By Philip Cauchi This session is designed towards improving the team’s collaboration during the build-up phase. High levels of communication between the different lines and sectors of the team are highly required for a successful outcome. The players are put in situations that are challenging and which requires them to perceive, select and execute the

0 Playing With Angles

By Keith Scarlett This activity works on playing with angles. Set-up: Three players are playing as strikers. Four players are playing as midfielders. The ball starts with one of the midfield players. Play begins with a midfielder playing a ball to a striker. The striker then return the ball back to any of the midfielders,

0 The Shape Has to Match Style

By Mike Smith This past off season one of my former players was speaking with the new coach for her old school and mentioned calling me for some help as when I was there ( it is a very small, rural area ) the team she played on was able to establish the program as a

0 Debate – What Should Be Done About VAR? – Video

A discussion on the problems football is facing with VAR and how it can be improved.

1 Debate – A Back Four or a Back Three? – Video

This was a live debate with Alex Mason and Keith Scarlett where we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of a back four or a back three.

0 Using Futsal to Train Fundamentals

By Mike Smith Question - Are there drills I can use on a Futsal court to train the overall fundamentals of soccer? Absolutely! Our local YMCA used to section off their basketball courts for the winter Futsal league – and it was packed with players of all ages. I decided to coach a group of

0 2v2+2 Continuous Possession Grid

By Anthony Hazelwood The following directional activity has a playing area where two teams of four possess or defend. Players will be working to adapt their anaerobic capacity through phases of intermittent endurance. Each grid will be a 16 x 16 yd. area. To begin, two players from each team will be placed on the

0 The Jermaine Jones Drill

By Matthew Carroll - Description: The Jermaine Jones Drill recreates the spectacular goal Jermaine Jones had in the 2014 World Cup for the US. It combines tight combination play in the box with realistic shooting opportunities from the top of the 18. Setup: Two lines are set up on the top of the 18, starting

0 Debate – Liverpool or Manchester City-Klopp or Guardiola – Video

This was a live debate with Barry Walmsley and Steve Breakell, both ex soccer players and coaches...and most importantly, Barry is a big Manchester City fan and Steve is a big Liverpool fan.We discussed who had the better season in 2018/19, who plays the better style, who are the key players and more.  If you

0 Debate – Direct Play or Possession – Video

This discussion with Alex Mason, DOC, Sporting Omaha and Mike Smith, Head Coach, University Heights Academy Boys Soccer, Hopkinsville, KY, breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1. Both share how they line up defensively and how that changes when in possession.  They also explain how their line ups and tactics

0 Positional Specific Shape

By Mike Smith My middle school soccer coach was the first coach to really introduce me to the concepts behind what we were actually trying to do on the field and I credit this for my interest in an overall tactical approach. I remember thumbing through one of his old soccer books and noting the difference