All Posts by Mike Saif

0 Grid System to Train Systems of Play

Our recently released Coaching Team Shape in the 3-3-1 has been getting lots of attention recently, especially for its use of the "grid system" when setting up training sessions.  I have copied an excerpt from the book which is part of the introduction and explains what the grid system is and how it should be set up and used.

Grid System

The grid system is a coaching aid I developed to improve what I consider to be the number 1 problem in youth soccer, player spacing (shape) on the field. How many times have you watched a youth soccer game where players are huddled round a ball and fight for a kick? A soccer game quickly descends into a frantic display of kick and run. I have created a system that allows anyone, no matter what your level of soccer knowledge, to coach your team how to spread out when playing soccer.

This system is called the Grid System and it increases the efficiency and awareness of how to coach shape within formations. It is a system that breaks down the fundamentals and increases the coach’s and players’ understanding of how to keep the desired shape during play. Simply put, according to the formation (1-3-3-1 or 1-2-3-2 etc.) each player is assigned a grid to play in. Grids are connecting but players have limits as to which grids they are allowed in during any specific play. The grids relate to field positions and stop players bunching whilst allowing them to play in a more structured setting. Using this system, we go through step by step what to do to achieve success, beginning with simple movement patterns through to more advanced tactical choices.

I think it is important to relate everything you do during a training session to a scrimmage, therefore keeping it GAME REALISTIC. Thus terms used in this guide will relate to player and body positions according to the type of play being focused on.

When laying out your grids, each is 10x10 yards in size and each grid connects to another grid (Fig.1).

Whichever formation you choose to coach all bearings are the same. The grid directions are taken when attacking. So, facing the opponents goal, the grid line in front of the players is

0 Dealing With the Diagonal Ball

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on defending a diagonal ball and staying on balance.

Start with a player with a ball just outside the 18 on a slight angle (even with a goal post) and a second player a little further back but more toward the middle of the field. A keeper is in goal.

The keeper has to cut off the angle, in case there is a shot. The player with the ball has two options

9 Possession Game to Develop Aerobic Power

By Alex Trukan

The following practice is aimed at developing the ability to sustain many actions throughout the whole match. In example, that will enable players to produce the same amount of sprints in the first as well as last 15 minutes of the game. In addition, that is achieved in possession game, what increases the motivation of the players and links physical focus with technical and tactical content.

Set up and directions:
Set up a square of 30-40 m. depending on the ability as well as number of players. Organise min. 6 little gates in the middle of the square as shown on the diagram. Divide the group into two teams of 5 players. To score a point, a team should pass the ball through a small gate. The team with more points wins the game.

Method of scoring points in this exercise requires constant support in front and in behind the ball. After single point is scored, the game

6 Germany v Portugal-06-16-2014

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett FIFA 2014 World Cup, Brazil Monday, 16 June, 2014 Germany 4 v 0 Portugal Controlling? Definitely! PLUS Quick. ...as fire. PLUS Decisive. …as rain. PLUS Dominant. Equals Germany. Undisciplined. Definitely! PLUS Slow. …as smoke. PLUS Sloppy. ...as slush. PLUS Subordinate. Equals Portugal. This World-Cup opener for both

9 Uruguay v England-06-19-2014

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett FIFA 2014 World Cup, Brazil Monday, 19 June, 2014 Uruguay 4 v 0 England In a World Cup Final where England finally lacked expectations heading into the tournament, they still somehow managed to find a way disappoint; and this time coming off a match where they showed positivity even

0 Modric and Rakitic’s Midfield Defensive Imbalance

By Stevie Grieve

In the opening match of the FIFA World Cup, Croatia played against hosts Brazil, and were tipped to struggle against one of the favourites for the tournament. Croatia can always feel confident against any team boasting a midfield of new Barcelona signing Ivan Rakitic, Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric, and Inter Milan attacking midfielder Mateo Kovacic, they have a slight defensive imbalance as despite all 3 being able to play as a playmaker or a number 10, none of the 3 are natural holding or defensive midfielders, and in this game it showed with the distances and angles of defensive support and lack of speed to reshape in defensive transition, particularly from Modric and Rakitic.

Brazil’s opening goal – Rakitic and Modric are too far apart as the ball breaks loose

Brazil and Croatia are battling for a loose ball in midfield, Croatia should win it but don’t which leaves the midfield open as Rakitic shifts wider to intercept/press Alves. In doing so, this leaves

0 Passing Practice in Fours For Conditioning

By Alex Trukan

The passing practice in fours can be modified and used to develop multiple conditioning outcomes. Modification of this exercise shown below is focused on developing speed and agility. This physical component is required in 1v1 situations, during transition phase as well as in scoring and finishing scenarios.

Set up and directions:
Organize number (3) of rectangles as shown on the diagram, depending on the quantity of players. Divide players into groups of four, with each group having two balls. One player should be placed on each end of the rectangle and two players in the middle.

The simplest variation of this game requires middle players to show up for a pass, ask for a ball, play one-touch pass back to the outside player and

4 Atletico Madrid v Barcelona-05-18-2014

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett La Liga Sunday, 18 May, 2014 Atletico Madrid 1v1 Barcelona As the days on the calendar flipped by and the sun rose on the beautiful city of Madrid again and again, the expectations for Atletico Madrid remained the same: to eventually fade away leaving what have been the

0 Dynamic Training For Overlaps

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on passing and overlaps.

Start with two lines of players 30 yards apart and two players in the middle, 15 yards apart. There is a ball with the first player in one of the lines.

The player with the ball passes to one of the middle players and then

0 Dealing With High Balls

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on catching high balls and using proper footwork.

Start with a keeper in goal and a server at the top of the D. There are two flags on the 6 yard line even with the posts. The server has a ball in his hands.

The keeper starts by sprinting around the outside of one of the cones and catching a lofted ball from the server (the ball should be

0 Dortmund v Bayern-05-17-2014

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett German Cup Final Saturday, 17 May, 2014 Dortmund 2v0 Bayern Munich This match was one that Bayern Munich needed to really establish themselves at the top of German football. Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, needed to prevent them from doing so because they themselves were in dire need

0 Technique Triplets

By Keith Scarlett This activity works on technique, first-touch, passing, receiving, turning and fitness. Set-up: The players break into groups of three. Two players start 40 metres apart with the third player in the middle. Each player on the outside has a ball while the player in the middle does not. How it Works: The

0 Passing Drill with Turns and Movement

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s passing activity works on passing, quick touches, turns and movement.

This activity involves 5 players per group. 2 groups of 2, 20 yards apart and a player in the middle. One of the players on the outside has a ball.

The player with the ball starts by passing to the player in the middle. The passer then

0 Goalkeeping Clock Drills

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on footwork, balance and shot blocking.

A keeper is in the middle of 12 cones which make up a circle (this will represent a clock so the cones should be evenly spaced out and the circle is approximately 5 yards in diameter). A server is 12 yards away with a ball.

The cone directly in front of the keeper represents 12 o’clock. The cone directly

1 1v1 Circuit focused on Anaerobic Endurance

By Alex Trukan

This practice combines multiple 1v1 situations with the physical component of Anaerobic Endurance. The organisation of the exercise allows many repetitions of maximal intensity efforts, what is aimed to improve the ability of the body to sustain high quality (speed and strength) actions throughout the whole match. Competitive format of this practice aids motivation and doesn't require much concurrent involvement of the coach. Ideally, this 1v1 circuit is designed for 8 players and a goalkeeper, however it can be adapted to suit other numbers as well.

Set up and directions:
Organize an area of two penalty box sizes. Set up two full sized goals on the opposite sides, facing each other. There should be one goalkeeper in each goal. Divide the team into pairs. Starting positions as shown on diagram. Assistant coach or player from the group behind is required to pass the ball into the area.

The practice starts as the ball is played into the area, between two players. The ball should be passed at the

0 Continuous 2v1 to Develop Anaerobic Endurance

By Alex Trukan

This exercise is focused on developing dribbling and decision-making skills altogether with Anaerobic Endurance. Games containing 2v1 scenarios can be used as a progression to 1v1 situations. That places additional demand on players: decision making – dribble or pass? The organisation of this practice allows players to develop physical component of Anaerobic Endurance. That ability is responsible for producing high quality (speed and strength) actions throughout the whole match.

Set up and directions:
Set up a rectangle of 30x15 m., divide it into three areas as shown on the diagram. Organise the team into groups of two players. On one rectangle, there should be three pairs practicing. Two pairs start on the cones opposite to each other, while third pair stays in the middle: each player between two middle cones. There is one ball needed for a group, however, additional balls should be ready around the area.

The game starts on the first touch of the player with the ball - he can either

2 Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid-05-24-2014

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett UEFA Champions League Final Saturday, 24 May, 2014 Estadio da Luz; Lisbon, Portugal Real Madrid 4v1 Atletico Madrid The Champions League is always a very exciting competition, but this most recent campaign provided a few more edge of the seat moments than most other campaigns have given us. After

3 Shooting From Different Angles

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on finishing.

In trying to develop goal scorers we tend to recreate ideal situations too often. As an example, we might line up balls and have a player shoot one after the other.

Or, we put in a simple

0 Dealing With Unsighted Shots

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on unsighted shots.

An unsighted shot is one where the keeper doesn’t have direct vision of the ball. In this activity we are going to recreate the situation with the use of dummy’s.

Start with a keeper in goal and a couple of shooters just outside the 18. There is a dummy (some people call them mannequins) in front of the shooter and ball between the shooter and the dummy. The purpose of the dummy is to prevent the keeper from being able to see the ball.

One of the players takes a quick touch to

2 5v4 - Defending in Defensive Third

By Keith Scarlett

This activity works on defending, timing of tackles, covering angles and decision-making.

In this crucial section of the pitch, defending needs to be precise and perfect! One of the biggest things that players need to learn is how crucial interceptions are to keeping the ball out of the net. There aren’t too many better ways to teach this aspect of the game than to simply throw them into the deep-end with an activity like this.

Set-up:
The playing area is 44 x 18 metres (basically the size of the penalty area; can use the penalty area if you choose). Place a regulation sized goal in the middle of one of the long (44 mtr) end-lines (similar to where it would be if using a penalty area).

The attacking team has 5 players which include 3 midfielders (M) and 2 strikers (S) while the defending team has 4 players made up of 3 defenders (D) and a goalkeeper (G). There are

2 Arsenal v Hull City-05-17-2014

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett English FA Cup Final Saturday, 17 May, 2014 Wembley Arsenal 3v2 Hull City The 2005 FA Cup. Just a tad shy of nine years. Almost a full decade. Yet a complete generation in terms of football. A total of 3,283 days since Arsenal had last won any

0 How Real Madrid Pressed and Beat Atletico

By Stevie Grieve - Real Madrid Pressing v Atletico Madrid

As the ball is passed back, a common pressing trigger in modern football allows for pressure on the ball, and squeezing the defensive lines higher up the field. In this example, Real Madrid’s midfield and defense can

0 Aerobic Power in 5v5 Small Sided Game

By Alex Trukan

The exercise is focused on improving Aerobic Power. This physical component helps in recovering more efficiently and quickly after high intensity, anaerobic actions. Therefore, it helps to maintain quantity of explosive efforts of the players throughout the whole match. In more detail, it aids supplementation of high quality oxygen to lungs and muscles by improving circulation (more red blood cells and stronger heart) and ventilation (better lung capacity).

That is achieved in 5v5 Small Sided Game which is known as highly effective tool for improving tactical, technical as well as physical components. Small Sided Games ensure high motivation of players, enjoyment and competitiveness. In addition, this practice is strongly related to 11v11 soccer format as it includes all relevant components of it (opponent, direction, goals, attacking/defending/transition etc.).

Set up and directions:
Organise a pitch of approximately 30x40 yards (depending on base fitness level: bigger pitch-bigger volume/lower intensity) with one goal on each side. Divide players into two teams of 5. Normal soccer rules apply. Encourage competition, i.e. the team that loses the game takes the equipment out of the pitch.

As a basic progression to increase perceptual and physical demands, divide the pitch into two halves and set the condition that

0 Take-Over Drill

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible. Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on passing, takeovers and turns. Start with 2 players 20 yards apart, one of whom has a ball. A third player is behind the player with the ball. The player with the ball starts by passing to