All Posts by Mike Saif

1 Improving Defensive Heading Technique and Backpedaling Ability

By Justin Cresser

In my time of coaching, I have seen many goals that occur from poor defensive clearances, and in particular, poor defensive headers. Players either mistime the jump, don’t get high enough while jumping, or use poor technique.

This is exercise emphasizes rapid backpedalling and jumping ability, as well as defensive heading technique. It mimics game situations in which balls are lofted in behind a player, and is essential especially for centre-backs, who perform several headers per game while backpedaling or backtracking.
Set up two cones 10 yards apart in a straight line. Designate one cone as the starting cone. Divide your players into pairs and have one player stand in between the two cones, but 2 yards away from the starting cone, facing their partner who is standing behind the starting cone with a ball in their hands (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by having the player in between the cones accelerate towards and touch the starting cone and then immediately backpedal (at speed) towards

0 Progressing Sessions as Players Improve

One of the most important decisions we make as coaches is when to move through the various stages of skill development with our players. Move on too soon before the technique is mastered and the players performance becomes sloppy and inconsistent. If you wait too long to challenge the players with the next level of a skill or tactic and they will become bored and unmotivated so they just go through the motions. This will also hurt they're performance because they'll begin to develop bad habit through lazy practice. We've all seen a team that can keep great possession in a 5 v 2 exercise but lose composure (and possession) when the pressure is greater in a game situation.

Just as importantly, we have to decide what is the best way to progress a given skill or tactical idea. Most coaches will progress

1 Fast Break Attacks - It's All About Quick Decision-Making

By Rico Chan

It is not uncommon that teams (especially youth teams) fail to take full advantage of fast-break attacks due to poor decision making. Of course it is the players who are responsible for making those decisions on the pitch; but, as coaches, we can lay down some principles to guide such decisions. During Newcastle’s 3-1 win against West Brom, Newcastle’s Ben Arfa, Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba demonstrated some quick and accurate decisions that sealed 3-points for Newcastle as they push for a Europa League spot.

Newcastle’s 2nd goal: creating a 1v1 situation

It started with Ben Arfa advancing the ball under pressure with a 1 v 2 situation in the attacking half. I’ve highlighted the 3rd Newcastle attacker as his determination and pace in joining the attack was

0 Catching and Explosiveness

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on explosiveness and catching.

Start with a line of keepers behind a hurdle (the height of the hurdle can vary but between 1-2 feet high is ideal).  A server starts with a ball 10 yards on the other side of the hurdle.

The first keeper jumps off of 2 feet over the hurdle and the server plays a ball in for the keeper to make

0 Individual and Team Defending

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s progression works on individual and team defending.

Start with two grids side by side that are 10 x 20 each.  One player starts on each end line with one having a ball.

The player starting with the ball passes to the other pass and then follows

0 Shot Blocking Drill

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured topic deals with footwork, fitness and shot blocking.

Start with 6 cones spread out around the 6 yard box and then two cones inside the 6.  The outside cones are numbered.  There is a server at the top of the 18 and a keeper besides one of the inside cones.

The server calls a number (if the keeper is at cone A he calls 1,2 or 3) and the

5 Integrating Ball Control with Acceleration, Agility and Repeated Sprint Ability

By Justin Cresser During the competitive season, the main conditioning goal is maintenance of fitness levels established in the pre- and off-seasons. With technical and tactical exercises a top priority, it can sometimes be difficult to include activities for all the different fitness components. I like to include the following (and similar) exercises in my

4 Testing to Evaluate Player Ability and Development

As a coach I'm always evaluating my players but mostly on a subjective level. I do some 1v1 and 2v2 statistical evaluations that I wrote about in a previous post but that's the only objective information I've used to in the past.

This spring our club has implemented the SoccerFIT Game Speed Assessment for all of our teams. The test looks at three specific categories - Speed/Agility, Soccer Fitness and Technical Skill. The ideal situation is to see a balance between these unique areas but in most cases players will be stronger in one or two and weaker in the others. Here's an example of a report that you would receive after entering your data from the tests:

There are 15 different test

1 Adding Structure to a Small-Sided Game

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity simply involves adding structure to a small sided game.

Frequently a team will end a training session with a small sided game.  They might play 7 v 7 including keepers

Instead of doing it this way, consider putting them into positions and

2 Three Goalkeepers - Attacking the Ball

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity involves three keepers and works on attacking the ball, movement, shot blocking and distribution.

Start with two keepers 30 yards apart and the third keeper is in the middle.  There are two cones making up a 6 yard goal in the middle.  One of the keepers on the outside starts with a ball.

The keeper with the ball (2) shoots and tries to score between the two cones.  Keeper 1 makes

1 Using Pattern Play to Develop Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser
Pattern play involves rehearsing specific patterns to simulate situations that are likely to occur during the game. It does not usually incorporate opposition and can be integrated into phase of play training for a specific element of the game such as wing play or counter attacking. In addition to developing position-specific skills and role awareness, pattern play can also be used for conditioning.

Consider the following pattern play exercise to improve the anaerobic capacity of your central striker (number 9), the right or left wingers (numbers 7 and 11) as well as the central playmaker (number 10).

The starting positions are shown in Figure 1. Play is initiated by the number 10 who dribbles at speed for a few yards and then plays a pass into the feet of the number 9 who has faked a forward run, turned sharply and checked back diagonally into space.

0 Newcastle Fail to Punch Their Weight and Lose to a Late Knockout

By Matt Riley

Remarkably, Newcastle did not complete a single cross in the entire ninety minutes despite twelve attempts. Not only was Ba without the support of Papiss Cisse, his role became that of holding the ball up for Ben Arfa and Obertan rather than rampaging into the box.

Newcastle chose a cautious set up, understandably with Arsenal in search of their fifth win in a row ( three of those after going one nil down.) With four defenders and two deep lying midfielders in Tiote and Cabaye, Obertan was always going to find any linking play difficult with only Ba up front and Ben Arfa playing on the left of midfield to start but moving right to look  in vain for some meaningful possession.

Walcott attacks Whilst Obertan Back Tracks.

Obertan's isolation and eventual substitution in the sixty first minute contrasted hugely with

0 Defensive Transition and Shape

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on defensive transition and shape.

Start with two attacking players at midfield with a ball.  Two defending players are out by the sidelines and a keeper is in goal

The attacking players pass the ball back and forth.

0 1v1 Attacking and Defending Around the Box

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today's featured activity works on 1 v 1 attacking and defending around the 18.

Most of the time, when we work on 1 v 1 play, it's with the attacker facing the defender.  However, frequently in games, the attacking player receives the ball with his back to the goal and must create space and turn in order to get the shot.  While the attacking player is trying to create space and turn, the defending player is trying to prevent the turn and force the attacker away from the goal.

This is the type of training you would do with small groups because otherwise, there is too much standing around.

Start with a keeper in goal, a line of attackers (in black) at the corner of the 6 and end line and a line of defenders (in yellow) just a step wider than the attackers and 2 yards back.  There is a server with some balls wider than the defenders.

The server plays the ball  toward the top of the 18 and the first

1 Shot Blocking and Deflections

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

Start with a keeper in goal, another keeper on the 6 yard line and a server just outside the 18. Two balls are set around 15 yards out

The server starts by running toward one of the balls. The first keeper reacts and

17 Is the U.S. Development Academy Taking Away Choices for Players?

The main topic of discussion among soccer coaches and parents over the last month has been the U.S. Soccer Developments Academy's move to a 10-month season beginning in 2012-13.

U.S. Soccer created the Development Academy in 2007 to improve the everyday environment for the elite youth player. The Development Academy is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and the top youth clubs around the country to provide the best youth players in the U.S. with an everyday environment designed to produce the next generation of National Team players.

U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach JURGEN KLINSMANN commenting on the change said, “If we want our players to someday compete against the best in the world, it is critical for their development that they train and play as much as possible and in the right environment. The Development Academy 10-month season is the right

3 Target Players and Crosses

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on interaction between a target player and a midfielder for a shot or cross.  There is an entire series building up to this and going further on the DVD Winning Shooting & Finishing.

The first player starts just inside the center circle (this would be the midfielder) and the second player is the target player who starts wide of the 18. There is a keeper in goal.

The target player goes toward the middle of the field and then

0 Anaerobic 4v4 Small-Sided Game

Here is a 4 v 4 game working on target player and transition while giving a nice anaerobic workout.

This activity uses half a field with a full sized goal and a keeper in goal. Two players start in the D and 3 yellow and 3 black players start at midfield. A coach starts at midfield with a ball.

The coach calls either “yellow” or “black” and whichever color he calls is the

0 Judging and Catching High Balls

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

One of the difficulties keepers have in dealing with high balls is they have to first judge the ball, figure out where it’s coming down and then go up and catch the ball.  Here is a simple activity that can be done by keepers of all ages.

Start with a keeper with a ball in his hands and a server 10 yards away also with a ball in his hands (in the diagram below, the red player is the keeper).

The keeper starts by tossing his

0 Fitness, Change of Direction and Finishing

Here is a shuttle activity that works on fitness, change of direction and finishing.

Start with 4 balls in a line.  One is on the 12 yard spot, one is halfway from the 12 to the 18.  One is on the top of the 18 and one is at the top of the D.  A keeper is in goal and the player is at a line 10 yards from the closest ball.
The player starts by sprinting to the ball at the 12 yard spot and hitting

0 Milan Dominate, But Throw It All Away In the End

by Vasco Mota Pereira

The league match between Milan and Juventus was just a few weeks apart from the first leg of the cup tie, which Juve had won 2-1 in San Siro. This time, the rossoneri were without Boateng, Ibrahimovic, Nesta and Seedorf. Juventus, alternating between 4x3x3 and 3x5x2 throughout the season (the latter being preferably used when playing teams with 3-man defenses, such as Napoli or Udinese, as stated elsewhere), surprisingly went for a 3-man defense themselves, surely because it

0 Attacking and Counter-Attacking

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on attacking and counter attacking.  There are some interesting teaching points on this subject (and many others) in the DVD Attacking: Coaching the English Professional League 4-4-2 by David Williams, former Manchester United U18 coach.

Start with 3 forwards and 2 midfielders attacking against 4 backs, 1 midfielder and a keeper on a half field with a full sized goal.

The attacking team is trying to score and can be as patient as they want in working the ball into spaces.  There is nothing special about this game UNTIL THE

0 Fun Goalkeeping Session

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity is a small sided game that works on shot blocking, distribution, foot skills and is a LOT OF FUN! This game involves 2 keepers and 2 field players on a 30 x 20 field with full sized goals. If the yellow teams starts with the ball, the

0 Integrating Sprints Into Your Training Session

Few players enjoy sprints for conditioning.  However, if you turn it into a soccer related activity you can get them to work even harder and enjoy themselves while doing so.

Start with a keeper in goal, two cones 15 yards from the midfield line, a player on the line between the cones and a player with a ball at midfield.  There are a few players ready to replace the field players.

The player with the ball starts by passing to the