All Posts by Tom Mura

0 Developing Confidence on the Ball

By Gregg Gillies - Warm Up:  Grid Dribbling Set Up: Size (30 yds x 25 yds) Field size can vary depending on the number of players you have.  You only need four cones but can add a few more if this helps keep the players in the playing area. The Rules: Each player has a ball

0 4 v 2 Double Square

2 #102 Differentiated Coaching

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0 Teaching Possession

0 Sharpening the Angle

0 Teaching Body Shape

0 Team 5 v 3

By David Johnson - Objective This session will focus on shooting, passing, and team dynamics on both offense and defense.  The focus needs to be on proper weight and direction of the pass and the quality of the finish.  The focus is also on moving without the ball and maintaining possession while looking for a finish. 

0 1 v 1 Turning

By Alex Trukan The following practice is focused on improving explosive power – a conditioning component required to produce high intensity actions during a football match. Improving explosive power means that the body will be able to take a larger amount of ATP (energy) into muscles. This will in turn help in producing as explosive

3 4 v 2 Rondo Through Gates

This week's Animated Drills Video is a variation of a 4 v 2 Rondo that helps players understand the importance of keeping possessing until they can find a way to penetrate through one of two gates on the wings. This rondo is from our new Tactical Series eBook focused on Mauricio Pochettino's tactics at Tottenham. The diagrams

0 Long Pass Accuracy and Aerial Control

By Sean Pearson Area Size: 42 x 36 yards Time: 20 mins Players: 4 v 4 + 5 Objectives To decide the where, when and how to play a long aerial pass To decide early which body part to use to execute a close control of the ball (chest, thigh or foot) Set-Up 1 large

1 Flexibility of the 3-4-3

By Sean Pearson Formation The 3-4-3 is still not as popular as the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-3-3 mainly because not enough coaches know how to coach it and the higher profile teams generally don’t play it. That has changed this season with Chelsea’s dominance in the system from coach Antonio Conte. At international level Wales

0 Small Details Big Results

By Mike Smith Throw ins, Flicks, Trapping a Ball Out of the Air, Volleying and Turning. Have you ever had one of those games where just a little different bounce of the ball would have made a huge difference? Have you ever been the coach caught saying “ Unlucky” at least a dozen times a game?

0 Defending Crosses

By Alex Trukan When choosing to be compact in central areas and force the opposition teams down the wings, there will be times when players will have to deal with crosses. If the defending team is unorganised and unprepared, crosses will pose a major threat to them. Effective defending against crosses lies in ability to

0 The Foundation of Possession

0 Four Goal Game

2 #101 What to Do When You Need a Goal

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0 4 v 4 v 4 Middle Zone Game

0 Progression to Small-Sided Game

0 3 v 3 v 3 Keep-Away

3 Cogi Change of Direction and Opening Up

This week's Animated Drills Video shows a functional passing and support pattern that will encourage players to create passing options for their players after passing the ball backward. The diagrams are created with the session planner on Planet Training that is available through from Planet.Training. How would you progress this activity? Share your ideas in the

0 Movements to Get Full Backs the Ball

By Alex Trukan There are many types of movements off the ball that full backs try – overlaps, underlaps, third man runs. In many situations, however, these movements don’t lead to full backs getting on the ball. Rather than that, these are often used to create space for other players and unbalance the opposition defensive

0 Three Square Passing Game

By Steven Smith Three Squares Area Size: For groups of six’s or seven’s a square grid of 44X44 (progressively smaller sized grids inside of larger grid) Teams: Three groups of six or seven (or other numbers as coach chooses) Time: 10-12 minutes Objective: Increase passing skills in teams of all developmental levels Narrative Taking risks and

0 Part II - Position Specific Strength Training: Defensive Actions to Attacking Transition

By Anthony Hazelwood This is a continuation of activities described in Part I  The Midfielders: (Section D): 3 vs. 4: Defending in numerical inferiority. Area Size: 18 yd. x 23 yd. Intervals: 8. Activity Time – First Part: 1 minute. Rest between total activity time (first part and second part): 45 Seconds. Intensity: High. The

0 3 v 3 to Targets