All Posts by Tom Mura

0 Width – Length - Width

By Mike Smith “It’s not rocket science.” I’m probably not the only coach to use this phrase when explaining what to do with the ball to my players. Most times, I find myself using this phrase to the teams which are really good at possessing the ball, to the point that’s all they try to do.

0 Movements Towards the Ball from Number 9 and 10

By Alex Trukan When playing against opposition who restrict space in the central areas well, it might be hard for central midfielders (6 & 8) to get on the ball without pressure and play forwards. One of the ways to overload these areas and build up play might be to have players in more advanced positions

0 #089 The Coach / Player Relationship

Click Here to Listen to Podcast Click Here for the Show Notes

0 5 v 2 - 2 v 2 + 3

0 5 v 2 - Transition

0 5 v 2 - 4 + 1

0 5 v 2 - Outside

0 How to Counter a Man Marking Midfield

By Sean Pearson In these Systems of Play articles, I aim to address a wide range of 7 v 7, 9 v 9 and 11 v 11 formations and ways in which to use your players to your advantage. Formation Two of the most popular formations in world soccer are the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, mainly

0 Runs to Finish From Crosses

By Alex Trukan When trying to attack through the wings, getting the ball wide and creating an opportunity to cross is only part of success. The key to finalising wing play are movements that players make in and around the box just before, and as the ball is crossed. There are various combinations of different

0 Wall Pass Game

By Alex Trukan The following practice is focused on developing speed of support play and sharp forward runs off the ball. It also develops players’ ability to react quickly and accelerate over short distances. At the same time, players’ anaerobic energy system is improved due to the high intensity of this practice. From technical point

0 Combine with More

By Mike Smith As a high school coach, I see a wide range of teams and levels of play throughout the season. In addition, as a fan and student of the game, I find myself watching and analyzing all levels of the game year round. One constant at all the levels are the 2 and 3

0 2 v 2 + 2 Games

This week's Animated Drill Video looks at a number of different 2 v 2 games that include additional players outside of the field. By positioning the outside players in various ways you can emphasize different aspects of the game.   The diagrams are created with the session planner on Planet Training that is available through from

0 Changing the Direction of Play - Part 2

By Sean Reed - Objective This session focuses changing direction of play. Looking to exploit space, create overloads in order to maintain possession to play forward. Part 2 Session 1 Diagram 1 Set Up Possession 7 v 7 Within an area 9 grids of 20x15yds 8 completed passes = a goal Unlimited touches then restrict

0 Anticipating the Interception

By Sean Pearson Area Size: 35 x 45 yards Teams: 20 mins Players: 5 v 5 + 4 Objectives For players to understand the triggers and moments of when to intercept To quickly identify how to move the ball forwards quickly Set-Up 2 wide zones for the 4 neutrals and 2 teams in diamond formations to create

0 #088 Balanced Shooting

Click Here to Listen to Podcast Click Here for the Show Notes

0 Breakout Game

0 Bumper!! 4+4 v 4+4 with Goalkeepers

0 4 v 2 in Two Zones with One Goalkeeper

0 4 v 4 + 2 with Goalkeepers

0 Futsal Restarts

This week's Animated Drill Video features Futsal kick-in, corners and free kicks that I've taught my teams. They're basic setups that can be executed in a number of different ways. This gives the players options without limiting their creativity.   The diagram is created with the session planner on Planet Training that is available through from Planet.Training.

0 3 v 3 Breakout Game

By Alex Trukan This practice is aimed at developing Aerobic Power, an ability to recover quickly between high intensity actions. In practical context, it might mean that when a player makes a sprint, he will be ready to do another one faster. The second important physical outcome is the strength to hold the ball up

0 Changing the Direction of Play

By Sean Reed - Objective This session focuses changing direction of play. Looking to exploit space, create overloads in order to maintain possession to play forward. Part 1 Session 1 Diagram 1 Set Up This session can be carried out with different numbers within each team. For the session above the we are using 2

0 Defending from the Front in the 4-3-3

By Alex Trukan When out of possession, many teams that attack with a 4-3-3 formation turn into 4-5-1. Both wingers tend to drop deeper into midfield lines and form a five player block. There are, however many advantages of using wingers higher up the pitch playing in a line with the striker. This alternative is

0 4 v 2 In Front of Goal