By Philip Cauchi
Question - I only have my players for two training sessions a week, so I have to do the fitness work in the regular training sessions. Do you have any good drills where I can teach technique and even tactics while getting some conditioning work in?
The below practices can aid in helping the coach combining conditioning with technical and tactical work.
Practice 5: Extensive intermittent 4v4 on four mini goals.
Conditioning aim: To perform a high number of quality soccer actions.
Training volume: 4 to 6 series where each serie is three minutes in duration. Two minutes of rest are to be allowed between series.
Practice area: 30 yards by 20 yards.
Description: The two teams are each assigned two mini goalposts positioned on the same goal line to attack and the opposite two to defend. Normal play but when the ball goes out of play, the coach immediately puts another one into play.
Variations:
1. Play with a two touch restriction.
2. Mark a line three yards in front of each goal line. The space between the goal line and this line is the goal scoring zone. Goals only count if scored from inside this zone.
Conditioning Outcomes:
1. Perform a high amount of intensive soccer actions.
2. Be able to sustain these intensive soccer actions and retain their quality.
Practice 6: 3v3+3 and goalkeeper transition to score.
Conditioning aim: To perform a high number of quality soccer actions.
Training volume: 4 to 6 series where each serie is three minutes in duration. Two minutes of rest are to be allowed between series.
Practice area: 25 yards by 30 yards.
Description: One team attacks (black team) while the other defends (yellow team). The third team (red team) is lined up outside the area at the opposite end facing the goal. If the attackers conclude at goal and score they retain possession of the ball by receiving the ball from the red team. If the defenders win the ball, they pass it to the third team and this team attacks against the previously attacking team (in this case the black team), while the previously defending team (the yellow team) lines up outside the practice area. If the attackers shoot at goal and miss, they will also transition to defend as described above.
Variations:
1. Play with neutral players positioned on the flank or inside the area.
2. The attackers have a time limit to score, otherwise they transition to defend as described in the above description.
Conditioning Outcomes:
1. Keep performing a high quality of finishing actions on goal.
2. Retain the quality of soccer thinking and the quality of soccer actions to finish on goal.
Practice 7: 6v6+6 perimeter players with transition
Conditioning aim: To maintain playing with a high number of quality football actions.
Training volume: 2 to 4 series where each serie is from eight to ten minutes in duration. From two to three minutes of rest are to be allowed between series.
Practice area: 50 yards by 35 yards.
Description: Two teams play against each other with both of them being assigned a goal to defend and the opposite to attack. The third team is positioned on the perimeter with three players on each side. This team is neutral and plays with the team in possession of the ball. When a goal is scored, the team who scored the goal retains possession and starts to attack in the opposite direction. The team that conceded the goal must quickly switch places with the neutral team. This team will become the new neutral team.
Variations:
1. The neutral players are constrained with a touch restriction.
2. To increase the intensity, goals only count if the scoring team players are all in the attacking half of the pitch. The scoring team is also awarded an extra goal if the defending team’s players have not recovered into their defensive half.
Conditioning Outcomes:
1. Keep performing a high number of soccer actions.
2. Keep the quality of the soccer actions.
3. Hold the ball under opposition pressure.
By Philip Cauchi
