By Mike Smith
While so much of success in sports comes down to strength and conditioning, even in the best team environments running for conditioning is on the low end of favorite player activities. I have found it astonishing over the years how many players love soccer, but hate running. Unfortunately for those players, soccer is, was and always will be a running game; however, it’s not a cross country meet. I use sessions like this one to keep players moving for the majority of the time in an attempt to mimic the need for constant movement in an 80-90 minute game. While these activities start with what appears to be static lines they all end up being very fluid and requiring almost constant movement in varying degrees and intensities for the duration of the time, much like an actual match.
Lesson 1
Pass and Move
Set-Up
Set up 3 stations with starting marks 20-30 yards apart ( as shown ). In the center of each station, place cones to mark the desired run for each player to make after passing. The coach can choose whether the passes should be rolled on the ground to the side of the central cones, lofted til the ball clears the central cones or a combination of both. Players simply make the pass and then run the route designated by the cones before returning to the back of the line. Start with a jog through the cones and build to full sprints at each station before rotating. 3-4 players in each line should accommodate a full squad and the groups should rotate stations every 5-7 minutes.
Coaching Points
In addition to building into good sprints through the cones at each station, one of the biggest points of focus here for the coach is to make sure the players don’t lose focus as they build sprinting intensity and are in motion, relaxed and on their toes ready to receive the ball and maintain accurate passing.
Lesson 2
Pass, Dribble and Shoot
Set-Up
On a half field, set up cone dribble lines just outside the penalty box on each side of the field ( as shown ). The keeper will be in this drill and there will be 3 lines of rotating players. The line which starts with the ball will be on the end line at the goalie box. This line send a pass out of the box ( approx 25-30 yds ) to the player in the next line. After passing, the starting player sprints right, dribbles the waiting ball through the cone line and leaves it at the end for the next player. They then run to the end of the next line which is on the touchline near mid field. When the player in the central line receives the ball, they lay a properly weighted pass to the penalty spot and then run right, dribble through the cone line, leave the ball and rotate. When the first pass is made, the player in the line near mid field, begins their run and should arrive at the penalty spot at speed, at the same time the ball does where they will shoot and then rotate to the end of the central line. The keepers rotate every 5 – 10 shots with the out of net keeper chasing balls.
Coaching Points
Encourage the players to get through this quickly but with quality. There will be some recovery time here so every station should be run at high intensity.
Lesson 3
3 v 1 plus Half Laps
Set Up
The final progression starts in a similar fashion to the second, but with designated defenders and a slightly different shooting pattern. One defender starts play at the top of the goalie box on the end line ( as shown ). When the first attacker serves the ball in, this defender attempts to close down the receiver. The attackers are positioned in a large triangle with a mark at the top of the center circle, a mark at the top of the box at the arc and a mark between the first two, 25-30 yds out from goal at the width of the penalty box. This player starts play with a service in to the player at the top of the box. The starting player bends their run away for timing and then makes an attacking run. The receiving player quickly drops the pass back to the player at the top of the circle ( before being closed down by the defender ) and then bends their run away and then back. Ideally the central attacker passes back to the starting attacker who receives the ball around the penalty spot and shoots. IF the defender can create some chaos the attackers can combine 3 v 1 to score. IF the ball stops moving, the attack is over . IF the defender gets the ball the attack is over. Once the central attacker has received the ball, the coach should start a 5 second count down. IF the attack takes more than 5 seconds, it is over. After each attack, the group of attackers and the defender all run a half lap before returning to their lines while another defender and group of attackers runs the drill.
Coaching Points
On top of the fundamental aspects of passing, touch and shooting, the coach should encourage the players to move quickly to create more chances. The sooner they get back, the sooner they get to attack again. The fact is, teams have the same amount of time in a match, however some teams can create twice the chances in that same amount of time simply because they move more and better. The coach can add defenders and attackers to build pressure as the drill progresses.
By Mike Smith
Currently the Head Coach for University Heights Academy Boys Soccer in Hopkinsville, KY , Mike is in his 14th year as a high school head coach with 23 years coaching experience overall and 34 year as a student and fan of the game. He holds a USSF D License.
