Today’s featured activity works on communication, tactical awareness and foot skills.
This activity involves balls played beyond the last defender and the keeper having to make a decision regarding coming out for the ball, staying back, playing safe or retaining possession.
To start, have a keeper in goal, a server at midfield with some balls and a line of players who will represent backs on the keepers team.
To start the server plays a ball somewhere between the back and the keeper and the keeper has to either come get the ball (and communicate to the back to go wide) or call for the ball to be played back to him.
After this is done a few times we add an opponent who starts a few yards behind the black team.
Now when the server plays the ball the black player is on the keepers team and the yellow player is attacking. The keeper has the option of going and winning the ball himself and, if inside the 18 he can pick it up or play the ball wide to his teammate. If he is outside the 18 he can either play the ball wide to his teammate or clear the ball to safety. If he doesn’t feel he can win the ball he can for his teammate to play the ball back to him or to turn with the ball or to clear the ball to safety.
Next you can add a second line of black players and a second line of yellow players.
You can keep adding more lines of players and gradually make it more and more game related.
While this is a good activity for all of the players it also is a great way to work on the keepers communication, decision making and foot skills.
