By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.
Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on 1 v 1 to get a shot hit.
Start with a keeper in goal, a defender on the top of the 18, an attacker on the top of the D and a server, with balls, just outside the D.
The server starts by playing the ball to the feet of
By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.
Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on the first touch and taking a player on 1 v 1.
Start with an attacking player 30 yards from goal between two cones.. A defender is 5 yards back. A server starts with balls, from 20 yards away. There is a keeper in goal.
The server plays a ball to the attacking players feet (the ball should be hit with pace). The defender is
Continue readingAgility, Speed, 1v1 Battles and Composed Finishing by Daniel Severn
For this week’s article I’d like to share an exercise that helps to create competition in practice whilst focusing on some key aspects of the game; agility, speed, strength and finishing – all under match-like pressure. This is a great exercise that can be adjusted to suit all age groups and abilities.
To start the exercise I will offer a reward for the winning team. I have found differing rewards will help motivate different age groups/genders. A simple reward that works with ‘most’ ages can be taking a 1-0 lead into the scrimmage.
I like to offer rewards for winning team games as extra motivation for the players. Finding the right motivation can really help to push the players that extra step with their work rate, and therefore, their conditioning.
Using team challenges in sessions helps to create real competition between the players (something which is difficult to replicate from match day). Having competition between team mates will guarantee to get all players working 100%. This particular exercise will have the whole team cheering; motivating each other and working at flat out speeds. The agility and short sprints adds a
Continue readingEach month we add a new magazine update to the Member Drills Database. The magazine contains training sessions, videos and articles presented by top teams and coaches from around the world.
Here's part of a training session presented by Chelsea FC Academy coach Chris Woodword. The session focuses on 1 v 1, 2 v 1 and 2 v 2 situations that lead to a zonal game.
Continue readingBy Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach
In this week’s article, we continue with our series that focuses on developing position-specific conditioning needs. The exercise presented below targets both central defenders and strikers and is taken from my book entitled: Total Soccer Conditioning: A ball-Oriented Approach.
The objectives of this activity are to i) coach defenders and strikers the technique and tactics required in 1 v situations close to goal; ii) improve the ability of the striker to receive under pressure; and iii) develop anaerobic endurance.
Set-up and Directions: This activity uses the 18-yard box and the area just outside it for the playing area. Have 5 to 6 players, with a ball each, stand 5 yards outside of the 18-yard box. They should be spaced equally apart. Instruct your central defender and your striker to stand at the penalty spot facing the players with the ball (Figure 1).
Play is initiated by the striker who tries to evade their marker to receive a ball in space (Figure 2). They can receive the ball from any of the players on the
Continue readingBy Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach
Small sided games are paramount for the development of youth players and the 1 v 1 variation is the simplest form. 1 v 1 situations occur frequently throughout the game, especially in the wide areas of the field, and being able to both defend and attack in these situations are key to the performance of the team. Playing in 1 v 1 encounters requires great speed, footwork and dribbling ability. In fact, many coaches believe that whoever wins the most 1 v 1 battles is likely to win the game.
Today’s exercise focuses on developing anaerobic capacity using a 1 v 1 small sided game with some simple modifications.
Set-up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of 6 (preferably) or 8 players. For each group, set up the following station: Set up a 15 by 15 yard grid. Place two goals (1.5 yards in width) on both the top and bottom end lines so that each goal is 1 yard in from the sideline. For each grid/group, have half your players line up on the bottom end line and the other half on the top end line so that they are in line with the centre of the grid. The coach should stand on the side with a large supply of balls (Figure 1).
Play is initiated by the coach shouting either ‘One!’ or ‘Two!’ When he shouts one, the players at the
Continue readingI think coaches spend a lot more time teaching offensive skills and techniques than they do teaching young players how do defend individually and in small groups. The attacking techniques of dribbling, passing and shooting are easy to create training sessions around and they are definitely the sexier skills of the game. But teaching a young player to defend a 1 v 1 effectively is vital to their development as a player.
This point was driven home to me last weekend as my teams played their first games of the new season. We had worked on all of the attacking skills but spent no time learning how to defend correctly. There are so many topics to cover that you just can't do it all in two weeks of training sessions before the first game. So this week
Continue readingI'm in favor of teaching young players to be very comfortable and confident with the ball by teaching them different fakes . During the initial learning phase I want the players to use them every time they get the ball. Some coaches have told me that you can't teach creativity but I think you give them the tools and then teach them how to use them. This can look a bit rough at first as the kids get comfortable with the fakes but if they use them enough they learn when to use a move and when to choose another option.
There are so many different fakes you can teach that an important question becomes
Continue readingWelcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today's featured activity works on 1 v 1 attacking and defending around the 18.
Most of the time, when we work on 1 v 1 play, it's with the attacker facing the defender. However, frequently in games, the attacking player receives the ball with his back to the goal and must create space and turn in order to get the shot. While the attacking player is trying to create space and turn, the defending player is trying to prevent the turn and force the attacker away from the goal.
This is the type of training you would do with small groups because otherwise, there is too much standing around.
Start with a keeper in goal, a line of attackers (in black) at the corner of the 6 and end line and a line of defenders (in yellow) just a step wider than the attackers and 2 yards back. There is a server with some balls wider than the defenders.
The server plays the ball toward the top of the 18 and the first
Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on 1 v 1 attacking and defending as well as goalkeeping. A great deal of emphasis should be put on the individual defending in this game as it’s a part of the game that is frequently neglected. To learn more about how to do this please check out the DVD Coaching Individual Defending: Attitude and Technique.
Start with 2 goals 30 yards apart with a keeper in each goal. There should be a group of players with balls near the right post of each goal.
The first player on the black team starts by dribbling out at full speed and
Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on one touch passing, shielding and taking players on. For more activities similar to this check out the DVD 1 v 1 Attacking.
Start with 2 players in a 10 x 10 grid with one ball.
The two players are passing one touch while moving around the
Soccer is a contact sport. Unfortunately we frequently forget about this in training so when the players do come up against contact in a game they aren’t prepared. Here is the beginning of a nice progression to prepare players to deal with contact, receive balls and react accordingly. There is an excellent series on this
Continue readingComing out of a long winter of indoor practices and Futsal games, I'm always anxious to play our first outdoor league game of the spring. I was looking forward to it even more than usual this year because it had been more than a month since my U12 girls team had played their last Futsal
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