Tag Archives for " Anaerobic "

0 Developing Anaerobic Endurance and Finishing Skills with a Simple 2 v 2 v 2 Small-Sided Game

By Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

I was speaking to a coach earlier in the season and he said his team was playing really well but was having problems finishing. I thought to myself: “that’s a problem for so many teams”. Over the past few weeks I have been to, and analyzed, several games, and finishing really does seem to be a problem for so many teams. I have seen some spectacular displays of dribbling and combination play, but the players just can’t seem to get the ball into the back of the net.

In today’s exercise we will address the above problem with a simple 2 v 2 v 2 small-sided game that focuses on finishing. As with any other technique or skill, I believe the key to improving your player’s ability to finish is repetition. The format and structure of the exercise also allows your players to develop their anaerobic capacity. This is an excellent activity to use during the competitive season when match-preparation takes a high priority.

Set-up and Directions:

Divide your players into two groups of 6 players and then further divide each group into three teams of two. Make certain to give each team of two a different colour shirt. Set up a grid 40 yards long and 25 yards wide with a regular-sized goal (or large net) at both ends of the grid. There should be a goalkeeper in each net. One group of 6 plays at a time. The coach should stand on one of the sidelines with a large supply of balls (Figure 1).

Play is initiated with the coach playing a ball into any of the six players. It is each team for themselves. Players can score on either

3 Small Group Defending to Improve Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser

Today’s activity focuses on a number parameters, including individual and small group defending; 1 v 1 attacking; speed of reaction; and anaerobic endurance. It is an exercise I like to use during the competitive or in-season as it allows me to ‘kill many birds with one stone’.

Set-Up and Directions:

Divide your players into groups of 4 (or 8) and set up the following station for each group: Create a grid 20 yards wide and 20 yards long. Place a small goal (1.5 yards wide) on each side of the grid so that the goals are in line with the centre of the area. Have one player stand beside each goal with a ball at their feet. Give each player a different number between 1 and 4 (Figure 1).

When ready, the coach will call two numbers. The first number called will be

1 Speed of Reaction and Developing Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

Individual and Small Group Defending; Dribbling to Beat and Opponent; Speed of Reaction and Developing Anaerobic Capacity

Today’s activity focuses on a number parameters, including individual and small group defending; 1 v 1 attacking; speed of reaction; and anaerobic endurance. It is an exercise I like to use during the competitive or in-season as it allows me to ‘kill many birds with one stone’.

Set-Up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of 4 (or 8) and set up the following station for each group: Create a grid 20 yards wide and 20 yards long. Place a small goal (1.5 yards wide) on each side of the grid so that the goals are in line with the centre of the area. Have one player stand beside each goal with a ball at their feet. Give each player a different number between 1 and 4 (Figure 1).

When ready, the coach will call two numbers. The first number called will be the attacker and the second number called will

0 Teaching Three Types of Turns, Improving Speed Dribbling Technique, and Developing Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser, Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

Turning away from your marker, while dribbling at speed, is an essential quality for both midfielders and attackers who have little time and space when in possession of the ball. Today’s activity teaches players three types of turns and focuses on being able to perform these turns while dribbling at a fast pace. The structure of the exercise also allows your players to develop their anaerobic endurance, a component of fitness that allows players to perform repeated high intensity actions throughout the duration of the game.

Set-up and Directions: Divide your players into groups of three (or four) and set up the following station for each group: Place two pylons 20 yards apart. Have two players stand at one pylon (one of these should have a ball) while the third player stands at the second pylon. Place two small cones in between the pylons so that the small cones are ten yards apart, but each cone is 5 yards away from the closest pylon (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by the player with the ball dribbling at speed towards the small cone that

5 Developing Anaerobic Capacity and Agility with a Two-Station Passing and Receiving Circuit

By Justin Cresser Today’s article focuses on developing anaerobic endurance, agility and to a lesser extent, speed over short distances. Because this activity incorporates more more than one component of conditioning, it is a great choice for in-season training sessions where more time is needed for small-sided games and match preparation, and less time can

1 Functional Training of the Centre Midfielder: Change of Direction, Half-turns and Speed Dribbling

By Justin Cresser

As your players advance and begin to play at higher levels, they will need some degree of Functional or Position-specific Soccer training. For example, wingers need to be good dribblers and crossers of the ball and should therefore devote time to perfecting these skills. In a similar fashion, central defenders need to be strong in the air and proficient in 1 v 1 situations. The same is true for conditioning. Players in the various positions will have specific conditioning needs and coaches should allocate some time to developing position-specific fitness needs.

Most of the exercises we present on this website are general fitness exercises, in that; they are suitable for every player on the team, regardless of position. This week and every so often however, we will look at position-specific conditioning exercises. Today’s activity is geared towards the central midfielder, but strikers and wingers can also benefit from the drill.

Center mids are often called upon to create space between themselves and their marker, check back to receive a pass played to their feet and in one motion, turn and attack the space in front of them. This sequence of movements is frequently seen with passing midfielders that play in front of the back four, such as Real Madrid’s Xavi Alonso, and requires good agility as well as proper turning and receiving technique.
Divide your players into groups of two. For each pair, set up 3 cones 12 yards apart in a straight line. Have yours players stand at each of the end cones facing each other. One of them should have a ball at their feet (Figure 1).

When ready, the player without the ball will run to the right of the cone in the centre. When they reach midway between this cone and their

4 Developing the Ability to Shield the Ball from an Opponent while Improving Anaerobic Endurance and Repeated Sprint Ability

By Justin Cresser

I was watching the El Classico game over the weekend and it was a fantastic game. Although we most frequently talk about Barcelona’s ability to pass and move, another thing the players do so well is to protect the ball from pressuring defenders in tight spaces. In today’s exercise we will work on improving the ability to shield the ball from an opponent while developing anaerobic endurance and repeated sprint ability.

Set up a 15 yard by 15 yard playing area (it may be smaller or larger depending on numbers). With the exception of 2 to 3 players, give each individual a ball and instruct them to dribble around inside the playing area using small touches. Have the players without a ball stand on the edge of the playing area wearing a different colour bib (Figure 1). These are your pressuring defenders. You will want a ratio of approximately 1:4 defenders to dribbling players.

When ready, the coach should direct the defenders to sprint inside the playing area and try to

2 Teaching Group Defending Principles while Developing Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser

In today’s activity we work on teaching the principles of group defending (Pressure, Cover and Balance) while working on anaerobic conditioning.

Divide your players into groups of three and pair two groups together. Set up a playing area that is 15 yards long and 20 yards wide for each set of 6 players. Have the players of one group stand at both corners and the centre of the touch line at the top of the playing area. (These players are not allowed to move or enter the playing grid) Instruct the players of the second group to stand opposite to the players of the first group on the bottom touch line (These are your defenders). The defender in the centre of the bottom touch line should have a ball (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by the defender with ball playing a pass into the feet of the centre player at the top touch line. This defender immediately pressures the player who receives the pass, while the other

0 Developing Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity with a Simple 4 V 2 Game

By Justin Cresser 4 v 2 (attackers v defenders) keep-away in a small playing area is an excellent way to work on improving possession skills. In today’s session we use the same number arrangement but with some added benefits. This game uses a 40 yard by 40 yard playing area, and has 4 attackers taking

1 Using Pattern Play to Develop Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser
Pattern play involves rehearsing specific patterns to simulate situations that are likely to occur during the game. It does not usually incorporate opposition and can be integrated into phase of play training for a specific element of the game such as wing play or counter attacking. In addition to developing position-specific skills and role awareness, pattern play can also be used for conditioning.

Consider the following pattern play exercise to improve the anaerobic capacity of your central striker (number 9), the right or left wingers (numbers 7 and 11) as well as the central playmaker (number 10).

The starting positions are shown in Figure 1. Play is initiated by the number 10 who dribbles at speed for a few yards and then plays a pass into the feet of the number 9 who has faked a forward run, turned sharply and checked back diagonally into space.