By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.
Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on defensive pressure and attacking at speed.
Start with a 30 x 20 grid, 3 attackers, and 2 defenders. There is a group of balls on the end line the attackers are starting on.
One of the attackers starts with a ball and as soon as he touches the ball the
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
The presented practice can be used across all age groups as a fun game as well as conditioning exercise. The main focus is on developing speed and agility when dribbling with the ball.
Set-Up and Directions
Organise eight cones in a circle and set min. 2 players on each cone. Every player needs a ball. The dimensions of the circle will depend on group characteristics. Each group has to have a designated number.
On the coach’s signal, a player from the first group called becomes an attacker and a
By Alex Trukan
The reaction speed and finishing exercise is designed to improve the time needed to accelerate, change direction and win a 1v1 duel. In addition to that, there is an engaging element of finishing and competitiveness, what makes the practice enjoyable and motivating.
Set Up and Directions
Set up two triangles as shown on the diagram. Divide the team into two groups and organise players between the two cones on the edge of the penalty area. Goalkeeper should be ready in the goal, and coach should be on the opposite side, with min. of 5 balls. Players shuffle between two cones and wait for the signal from the coach.
As the players move between two cones with the back to the goal, a coach plays
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
This exercise involves the combination of ball manipulation (ball mastery) and speed. The ability to manipulate the ball effectively is the core, which lays the foundation for all other skills. Taking into consideration the modern football, speed is an essential element which should be included in training at any level.
Set up and directions
Organise 4 squares of 2x2 m. as shown on the diagram. There should be 2 players (number can be adapted) with one ball each in each square. Coaching position can be in the middle of the pitch enabling all the players to see demonstrations. Coach instructs the players to perform various ball manipulation skills (ex. roll over, shuffle stops, samba, inside-outside, V drag). On the coach’s signal players dribble/pass/run to the other box as shown in the second part of the article.
On the coach’s signal, every player runs with the ball to the
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
This exercise combines tactical theme of counter attacking from the middle areas with conditioning emphasis on speed endurance. Physical side of transition from defence to attack is based on quick reaction and forward runs both with and without the ball. Focus on speed endurance will enable players to sustain the quality of each counter attack throughout the whole match.
Set up and directions
Set up a 30x40 m. rectangle around the middle area of the pitch. Divide the team into 2 groups of 4 players and organise additional 3 neutral players. Place the goalkeeper in the goal. Team in possession tries to play the ball between two wide neutral players (1 point if the ball is played from one side to another using middle players), and into deep lying neutral player (2 points). That creates realistic scenario of possession for penetration. Defending team is trying to gain possession, at the same time preventing attacking team from scoring.
As soon as the defending team gets in possession, their aim is to
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
This exercise involving finishing in the penalty box focuses on developing reaction and starting speed. Therefore, players improve physical component in the engaging and fun practice what stimulates their interest and motivation. The content of this practice is especially relevant for strikers, however it will benefit any player in the penalty area who needs to react quickly in order to score a goal.
Set up and directions
Organise 5 players (the numbers are flexible) around the penalty box with two balls each, two players in the penalty box without the ball and a goalkeeper in the goal. Each outside player should be given a number. Also smaller area marked out by cones can be used. Recommended minimal amount of outside players is three.
As the coach shouts a number, relevant outside player plays the ball into the penalty box. The pass can be
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
The crossing and finishing pattern exercise helps in developing starting speed. This physical component is particularly required in the final third of the pitch in wide areas as well as in and around the penalty box. Starting quickness and short distance speed often create difference and can determine whether player gets to the ball or into space first.
Set up and directions
Divide the team into 6 groups and organize as shown on the diagram below. Starting positions for the wingers should be placed around 15 m. from the penalty box. Strikers attacking centrally and defenders should start another 10 m. behind the wingers. Organize a goalkeeper in the full sized goal. All players should work position specifically whenever possible.
The practice starts by a horizontal pass to the second striker, who then
Continue readingWelcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Todays’ topic shows a simple way to speed up training.
This is going to seem incredibly simplistic but it’s something a lot of keeper coaches miss. If you want the keeper to work faster in training, add a second server and a second ball. The reason this works is the keeper is no longer in charge of how quickly a ball can be played in.
As an example, in the diagram below, the server volleys a ball to the keeper who must catch the ball and then quickly return the ball for the next serve.
By Alex Trukan
This exercise connects ball control, dribbling and shooting skills with conditioning content. The opposition included in the practice demands speed and power from the attacking players. Therefore, speed and speed endurance qualities can be developed. The exercise can be done with various amount of players at all levels.
Set up and directions
Set up a square with min. 5 small gates in front of the penalty area. Organise a goalkeeper and two groups as shown on the diagram below. Each player from the attacking groups has one ball.
The practice starts on the first touch of the attacking player. His aim is to
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
The passing practice in fours can be modified and used to develop multiple conditioning outcomes. Modification of this exercise shown below is focused on developing speed and agility. This physical component is required in 1v1 situations, during transition phase as well as in scoring and finishing scenarios.
Set up and directions:
Organize number (3) of rectangles as shown on the diagram, depending on the quantity of players. Divide players into groups of four, with each group having two balls. One player should be placed on each end of the rectangle and two players in the middle.
The simplest variation of this game requires middle players to show up for a pass, ask for a ball, play one-touch pass back to the outside player and
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
This practice is focused on improving speed. This component can be divided into: maximal speed, acceleration speed, change of direction speed and deceleration speed. Some of these are required more than others. In soccer, sprints up to 5 meters and changes of direction are the most common and often define whether the goal is scored or not. Speed training requires big load on phosphate system over short period of time. That is why, it focuses on improving the ability of using more ATP from phosphate energy system (fuel) what means more power and speed in actions on the pitch.
Presented exercise includes the most important components of speed for soccer such as acceleration and change of direction speed both with and without the ball. That is combined with shooting practice which helps players to understand in which context speed can be required. In addition, it is highly motivating and engaging practice for most of the groups. This exercise can be used with different number of players and on various levels.
Set up and directions:
Organize two goals, four cones and two markers as on diagram. Dimensions of the middle square should be 3-5 m., while distance to the goal should be 10-15 m. Divide the team into two groups of 3-4 players. Every player should have the ball. Organize one goalkeeper in each goal. Two groups start the exercise at the same time. The ball is played horizontally alongside the goal. After that, players who passed the ball, run to the ball played by the other group and shoot on goal. Afterwards, players take the ball and join back of the opposite group. Exercise continues until signal from the coach. In this basic format of the exercise, acceleration to the ball before shot is crucial.
Players can also pass the ball vertically and run alongside the goal to the ball played by the opposite group. That will increase the
By Alex Trukan
The exercise is based on competitive and engaging dribbling game which is used to develop explosive speed. This physical component can be used to win running duels in the situations with and without the ball. Technical focus of this practice includes dribbling and ball control skills.
Set up and directions
Set up a square of 4x4 yards as shown on diagram below. Two players start opposite each other between the cones, one of which has the ball. The aim of the player with the ball is to run away from the second player. Both players can only stay outside the square and move in the same direction (clockwise/anticlockwise).
As we can see on the diagram below, the aim of the player without the ball is to
By Alex Trukan
This exercise is focused on speed and strength in individual possession scenario. Physical components developed in this practice improve the ability to keep the ball under pressure of the opponent. This is integrated with dribbling and ball manipulation skills.
Set up and directions
Organise a square suitable for players’ abilities and baseline fitness level. Half of the players with one ball each start in the inner area of the grid, while second group spreads around the square as shown on the diagram. On the coach’s signal, outside players run into the middle of the square and try to get into possession of the ball. Inside players’ task is to keep possession until the next signal of the coach. The exercise is suitable for flexible amount of players and almost every age group!
As mentioned previously, on the coach’s signal, outside players try to get into possession of the ball. If they do so, player who has lost possession tries
Continue readingBy Jebreel Bubtana
Improving your player’s speed and agility will help them get to the ball just ahead of their opponent, so working on this is something that every coach should be doing.
Set up the field as shown below (figure 1).
Each stage of the circuit is broken down as below:
This post from our Soccer Conditioning Experts at SoccerFIT highlights an area that I'm always working on with my players: Facing up or Back to Pressure.
This post is taken from Sub Chapter 5.11- of our SoccerFIT Yearly Program, where we are talking about body position as it relates to soccer speed/agility, specifically regarding the ability to anticipate a situation and make subtle changes to the hard wired agility patterns based on desired tactical outcomes…
Body Position in Relation to Other Players: The third developmental coaching point is
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
The exercise is focused on developing speed off the mark and finishing skills. Short distance speed is required to lose tight marking, win short distance duel or be the first player to shoot from the cross. Therefore, this fitness component is integrated with finishing skills.
Set up and directions
Divide players into two groups and organise them as on the diagram below. One group of players should be placed on the cone in front of the goal, second group of players, on the cone situated on the side of the penalty box. This exercise, ideally needs to be done with 4-6 players and a goalkeeper. That is why, it is suitable for small group training. However, if two independent goals are used, this practice can be also suitable for bigger groups.
First player from the attacking group makes a quick slalom between two mannequins. Shape and direction of runs can be
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
The exercise is focused on improving speed endurance and ball control. Enhancing speed endurance by increasing the capacity of phosphate energy system will enable the players to make explosive actions even in the final parts of the match. This practice can be done with various number of players and modifications. It is also convenient to use half circle as an area to work in.
Set up and directions
The exercise is set up as shown below. Half of the players is positioned outside the grid with one ball each, while the second half is inside the area. Inside players show up to receive the ball, play one-touch back (can be modified) and sprint in the opposite direction over 5 meters. That should be done with maximal effort. Players repeat this action every 10 seconds. After 6-10 repetitions, players should rest actively (juggling/slow pace ball manipulation etc. ) for 4-6 mins. The exercise should contain 2-4 sets. Afterwards, outside players should swap positions with inside players.
Delivery of the ball should be varied. It can be both ground and aerial. Outside players can challenge inside players by
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
This exercise is focused on improving Speed and Power in 1v1 situations. Maximum effort up to 10 seconds improves quality (explosiveness) of football actions by enhancing anaerobic energy system. 1v1 duels are present in all areas of the pitch, on every level of the game.
Set up and directions
The exercise is set up as shown below. Coach plays the ball in the middle of two players who run and compete for the ball. First player to touch the ball becomes attacker, second player becomes defender. The aim of the attacking player is to score. When defending player gains possession, his aim is to pass the ball to the coach. Attacker has 5 seconds to score. Make sure there are min. 8-10 players (4-5 pairs) to allow enough rest between repetitions (work to rest ratio 1:5/1:6). Coach should provide variety of passing types (ground/aerial/bouncing/curved). To increase competitiveness, award points for each goal.
As we can see on the following diagram, first player to the ball becomes attacker and his aim is to
Continue readingBy Ioakim Ioakim
This is an amazing exercise to improve the players speed in all of its forms (reaction speed, maximum speed, speed endurance, fast decision making and finishing. It is fun and they will love it.
Set up and instructions
Create a 20x10 meters area and place 8 colourful cones on the side lines every 5 meters (use max 4 colours) next to each cone place a ball. Place two goal posts and the players standing on the side of them, you, as a coach pick a spot that you can monitor the exercise best (Figure 1).
The exercise starts when the coach shouts a colour, then the attacking player runs for the ball that is placed next to that cone. At the same moment the defender
Continue readingBy Jebreel Bubtana
This is a great exercise to work on your players reactions, endurance, agility and quickness, which are very important components for soccer players in order to get to a loose ball first.
Set up and directions:
Set up your field as shown below in figure 1. Split your players into two teams (you can set multiple fields up like this so that there is not much waiting time between goes) and they start behind the goal that they are defending. Mini goals or pugg goals are great for this exercise. To their right is a line of discs with a gate in front and to their left is a ladder with a gate in front. The coach will start with the balls in the middle of the area to one side.
The next part you can do a number of ways but I will give you an example. When the coach
Continue readingBy Daniel Severn
This week we focus on speed and agility combined with crossing and finishing under pressure. The exercise works best when run as a competition as this adds extra motivation for the players. Speed and Agility are obvious essentials in any game of soccer as players in any role or position on the field will benefit from having good speed and being more agile. The crossing and finishing aspects are more honed towards specific positions, so depending on the situation of your team, (whether you rotate players in positions or if your players have set positions) you can work a little bit of positional specific training into this exercise, especially for your outside defenders and midfielders. A good warm up should be performed before this exercise as it is played at a very high tempo.
Set Up and Directions
The exercise is set up as shown below with the coach positioned centrally around 30 yards from goal. The coach must have a supply of soccer balls to keep the exercise fluid. We also have two wide players, positioned on each wing. Each will have three cones laid out in front of them which they will use to perform agility. The wide players will act as neutrals and should try to play crosses into general areas, trying not to favor a team, but giving the players a good chance to score from the cross. Two teams will line up on opposite sides of the goal (minimum two players per team) with a goalkeeper in the goal.
Play begins with the coach playing a pass out to either wing (left wing in the example below), the winger then shuffles through the cones as quickly as possible and then
Continue readingBy Jebreel Bubtana
This exercise works on your player’s first touch, speed dribbling and endurance. This is another exercise that can work very well with your team for preseason training.
There are 4 stations as shown below (figure 1), with your players spending 5 minutes at each station before moving onto the next.
Station 1:
The player must shuffle in and out of the cones before receiving a pass from the feeder. The ball must be controlled with the
Agility, 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 readingBy Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach
Today’s exercise is a simple exercise that focuses on speed dribbling, short passing and sprinting over short distances. We have also structured the exercise so that the work-to-rest ratio used targets the player’s anaerobic capacity.
Set-up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of three. For each group, set up a 15 by 10 yard rectangular grid. Have one the three players stand in the centre of the rectangular grid. Give the other two players a ball each and have them stand on the corners of one of the long sides of the rectangle (See Figure 1).
Play is initiated with the player at the bottom of the rectangle dribbling as quickly as possible, but under control until they
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