Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Gateshead Redheugh u7

Exercise 1 & 2

Exercise 1 / arrival activity 

5x5 square

2 players

1 football

Players play 1v1. Player must keep possession of the ball by protecting the ball and looking to use tricks/skills to unbalance or get past their partner. 

If they lose the ball, are tackled or run the ball out of the square, they must give possession to other player..

If the goalkeeper is defending - they must keep a low body shape and delay the attacker/ show them away from the line behind them. Also, they must look for opportunities to dive on the ball (poor or heavy touch). 

If the gk wins possession, they then play with their feet.

Progression - player gets a point every time they dribble the ball to a different side of the square. 

Good exercise to work on; ball retention, strength, ball protection, tricks, skills, defending, goalkeeping 1v1s (body shape, patience, assessment, attacking and smothering the ball). 

Exercise 2

5x10 channel

2 players (rotational - can use 3+ players per channel)

1 ball

Server plays the ball to the opposite player who must then try to take on the server and dribble the ball over the end line. 

If the goalkeeper is serving, can you encourage them to; get closer and gradually lower on ever touch ( legs get narrower, hands towards the side of shins, head/chest forwards), staying square, looking for bad/heavy touch and opportunities to dive on (smother) the ball. 

server must also take up a defensive body shape (outfield) - jockeying, delaying, deflecting (towards narrow/smaller side), defending the space behind them. Recognising opportunities to stand and when they can win the ball. 

Progression - play a 2v1 in favour of attacker (looking for attackers creating width/depth and looking to expose space behind. Defender isolating the attacker in possession and cutting off any support or looking to drop and delay the attack) 

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

2 sections

Width of penalty area or width of pitch (depending on session focus) 

2v2 in each section (or relative to squad size

1 goalkeeper 

1 coach (server)

Server plays ball into 1st channel for players to combine. The look to work ball into the 2nd channel where we create a new 2v2. Players look to work an opportunity to get into the penalty area with 1 recovering defender allowed (2v1 in favour of attackers)

Attackers - think about when to dribble/run with the ball, use tricks or skills and when to combine with team-mate (in same or next channel). How, when, where to support the player on the ball and effective communication. 

Defenders - isolating or engaging attacker, when to drop, when to win the ball (deny, delay, deflect, defend). Recovery lines, angles etc. 

Goalkeeper - start position in relation to the ball, when to defend the area (engage), when to defend the goal (drop) decisions on which save to make (when dropping/defending the goal) or when to engage, when to stand and when to dive on the ball/smother (defending the area). 

If defending team regain possession they can play immediately (until ball is dead). If ball is won in channel closest to the goal, it must be played into 1st channel before they can attack. 

Progressions -

Attacker from 1st channel (who passes ball) can support in 2nd channel

Coach can play ball directly into 2nd channel with attacker from 1st channel supporting.