Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Football Coaching: Foundation Phase: Receiving Skills

Screen 1 (10 mins)

Technical Practice:  Receiving skills (10 minutes) 

Extensive Training: Training in a large area at high speeds requires continuous movement across significant distances, emphasising aerobic endurance. This type of training is essential for developing a player’s overall fitness, enabling them to maintain a high-performance level for extended periods. By consistently engaging in aerobic-extensive activities, players improve their stamina, which is crucial for sustaining maximum effort throughout the game. Laia, Ermanno and Bangsbo, (2009) states that, "the most successful teams perform more high-intensity activities during a game when in possession of the ball. Hence, footballers need a high fitness level to cope with the physical demands of the game".

Description: Players will work on passing and receiving throughout the area, concentrating on the precision of their pass and receiving techniques. This will include skills such as controlling the ball with the back foot, the front foot, and executing no-touch turns.

Adaptations/ receiving skills:

1) For 3 minutes, outside players will act as wall players, receiving passes from players on the inside. They will hold the ball until the inside player creates an angle to receive it on their back foot. Roles will switch after 90 seconds.

2) In the next 3-minute segment, outside players will again act as wall players, receiving passes from the inside. They will hold the ball until the inside player positions themselves to receive with a no-touch turn. Roles will rotate after 90 seconds.

3) In the final 3-minute exercise, inside players will simulate a defender after passing to an outside player, applying light pressure without tackling. The outside player will focus on receiving the ball away from pressure, using front-foot receiving skills.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

1)Maintain an active stance by staying on your toes with a slight bounce, ready to adjust your feet to receive the ball.

2)Enhance scanning and decision-making by identifying open spaces to receive the ball effectively.

3)Focus on foot and hip alignment; open them toward the desired receiving direction, adjusting your foot slightly backward to absorb the ball’s speed, preventing it from bouncing away.

4)Create an angle for receiving, positioning your body to maintain visibility of three key areas.

Interventions, if required:

1) For players receiving under pressure or from a simulated defender, encourage scanning to identify open spaces for effective ball reception.

2) Address issues with touch weight or ball control by emphasizing foot positioning, body alignment, communication, and alertness.3) If outside players pass too quickly, remind them to hold the ball, allowing the receiver time to create an angle and have visibility of three areas.

Regressions:

1) Focus on a single receiving skill if players struggle with technique variations.

2) Remove the defensive component if players aren’t scanning adequately, causing them to receive the ball directly toward the defender.

Pitch size: 40 feet by 30 feet

6 ball