Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): My Mumbles Rangers Warm Up (Start Time: 2018-01-09 21:25:00)

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Mark Williams

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Name:	Mark Williams
City:	Swansea
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

A sample 3-stage warm-up which tries to combine Physical, Mental and Technical elements.

If the SSG is a formation-based Rondo, then you are also introducing a Tactical element

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 1 Dynamic Stretching

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Phase 1 Dynamic Stretching (10 mins)

Set Up

2 lines of cones roughly 5 yards apart

Each line of cones is 15 to 20 yards long (depending upon intensity of work-out)

Also put down 3 different coloured cones midway between the two columns

Organisation

Split your squad into two groups and have them run up the inside of the cones and back down the outside for each element of the warm-up

Different dynamic stretching elements can be:

- heel flicks

- touch the knees

- sideways skip

- carioca

- hamstring stretch

- Jump to head

- defensive jockey backwards

- defensive jockey forwards

- zig-zag

- touch in the middle

- sprints

After 10 minutes of dynamic streching, move on to phase 2

NB There is much debate whether static stretching is worthwhile or not. I prefer to allow players who wish to stretch any stiff muscles to do so....but only 2-3 minutes

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 2 - Technical

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Phase 2 - Technical (10 mins)

Set Up

Every team I've coached in the last few years will have been expecting this one - the "Wine Glass" or "Y-Drill"

I usually mark out a distance of 15 yards from 1 to 2 and another 15 yards from 2 to 3 (and 2 to 4)

Organisation

The exercise starts with the player at 1 who passes to 2 and follows his pass.

The key stage is at 2; the player calls for the pass to be on say his left side; controls the ball with his left foot then plays a right foot pass to 3 (and follows his pass)

In the initial stage, 3 dribbles the ball in to 1

The player now at 1 passes to 2's right side; 2 controls the ball with his right foot and passes left-footed to 4 (and follows his pass)

We have now created a mechanism where passes from 2 alternate between passing to 3 or 4

NB Because players are always following their pass, the next player at 1 may not remember which side of 2 he is meant to pass to - who will know?

The answer of course is the player now at 2 - he needs to communicate.

So now the drill involves passing, movement and communication

Progression 1

- a one-two between 2 and 3/4 (i.e. depending which one we have passed to)

Progression 2

- a one-two between 2 and 3/4 is followed by

- a one-two between 3/4 and the player now moving from 1 to 2

Progression 3

- another progression is that Player 2 simply does a "bounce ball" back to 1 who then plays the ball to the "winger" (i.e. 3 or 4) and the sequence then follows Progression 2 above.

Coaching Points

The whole idea of this warm-up is to give the players plenty of touches and a mix of short and long passes.

- when we're looking at one-twos remember "Don't go past the ball"

We are looking for quality of pass, timing of pass, tempo and good communication.

If each stage is run for 2 minutes this will be a good warm-up for 6-8 minutes and give each player 30-40 touches

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 3 - SSG 1

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Phase 3 - SSG 1 (10 mins)

Key Factors

It occurred to me that, often, when I finished the warm-up with a drill the players would make a slow start to the game.

I realised that a drill - almost by definition - is repetitive and does not stimulate the brain. Therefore, the best means of getting ready for a contest is to finish warm-up with a competitive game - in this case, an "End Zone" game

Organisation

Use the half of the pitch you are warming up in - mark out an area from, say, the edge of the penalty area to the half-way line. The width depends on the number of players involved

- are you involving substitutes or just the starting players?

As a minimum, therefore, it will be 5v5 (I always have the Goalkeeper warming up with another coach from Stage 1 onwards)

The game can either be a simple 5v5 with mini goals or an "end zone" game.

If you wish, you can even set the game up along the lines of your formation as a form of Rondo (with Target players [T] at each end of the box)

NB Keep score - make it competitive and run it for only 5-10 mins.

Like most people, I have in the past used pre-match warm-up sessions that included the rest of the team taking shots at our goalkeeper. I don't do this now because:

a) You risk the keeper getting injured by shots coming from all angles

b) Only one side of the participants benefit; if the outfield players all score their shots, then the keeper is demoralised. If the keeper saves everything, then the outfielders are demoralised. Ideally, we want a win-win situation where both benefit.

If you want to practice shooting pre-match, make it a rotational drill where the goalkeeper is an outfield player and is constantly rotating.

(Meanwhile, you continue with your keeper specific warm-up.)

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Phase 3 - SSG 2

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Phase 3 - SSG 2 (10 mins)

Key Factors

Occasionally, I will forego the "End Zone" game and do a more formation-based, functional game.

The team I currently work with plays a 4-2-3-1 so this game focuses on the working of key units.

Organisation

Essentially, an Attack vs Defence game, we use half of a standard pitch and play the starting keeprer, Back Four and two Defensive Midfielders (the Blue Team) vs. the starting Attacking Midfielders and the striker (the Red team).

The attacting team are supplemented by two (or more) of the substitutes.

- Standard Laws of football apply

- the game starts from the half way line with the Reds attacking

- the Reds score in the large goals.

- to keep the Blues interested, they score by passing the ball out to the halfway line (i.e. effectively beginning a counter-attack).

Only run it for 5-10 minutes to get the players fully awake and up to match pace.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Goalkeeper Warm-Up

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Goalkeeper Warm-Up

Key Factors

I believe it is useful to have the keeper (or keepers) undertake a warm-up that is specific to their needs.

The warm-up is aimed at getting the keeper ready for action and building their confidence ready for the game.

- I remember watching Petr Cech warming up before a game. The coach was taking half-volley shots at him for Cech to save. Nothing unusual there BUT if ever a shot went in, the coach apologised implying the coach had made a mistake or mishit or fluked the shot, rather than the keeper making a mistake.

- The warm-up is a time for encouragement and preparation NOT a time for too much coaching or an information-dump!

Organisation

After the keeper has completed Phase 1 - Dynamic & Static Stretching - I would send him over to the goal to continue his warm-up with another coach or one of the subs.

(If you are keen for your keeper to be involved as a sweeper/keeper, you could of course involve him in the Y-Drill - it's up to you.)

The keeper warm-up should include various keeper-specific aspects, including:

- Good foot movement

- Reactions e.g. catching a ball thrown at him when facing the ball; facing away from the ball, turning round on command then catching a ball; shot-stopping etc.

- catching crosses either thrown by coach or chipped in

- kicking from hand and off the floor

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