Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Individual Possession: Stay on the ball (Start Time: 2024-01-09 18:30:00)

Warm up activities - ABC's and ball manipulation (15 mins)

Agility warm up boxes.

Both games are designed to help players develop their ABC's within a restricted space, both with and without the ball. Groups can be split across the boxes (add more boxes if numbers are higher) and all should rotate across both boxes.

Game box 1

Tag-style game, yellow player between the cones is the tagger, they can only move from side to side, blue players each have 3 lives and must run forward at the tagger, trying to dodge past and escape the other side through the cones scoring a point in the process. If they take backwards they lose their point. Challenge to score the most points in the rotation. If tagger tags the player they lose a life.

Progression 1

Allow the tagger to move around within the box to try and tag the runner

Progression 2

Introduce a ball and challenge the runner to dribble the ball past the defender. if the defender wins the ball, the play it back to the next runner.

Rotate players often so all players get the opportunity to do the drill.

Coaching points

Ensure box is appropriate size for age group and ability

Encourage the runners to move quickly and change direction often, drop their shoulder, use body feints etc.

Incorporate skill moves/feints to beat the defender when the ball is introduced - drive at speed.

Goalkeepers play as outfield players for this drill unless alternative GK session offered.

Restrict: Space is tight so rewards agile movements. Players must move forward when trying to get past their opponent. Tagger can only move laterally initially

Relate: The game is directional and resembles a 1v1 situation on the pitch where the plaer is running at the opponent.

Reward: Players score points by beating the tagger, they also practice their ABC's in a game relatable situation.

Game box 2

Stay on the ball game - Escape the box

This is a useful practice for the majority of positions on the pitch, it provides ample opportunity to develop an understanding of when to relax and stay on the ball, and when to create an opportunity to escape pressure and find space.

A blue player is in a box waiting to receive a ball from her teammate on the edge of the practice. The ball is played in and the blue player looks to receive the ball and escape from the side of the box where there are no red defenders. The red defenders are challenged to move around the outsides of the box, blocking the blue players exit. For the blue player to escape the box successfully she'll need to stay on the ball, manipulating and moving it around until she can see a path to escape.

Players rotate round ensuring all have equal turn at each part of the practice - game should restart quickly from the side of the game where no players stand. Player awareness needed....

Coaching points

Awareness when receiving the ball to take their first touch into the correct space, continuing to play with their head up looking for the opportunity to escape the box. Ensure appropriate challenge for all players, adjust size of area, introduce a time limit for better players.

Restrict: Players must stay on the ball in a tight space until they create a route to escape. Time limit for better players.

Relate: Majority of players will experience this often during a game, where they are surrounded by opposition players and must stay on the ball to engineer their own escape

Reward: Developing an understanding of staying on the ball in a game related practice.

Technical practice 2 - Developing dribbling & RWTB under pressure (20 mins)

Drill to improve Dribbling/RWTB at speed under pressure. 

The practice is designed to encourage players to make their own decisions about how to beat a player when pressure is applied from behind and to the side, with the aim of scoring a goal. Lots of rotations and fast transition opportunities to allow players to practice both in and out of possession.

Set up

a 20 X 20 square with goals at opposite ends and scoring lines (flat markers/comes) placed 5 yds from the goal line.

Blue team (attackers without a ball) line up in the top (red) gates 

Red team (defenders with ball) line up in the side (yellow gates) 

How to play

Red player dribbles on at speed and stops the ball dead in front of the blue player, the red player continues their run around the cone and becomes the defender.

The blue collects the ball and drives at goal in an attempt to get into the scoring zone and score a goal for their team, red player tries to win the ball back and if successful, drives at the opposite goal to score for their team. 

Coaching points:

Adjust area size to suite age and ability of players

Ensure players work both feet and have equal opportunity to attack and defend in 1 v 1 situations.

Introduce reward of double goals for defending player if they can successfully recover the ball and score.

Restrict: Players must give away possession at the start of the drill

Relate: Game is directional, and allows for both positive and negative transition to happen, it asks the player to respond quickly to the situation. It allows gives the player in possession an opportunity to practice dealing with pressure from in front, to the side and behind at different times.

Reward: Two fold, developing speed when travelling with the ball and rewarding success with a goal. Double goals if defenders can recover the ball and score.