Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U14 Technical Session - Checking Your Shoulder

Progression 1

Progression 1

Use only one ball and place two further red cones on the grid as shown.

Both red players continue to hold two different colour cones.

Central player must shout the colour of the cone in the air, before he receives possession of the ball from Player 2, turn and pass to Player 1. Repeat.

Coaching Points

1. Player to check shoulder 'scan'

2. How can the central player receive possession of the ball - front foot?

3. Quality of the pass - accuracy and weight

4. Why players check their shoulders - where are their own players? opponents players? where is the space?

MDG - 2 Team Checking Shoulder

Organisation

Split players into two teams - red and whites - 4 or 5 players in each team.

Create a grid 30 x 30 yards.

Place a neutral player (yellow player) as above, each with a red and blue cone in their hands. Place a red cone on the side of the square where the yellow player stands and a blue cone on the opposite side.

Instructions

Red players advance towards Yellow Player 1; White players advance towards Yellow Player 2; starting from the line of the grid opposite.

If the Yellow Player holds a blue cone, their team must pass the ball forward until they cross the line of the square where their Yellow Player is positioned, then, they head towards the opposite line etc.

If, however, the Yellow player holds aloft a red cone, then their team must change direction, always passing the ball forwards.

The ball can never be passed backwards.

The Yellow player can dictate the intervals at which the cones, and therefore, direction of play.

Progressions

1. Limit players to 2 touch only.

2. Allow the yellow players to have a green cone, which if raised means the teams change the direction of their play from north/south to west/east and vice versa - the ball must still be played forward at all times.

Coaching Points

1. As the ball can only ever be played forward, this will encourage movement of the players - to advance in order to receive the ball.

2. Players must constantly look up to see which cone is held aloft, to ensure they are heading in the correct direction.

Speed Passing Progression #2

Organisation

Create a grid 30x30 yards;

Split players into two teams of 8 - red and white.

Place 4 players from each team in the middle of the grid and the rest of the players on opposite lines of the grid as above.

Instructions

Players on thge edge of the grid must be evenly spread out.

Teams can play into their own end line players on the ground only, to score a point.

Teams can play into the other teams end line players simply to keep possession - this does not count as a point.

Once a team scores a point passing the ball to their own team players on the edge of the grid, the ball is played back to the other team.

Coaching Points

1. Players must check their shoulders to see if they have room to turn - and to assess where their team mates/opponents are - opening their body to receive the ball on the front foot if possible.

2. Quick, accurate, short passing by all players - including those on the edge of the grid.

3. Creation of space - go to show; show to go; playing into space for team players to run onto?

4. Decision making - beat a player or pass?