Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Tech passing-Learning to intercept and recognize gaps.

Warm-up Keepin Posession (10 mins)

ORGANIZATION:

30x30 yard grid

3 pinnies

2 balls (extras on outside of grid)

INSTRUCTIONS:

3 Players start off as defenders holding a pinnie each in there hand.

Defenders must look to simply touch a ball or force a ball out of play via a bad pass/touch from an attacker, if they do this the attacker who lost possession takes the pinnie and becomes a defender and the previous defender becomes an attacker.

Attackers must help each other to keep possession of both soccer balls.

COACHING POINTS:

Communication

Awareness of space/pressure etc.

Try to play to back foot and turn to switch ball in other direction when receive it if possible

Quality/weight of passes.

Angles/distances of support

Speed of play

Can you combine or switch play to releive pressure

Constantly re-evaluate your position (can I be in a better position?)

VARIATIONS:

Simply add/remove balls/defenders until have the correct balance between challenge/success

Passing forwards with acceleration (15 mins)

ORGANIZATION:

40x30

groups of 4

1 ball per group

Gates set up 3 yds in front of players

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Player A drives the ball to player B and continues in the direction to go behind player D.

2. Player B controls the pass and drives the ball to player C.

3. This rotation continues

4. Players must drive the ball before the gate, any ball hit once past the gate will not count

Make this into a competition. First team to make 10 passes wins.

COACHING POINTS::

1. Angle of approch

2. Head up to observe target

3. Placement of non-kicking foot

4. Hitting ball slightly off center – opposite to kicking foot

5. Body weight over ball (this is effected by placement of non-kicking foot)

6. 2nd knuckle of big toe

VARIATIONS:

R/P - Shortne/Increase distance

Intercepting the pass + Pressure (10 mins)

ORGANIZATION:

Three teams of four players, each set up in their own zone.

1 ball

50x20 grid, two zones of 20x20, middle zone is 10x20

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. White team at one end must make 3 consecutive passes before looking to switch the ball to the light blue team in the opposite end zone.

2. If the ball is intercepted by the blue team in the middle, the team that lost the ball switches into the middle.

3. Players should attempt to drive the ball to the other side

COACHING POINTS:

1. Quality of short passing, first touch, communication and movement to posses the ball

2. Quality of long pass to switch the ball.

3. Timing of long pass - Don't force it.

PROGRESSIONS/REGRESSIONS:

-Increase/decrease size of areas

P1 - 1 defender caqn pressure ball in attackers zone