Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Panthers U11 shielding protecting the ball session 1

Arrival activity (10 mins)

Area:

Create a area 8m x 8m with cones, discs or poles.

Equipment:

balls, bibs, cones, discs or poles.

Objective:

Split side into 2 teams. The reds dribble arounf the inside of the area trying to avoid the blues. The blues objective is to touch the red players ball with their ball in hand. No throwing or bombing is allowed. They count up the amount oftimes they touch a red players ball. After desired duration the teams swap over. The winning team is the team with the most touches of the ball.

Progression:

Make the area smaller or increase the number of players in the same sized area.

Key points:

Add technical detail to individuals during the activity. Coach hiding/shielding the balll, putting a barrier wall between player and ball. Use body strength and arms to protect the ball. Stay low, stixk your behind into the player, spread arms wide.

Animation 3 (20 mins)

Objective:

Split teams into two gropus. could be lions v Snakes, team 1 & team 2 or colours. this demo uses reds and blues.Create sqaures 3x3m for younger age groups (5-11 years old) and 5x5m for older (12-adult).Have one from each team in each square to start with a ball. Blues start shielding the ball from the reds and try for 15 or 20s econds depending on ability. This can be adjusted to suit your team. after the time period ends the coach calls out a team name, number or colour, that team leave their square and go and win the ball from another square and the player in that square must protect and shield the ball from the incoming player. You are not allowed more than 1 player coming in.If  it's 2 v 1 because 2 players come into the same square, one of the players need to leave that square and find a box with just a player protecting the ball. there should always 1 player from each team in a box.if you have uneven numbers then a coach can step in to even up or rotate a player to sit out every couple of plays.After the time period the coach calls out a name, number or colour again and this continues however long you want to carry on with the practice.

Progression:

you can bring in a points scoring system. depending on weather you want this to be a shielding/protecting the ball practice or an interception/winnning the ball practice. Give a point to the player who manages to shield the ball for the time duration (15 seconds) or the player who wins the ball in the time duration (15 seconds). Don't give points to both in the same practice, Remember, One team one theme for your sessions. The reward is for success around the session theme.