Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Pre-season 1

Awareness:Head up and pass (25 mins)

Session Objective: To improve awareness.

Organisation:Players in pairs,5 yards apart,ball between two.

Start off simple passing,various feet,parts of foot.Emphasize looking at opponents face when awaiting pass.

Develop(A)Player 1 plays ball and moves to either right or left.Player 2s first touch must be in direction Player 1 moved.Then Player 2 plays ansd moves and player 1s firstr touch is in direction 2 moved.

Variation:Player 1 plays and moves one side,player 2 moves ball first touch in opposite direction.

Develop:Player 1 plays ball and backs off.Player 2 meets balland goes forward first touch.

develop:Player 1 plays ball and moves forward.Player 2 takes ball with inside of foot then moves backwards away from 1 using outside of foot.

Development:Players take it in turns,5 goes each.Player 1 plays ball and can either go left,right,forward or back.Player 2 adjusts to take ballfirst touch accordingly.

Key Factors:

Quality of pass.Head up when receiving.Quality of first touch and movement.

Possession (40 mins)

Session Objective: Improve Possession and Creating Space

One from each team on each side;rest in square .Size of square varied by age/numbers.

Organisation:

Basic Possession games.Using outside players. 

a)Look to play to same team men on the sides.(A) Unlimited touches at first.Play and receive.

b)As above.Two touch only.

c)Unlimited touches.When you play to an outside man,take place.(B)

d)As above.Two touch only.Outside player must move ball into space quickly when receiving pass.

e)Unlimited touches.Now only a 1-2 will get man off line(C).If not on,encourage to keep possession.

f)As above.Two touch only.

Further variation:Have players of same team on top and bottom line;players of other team on left and right side lines.Extend area to square area.

g)One team plays across,unlimited touch can use end players.Other team plays up and down,unlimited touch,using end players.

h)As above.Two touch only.

i)One team plays across,unlimited touch can use end players.Other team plays up and down,unlimited touch,using end players.BUT...must go from one end to other,i.e. can not go back to same side.Working up/down or across right to left/left to right - Encourage ,receiving on half-turn and playing forward.shape to receive.

j)As above.Two touch only.

Then in across and up and down game,can add all variations as listed above ,i.e.taking place,1-2 to get out,vary numbers of touches etc.

Key Factors

Create space -movement in advance of ball,movement with ball,movement after playing ball.

Awareness of what is around

Touch

Quality of pass

Reaction when dispossessed

Maintain high tempo.