Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U12 Cheetahs Crossing

Technical (10 mins)

Organization: as shown

10 by 10 yd diamond. Increase length to 16 by 10 yd in passing.

Instructions:

Dribble to the right. (Change of directon) and take away.

Change direction after 1 minute.

Coaching Points:

Dribbling :

Small and quick touches on entry.

Movement of body to fake.

Movement of ball to fake.

Look up and change speed to take away.

Passing:

Firm pass into feet.

Don't watch the ball- sprint! (quick movement after pass)

Keeping angle and distance on short-short-long (double pass followed by long pass)

Progressions:

Dribbling:

Scissors both to the left and right

Roll both to the left and right

Inside-outside both to the left and right

Passing:

Make lines further apart. Have the girls take the end cones 3 steps back from where they are.

2 touch - receive and play end to end. Sprint to either cone after and follow your pass.

Short-short long. Progress to 1 touch on short- short long.

Regressions:

1. Lift touch restriction in passing

2. Make the space between lines shorter

Conditioned game- Crossing and Finishing (20 mins)

Organization: 30x40 yd area in middle. 18 yard box out. 2 attacking flank players for red. 4 red in middle attackers vs. 4 blue defenders. 1 yellow neutral. Adjust teams based on numbers. Can add blue players in flanks to play out to for blue instead of playing to coach. Orange cone 1 early cross. Orange cone 2. Late cross

Instructions: Red tries to pass to flank player. No defending the flank player. Flank player dribbles down the line with speed, big touch to break the gate (tall orange cones) gets head up on prep touch cross and delivers to runner at the penalty spot. Opposite flank makes a back post run. Finish.

Coaching Points:

1. Quality of service.

2. Recognition to play ball wide.

3. Wide player decide based on observing vertical compactness of defense whether:

A. Early cross. Defense not compact vertically in relation to goal.

B. Late cross. Defense compact and no space to play in behind.

4. Timing of runs. Cue- hold run when crossing player picks head up until crossing player's head goes down- run.

5. Late cross closer to goal- cut it back on the ground.

Progressions:

(1.) Play flank players, 1 inside player gets on the end of a cross and other flank player gets far post run. Finish. If defense wins inside of area, play out to coach. Ball restarts with coach.

(2). Pass to flank player and play is live. Blues can win it and go to mini goals. Reds score on big goal.