Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Wednesday 3/13 - Combination Play - Keeping the Ball (Start Time: 2019-03-13 16:40:00)

Combination Warm-Up (20 mins)

Organization: 25x20 yard box. 4 players in blue (midfield), 2 players in green (defenders), The rest are in red and spread out accordingly.

Instructions:

-#4's start with the ball on each end. One blue player checks to the ball and the PASSIVE green defender puts light pressure on the midfielder. At that moment the #7/2 checks away from the maneqin to create separation and receives a pass from 6/8/10, positive first touch, take on maneqin, dribble through gate, go to the end of the line.

- 4 replaces 7, etc. 6/8/10's stay the same until you want to switch them out.

- There is a second step to this. If the 4 realizes the defender is tight and the 6/8/10 cannot get the ball away to the wide areas they demand the ball back to their feet and they play it wide to the 7.

Coaching Points:

- Quickness of our approach to support (not too far, not too close)

- Weight of pass into space (not too far, not too close)

- Communication, have a voice/presence

- Foot to receive on to allow constant forward movement.

- Touch into space to keep move going forward.

Progression/Regressions:

P: Look at the north combination with the un#'d red and the 11. Now two midfielders are in action. #4 plays in to #6, 6 sets the ball back to 4's feet as the #11/3 checks off the manequin and receives a pass. Now the passive defender is closing down the 11/3 and the second midfielder (8/10) are moving into a passing pocket behind the defender and it is a give and go with the 11+8 around the maneqin.

NOTES:

- Here is the warm-up that I did with my older girls. It took a minute to get the moving parts right but once they go into the flow the speed was blistering and the communication (though sometimes wrong) was demanding and confident.

- It takes nothing to get these girls to play quickly and compete internally. So all I had to say was that the Elite team (team two divisions higher than them) could go faster, communicate better, and pass with more purpose. That really gets under their skin and next thing we know we are moving it 1/2 touch making the defenders sweat.

- I really enjoyed this drill because the defenders have the freedom to do what they want, whether that is showing a midfielder inside or outside. Or they for the midfeilder behind them to check into different space than was allowed her first go around. All that making my girls make decisions on the ball, off the ball, and way before it even got to them.

- Increased their ability to know and remember their surroundings. And not just know where one girl is in the pattern, put her head down to pass, and it goes to her every time, blah blah blah. Because in a game your midfielder wont always stand still, neither your winger, nor defender and we had been having issues passing the ball to where we last saw our teammate and not reading their body shape nor recognizing their verbal/nonverbal communication.

Conditioned Game: 4v4 (25 mins)

Organization:

Grid seperated into three sections (Defensive thrid, Midfield third, Attacking third)

Instructions:

- Players play 5 v 5

- If you pass into the next channel you can go forward to help players in that next chennel.

Coaching Points:

- Recognizing space to run into to support

- Visual cues from teammates if you do need to go forward to support or need to stay back as an option to simply keep it.

- Strength on the ball with pressure.

Progressions: