Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Week 3 - Combo play

Arrival Activity - Back to Back goals (15 mins)

Set Up:

Small mini goals back to back in the middle of a small area, marked with cones.

Two teams start at the ends of the area.

Instructions:

2 Players must try and score in the far goal from where they start, and 1player defends the near goal.

The game continues until a goal has been scored, or the ball is outside the marked area.

The team that scores start the new game by bringing a new ball

Variation/Progression:

Harder: 

Time limit the games (30 sec to score)

Make the goals smaller

Allow 2 Players to come in from the BPO team.

Easier:

No time limit to score

Make the goals larger

Delay the defender 

Key Coaching Points:

Player Coaching Points:

Tic-Tac-Toe (5 mins)

Set Up: 

starting marker, stop the ball area, spare markers or bibs and a tic-tac-toe area, made with agility poles laying on the ground

Instructions: 

Players split into two teams and must dribble or do other football activity before leaving there ball in the designated area, pick up a cone, and place it in the tic-tac-toe area before running back to their ball and passing it to the next player waiting in line.

Variation/Progression:

Harder:

Move the start point further away.

Make the ball stop area smaller.

Make multiple football actions before leaving the ball in the stop area.

Easier:

Move the start point closer.

Make the ball stop area larger.

Don't have a ball, or the ball stop area.

Key Coaching Points: 

Speed only comes with quality. Make good decisions to win or block the other team from winning

Player Coaching Points: 

Quality touches, and quality passes will help your team improve their speed.

Main Session, Combo play (15 mins)

Set Up:

2 red zones, 10x15m 

2 green zones 10x15m

1 yellow zone 15x30

14 players (7v7) with any extra players waiting on side-lines (could add overload or extra midfield)

Instructions:

Objective: Get the ball from the "Red Zone" to the "Green Zone"

Players should always start each round from their zones

Play starts with the #4 and she can play into #2, #5 or #6

When play starts, all players should stay inside their zone, however the #2 & #5 can move into any zone, or space between zones.

If the ball is successfully played into the green zone, the white team starts again from the #4

Players that make an error, and turn over the ball or make an incomplete pass can be subbed with a waiting player taking their place.

If the ball is turned over, the black team should try and play the ball into the feet of #3

If the black team can win the ball play the ball into #3, then that team will start the new game, starting play from #3

Players should swap starting positions semi regularly, (#2 becomes a #7, #6 becomes a #10 etc)

Variation/Progression:

#3 can stand on the other side of the field and play into the green zones, and have the black team play into the red zone.

Players can be allowed to go outside their zones, however they should reset back to their starting positions when the game restarts.

Key Coaching Points:

Players should make sharp movements, time their runs and look for overlapping runs to create overloads

Midfielders should always be moving into and out of "helping positions"

Teams can always play back to #3 or #4 as a safety option.

Players should be mindful that sometimes the way forward is by switching play, and using the other side of the field.

Player Coaching Points:

#3 should always look for movement of players that "want" the ball

#2 & #5 should look for give and goes, or driving runs depending on what the defending team are giving them or taking away

#6 & #10 should be "coming in to help" or "getting out to create space" with their movement

#7 & #11 should receive the ball "on the run" and should try and be "goal side" or "inside" their defender

Cooldown (5 mins)

Instructions: 

Players lead their own cool down with dynamic and static stretches

Coach Comments:

Coaches will give starting line up names and feedback on session