Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): HCFC 2011GW (U9) - Week 3: Dribbling and engaging the opposition

Introduction (20 mins)

Organization:

- 3 rectangular grids equal in size in a 28mx24m area, adjacent to each other as shown.

- 3 players per grid, each with a ball.

Instructions:

- Start: Players dribble up/down the channel (no defenders), back and forth, two at a time per channel. Look for them to dribble with their head up and to keep ball close to feet. Once they exit a channel, players can enter a different adjacent channel or stay on same one. Move on to progression 1 quickly.

- Progression 1: A defender gets added to the center of the grid on each grid (3 defenders total, restricted to their channel). Now a player has to dribble through and beat the defender in the middle. If the defender wins the ball back he/she shields the ball and every second in possession is a point.

- Progression 2: Teams of 2, 1 ball per team. Players work together as they try to get the ball from the bottom/top of the grid to the other end. Every time team on ball successfully gets ball across from end to end, it gets a point. Defender gets a point for stealing. Do this activity with intervals of 2-3 minutes and after each break, change defenders.

- Progression 3: Channels are non existent. Same as progression 2 but all playing area is free of restrictions.

Coaching Points/Questions:

(1) Start: Longer touches vs shorter touches:

- Can we dribble with our head up?

- Can we keep the ball close to our feet?

Progression 1:

(2) Can we recognize the space behind the defender and accelerate forward? Can we recognize when the defender is not there and accelerate forward? (longer vs shorter touches)

Progression 2:

(3) Can we dribble faster if we are in the clear of a defender? How can we use our teammate to make the defender not get the ball?

Progression 3:

(4) Can we use the whole area and keep the ball away from the defender?

- Receiving player get at an angle

- Once, we get at an angle, the next step is to make that passing channel as wide as possible.

Conditioned Game (20 mins)

Organization:

- Same grid as prior activity, but now one ball in whole activity.

- 6 white players vs 3 blue players.

Instructions:

- White team has to get the ball to the other side for a point. Blue team steals and pass, every pass a point until they lose possession.

Conditions:

- 3 white players at one end cannot cross the halfway line. They are free to roam anywhere as long as they stay in their respective half.

- Blue: at least one defender has to be on each half.

Restarts:

- White player calls it and gets a ball from behind them to restart game. Encourage urgency!

Coaching Points/Questions:

** for second session

(4) Can we create receiving channels, make them wide and longer?

(5) Can we receive, take a first touch, and look to play through quickly? If we see pressure, then what do we do? (we can turn back and play a teammate, or beat the opponent 1v1)

Progressions:

(1) Add the option of players being able to dribble through to the other side. Here is where the topic will come out and players will likely find success.

Field map

Topics:

Penetrating the middle third / building out of the back

- Who: Goal keeper, defenders, midfielders

- When: When on possession, or after recovery

- Where: Defensive third to middle third

- What: Playing through

- Why: To get the ball up the field as fast as possible without giving away possession

- What if: we encounter pressure? we see space in front?