Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Development

Ball Mastery

Practice Explanation:

Players to dribble inside a 10 x 10 box to warm up their feet or coach to show ball mastery techniques (inside shuffles, toe taps, double toe taps, Brazilian toe taps etc.). Encourage players to use either both, right and left foot only, and opportunity to showcase some skills and turns;
Skill e.g. stepover, maradona, ronaldo chop, flip-flap etc.
Turns e.g. cruyff turn, dragback, v and l turn, hook turn 

Players can be encouraged to scan. This could be either coaches having cones or numbers up for players to tell what they see whilst dribbling

Coaching Points:

Discuss detail about how to do the skill or turn 

Scanning whilst on the dribble 

Low body shape when changing direction or performing a skill or turn. 

Duration:

5-10 mins

Practice 1

Practice Explanation:

Coach passes ball into player. Player looks to take their touch around the pole and pass back being on the outside of the pole. As they have passed back, player moves back to the same spot and replicates the same thing on the other side. 

Following list of progressions:

Progress by adding a scan before receiving the football. Encourage as many times as they can to scan the cones behind. 

Progress by adding a 1-2 pass with coach and player before taking touch to the outside of the pole. 

Progress by having the player dribble around/perform skill or turn, towards the cone they scanned. 

Progress through different receiving methods before passing ball back. - touch with left inside foot and pass with right, touch with inside right and pass with left, touch and pass with right foot or left foot only, first touch with the outside lace and pass, grab the ball with a rollover and pass etc.

Progress by receiving in between poles and receiving outside of the pole before driving to cone the player scanned. 

Coaching Points:

Discuss detail about how to do the skill or turn

Scanning whilst taking touches. Guide your touch to the direction you want to go. Focus on cushioning your touch and not hitting it too far. 

Passing body shape, striking foot and landing foot need to be in line with coach. Don't add spin to the ball, punch through so the ball travels quicker and more accurately. 

Duration:

10-15 mins

Practice 3

Practice Explanation:

Coach passes ball into player and player takes a touch through the side gates, passes back before coming back into middle and doing it the other way. 

Progress by having player to run around a cone numbered before receiving through side gate and playing back to coach. 

Progress by having player received the pass twice, three times etc.  

Coaching Points:

First touch - find the right connection of touch, when passing back we must have our body shape, striking foot and landing foot in line with the receiver

Duration:

10 mins

Practice 5

Practice Explanation:

Player in between poles receives a ball from coach. Player turns towards 1st set of cones, performs a turn to face back towards the pole. when meeting poles, player performs a figure of 8 before driving towards the red cones (2), take their first touch in line with the red cones as a guide to see the first touch needs to be taken side on, so that the player can score with a curl shot. 

Progress by player receiving from a throw in

Progress by using one foot to dribble in the figure of 8 

Progress by changing shooting foot and doing on otherside, OR, changing shooting technique (e.g. shooting across to the furthest corner, shooting near corner etc. )

Coaching Points:

First touch - find the right connection of touch, when passing back we must have our body shape, striking foot and landing foot in line with the receiver. Your first touch to set up the bending shot needs to be wide so you can step in and strike by going around the ball. 

Dribble and 1v1 - find the moment to change speed (increase or decrease), distance between yourself and pole, low body when turning and pushing off back foot to help change of speed.

passing - striking foot and landing foot inline with the person you are playing too.

shooting foot - try and bend it like beckham by hitting the middle of the ball using the inside top part of your foot. we must be positioned outside the near post so we have a better chance at aiming for the further corner. the more inside we travel to the goal, the less chance you have to curl and score in the furthest corner. 

Duration:

15-20 mins