Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Next Level Coaching. Week 4
Session Collective
Peter Sturgess
Description
More (Physical Literacy Fun) with this great warm up activity. It is full on, enjoyable and very demanding but it will get players stopping, starting and changing direction.
The second game (Me and My Mate) is the perfect one for introducing the importance of sharing and being prepared to pass to a teammate (we know this can be difficult for very young players).
We then conclude with one of my favourite games (Score First). This combines scoring and keeping possession in such a fun way.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Organisation: The game is set up as shown and the size can depend upon the kind of challenge you want to set your players. depending upon their ability levels. I start off with 10x10 area.
How to play:
- One player from either team can start the practice by running in to try to get possession of the football.
- When the player gets to the ball they must keep possession and then they have some decisions to make:
Decision 1 Practice screening and shielding the ball away from their opponent for as long as possible
Decision 2 Decide to practice shielding the ball but if they feel possession might be lost - pass out to their teammate and play 2v1 to each end line trying to do this as many times as possible whilst maintaining possession.
Decision 3 Decide to immediately pass out to bring your partner into the practice to play 2v1.
- For the team NOT in possession, they must try to get good possession of the ball (not just kick it out) and pass out to their partner. This can either:
1 Reset the game and they get control over when players run into the middle to get the ball to start the practice
OR
2 If they get possession and the ball is passed out, this brings their partner in to play 2v1 and an opponent drops out.
This is a really simple way to introduce different levels of decision making particularly with young players who are also getting lots of practice of having time on and with the ball.
Option 1: Make the area bigger to allow for more thinking time.
Option 2: Use balls of different sizes and weights.
Option 3: Ask the players to pass out in a particular way (Back heel, side foot etc)
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Organisation: This is a great to engage and motivate your players. The area is 30x20m for this 5v5 game.
How to Play:
The set up is shown with 4v4 plus GKs on each team. In video 1 you will see the Yellow team start the game and then score the first goal. Scoring first (hence the name of the game) suddenly changes how the game is played because in video 2 you will see the Yellow team now keeping possession using both GKs as they work the ball up and down the pitch keeping the ball away from the White team.
The White team's challenge is to gain possession in this 6v4 game (4 outfield Yellow players and both GKs).
If they manage to gain possession they can score in EITHER goal. If they do then they become the team using both GKs to keep possession and work the ball up and down the pitch.
Repeat and continue this great game.
Option 1: Make the pitch bigger or smaller to increase or decrease the difficulty.
Option 2: You must have a two goal lead (2-0, 3-1, 4-2 etc) in order to play the 6v4 game.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
In this video you will see the Yellow team now keeping possession using both GKs as they work the ball up and down the pitch keeping the ball away from the White team.
Play animation
Play step-by-step
Repeat (toggle)
Full Screen
Pause
Stop
This warm-up game looks very chaotic but if you want to have lots of fun and work on developing the awareness and perception of your players, it is a MUST.
Organisation: The area is set up as shown with 6 Yellow players ready to "run the gauntlet" against 3 White guards. There are 3 resting White players but because of how physically demanding this can be they can quickly replace the other 3 guards to keep intensity high.
The area size is 25x20m but remember to adjust this for the age and ability of your players.
How to Play:
- On GO the Yellow players set off to get to the other end without being tagged by the Guards in White.
- If successful, turn around and repeat.
- If tagged by a guard you MUST return to the end you started from (this could be from either end once the game gets going)
- Play for a set number of minutes and then change over the guards OR change both teams over and repeat.
Progressions:Players have a tennis ball in hand and must try to drop it into the buckets on either side (in the video they are seen as tyres but buckets are perfect)
Once you have dropped the tennis ball into the bucket (You can't throw it) then go and get another and repeat.
If tagged, go back to the start and go again.
Play for a set time then count up the tennis balls.
Change over and try to beat the other team's total.
If you want to include ALL players just add them to one of the teams either as taggers or runners.
Option 1: To add lots of ball contacts and decision making put the players into pairs with a ball between them. They have to get across to the other side with their ball BUT the tagger can only tag the player with the ball. This focuses players attention upon releasing the ball to avoid being tagged.
If tagged, you and your partner return to the start and try again.
Option 2: Add more taggers (make the area bigger if you do this)