Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Finishing in the final third
Premier Users' Club
Cameron Higgins
Profile Summary
| Name: | Cameron Higgins |
|---|---|
| City: | Derby |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Membership: | Adult Member |
| Sport: | Football/Soccer |
Description
Player information:
- Age: 5-11 years old
- Ability: Mixed
- Number of players: 12
Session Topic: Finishing in the final third (shooting)
Learning objectives:
- To be able to perform the correct technique for different types of shots.
- To be able to create space in the final third to increase scoring opportunities.
- To be able to find the killer pass for a "breakout" or counter attack to create a goal scoring opportunity.
Order of practices:
- Small sided game
- Blocked
- Variable
- Small sided game
Session length: 1 hour
Equipment:
- Cones and markers.
- 4 goals or 8 poles.
- At least 12 balls.
- Different coloured bibs for 12 players.
- Spare goalkeeper gloves (optional).
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Learning Objectives
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Technical This practice is designed to decide on the players' ability and to provide the strikers with plenty of opportunities to create chances and shoot. |
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Tactical This is a small sided game and so plenty of tactical elements can be applied, especially in the final third which is the aim of the session. |
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Physical Straight into a competition so plenty of running and attacking. Pitch size slightly large for 6 a side, however, this create plenty of opportunities to shoot in final third. |
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Psychological Plenty of targets and challenges set for midfielders, attackers and the team as a whole for extra motivation. |
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Social Players are working together in a team to beat the other team in a small sided game. |
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Learning Objectives
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Technical Every player has the ball and so every player can consistently repeat the technique of shooting in order to perform it correctly. |
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Tactical Breakout element of the practice can reflect what happens during a counter attack. |
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Physical Smaller area so players can breakout quicker and focus on the shooting technique. |
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Psychological Plenty and targets and challenges set for the players to allow them to focus and improve their shooting technique with extra motivation. |
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Social There is a competition near the end after a progression between both the red and blue teams. This is an opportunity for players to work together in order to win the scoring competition. |
Blocked (10 mins)
Organisation:
- 12 players.
- Each player has a ball.
- Round area in the middle with goals set up around the outside.
Equipment:
- Cones and markers.
- 12 balls.
- 4 goals or 4 sets of poles.
- Bibs.
Description:
- The players all have a ball each and dribble around the area in different directions.
- When the coach blows the whistle or shouts "GO", the players should "break-out" and score in one of the goals set up around the outside.
- Players should keep their own score.
Progressions:
- Cones are set up inside the goals to mark the corners, if the player scores inside the cones area then double points are awarded.
- Can add a defender to protect each goal, however they can only shadow the attackers and try to block the shot rather than tackling. This gives the attackers a defender to beat before striking the ball.
- Add a competition between the red team and the blue team. Team with the most goals wins.
Conditions, targets and challenges:
- Defenders are not allowed to tackle the attacker during the progression.
- Can you score 3 goals in the corners of the net?
- How quickly can you break-out and score a goal after the whistle blowing?
- Can the blue score more goals than the red team?
Coaching points:
- To finish from close range into the corners, the placement technique should be used (inside of the foot).
- Follow through towards the target.
- For power, strike the ball with the laces when shooting.
- Knee and head over the ball when striking, don't lean back.
- Touch the ball out of your feet when breaking out.
Coaching interventions:
- Fly-by: remind players of the coaching points when striking the ball and give specific praise for when players perform the techniques correctly.
- Drive-by: Pull players out to set challenges and targets during the game for them to achieve. Can also pull some players out who may be struggling with the shooting technique and so can demonstrate to them 1 on 1 the different techniques when in front of goal.
- Coaching process: one player may perform the wrong technique when shooting, for example, leaning back too much leading to the ball going over the crossbar. Can then coach the whole group the technique for shooting and allow the striker to rehearse the technique until this is performed correctly.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Learning Objectives
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Technical Players are now allowed to apply their shooting technique within a game situation when trying to keep possession and attack. There is less repetition but gives players an opportunity to try the technique against opposition. |
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Tactical Players are effectively in a situation where they are keeping possession of the ball in the final third and when an opportunity arises, they can then breakout to score a goal past the goalkeeper. |
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Physical Area size in the middle is kept smaller to minimise physicality in the middle but then increase physicality during the breakout. |
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Psychological Plenty of targets and challenges set to give the players something to work towards with added motivation. Conditions are also set to adapt the way the participants are playing and to provide more realism to the practice. |
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Social Players are working together in teams to create opportunities to score and beat the other team. |
Variable (15 mins)
Organisation:
- 12 players (5 blue, 5 red and 2 goalkeepers).
- 35 x 20 yard area in the middle.
- 4 goals set up around the outside of the area as shown.
- Goalkeepers only protecting two of the goals.
Equipment:
- Cones and markers.
- Balls.
- 4 goals or 8 poles.
- Bibs.
Description:
- The two teams start with a possessiongame in the area in the middle. The aim of the game is to achieve 5 passes in order to create an opportunity to "break-out" just like in the blocked practice.
- To start with, if the attacker breaks out towards the goal protected by a goalkeeper then this is just a 1 on 1. If the attacker breaks out towards a goal without a goalkeeper then a defender can follow the attacker to tackle before he scores adding to the realism.
- Cones will be set up in each goal just like the previous practice to award extra points for a good finish in the corner.
- The team with the most points wins.
Progressions:
- Can vary the amount of passes that the team makes before theycan breakout. Can make it fewer passes if the teams are sturggling and more if they are finding it easy. Can also change it for one team if one is performing a lot better than the other.
- Can add a time limit for when the attackers are breaking out, for example, can they get a shot at goal within 5 seconds?
- Can intorduce more players to breakout. For example, can add another attacker to support against another defender to add to the realism. Can also add a defender when an attacker breaks out towards the goalkeeper to make the 1 on 1 more difficult.
Conditions, targets and challenges:
- When breaking out, you must take a shot within 3 seconds.
- Can you support your teammate as an extra passing option when breaking out?
- When keeping possession, can you wait for the right opportunity to break out rather than breaking out straight away after reaching 5 passes? (team challenge).
- In the next 5 minutes, can you achieve 5 goals or assists in total?
- As a team, you must achieve 5 passes before you can break out.
- When 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper, can you dribble the ball around him to then finish?
Coaching points:
- To finish from close range into the corners, the placement technique should be used (inside of the foot).
- Follow through towards the target.
- For power, strike the ball with the laces when shooting.
- Knee and head over the ball when striking, don't lean back.
- Touch the ball out of your feet when breaking out.
- Use tricks and skills to beat a defender or goalkeeper to then create an opportunity to score.
- To break out as a team rather than individuals.
Coaching interventions:
- Fly-by: remind players of the coaching points when striking the ball and give specific praise for when players perform the techniques correctly.
- Drive-by: Pull players out to set challenges and targets during the game for them to achieve. Can also pull some players out who may be struggling with the shooting technique and so can demonstrate to them 1 on 1 the different techniques when in front of goal.
- Coaching process: one player may perform the wrong technique when shooting, for example, leaning back too much leading to the ball going over the crossbar. Can then coach the whole group the technique for shooting and allow the striker to rehearse the technique until this is performed correctly. Can also coach how to create scoring opportunities when breaking out after allowing the players to try for themselves.
See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.
Learning Objectives
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Technical Shooting technique learnt from the previous practices are now applied in a final small sided game against opposition. Conditions are applied to increase scoring opportunities. |
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Tactical Champions League Semi-Final scneario is a great opportunity for players to apply tactical knowledge within a game and decide whether they need to attack and create more opportunities in front of goal or whether they sit and defend depending on the game situation. |
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Physical Area size has been increased again for the final small sided game to increase physicality demands making it more realistic and to give players more space to create opportunities to shoot and score. |
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Psychological Champions League Semi-Final scenario plays massively psychologically and gives the players a different challenge to what they are used to. Other individual challenges and targets are also set for different players to give them extra motivation in order to apply their shooting technique correctly. |
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Social Players have the opportunity to discuss tactics together as a team, so this will increase their social skills to agree with how to beat the other team tactically. |
SSG 2 (20 mins)
Organisation:
- 12 players, 6 on each team.
- 40 x 30 yard area.
- Pitch split into thirds.
- Two goals at each end.
Equipment:
- Cones and markers.
- Balls.
- Bibs.
- Two goals or poles.
Description:
- Start off the session with a small sided game. Players can only shoot inside the attacking third against the goalkeeper.
- The one condition is that goals can only be scored in the final third to start with.
- One point per goal scored.
- Players have to stick to their positional thirds. For example, defenders in defensive third, midfielders in middle third and attackers in final third.
- The score from the first small sided game should be continued during this small sided game.
Progressions:
- A first time shot inside the final third is worth two points.
- An attacker can "set" the ball to a midfielder in the middle third for a first time shot.
- The "number 9" striker can only score from a first time shot.
- If a midfielder or defender passes into the following third, they can enter that third to help midfielders/attacker against the other team.
- Midfielders can drop to follow attackers into their defensive third to help the lone defender.
- Tactical situation: Liverpool vs Roma Champions League Semi-Final. Liverpool are 5-2 up ready for the second leg away from home. Roma need to win by at least 3 goals to either win on away goals or take it to extra time. Give one team the chance to be Liverpool and the other to be Roma. Allow both teams to discuss tactics on how they will play the next 5-10 minutes in order to win the game. Can use guided discovery during these discussions to help them towards the correct decisions. For example, Liverpool may want to defend deeply and then "breakout" on the counter attack to gain away goals to secure victory knowing that Roma need to attack very high in order to score more goals.
Conditions, targets and challenges:
- Liverpool vs Roma Champions League Semi-Final scenario.
- All players must stay in their positional thirds until progressions are applied.
- Striker must only shoot first time.
- Can the striker make three assists before the end of the session?
- If the ball falls onto your weaker side, can you shoot and even score with your weaker foot?
- Can you score a goal with your head?
- Midfielders can eventually score from a first time shot in the middle third after receiving from the attacking third.
Coaching points:
- Recognise when to pass, dribble and shoot.
- Recognise early opportunities to score.
- For power, strike the ball with the laces when shooting.
- For placement, strike the ball with the inside of the foot when shooting.
- Aim for the corners.
- Knee and head over the ball when striking, don't lean back.
Coaching interventions:
- Fly-by: remind players of the coaching points when striking the ball and give specific praise for when players perform the techniques correctly.
- Drive-by: Pull players out, in particular the strikers, to set challenges and targets during the game for them to achieve. Can also pull some players out who may be struggling with the shooting technique and so can demonstrate to them 1 on 1 the different techniques when in front of goal.
- Coaching process: can give feedback to the whole group on how to create space for goalscoring opportunities. Also one player may perform the wrong technique when shooting, for example, leaning back too much leading to the ball going over the crossbar. Can then coach the whole group the technique for shooting and allow the striker to rehearse the technique until this is performed correctly.
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SSG 1 (15 mins)
Organisation:
- 12 players, 6 on each team.
- 40 x 30 yard area.
- Pitch split into thirds.
Equipment:
- Cones and markers.
- 5-10 balls.
- 2 goals.
- Bibs.
Description:
- Start off the session with a small sided game. Players can only shoot inside the attacking third against the goalkeeper.
- To start with there are no conditions or rules.
- One point per goal scored.
- Keep the score for the small sided game at the end of the session.
Progressions:
- A first time shot inside the final third is worth two points.
- An attacker can "set" the ball to a midfielder in the middle third for a first time shot.
- The "number 9" striker can only score from a first time shot.
Conditions, challenges and targets:
- Striker can only score from a first time shot.
- Midfielders can eventually score from a first time shot in the middle third after receiving from the attacking third.
- Can you create space in the final third for the midfielders in order to create a chance to shoot towards goal?
- Can you score 3 goals before the end of the game? (striker).
- When receiving the ball, can you hold up the ball and create a scoring chance for yourself or for someone else?
Coaching points:
- Recognise when to pass, dribble and shoot.
- Recognise early opportunities to score.
- For power, strike the ball with the laces when shooting.
- For placement, strike the ball with the inside of the foot when shooting.
- Aim for the corners.
- Knee and head over the ball when striking, don't lean back.
Coaching interventions:
- Fly-by: remind players of the coaching points when striking the ball and give specific praise for when players perform the techniques correctly.
- Drive-by: Pull players out, in particular the strikers, to set challenges and targets during the game for them to achieve. Can also pull some players out who may be struggling with the shooting technique and so can demonstrate to them 1 on 1 the different techniques when in front of goal.
- Coaching process: can give feedback to the whole group on how to create space for goalscoring opportunities. Also one player may perform the wrong technique when shooting, for example, leaning back too much leading to the ball going over the crossbar. Can then coach the whole group the technique for shooting and allow the striker to rehearse the technique until this is performed correctly.