Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Variation to Dribbling Skill Practice Game

FAW Coach Ed

Mike Leyshon

Profile Summary

Name:	Mike Leyshon
City:	Bridgend
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

Organisation (Practice Layout & Transition)

For 20+ players

Cones set into 5 zones as shown in Technical section, allowing for quick transition into the Skill Practice. Area size 30m x 20m.

2 sets of coloured bibs.

16 footballs.

2x 12x6ft goals

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Technical Practice

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Learning Objectives

	Technical Introduce the first 3 mechanics of Dribbling. 1) Keep the ball close. 2) Vary surfaces of foot (inside, outside, sole). 3) Head Up. At this stage, this can be done just by calling for those actions within the practice.
	Physical Increase the intensity via balls skills, before moving to quicker movements and more changes of pace.
	Psychological Encourage them to show their favourite moves, but allow for less confident players to not come forward for this.

Technical Practice (10 mins)

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Players to dribble in a controlled manner around the central zone, being encouraged to be aware of other players by looking up frequently and to take small, close touches.

Progress with short accelerations and decelerations and changes of direction.

Progress to instruct one team to stop and leave their ball and make a quick sprint to a free ball and continue dribbling. Rotate this action to the other colour team.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Keep the ball within the central practice zone.

Use various surfaces of the foot and weaker foot.

Challenge players to show off their favourite moves and then to try doing someone else's move.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Skill Practice 1

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Learning Objectives

	Technical Reinforce the mechanics of dribbling. 1) Keep the ball close. 2) Vary surfaces of foot (inside, outside, sole). 3) Head Up. Introduce mechanic. Then really emphasis mechanics 4) Change of pace and 5) Change of direction and their use in 1v1 situations.
	Tactical Can attackers identify which gate is the better option based on the starting position of the defender?
	Physical Be aware that although players are queuing to take turns, this a short burst, high intensity 1v1 work, so the rests are valuable to keeping the intensity high.
	Psychological Try to match similar abilities where even numbers in the 1v1 contests, to provide a good challenge to individuals. Be aware and change the running order in the lines, if contests are becoming uneven or disruptive.
	Social Encourage teams to positively support their team mates in the 1v1 contests.

Skill Practice 1 (10 mins)

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Again in a parallel practice red start as the defenders in both groups. Working in a 1v1 contest the red player passes to blue, blue aim to dribble out through a choice of two gates. Red player attempts to cut off the attacker from reaching a gate and then attempts to win the ball in a tackle. Red have 3 turns each and then swap positions, so that blue become the defenders. Players keep their own score, accumulated across their 3 turns.

If the attackers are too successful, the gates can be made smaller. If not enough success the gates are made bigger.

Progress to a battle where the ball stays live whilst in the zone and if the defender wins clean possession, they then become the attacker and the other player becomes defender. The winner is the player to dribble through a gate.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Defender must play the starting pass with a realistic weight and not make it too slow as to gain an advantage, or too hard so that it is difficult to control.

Gates must be dribbled through in controlled possession.

Points awarded for the attacker for getting through a gate. 1 point if they force the ball out of play or win the ball in a tackle.

In the live ball game, a player gets a point for going through a gate, but gets two points if they made a successful tackle before advancing through a gate .

Challenge players to make a decision and then back themselves to complete their move.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Skill Practice 2

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Learning Objectives

	Technical Reinforce the mechanics of dribbling. 1) Keep the ball close. 2) Vary surfaces of foot (inside, outside, sole). 3) Head Up. Introduce mechanic 4) Change of pace and 5) Change of direction.
	Physical Be aware that although players are queuing to take turns, there are lots of short burst, high intensity work, so the rests are valuable to keeping the intensity high.
	Psychological Ask a player to keep score for his team.
	Social Encourage teams to positively support their team mates throughout the contests.

Skill Practice 2 (15 mins)

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

To offer more realism in the skill practice, this progression allows players to practice dribbling and creating an opportunity to shoot on goal. The playing area is increased to full 3G pitch, but still in 3 zones as shown.

On the whistle, one player from each team dribble in from the side and dribbles in and out of the cones before rounding the last cone and dribbling through the gate and attacking the opposition goal. After the ball goes dead blue defender joins the back of his team's attacking queue and blue attacker joins back of his team's defending queue. Same on red side.

After a round of 1v1s, start the next round the same but after the first 1v1 play is dead, the attacker and defender stay in play. The second attacker starts his dribble in from the side and a second defender joins his team mate. A 2v2 take's place in the attacking zone. Once dead plays moves to a 3v3 and so on until all players are in play.

Once complete, attack and defending groups change over and game replayed.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Defender in front of goal cannot advance until the attacker enters their zone. Use a cone as starting point.

If a stalemate occurs, give a 5 second countdown to blowing it dead.

Points awarded for beating the second defender and getting a shot off. Bonus points for scoring.

If both teams score, team scoring first get's 2 goals to promote quick play.

Players can track their individual score.

Scores kept for red team v blue.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): SSG

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Learning Objectives

	Technical Reinforce the mechanics of dribbling. 1) Keep the ball close. 2) Vary surfaces of foot (inside, outside, sole). 3) Head Up. Introduce mechanic 4) Change of pace and 5) Change of direction.
	Tactical Look to successfully beat a player with a dribble and then exploit the possible overload that this creates
	Psychological Ask a player to keep score of the defensive points for their team.
	Social Make it fun and encourage skill moves and the applauding of skills, megs and 1v1 duels.

SSG (20 mins)

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Playing 6v6 including a GK set up as shown, but allow free play initially to observe if the practice topic is evident in the SSG.

Play short timed games to encourage games to be won on points gained through dribbling.

Introduce challenges and conditions below if sufficient dribbling not evident.

Consider reducing pitch size, if running with the ball, or passing is prevalent.

Free play to end.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

3rds of the pitch used if congestions reduces dribbling opportunities. Attacker from central zone can join enter the attacking 3rd by dribbling into that zone to create a 2v2.

Points for dribbling through any of the gates. 3 points for a goal, but 5 points for a goal including a gate dribble in the build up.

Add 2 points for creating an overload by taking a defender out of the game by beating them in a 1v1 dribble.

As a fun twist, introduce ultimate game winner, dribble around the keeper and score to immediately win the game.

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