Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): 1. Fairo Soccer Camp Practices

Game - Splitting the Opponent

The Splite Game: Practice for Passing, Movement, and Decision-Making

The Splite Game helps develop passing accuracy, player movement, and decision-making skills in young soccer players.

Setup:

• Large Space: An open area, the bigger the better, is ideal for this game.
• Teams: Divide players into two teams: attackers and defenders. Teams can be 4v4, 8v8, 11 v 11 or even larger depending on the available space and player count.
• Formation: Attacking players form a large circle around a smaller circle formed by the defending players in the center.

Gameplay:

• The objective for the attacking team is to score by either:
  • Completing 10 consecutive passes within their large circle.
  • Passing the ball between two defending players (splitting them).

Coaching Points:

• Attackers:
  • Movement: Encourage attackers to move around the circle, creating passing triangles and diamonds , creating space and passing options.
  • Passing: Emphasize accurate and creative passing to open teammates and keep the ball moving.
  • Decision-Making: Teach attackers to choose the best passing option based on the situation - short pass, long pass, or splitting the defenders.
• Defenders:
  • Compactness: Encourage defenders to stay close together, making it difficult for attackers to find space.
  • Communication: Emphasize communication to coordinate movements and close down passing lanes.
  • Interception: When an opportunity arises, encourage defenders to intercept passes and regain possession.
  • Calculated Approach: Instead of chasing the ball recklessly, teach defenders to anticipate passes and position themselves to intercept or tackle effectively. This aligns with the "pride of lions" metaphor, emphasizing a strategic approach to regaining possession.

Progression:

• Increase Difficulty: As players get comfortable, you can gradually decrease the number of passes required to score for the attackers.
• Neutral Player: Add a neutral player(s) inside the circle with the defenders. This player can provide additional passing options for the attackers and increase the complexity of the game.

Additional Tips:

• Coach Demonstrations: Demonstrate to players how to create scoring opportunities and how to effectively split the defenders.

• Caution for Losing Ball: Remind attackers who lose the ball to avoid chasing it directly back. Instead, they should move to transition quickly into a compact shape with teammates to avoid getting scored on
• Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement and praise players for good movement, communication, and successful passes.

• "Be a pride of lions not a shiver of blood thristy sharks." Players on the defending team should be calculated about how to take the ball back without exposing passing lanes and not just chase the ball around. 

Rondo - Defend the line

Practice 3 - "one person goes to get the ball"

Practice 3: Block the Doorway / Open the Door (4-Year-Olds)

Setup:

• Field size: 20 yards x 20 yards
• Equipment: Balls, cones

Playing Area:

• Mark an 8-yard x 8-yard square in the center of the field.
• Place two cones  4 yards apart on opposite sides of the square to create a "doorways."

Teams:

• Divide players into three teams (approximately 2/3 players per team).

Gameplay (5 minutes per round):

• Two teams ("attacking teams") play against one team ("defending team") at a time.
• The defending team stands outside of the square, facing away "doorway" created by the cones.
• The attacking teams are positioned outside the square.
• The coach starts the game by rolling the ball to one of the attacking teams.
• The attacking teams try to pass the ball through the doorway to a teammate on the other side.
• The defending team tries to block the doorway and prevent the ball from passing through.

Scoring (Optional):

• You can award a point to the attacking teams each time they successfully pass the ball through the doorway.

Rotation:

• After each round (5 minutes), rotate the defending team. Each team gets a turn defending the doorway.

Coaching Points:

• Simple Instructions: Use clear and simple instructions like "Block the door!" for the defenders and "Pass the ball through!" for the attackers.
• Focus on Teamwork: Encourage the attacking teams to work together and communicate to create passing opportunities.
• Positive Reinforcement: Praise all players for their effort and participation, regardless of whether they score a point.
• Fun and Engaging: Keep the games short and action-packed to maintain their attention.

Progression (Optional):

• Reduce Doorway Size: As players get comfortable with the game, you can gradually reduce the size of the doorway by moving the cones closer together. This requires better accuracy and teamwork from the attacking teams.
• Introduce a Neutral Player: Add a neutral player (coach or another player) inside the square with the defending team. This player can help the defenders block the doorway or add an extra passing option for the attackers.

Rondo passing lanes

Block the Passing Lanes (Rondo with Restricted Passing Zones)

This practice is a great way to develop passing accuracy, teamwork, and decision-making skills in young players. It's a variation of a Rondo drill with restricted passing zones.

Setup:

• Field size: 20 yards x 20 yards
• Equipment: Balls, cones
• Players: 5 players (2 attackers on each side, 1 defender in the middle)

Playing Area:

• Divide the field in half with a line of cones or flags.
• Create one, two, or three passing lanes (depending on the players' ability) by placing cones or flags 1 yard apart to form narrow "doorways" or "lanes" connecting the two sides.
• Place three small goals (cones or flags) at the dividing line, creating mini-goals on either side of the center defender.

Gameplay:

• The two attackers on one side of the field try to pass the ball back and forth while the defender in the middle tries to intercept the pass.
• The attackers can pass freely to each other on their side of the field.
• Restricted Passing:
  • To pass to the attackers on the opposite side, they must pass through one of the created passing lanes (mini-goals).
• Loss of Possession:
  • If an attacker makes a mistake (doesn't pass through a lane, kicks the ball out of bounds), they switch places with the defender in the middle.
  • The defender can only leave the center area if they steal the ball or if an attacker makes a mistake. They cannot leave if they kick the ball out themselves.

Coaching Points:

• Focus on Passing Accuracy: Encourage attackers to focus on making accurate passes through the designated lanes.
• Communication and Teamwork: Emphasize communication between attackers to create passing opportunities and openings.
• Decision-Making: Encourage attackers to think about when to play short passes and when to use the passing lanes.
• Defender Positioning: Guide the defender to stay central and anticipate passes to cut off passing lanes effectively.

Progression:

• Increase Difficulty: As players become comfortable, you can increase the difficulty by adding more defenders in the middle or reducing the size of the passing lanes.
• Introduce a Neutral Player: Add a neutral player (coach or another player) on one side of the field with the attackers. This player can provide additional passing options and increase the complexity of the drill.

Additional Tips:

• Keep the game short and fast-paced to maintain attention.
• Use positive reinforcement and praise players for good passes and communication.
• Modify the difficulty based on the players' skill level.

Rondo - 4 v 4

4v4 Positional Rondo: Building Possession and Pressing

This 4v4 positional rondo is a great drill to develop passing skills, positional awareness, and pressing techniques for young players. 

Setup:

• Create a square playing area 10 yards by 10 yards.
• Divide the square into four smaller squares, 5 yards by 5 yards each.
• Players: 4 attackers and 4 defenders (modify based on player availability)

Playing Area:

• Attackers: Two attackers occupy each half of the large square (opposite sides) and cannot cross the center line.
• Defenders: Two defenders are positioned vertically in their half of the large square (opposite the attackers). Only one defender can be in each half at a time.

Gameplay:

• The objective for the attackers is to maintain possession by passing the ball around while the defenders try to win the ball.
• Restriction: Only one defender can press the player with the ball at any given time.
• Progression: Once the attackers complete a certain number of passes (e.g., 5), they can progress by making a pass to a designated player outside the 10x10 square.
• Role Switch: Upon successful progression, the attacking and defending teams switch roles. The attackers become defenders and vice versa.

Coaching Points:

• Attackers:
  • Movement: Encourage attackers to move within their designated half to create passing options and receive the ball in space.
  • Passing: Emphasize accurate and creative passing to keep the ball moving and avoid getting trapped by the defender.
  • Switching Play: Teach attackers to recognize opportunities to switch the play to the open side using diagonal passes.
• Defenders:
  • Communication: Encourage defenders to communicate and coordinate their movements to ensure one player is always pressing.
  • Pressing Technique: Teach defenders to press strategically, closing down passing lanes and forcing the attacker to make a mistake.
  • Recovering after Progression: Remind defenders to recover quickly and get back into position after the attacking team progresses.

Additional Tips:

• Coaching Resets: As you mentioned, you may need to reset the drill if players break the rules (crossing lines, multiple defenders pressing).
• Player Callouts: Encourage players to call out teammates who break the rules to promote self-officiating and awareness.
• Progression Variations:
  • Increase Difficulty: Gradually increase the number of passes required for progression.
  • Introduce Neutral Players: Add neutral players (coach or another player) outside the 10x10 area as additional passing options for the attacking team.
  • Change Defender Movement: Allow both defenders to briefly enter the opposite half to pressure the ball carrier, but only for a limited time.