Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U8 - Turning

Ball Mastery and Turns Unopposed (25 mins)

Organization: 30x30yrd grid. Cones scattered in various areas of the grid

Instructions:

- Players to dribble around the area in/out of the cones.

- Players with a ball each doing ball mastery moving from cone to cone: bell touches, outside/inside, toe taps, rolls, roll-stop etc. (moves carried out using inside, outside, and bottom of the left foot and right foot)

- Players to practice turns at the cones (i.e. dribble up to a cone and perform a turn away from it). Turns include; outside cut, drag back x3, cruyff, reverse cruyff, stepover turn etc.

Dribbling games: Knockout, tunnel tag, garbage, hungry hippos etc.

Coaching Points:

- Head up and look for space (look for a cone that other players are not going to). Also when doing the ball mastery look forward at the cone, training to get head up when moving with the ball.

- Body position low when turning away from a cone

- Moves done at speed and under control

Progressions:

- Various turns

Conditioned Game - Numbers game (goals back to back) (25 mins)

Organization: 20x30yrd field. 6 yellows, 6 blues

Instructions: Players numbered 1-6 on each team. Coach calls out multiple numbers (e.g. 1,2,3). Players from each team run out and touch the goal and run back to the red markers, first team back gets possession of the ball and then attacks opponents goal. Players can score in any goal

Coaching Points:

- When to pass, when to dribble / turn

- Attack space

- When to use turns (i.e. when one goal is congested, turn away and attack other goal)

Progressions:

- 1v1's, 2v2s, 3v3s, 4v4s etc.