Tools, Tips & Techniques
09 December 2009 issue 137
Under 4s - Under 16s
Simple dribbling beats defenders In this 1v1 score in either goal game the player on the ball has to do three things. Dribble with the ball, beat the defender by changing direction or using a skill, then score in one of the goals. It’s a good test of ball control skills, says David Clarke Sometimes I think up exercises that are focused on specific things I want my players to concentrate on in training sessions. It may be that during a game I see things which I think need to be worked on. This week my U9 players were running with the ball but when they got to the defender they stopped running and lost momentum. I wanted to give them the confidence to carry on and try to get to goal.
Beat the defender and score 45yds
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5yds
shooting area 20yds
tackling area 3
2
Player 1 passes to 2 who must get past the cone to shoot. 2 1
2
I also needed to make it harder for the defender than the attacker so the purpose of the exercise came through easier. I set up the exercise in the diagram specifically for this and used two goals so the defender had a lot of area to cover behind them.
How to play it l Player 1 passes the ball to player 2, who dribbles the ball and tries to get past the cones five yards from the goal. l Player 2 cannot shoot until they are past the cones. l Player 1 must try to tackle before the player gets past the cones they cannot tackle in the shooting area. l The attacker can score in either goal. l As soon as player 2 shoots or the defender touches the ball player 2 turns to defend against player 3 and the play continues. l To change the exercise you can say the defender is not allowed to tackle or you can add goalkeepers in the goals to make it harder, or just have one goalkeeper to force the attacker towards the goal with no goalkeeper.
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3
When player 2 has shot they must turn and defend player 3. 3 2
3
1
Player 3 tries to get past the cones to shoot in either goal.
pass dribble
player movement shot
“Chris Martin is a promising young player who is a great finisher� Paul Lambert, Norwich manager
Coach development
weekly
Under 4s - Under 16s
The art of coaching children Give your players the short, sharp treatment Re-visit to reinforce
Even the most patient children have a limited concentration span and this will impact on your planning. Here are four ways to improve your players’ consolidation and retention of information.
Keep re-visiting skills and techniques you have taught your players. A newly taught skill should be re-visited over and over again until players are proficient. This might mean you do “chunked” practices for the same skill over the course of six or seven weeks.
Chunking Break your training sessions into short chunks and don’t put too much information into each chunk. I saw this done really well a few weeks ago when a coach was introducing the pass and go technique (that is the ball being passed to a team mate and the player who passed the ball running into space to get a quick return pass).
Active learning Children learn by doing so this needs to be the main focus of your training. Limit explanations and demonstrations and get to the activity. Once players are active stop every two or three minutes and give them another small bit of information then get them active again.
Progression
Hunger
He demonstrated it and asked the players when they might use it in a game. They then spent a few minutes practicing in threes. The coach then mixed pass and go exercises with wall passing and 2 v 1 attacking exercises throughout the session. Each time they went back to the pass and go he progressed it a bit more.
Always leave players wanting more. Don’t work on a skill until players are bored as this leads to bad habits being practised. Short, sharp focused bursts of activity will ensure your players are still hungry to learn when you re-visit the skill another time.
David Clarke’s touchline tales Lost your balls? Then go pink or pick yourself a ball monitor... I don’t know if it’s just me but when it comes to balls I seem I’m sure they just get played with during the game and end to have lost hundreds of the things. Especially at away up with other people’s kit. games when I’m trying to sort out warm ups and get the business end of the game sorted out. I spoke about this to one of the managers from an U17s team who said his solution was to get balls that stood out. I usually get my captain to take the last five minutes free time He ordered 10 pink Mitre balls and never looked back. The where the players are doing their own thing with the balls to players aren’t so sure about turning up at matches with get themselves ready for the game. I spend this time talking pink balls but he reckons he’s on to a winner! There are of to the opposition manager, dealing with registration cards course other colours like luminous green and if it’s an 11-a-side game making sure my linesman had turned up and had been introduced to the referee. I’ve done something a bit more traditional by appointing one of the dads in each team to put the balls back in the It is at this point that the balls usually go missing. They get bag at the start of the match. In this way we are losing kicked into hedges or over the fence into woods or even just less balls and my garage is filling up with worn out ones – kicked too far away so the players think they will get it later. which makes a change. 2
09 December 2009
Player development
weekly
Under 4s - Under 16s
Reacting to situations
Take a shot with your first touch A first time shot can catch goalkeepers unawares and result in a goal. Get your players to shoot first time with this exercise, says David Clarke
Get your players scoring from distance
Shooting on sight is something young players find hard to do. They usually want a touch to control the ball before they dispatch it goalwards. But often this gives the defenders time to get back and make a tackle. To stop the moment being lost and to make attackers more instinctive, you have to set up some sessions that get them to shoot with their first touch.
coach
Passes come from in front of the attacker so they have time to see the ball and shoot first time.
I use this simple exercise where I play the ball to different places around the penalty area and get my attackers to move and hit the ball first time. Then you can advance it by standing behind your attacker and playing the ball so they see it just a split second before they have to hit it. Again place the ball in different areas so the attacker has to be ready to sometimes move to the ball or hit the ones close to them first time. Play this small-sided game to cement your coaching point. l Set up like the diagram with two squares either end with 3 v 1 plus a goalkeeper in each square. l Put two players in the middle zone, one for each team who are the first time shooters. l Have a ball in each area and play at the same time. l The three players in each square must try to get the ball to their player in the middle zone who must shoot as soon as the ball is passed to them. l The lone player each end square tries to win the ball. l Change the ratio of players to make it harder or easier.
coach
The ball comes from behind the attacker who shoots first time.
20yds
20yds
Move the shooting zone nearer the goal depending on age and size – down to 10 yards for younger players.
10yds
20yds
serve
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09 December 2009
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Games workshop
weekly
Under 4s - Under 16s
Small-sided game Warm-up circuit
Pass through legs
Pass through legs
This is a great warm-up to get your players ready for passing and receiving in a match. l Arrange your players into groups of three. l The working player works continuously for one minute. l They must dribble half way across the area and pass to the opposite outside player. l The working player must then run towards the outside player and let the player pass the ball through their legs. l The working player then turns and repeats that practice at the opposite end.
direction of run
direction of pass
dribble
C = coach
The player lets the ball run between their legs.
Five minute fitness
direction of run
Leg circles with a ball
Get fit with leg circles
This five minute fitness drill can be used during your training sessions for a quick break to help coaching points sink in, or as an incentive for a drinks break.
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L.A. Galaxy fitness coach John Ireland uses this tough fitness exercise as part of the team’s core and abs workout.
How to do it l Players lie on their backs. l Arms should be by their sides to support their body. l A ball between their feet l Do 4 circles in a clockwise direction then 4 anti-clockwise. l Create smooth circles with legs not jagged ones – try to get this point across to your players, SMOOTH circles. l Rest for 20 seconds between direction changes. .
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How to advance it
l Tell players to do 8 circles in each direction with no rest.
l Get them to do it once across then once back.
DOWNLOAD THE MATCH DAY PLANNER AT: www.bettersoccercoaching.com/MDP.pdf Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: david.clarke@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148 Editor David Clarke Publisher Kevin Barrow Managing Director Andrew Griffiths Customer Service Representative Duncan Heard © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
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09 December 2009