Tools, Tips & Techniques
14 July, 2010 issue 168
Under 4s - Under 16s
Get behind the ball On June 12 England were leading USA 1-0 in the World Cup. A ball came through to the goalkeeper Robert Green in the England goal, a straightforward save was expected but he let it get past him and equalise the goal – he needed a long barrier, says David Clarke
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Knee down, leg behind hands
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Pull ball into the body with little fingers nearly touching
Fall forwards to protect ball with body
Protecting the ball When a shot is collected by the goalkeeper they must put a barrier behind them, made with their legs so that if they miss the ball with their hands it doesn’t go into the goal.
Get the position right l When your goalkeeper goes down to collect a low shot, they should put one knee on the ground with the leg forming a barrier behind their hands.The other knee is off the ground for balance. They should put their hands down with fingers pointing to the ground then cup them around the ball (1). l As they collect the ball, they should pull the ball into their chest and hold on tight (2). l When they have pulled the ball into their chest if there are no attackers following up they can stand up ready to distribute the ball to their team. l If attackers are following in tell your goalkeeper they should fall forward with the ball tightly clutched to their chest and protect the ball with their body (3).
Goalkeepers must use their leg as a barrier and not just bend down to pick up the ball or it could slip through their fingers and into the goal.
“I know a lot of people always say footballers have got a great life, and they’re right. But to get there is so tough” Chris Gunter, defender, Nottingham Forest
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Player development
weekly
Under 4s - Under 16s
Skills The artSchool of coaching children Skill 19: Chest control Players need to use their chests when the ball comes at them too low to head, or too high to control with the thigh or lower leg.
How to control with your chest
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l Bend slightly backward at the waist if the ball is coming down from a height, making a platform to ‘catch’ the ball on. Tell your players the way to get a backward Eye on the ball lean Let ball cushion Take ball on chest leaning chest is to lower back and cushion ball off the chest to just below collar the position of the midriff by with chest the ground bone positioning one foot forward and bending the knees. l Thrust your shoulders forward just before making contact l Bend slightly forward at the with the ball to cushion it. waist if the ball is coming upwards after it has bounced, l Make contact with the ball just below your collar bone. or it will come off your chest and go over your head.
David Clarke’s touchline tales What you – as a coach – mean to a child In my Touchline Tales column I am not trying to hold myself up as a coach with no faults. But know players enjoy playing in my teams so I must be doing something right most of the time.
tion and wanted to ‘borrow’ a centre back from the Yellow U9s. I was coaching the Yellows for the tournament, and found out with some surprise that one of my players had already been told he was playing for the Blue team in the tournament.
This week’s tale could (and perhaps should) open your eyes to what children want from belonging to a team and what they want from you as a leader – you might be surprised at the answer.
However, on the morning of the tournament the player did not turn up – his dad had rung the manager of the Blues and pulled his son out because of an ankle injury.
Experience is a precious commodity for a coach. When I first started coaching I panicked when my teams lost and the enjoyment factor was buried under mountains of winning strategies that I invented. I do still use those strategies, and I have invented more of them, but experience has taught me to also take care of the other side of coaching, looking after the child. This tale happened at the weekend as we prepared for a tournament. The manager of the Blue U9s (which were the A team) was agitated about his team. He was not happy with his forma-
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What in fact had happened was that the player had been in tears and told his dad that he wouldn’t play for the Blue team because he was frightened of the manager – so his dad made up the injury and kept him at home. The lesson here is that your coaching style really matters to young players. Think about how you come across to them because you wouldn’t want to be the coach that nobody wanted to play for. The shame was the player missed out on a great tournament, good fun and some great results for the team.
14 July 2010
Player development
weekly
Under 4s - Under 16s
Tactics
Champions of chaos Meredith Rilley, the U10 and U14 coach of Red Storm Rebels in Connecticut, USA, explains how to play the game that helps her coach players to overcome aggressive play with good passing
Champions of chaos
MEREDITH: “This game is great for a day when players need to let off some energy that can be a distraction in other drills. The kids love the chaos and the aggression of the game and, as teams are eliminated, what I love is that they start to see that it takes skill to stay in the game, not just random aggressive kicking and running. At first, aggression will rule, then you will see passing skills take charge.”
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E
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F
E
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D
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B
How to set it up
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l One goal is needed and the penalty area is a no go zone. l No goalkeeper. l Divide players into pairs and call them the As, Bs, Cs and so on.
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NO GO ZONE
How to Play it
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Play in pairs and score in the empty goal.
l Start the game by throwing the ball into the middle of the players – only one ball in play at at time. l Players in their pairs fight to gain possession of the ball, passing to their teammate to combine and score a goal. l When a team has scored, they sit out, until there is one team left and they are out. l Round 2 is all the teams who scored. l The remaining rounds are played, each eliminating the previous “non-scoring” team, until there is one team left. l Any restarts are by you throwing into the middle again.
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A A
D C
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B
E E
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NO GO ZONE
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Play fair l No cherry-picking or goal hanging allowed – this is done by having the penalty area as a no go zone so players must pass and shoot from outside the area.
Players must score to progress to the next round. shot
Coaching Points l Players need to get open for passes, running to open space – at a close distance at first, then adjusting as teams are eliminated. l Players will find give-and-go passes a must for success-
ful possession retention. l Being able to receive under pressure is important with so many players vying for the same ball at close range.
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14 July 2010
Games workshop
weekly
Under 4s - Under 16s
Small-sided game
Two goal game
KEY BALL MOVEMENT
SHOT ON GOAL
PLAYER MOVEMENT
One touch finish This game gets players shooting first time without taking the extra touch which often gives opponents the opportunity to block the shot
1. The black team are in possession in a normal 4v4 situation.
Set up l Mark out a pitch 30 x 20 yards. l Two teams of four players l If the ball leaves play, you have a few re-start options: 1. The coach passes a new ball onto the pitch 2. The players take a roll in 3. The players take a throw in 4. The players make a pass in 5. The players dribble in
Rules l No offside. l The players can only score by using a first time shot (i.e. without taking a touch to control the ball). l The game is played for a set time period of 5 minutes each way.
THE MATCH DAY PLANNER IS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AT: www.bettersoccercoaching.com/MDP.pdf
2. The black players try to create space for an attack.
3. The black player runs on to a pass and shoots first time.
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 Š Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
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14 July 2010