SoccerCoachWeekly Issue 298 Wednesday, January 9, 2013
TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Substitute game Here’s a favourite game of mine that we play regularly, and I think your team should too. It helps players understand the importance of keeping the ball. Ultimately, I like my players to put 100% effort into making it hard for opponents to take possession from us. And even when our own path forward is blocked, I want our players to know how to get out of a tight situation – and no, lumping the ball upfield shouldn’t be the ‘go to’ option!
David Clarke
Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Reds lose the ball to an interception and are forced to make a substitution
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30yds S
How to play it
40yds
• Set up as shown in a 40x30-yard area. You’ll
need cones, balls and a goal at both ends. • The game is played with two teams of equal number – in the example given we’re using 3v3 outfield, plus one substitute and a keeper for each team. • This is played like a standard game, but if a player from either side knocks the ball out of play or has a pass intercepted, he has to swap places with the substitute. If tackled, he has five seconds to see if he can win the ball back before having to swap places. • Play always continues while changes of players are being made, so if a team isn’t quick at substituting players it may find itself susceptible to the overload. • Teams score a point per goal, and get a bonus point for making five consecutive passes. • Encourage players to create situations where opponents will make ‘errors’. For example, playing the ball off an opponent to win a throw-in or corner will force the other team into making a substitution, and from that, an overload situation is created.
Here, the white player is tackled by his red opponent. He has five seconds to win the ball back
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Whites play the ball off a red, but reds are slow to make their substitution, meaning whites use their overload to good effect by scoring in the goal
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Technique and tactics • At the heart of this is intelligent passing,
dribbling and shielding, as well as clever inventive ideas such as playing the ball off an opponent’s legs or shins. • You should find that, after a while, you won’t need to point out why possession was lost – players will do that themselves, and from that, they’ll make more informed decisions in future. Remember, losing the ball isn’t a mistake, it’s just a wrong decision by the player.
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SoccerCoachWeekly WARM UP
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
First touch and pass
Michael Beale
Premier League Academy soccer coach Players receive the ball, control, then pass out the other side of the area
This is a warm-up that has its emphasis on coaching touch and technique.
How to play it • Set up as shown in the diagram
– the practice uses six players in a 15x15-yard area. • Arrange four players outside the area and two inside. • Two balls are in play simultaneously. • The two inside players must continually receive passes, then control the ball to pass out to one of the outside players. The outside players must be continuously on the move. • Similar to the substitute principle of the main session on page 1, you can add the condition that any misplaced passes lead to players switching.
15yds
15yds
The outer players receive the pass then feed it back in
Technique and tactics • Each player should have a
picture in his mind so that, before the ball arrives at his feet, he knows how he will receive the ball and how he will pass it on. • Players need to get side-on to receive. • They should control with one foot and pass with the other.
If the inside player doesn’t make an accurate pass, he has to swap with the outside man
FOR PERFECT ING G ENCOURA REE 360 DEG D VISION ANSS AWARENE player movement run with ball
ball movement
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 Head Coach: David Clarke Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: Andrew Akers, Michael Beale, Mig Fazackerley, David Lewis, Steve Watson, Clem White. © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
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SoccerCoachWeekly FOOTY4KIDS
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tidy your room
Steve Watson
Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk
The playing area represents two bedrooms, divided off by cones, with one team in each
The objective of this game is to improve ball skills, communication and team work. It’s perfect for players between the ages of five and nine, and involves the whole team. For older age groups, add a keeper in each goal.
How to play it • Set up as shown in the diagram – in a 20x30-yard area
you’ll need some flat cones, a few larger traffic-style cones or poles, and a ball for each player. A row of cones is spread across the centre of the pitch with larger cones or poles representing the ‘bedroom door’. • The two teams face each other, each in their own bedroom. • All players will have a ball at their feet; you stand at the side of the area with a few additional balls. • Before the game starts, demonstrate a couple of turns and ask the players to try them as they dribble around the playing area:
20yds
Red bedroom
White bedroom 30yds
A red player moves towards the door and attempts to block shots coming in, while team mates retrieve loose balls from the back of the area, ready to return them
Drag Back Stop or slow the ball by stepping on it with the sole of your foot. Run past it by a few feet, pivot on one foot, turn quickly and run back the way you came, collecting the ball as you go. The Stop and Go As you dribble the ball (usually with an opposition player alongside you) you suddenly slow down then explode away. The most effective technique is to stop the ball completely with the sole of your foot then quickly push it forwards again with the instep.
• To start, shout “keep your bedroom tidy!” • Each player moves around his team’s bedroom, and
must kick balls through the ‘door’ into the other team’s bedroom. • If you assign a captain, he can select players to stand near to the door to intercept and return balls kicked by the opposition. • Other players move around the bedroom collecting opposition balls that have made it through. • Should a player score in the other team’s goal, he earns the opposition a five-point penalty. Leave the ball in the goal. • Play for three minutes then stop the game. A point is given for each ball in the bedroom, plus any five-point penalties for a goal being scored. The team with the fewest points has kept its bedroom tidiest and wins the game. • Any balls that leave the area are dead.
3 minutes
A white shot goes into the goal, adding five points to the reds’ total, as the coach blows for the end of the game
Technique and tactics • The game requires good organisation and quick
reactions – team mates must work together at pace in order to limit the number of balls coming into their own bedroom whilst firing as many into opposition territory as possible. • Assigning captains helps to organise how each team plays – use a strong character for this, but feel free to experiment by switching captains as the game progresses.
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22 points v 9 points
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013
SoccerCoachWeekly TOUCHLINE TALES
Don’t underestimate your players Firstly, despite the freezing conditions, I was pleased we got our game on last weekend. I was even more delighted to see an individual piece of skill that turned the match in our favour. My players had started sluggishly – they hadn’t played a match for a whole month due to the state of the pitches and the Christmas season. And for the first 10 minutes they discovered there was more to playing games than passing past the opposition – after all, to do that, they’d need to win the ball against opponents who were playing a tight possession game. It was, however, a good lesson for us in movement - marking players and covering space when the opposition attacked we’d worked on this just before Christmas. The midfielders, especially, fought hard, and midway through the half, one of them intercepted a pass enabling us to break upfield.
David Clarke
Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly
Our player went on a great run and beat the last man just over the halfway line, giving himself a free run on goal. As defenders rushed back and his team mates caught up I thought he should pass the ball... but he proved me wrong, cut inside, and unleashed a great shot from just inside the penalty area into the top corner. Wow. At the end of the game, I listed the skills that went into making that move – and that goal – possible: 1. An interception 2. Good control 3. An effective dribble 4. The decision to go it alone... the right one 5. The ability to look up to see where the goal was 6. Moving the ball to a position where it could be hit 7. Shooting with power and direction
That’s a considerable list for a 10-yearold to process whilst on the run. But if I look back over the past couple of months, as a team we have practised counterattacks, performed 1v1 decision-making, and played out drills that use control of the ball, dribbling and shooting. So when I think about it, any one of my players should have the skills to score that sort of goal. For me, the best part of the move was the interception that started it all off. It’s no coincidence that it was the last thing we worked on in training before the Christmas break – a session during which I was sure my players were more concerned about getting home and enjoying the festivities than playing soccer! And this is what I love about coaching – your players can often show you how much they’ve learnt in one snapshot, and just when you least expect it.
Three sure-fire ways to improve defending 1. Remember that attackers are defenders too One of the dangers of assigning positions to young soccer players is they will take you literally. If you tell a child that he is a defender, for example, he will think his job is to defend and nothing else. Similarly, a child who is told “you’re an attacker today” will think that his job is to score goals, not to defend. It’s important to make it clear that all the players on your team are defenders when the other team has the ball. Similarly, when your team has the ball, everyone should be in attack mode, not just the attackers.
2. Don’t dive in! Teach your players that if they are defending near to their own goal, the player closest to the ball – the first defender – does NOT have to win possession back.
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Instead, his job is to hold the opposing player up until help arrives, trying to guide the ball carrier towards the sidelines. He should only attempt a tackle if the attacker looks as if he is losing control of the ball.
3. Let’s work together – it’s as easy as 1-2-3. It’s a basic principle that defenders should always outnumber attackers. So while the first defender is slowing the attack down and trying to force the player with the ball into a position where he can’t get a shot in, the rest of the defence needs to get into covering positions. When defending near their own goal, the first defender does not have to dive straight in to win possession
Steve Watson
Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk
The player who is second closest to the ball – the second defender – should position himself on a line between the ball and the goal, providing cover for the first defender. If he is beaten, he takes over the first defender’s job and a third defender moves in to provide cover. The remaining players in your defence should mark the attacking players and try to cut off any passing opportunities. This is known as 1-2-3 defending. Practice these three key ideas, and you’ll see impressive results quickly!
The first defender slows down the attack while the others position to provide cover
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SoccerCoachWeekly SMALL-SIDED GAME
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Overload continuous game Which team can build an advantage as the game moves towards 4v4 in this rapidly expanding series of overload situations?
Michael Beale
Premier League Academy soccer coach The first player attacks unopposed...
30yds
How to play it • Create a playing area, as shown,
measuring 40x30 yards. • This game requires two goals and 10 balls, and is played using eight outfield players and two keepers. • The first player from the white team dribbles and uses three touches to shoot against the keeper. • Immediately two players from the red team make a 2v1 going in the opposite direction. • Players are then added in sequence – so next it’s a 3v2 in favour of the whites until all balls and players have entered the pitch to make 4v4. • You then pass the extra four balls into the game (one at a time), and play until all balls end up in the net. Once a goal is scored, leave the ball where it is. • Which team has the most goals?
40yds
...before in the next phase it switches to he must defend 1v2
Then the white team attacks 3v2 as the game eventually progresses to 4v4
Rotating the game • Have a break before going again, but make sure it’s the other team that starts this time.
Technique and tactics • This game is all about transitions –
in terms of players, having to switch back and forth between attacking and defending mindsets; and in terms of the teams themselves, having to operate both with and against the overload. • Communication is key, so players should be talking and being aware of their positions at all times.
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Essential tools for your team 20yds
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SoccerCoachWeekly YOUR SAY
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
SCW Surgery This week
A local TV station wants to film your team training and playing matches as part of a youth soccer documentary. Do you let them?
Clem White Pyle Dragons
Q
I’m new to youth coaching and the league is understaffed, so I’m often asked to referee. What’s the official ruling on stopping an Under-9s game when a player is injured? Should I be doing this for any sort of injury, however serious? Dean Moorgate, Islington
A
Referees in adult football will not stop play for an injured player to receive treatment unless it is obvious he is seriously hurt, has a head injury, or is in a position where he cannot protect himself from further injury. But youth football is different. While some refs might allow play to continue for a few seconds to see if a child picks himself up, I suggest that at Under-9s level you stop play immediately for all injuries. If you allow play to continue you not only risk serious confrontation with parents on the touchline, you could be perceived to be indifferent to the welfare of the players. As children get older, the standards change. While all injuries are serious as far as very young children are concerned, older children are better able to judge the extent of their injury and it may be acceptable to allow play to continue. The golden rule is to err on the side of caution, and then some!
TACKLED: Results Here’s the result of the poll we ran in Soccer Coach Weekly 296. We asked what you would do if two of your players had a scuffle on the pitch during an important game – keep them on the pitch or withdraw them both?
KEEP THEM ON THE PITCH
TACKLED: Let the cameras roll? YES
NO
Andrew Akers
Mig Fazackerley
Celts United, Glasgow
Maiden United, Hackney, London
“Let’s give the lads their 15 minutes of fame... It will be a fantastic experience for them to look back on in years to come.”
“And if it wasn’t my players showing off, then undoubtedly it would be an opposition player looking to make a name for himself, maybe in the tackle... and that could be dangerous.”
Let’s give the lads their 15 minutes of fame. The likelihood of any player from an average youth soccer side making it even to the semi-professional game are remote in the extreme, so why not let the lads live out their dreams of showcasing their skills on camera? It will be a fantastic experience for them to look back on in years to come, something they’ll really cherish. The experience would undoubtedly also be good for the club, and the league itself. A coach being offered any sort of press exposure for the overall benefit of youth soccer should grab it with both hands. It’s difficult enough to get resources and recognition in place for what can often be a thankless task, so turning down an opportunity such as this would be a big mistake. And if you’re looking for an extra 10% from your players then the lure of national attention is surely a fine way to prompt it. You’ll certainly see added effort going into training and match day. Okay, so someone will attempt a 25-yard shot ‘for the cameras’, but you never know, it might go in! Obviously there is a responsibility here of child protection, but done correctly and with all the required permission, I can see no harm in giving these players an incredible experience. Look on it another way – how would they feel if you turned the opportunity down?
My initial instinct for this says ‘no’, although it would be fair to run it past the parents to gauge their opinions. But in doing that, I am certain that at least one parent would say he or she didn’t want his or her child involved, so that would rule out the idea as a whole, hence my reason for going against it. I also think the intrusion would disturb players in a way that you cannot predict until it’s happening – and by then, there’s no turning back. Youth soccer is for fun, and designed so that players can relax in a competitive environment. How can they possibly do that with a camera crew hovering around at every turn? It’s often the case that young players play up for the cameras – you only have to watch shots of the crowd at live games to see that. I’d rather see my players – and from that, my coaching skills – presented in an honest way, and with integrity, rather than have viewers get an impression of chaos and disorder, which I know is how it would be. And if it wasn’t my players showing off, then undoubtedly it would be an opposition player looking to make a name for himself, maybe in the tackle... and that could be dangerous. Summing it up, I think we’d be throwing away league points and good training time if we invited the cameras along.
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WITHDRAW THEM BOTH
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PUT IT TO THE VOTE: Which of our guest coaches do you agree with? Visit our Facebook page or email your thoughts to David Clarke at david.clarke@coach-soccer.com
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