U5-U6 Practice Week 8 At these ages, 3v3 is really 1v5. 4v4 is really 1v7. Both the perfect environment to develop dribblers! Emphasis on aspects of play they are not ready for or on winning will create stress, and cause players to not enjoy their experience. Development leads to enjoyment, learning and improving, mastering skills, and later to control winning. Philosophy is to develop skill - 1 with a ball, and a movement education approach to soccer practice. They need to be able to experiment with different foot surfaces, dev skill, body awareness and control/coordination. Practices should be FUN, lively and engaging. Players must have shin guards to play in contact situations. The progression of practice goes from SIMPLE - > COMPLEX. Equipment needed: cones and pennies, pugg goals if possible. Each player should bring a ball. Some players may see passing moments, most may not, that’s ok. As they gain experience and insight, they will see them. U5 prepare to play 3v3. U6 prepare to play 4v4. NO HEADING. NO GOALKEEPERS. OBSTACLE COURSE (cone obstacles prevent overuse of linear dribbling, mimicking the presence of defenders) (Perimeter cones at 5yd increments for this age, adjust spaces needed) Organization: STAGE 1. Cones placed inside so dribblers must look for spaces to dribble toward. All players with a ball, try to dribble from on end to the other. One team goes, then other. Players who hit cones must: go back to start, or do skills challenge before they can resume dribbling. STAGE 2. Both teams go at same time, and entire team to stop ball on opposite ends wins. Can say without hitting cones. STAGE 3. Add bandits, who tackle or steal ball, drop their pinnie, and become dribbler. Coaching Points: dribbling, surfaces of the feet, vision, timing.
WRECK IT RALPH Organization: Two teams are placed on end with coach, and coach calls a number of kids to come out to play (like NUMBERS OUT). Don’t play more than they have in game format. Players try to play 1v1 and in small groups to start to use vision, skills and decision-making to shoot to knock down cones. You can remove them as they get knocked down, or set them back up. Coaching Points: foot surfaces – dribble w/insides, outsides, and soles (NOT toes!), change direction/speed, shooting with laces or passing, dribble toward spaces, vision, be quick/alert, introduce support angles and distances.
BOSS OF THE BALLS dual 3v3 for U5/4v4 for U6 scrimmage Do not use more kids per team than they play with in games. They DO NOT have GK’s with pugg goals at games – they DO NOT use GK’s in games. These young players need time on the ball developing foot skills, coordination, insight, transition, etc.
U7-U8 Practice Week 8 The theme for this age group is to reinforce “1 with a ball”, and introduce effectively “working in pairs”. Players at this age cannot control winning and losing. Emphasis on winning will create stress, and cause players to not enjoy their experience. Development leads to enjoyment, learning and improving, mastering skills, and ultimately to control winning. Shin guards are mandatory for contact participation. Practice must be FUN. Players need to work on taking dribbling to the next level of performance, changing direction, changing speed, and starting to learn moves to unbalance opponents. Start to address behavior of the teammate with and without the ball – angle and distance of support. Practice progresses from SIMPLE -> COMPLEX. Practice time should not exceed the amount of time they play in games. NO HEADING. GK starts at U8.
RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT Organization: Each player dribbles a ball, and follows verbal commands of coach: “red light” = stop, “yellow light” = slow, “green light” = dribble faster. Be creative and think of movement and skill ideas you feel the kids will like. Coaching Points: teach foot surfaces, vision, alertness
1v1 DRIBBLE ACROSS ENDLINES (2 simultaneous games) Organization: Two teams are divided on opposite fields, playing 1v1 to try to dribble across endline. Coaching Points: foot surfaces – dribble w/insides, outsides, and soles (NOT toes!), change direction/speed, shooting with laces, dribble toward spaces, accelerate out especially after regaining ball, vision, be quick/alert.
BOSS OF THE BALLS SCRIMMAGE Do not use more kids per team than they play with in games. Fewer players allows for more touches on the ball, opportunities to use skills, and chances to read the game and make decisions. U7 DO NOT have GK’s with pugg goals at games – DO NOT use GK’s. U8’s DO USE GK’s, but can always omit to emphasize other things. All young players need time on the ball developing foot skills, coordination, insight, recognition of cues, transition, etc.
U9-U10 Practice Week 8 The theme for this age group is to reinforce “1 with a ball” “working in pairs” and enhancing “group play”. Shin guards are mandatory for contact participation. Practice must be FUN. Players need to work on all essential skills: 1v1 (dribbling, tackling, shielding), passing, receiving, striking with laces. Address movement of the teammates without the ball – angle, distance, and timing of support. They learn how to play in overloads starting now. Practice progresses from SIMPLE -> COMPLEX. Practice time should not exceed the amount of time they play in games. NO HEADING.
PASSING SQUARE Organization: STAGE 1. Players pass and follow their pass around the square. Reverse direction. STAGE 2. Work on receiving touch, which foot to pass to, how to get the ball turned and prepared for next pass. STAGE 3. The team served the ball gets to add a player to work on being able to take advantage of the overload situation. Coaching Points: passing surfaces, receiving surfaces, techaccuracy-pace, develop first touch, receiving with relaxed surface and absorb pace, playing with fewer and better quality touches.
3v2 ADD ONE Organization: STAGE 1. Players come out 2v2. Coach serves ball to one team and that team adds a player. VARIATION: Can progress to served balls in air of various kinds, easy til they get skill, comfort and composure. STAGE 2: Make even numbers, and make the kids sort out penetration with man-man marking, and less space. VARIATION: Can add a GK. Coaching Points: foot surfaces, passing/receiving and passing vs dribbling moments, combination play, team shape, shooting/finishing.
SCRIMMMAGE Organization: Do not play in larger formats than they play in games. Smaller games, like 2v2+1, 3v3+1, create overloads. Those, or even sided 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5, will provide more ball contact, and opportunities to practice decision-making. Coaching Points: Technique in dribbling, passing, receiving and scoring, same points as previous stages, more group organization, width, depth, team shape, transfer the skills and concepts from stage to stage.
U11-U12 Practice Week 8 The theme for this age group is to reinforce “1 with a ball” and “group play”, add combination play, higher expectations on tactical use of skill, since it’s viewed as the “dawn of tactical awareness”. Shin guards are mandatory for contact participation. Practice must be FUN. Players need to work on all essential skills: 1v1 (dribbling, tackling, shielding), passing, receiving, striking with laces, AND various small-sided formats. Address movement of the teammates without the ball – angle, distance, and timing of support. Practice progresses from SIMPLE-> COMPLEX. Practice time should not exceed the amount of time they play in games.
DIAMOND PASSING Organization: Organize the diamond/square as seen, using 3-4 players per corner of square. STAGE 1. Pass and follow. Reverse. Play 2 touch to work on receiving. Play 2 touch max and show 1 touch passing. Add various passing sequences and combinations. STAGE 2. Pass, wall-pass, pass to next line, and follow your pass. STAGE 3. Pass, layoff, pass and follow your pass. Coaching Points: clean and proper foot surfaces, pass to the optimal foot, passing/receiving/redirecting techniques, passing clean with insides, outsides and laces.
6 GOAL GAME for transition! Organization: Set three goals on each endline, 2yd gates/goals, wide field, not deep, 40 wide x 2 deep, for example. Team with ball tries to pass to front player in gate. When successful, that player dribbles in, one from each gate comes in. The team that scored stays on and transitions to defense. Coaching Points: dribbling skills and application, passing vs dribbling moments, combination play, support, width, penetration and improvisation, when to use shooting with laces vs passing into goal with insides/outsides, dribble toward spaces, vision, be quick/alert in transitions.
SCRIMMMAGE Organization: Do not play in larger formats than they play in games. Smaller games, like 2v2+1, 3v3+1, create overloads. Those, or even sided 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5, will provide more ball contact, and opportunities to practice decision-making. Coaching Points: Technique in dribbling, passing, receiving and scoring, same points as previous stages, more group organization, width, depth, team shape, transfer the skills and concepts from stage to stage.
U13-U19 Practice Week 8 The theme for this age group is to reinforce “1 with a ball” and “group play”, enhancing play in overloads and with more complex aspects of attacking and defending principles. ALL STAGES OF TRAINING SHOULD BE ECONOMICAL – INCLUDE THE BALL! (so practice can include technical, tactical, physical and psychological elements of play). Shin guards are mandatory for contact participation. Practice must be FUN. Players need to work on all essential skills: 1v1 (dribbling, tackling, shielding), passing, receiving, striking with laces. Address movement of the teammates without the ball – angle, distance, and timing of support and group/team shapes. Practice progresses from simple to complex. Practice time should not exceed the amount of time they play in games. 1v1 and 2v2 DEFENDING Organization: STAGE 1. Organize 1v1 defending. Coach approach, and ability to win ball. STAGE 2. Can combine groups, depending on number, so work rest:ratio is not greater than 1:3. Coaching Points: proper technique, accuracy and pace in passing, limit space by approach with optimal speed and angle, body shape, footwork, tackling (poke or block), limit off access to teammates, pressure, cover, angle/distance of cover, switching roles in pressure and cover.
6 GOAL GAME Organization: Set three goals on each endline, 2yd gates/goals, wide field, not deep, 40 wide x 2 deep, for example. Team with ball tries to pass to front player in gate. When successful, that player dribbles in, one from each gate comes in. The team that scored stays on and transitions to defense – organize defensively – pressure, cover and balance. Coaching Points: Same as above, switching roles, balance of the 3rd defender, marking and tracking players.
SCRIMMMAGE Use number roles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (defending big goal with GK) vs 6, 8, 10, 7, 9, 11 (defending 3 counter goals: cone gates/goals) Organization: Do not play in larger formats than they play in games. Smaller games, like 2v2+1, 3v3+1, create overloads. Those, or even sided 3v3-7v7 will provide more ball contact, and opportunities to practice decisionmaking. Using large goals helps with integrating GK. Coaching Points: Technique in dribbling, passing, receiving and scoring, same points as previous stages, more group organization, width, depth, team shape, organization between lines of play, transfer the skills and concepts from stage to stage.