Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: Chelsea, England, fast passing, lampard, long pass, pass like Frank, passing session, through ball
Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard has built his whole game on the ability to thread a pass. His trademark long balls can split defences wide open and create space for an attacker to work in.
But he is equally good at playing the short game, using the ball to take out defenders or to put an overlapping winger in behind the defence.
If every team got its players to use passes with purpose they would be much more successful in creating goalscoring opportunities. And by the same token, nothing will destroy a team more than inaccurate passing.
So here’s a move that will help players practise passing so that it comes to them naturally during a match.
How to set it up:
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Mark out an area 30 yards long by 10 yards wide using cones.
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Place four players around the area, one on each side.
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Use only one ball.
Getting started:
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The players on the short ends pass long and short.
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The players on the long sides must move to receive but can only pass short.
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Get the players moving the ball around in triangles, anticipating where the next player will run to.
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Mark out zones so the players on the longer sides are given some guidance of where to move to when they receive the ball.
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If it is a short pass, they run into the end zone nearest the passing player.
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For a long pass they are in the zone furthest from the passing player.
Why this works:
The way to familiarise your players in passing with purpose is to get them passing long and short. Players need to learn not only how to pass well, but to move into space so it is easier for the player on the ball to find them. The passing must be very accurate or the exercise breaks down.
In a match situation, coaches will often stand on the side of the pitch and see situations where a simple pass, long or short, could open up the opposition defence, but the opportunity is missed.
Practising the basics in a quick-moving scenario such as this will perfect technique as well as decision-making ability, so get your players doing this exercise to make them into mini Frank Lampards.
You can set up a few areas like this so the whole team is passing and moving at the same time.
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Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: closse control, drill, fast passing, session, small-sided games, technique, tight space
Although simple in concept, this is a difficult small-sided game, and one that is brilliant when preparing for situations where space on the pitch is at a premium – for instance when two sides slot five men into midfield.
The fact the pitch remains long in length means that play can be spread about. That said, attackers must be sure of their control and angle of approach, as the defender’s task is made that much easier by only having to cover a relatively small width.
Teams will generally find that they need to build up through the middle of the pitch using quick skills and passing combinations, so close control and good technique is encouraged and can serve teams well.
How to set it up
- Pitch size: 30×20 yards (min) up to 40×25 yards (max).
- This is a 4v4 game plus two keepers.
- Construct two channels of 5 yards in width, one down each side of the pitch from the touchline.
- The game is played for a set time period of 10 minutes.
The rules
- Play as you would do a normal game, but with no offside rule.
- 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 - The aim of the game is for the teams to score in each other’s goal, whilst negotiating a much narrower playing area.
