Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: defending, support, sessions, positions, pressure, depth, back four, back three
By David Clarke 
Teaching defenders technique and the ability to move into the right places at the right time can be done on the training ground.
Here though, we combine the teaching with an immediate attack versus defence scenario, so players are straight away putting into practice what they have learnt.
So they must ensure they react to the call well, adopt the right shape, then be ready to defend immediately.
How to set it up:
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Create a 25-yard square with 10 x 5 yards end zones.
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In front of one end zone, place three cones across the width of the area, plus a mini goal just in front of the central cone.
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Three defenders start behind the cones and three attackers start at the opposite end.
- Stand halfway up the area on the touchline.
The technique:
The three defenders will need to move as per your instructions, so teamwork and unity is essential in maintaining a solid backline. So you will call either:
“Left” – the left defender pressures and shows inside, the central defender supports and stops the forward pass, the defender farthest away supports the central player and provides depth.
“Centre” – the central defender pressures the ball while the two wide defenders take up supporting positions behind, and to either side to stop the forward pass.
“Right” – the right defender pressures and shows inside, the central defender supports and stops the forward pass, the defender farthest away supports the central player and provides depth.
Getting started:
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On your call, the defending team completes the defending technique task.
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You then pass a ball to the attacking team at the opposite end.
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Immediately, the defenders must run onto the pitch and use the group defending technique to stop their opponents from scoring in their target goal.
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Each team has six run-throughs before the roles are reversed. The winning team is the one to have scored most times in the goal.
Filed under: Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills, Soccer Training, Soccer News, Soccer Fitness, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Refereeing, Dave Clarke | Tags: diagram, exercise, fitness, game, passing, pressure, session, speed
By David Clarke
You can tell when players are under pressure – their first touch begins to go astray. It’s a tell-tale sign and one of the most costly mistakes that can be made in the game. For that reason, it’s important to try to recreate the pressure that players face in matches.
There is also tiredness. By the end of matches, players are often weary and stop thinking about what’s in front of them – they kick the ball wherever they can. In fact, building play with good passing is an afterthought.
So this exercise is great for two reasons – it tightens up concentration while helping to increase players’ stamina. Rehearse this well and you’ll find your players pushing themselves and team mates in pursuit of victory.
How to set it up:
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The playing area for this session depends on the age of your squad. For any players above the age of 10, use the centre circle of an 11-a-side pitch, decreasing the diameter for younger children.
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Split your squad into two teams – in the example shown, we are using two lots of six players.
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Six cones are placed inside the circle in a zigzag formation as shown.
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One team (in the inner circle) places a player on each cone.
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The other team (outside the circle) stands in a line at any point on the centre circle.
Getting started:
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The team inside the circle scores a point each time the ball goes along the zigzag, from the bottom man to the top, and back again.
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The length of time they have to do this is determined by the outer circle players. This team takes it in turns to run around the circle until every member of the team has completed a circuit.
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For the first run, the inner circle players throw the ball to each other up and down the zigzag making sure no player is missed out.
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Next they do this two-touch with their feet so they are passing the ball and receiving under pressure.
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Teams now switch positions with the running team now attempting to beat the number of points scored.
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Run this through two or three times. While players running around the circle should generally experience the same drop-off of pace with each attempt, you should look for the points scored by the inner circle team are likely to increase as they gain more practice.
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For an additional challenge, have the outer circle team dribble a ball around the outside of the circle on each circuit – this way both sides are rehearsing ball skills while under time pressure.
Why this works:
This is a great passing exercise. It is a really good way to work your players so they are passing quickly to defeat the other team.
It’s an unopposed game yet players are still aware of the pressure being placed on them, and this builds the logical awareness that at no place on a football pitch can a player truly relax.
Keep an eye out for good communication between players, and a determined work ethic in terms of passing, running and receiving.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: accuracy, drill, exercise, first touch, movement, overload, passing, pressure
By David Clarke
It can be difficult at times to find a good workout for your players that replicates the vital first touch, good movement and quick passing of typical match day situations.
Players are generally relaxed in training – sometimes overly so – and there’s certainly less pressure on them performing a move well.
But with the right set-up, and providing you can instil the notion that a player’s team mates are depending on him (and him only) to perform a specific task, you can get your team working at a high tempo.
This activity ensures players remain physically and mentally alert at all times, always aware of the concept of using available space in order to make maximum use of the ball.
It is a fast session that rehearses overloads, shooting, passing and movement in the same manner that your players will encounter in a match – indeed, a shortened version of this is perfect as a pre-match practice, so ensure every player is getting the ball and thinking about moving to the pass.
How to set it up:
- Alter the size of the playing area depending on the ages of your players. For U9s, use the centre circle of an adult (11-a-side) pitch, or a circle 20 yards in diameter. For U10s and older, mark out a 30-yard circle as a playing area.
- You will need to create three small goals using cones at equal points around the playing area. These will each be two yards wide. There are six players on one team and three on the other, though you can alter the number of players and the size of the playing area depending on your squad size, providing one team has twice as many players as the other.
This is a great overload game that never allows players to relax. Because it is performed in a playing area that most aren’t accustomed to, they should be constantly aware of situations developing around them.
In the second exercise, the playing numbers are still 6v3, but the overload is not as obvious with players inside the circle feeling as though they are involved in a 3v3 small-sided game.
On each occasion, look for players to adapt their style of play to the way in which they can score points. The team of six should be looking to play a controlled passing game, while the team of three must be bold and ambitious in their attacking play.
GETTING STARTED
The warm-up
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One player on the team of six starts with the ball at his feet.
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He must release the ball to a team mate. His team aims to complete six consecutive passes.
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The team with three players must attempt to overturn possession. If it does, it tries to score in one of the small goals.
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Play this for 10 minutes.
The main move
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Now they have warmed up, prepare your players to restart with the same 6v3 set-up.
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This time though, the team of six must arrange themselves so that three players begin inside the circle and three outside.
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The three inside must keep possession, always attempting to switch with players on the outside of the circle by passing the ball to them. When they do this, they swap places with their team mate.
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They gain a point for each successful pass out and player switch.
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As before, the team of three gain a point by winning the ball and scoring in one of the three goals.
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Play for 10 minutes then rotate players.
