january 11 2012 issue 246 under 4s - under 16s crossing...

player movement pass shot

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This crossing and finishing session tests pace, precision and positive thinking. It relies on good set-up passing, so the server role can either be done by you, the coach, or an accomplished passer of the ball in your team.

How to set it up:• This is played in a half-pitch, with a goal and keeper at one end.

• Set up three lines of players in front of cones placed 20 yards inside the half, and spaced equally across the pitch. All three groups have their backs to goal.

Getting started:• The server plays the ball to player 1 in the middle line and receives back.

• Player 1 makes an overlapping run around either of the two other lines.

• The server now plays a pass for 1 to run on to and cross.

• At the same time, the top players in lines 2 and 3 turn and make runs to attack the near and far posts, looking to get a finish on goal.

• After crossing, 1 goes to the back of his group; the other two players go to the front of their respective groups.

Key coaching points:• Overlapping runs around group 3 should result in right-footed crosses, with left-footed crosses from around group 2.

• Look for accuracy and good execution of passes and crosses, focusing on weight, angle and height of the ball.

• The cross should be outside the six-yard box so as to cut out the keeper.

• Also note the timing and angle of runs – they must not be too early or too late.

• Attackers should interchange positions making ‘crossing runs’ when they attack the near and far post areas.

• Is the crosser’s decision correct? Should he take a touch infield, or deliver first time?

• Listen out for communication between attackers – particularly the far post runner since he can see everything in front of him.

• Note as well the selection and quality of the finish (preferably first time).

Developing the session:• Now introduce a ‘cut-back cross’ option. This is done by the player at the back of group 1 spinning off to make himself available for the cut-back, which should be played in or around the D.

• Ensure the practice is played at game speed – a two-touch maximum condition can be imposed in order to help this along.

• In the final development, introduce defenders to pressure attackers. Place one or two inside the area. Attackers will still have a 3v1 or 3v2 overload so the expectation is still on them to score.

Why this works:This crossing and finishing session builds in intensity and difficulty,

by the end requiring real precision of cross by the winger. Good communication by attackers in the centre is essential too in order to make space, pull defenders apart and ensure a shot on goal.

The session practises slick one- and two-touch play with players encouraged to attack the ball and show the sort of positivity that’s vital in attacking play.

January 11 2012 Issue 246Under 4s - Under 16s WEEKLY

Crossing and finishingThis week, we ask experienced soccer coach and author Mike Vincent

to put forward one of his most engaging sessions...

Crossing and finishing

WELCOME…

Soccer Coach Weekly 1


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...to the new issue of Soccer Coach Weekly. Temperatures might be falling, but that’s no

excuse for player effort to drop, so check out our basic guide to getting indoor soccer on the go, on page 3. But if you’re staying outside for a bit longer, why not

try the crossing and finishing session below sent in by regarded

US coach Mike Vincent? Enjoy the issue!

1 The receiving player makes

the one-two then runs

around group 3 ready to

cross for the inrushing attackers

2 Now the top player

in line 1 spins off to

fire home from a cut-back cross

3 Introducing defenders

gives attackers

an extra challenge


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Mike Vincent is a Soccer Programme Director in Texas, United States, who has been coaching school, college and semi-professional players

for well over two decades. Born in the UK, his training expertise in the US has earned him the A-licensed grading with the US Soccer Federation,

as well an extensive range of qualifications and diplomas. Mike has been the recipient of the NSCAA High School Boys State and Regional Coach

of the Year Award in both 2008 and 2010. Mike’s coaching manual, ‘Modern Attacking and Goalscoring’ is available via Amazon.

WEEKLY


SAID LIKE A PROWARM-UP

Go left or go rightSAID LIKE A PROa WARM-UP

Side-step circuitHow to set it up:• Set up five pairs of cones as shown in the diagram.

• There are two groups of players – one starts top left, the other bottom right.

• Both ends work at the same time.

Getting started:• The players must complete a series of sprints and foot movements:

1. Sprint to the first cone and side step to the left

2. Sprint forward and side step to the left

3. Back pedal and side step to the left

4. Sprint to the back of the opposite group

• Once all the players have completed three sets with movements to the left, the starting position is changed so that the players can now work on movements to the right.

Why this works:Side-stepping offers a great way for players to find space on the

pitch, so rehearsing this simple technique in a warm-up is a good idea.

The exercise also loosens players’ joints for general training practice.

KEY

ELEM

ENTS • Movement

• Agility

• Reactions

• Speed

direction of run

Side-step circuit

Players need to plant their feet then drive off with their leading foot

direction of run

TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Keepy-ups = controlKeepy-ups are all about keeping the ball in the air with any body part except the hands or arms.

It’s an individual skill that teaches ball and body control.

Tell your players to start keepy-ups by juggling the ball on their thighs. It’s easier to control the ball at first on a larger body part, such as a thigh, than something smaller like the foot, so get them used to the task by starting it off in a way that they will find achievable.

Then get them to move to the feet - once players get a feel for the activity, this is the next logical move.

A player can alternate thighs and feet, or juggle with one thigh or foot at a time.

Encourage them to now try juggling with the head. Remind the player to keep the ball on the forehead (at the hairline) and to keep his eyes wide open.

Be aware of posture. Keeping an upright posture, with a slightly bent plant leg, arms at the sides or out to the sides, will help maintain balance and keep the ball in play.

Be patient. Children need practice to get beyond one or two juggles, but with patience and familiarity, they can juggle indefinitely.

a straight line between two cones, 20 yards apart. A chaser starts to the left or right of him and approaches from behind.

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How to teach your players to juggle

Start on the thighs

Move to the feet

Try the head

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Start on the thighs

Move to the feet

Try the head

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Start on the thighs

Move to the feet

Try the head

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Start on the thighs

Move to the feet

Try the head


WEEKLY

THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN

Undercover soccerCoaching soccer indoors – games to use in a small gym

More indoor games

Shuttle races and relays (Below) - up until the age of 13 or 14 you can adequately stretch kids’ muscles with basic shuttle races or relays. If you make sure they include elements that involve turning, bending, acceleration and stopping, they will also

improve aerobic fitness. A big plus is that kids love the competitive element.

Start without a ball, then get your kids to do the runs with a ball at their feet.

Spiders and bugs - divide your children into two equal teams. Each team should stand alongside the centre line about two yards apart and facing towards the ends of the gym. Name one team Spiders and one team Bugs (or anything else). When you call ‘Spiders’ or ‘Bugs’, that team has to sprint for the end line nearest them. The other team tries to tag them. Anyone who is tagged joins the other team. Continue until there are only a couple of children left who haven’t been tagged.

Basketball/netball – this game is great for encouraging support play and communication. Just make sure the kids play to the rules!

3v1 keepaway - when the three make a mistake or get to a certain number of passes bring in the next set of three players. Make it competitive by seeing how many passes each team can string together.

Here are some simple games that always work well in a small gym.

Warm up with the Wall Game Place your kids in the centre of the gym.

Identify the four walls as North, South, East and West.

Tell them “I will call out a name of a wall and you have to run to it, touch it and run back”. (Below) You could make anyone who runs to the wrong wall perform a penalty such as press-ups.

Variations • Ask the kids to skip, sideways run, etc (but not run backwards – falling over on a hard floor hurts!)

• Give the walls numbers rather than names

• Point to wall yet call a different one – this is a great way of potentially catching out players who aren’t fully focused!

• Tell them to run to the opposite wall (you call ‘North’, they have to run to the ‘South’ wall)

• Dribble a football to the wall and back

It won’t be long before some of us are moving our training indoors for the winter, but indoor soccer coaching poses its own unique challenges. Obviously there’s less room so some of the games and drills you use outdoors simply won’t work. On the other hand, there are benefits from training indoors. One of them is the surface. It’s good for skill development to practise on a nice smooth floor rather than a bumpy and sometimes muddy field.

Below are some ways in which you can maximise the benefits and minimise the problems associated with indoor coaching.

Indoor soccer – six simple ideas

ONE The need for speed. Indoor soccer is all about speed because the surface is so fast compared to grass pitches. Build in this factor and see if you can utilise those advantages when you go back to playing outdoors.

TWO Wall ball. Unlike when outside, you’re now playing in a confined area that will, most likely, be surrounded on at least three sides – maybe you’ll even have the whole gym. Why not encourage quick passing and receiving by allowing players to play the ball off the walls?

THREE Touch and go. One-touch shots are a great idea for indoor soccer. A flat surface should reduce the need to control the ball before shooting, so ensure play is quick with first-time shots, and remember to tell players to follow in for rebounds.

FOUR Keeping it tight at the back. Varying your keeper when playing indoors is a good idea. Unlike when playing outside, the best indoor keeper doesn’t need the same all-round skill set. Reactions take on exaggerated importance, so you might want to put in goal the player with the quickest hands, even if that’s an outfield player.

FIVE Rush keepers. Consider too allowing keepers to come out of their goals. You’re playing in a smaller area and the number of players present will still ensure scoring is difficult, even if the keeper is out of his goal.

SIX Winter warmer? Indoor soccer doesn’t only have to be played in the winter. There are great principles of speed and control that indoor soccer provides, and they should be rehearsed all year round.

East!

North

South

EastW

est

East!

North

South

East

Wes

t

Wall game

Shuttle races

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148 Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths

Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: David Clarke, Paul Dargan, Chris Galea © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

WEEKLY


This is a great game for angles of defence and changing roles in attack.DAVID CLARKE’S TOUCHLINE TALES

Winners who loseGoing into our game last weekend, my Under-11s were playing on the back of

a seven-match winning streak. That run has been built on a good passing game and the idea that every single player is involved as the ball is moved up the pitch. In the match, we were up against a physically big side... not that my players were put off by that challenge.

And it was the best game of passing football I had ever seen us play, even if our winning sequence came to an abrupt and unexpected end.

Essentially, all our training, practice and repetition of movement has started to pay off. Yet we lost 4-0. But who cares? Some of the one-twos and link-up play were mouth-watering... I counted five back-heels that beat a player and put one of my players into a great position to create a goal.

And yes, we created a lot of chances, but the opposition were very strong at the back and the goalkeeper showed excellent awareness

coming off his line to sweep up any through-balls. The opposition themselves played some great football and the match was an excellent advertisement for grass roots soccer.

We gave away a goal on the stroke of half-time, but that didn’t change my team-talk at the interval. I told them they were playing superbly.

Sure, they were more concerned about leaking a goal, but even they admitted that the manner of the performance had been very encouraging.

The second period followed much the same pattern - both teams created chances. They took theirs, but we didn’t. That is sometimes how it goes in a match.

I was buzzing afterwards because we had performed so well, and so much of what I had coached them had come through. Sometimes that’s enough in soccer, because while things didn’t come off on Saturday, I know that if the players continue to play like that, they’ll win many more than they lose. And that’s the point - if they go out thinking they have a chance of winning, we have won together as a team – coach and players learning from each other.

The result should never be the main thing. It’s much more important that your team plays to the best of its ability – remind them that for as long as they do that they’re developing and growing, and you’ll find they’ll keep responding, no matter what the scoreline is.

SCW SURGERY

Q How can I teach goalkeeping to my six-year-olds? Aaron Scott, Colchester.

A Six-year-olds won’t be interested in detailed explanations about hand positions,

positioning and distribution – they’ll switch off after about 30 seconds – so you need to keep your demonstrations short and simple. That said, you do need to go through a few basic techniques.

I suggest you only show them hand positions (catch a high ball with hands shaped like a ‘W’, low balls with hands shaped like a ‘M’, with both hands behind the ball), and encourage them not to stand like statues on the goal-line.

You can also advise how to pick up the ball – get low to the ground and grab it with both hands.

But why not teach the basic skills to all the players and rotate the position in matches? It does young players good to take a turn ‘between the sticks’ every now and then.

Another point is that young keepers often panic when they have the ball, so tell them to relax.

If you go over these points, they should provide a decent foundation to get started with.

Q Are there training differences for boys and girls?

Wilson Brenthe, Stuttgart, Germany.

A In short, yes - you do need to approach your job differently if you’re coaching girls.

Without wishing to generalise, girls consider that belonging to ‘the team’ is more important than being a skilful player, and they are protective of girls who are not as skilled as themselves.

For you as a coach, this means you must be careful not to criticise individual players in front of the team. If you do, the other girls tend to close ranks and you’ll find yourself in a battle. ‘Fairness’ is critical.

Whereas boys tend to just get on with it, girls will complain that ‘it’s not fair’ if you play numbers-up games, for example 5v2. And, in matches, they will want you to give all players equal playing time, even if it means you lose the match because it’s your star defender’s turn to come off.

Girls also get bored quicker than boys, so concentrate on small-sided games rather than drills.

Q I’m about to start coaching my son’s Under-5s team? I’ve never worked with

players so young. Any advice? Tyrone Blackett, Basildon.

A I actually think you will enjoy the task that’s in front of you. Coaching players this

young is a pure pleasure. They have so much fun playing simple games and love running around with a ball.

But when I say ‘coaching’, I really mean helping them have fun and showing them a few simple techniques at the same time. It’s not rocket science, and the most important asset is to have empathy with them.

Start off by ingraining the correct techniques - how to kick the ball with the six surfaces of their feet - the toes, soles, inside, outside, heels and instep (laces). And make sure they do it with both feet!

Take your time, and a few weeks on move to control, then passing. Take it slowly and take enjoyment out of their enjoyment. You have a blank canvas, which is an enviable position to be in.

Got a question for SCW Surgery?Email it to us at [email protected]

This week’s coach: Tony Morgan Group: 5 to 8-year-oldsTony is level 3 coach from Worcester, who is working with the GB Olympic team this summer

“All our training, practice and repetition of movement has

started to pay off. Yet we lost 4-0. But who cares?”

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WEEKLY

This high-tempo finishing circuit will really test your strikers as they face a different challenge on each station

How to set it up:• Create an area measuring 40x30 yards.

• There is a goal at each end with keepers in place.

• There are three ‘start stations’ marked out by cones. At top left is the attackers’ station, while the stations in the centre of the right touchline, and to the left of the bottom goal both have defenders on them.

• There are three players on each cone.

Getting started:• From station 1, the attacker moves off with the ball. He has three touches to dribble and score against the keeper.

• Next, from station 2, the defender passes to the attacker, then attempts to recover. The attacker quickly dribbles towards goal and attempts to score.

• Once that phase ends, from station 3, the defender passes to the attacker then attempts to stop him scoring. The attacker must use disguise techniques in evading the attentions of the defender. He can score in either of the two goals.

• Once this phase finishes, the next attacker comes into play.

• All players return to the back of their cones.

• Repeat so that each attacker runs the task three times, though change the order so that for the second and third runs the same players aren’t going head-to-head in 1v1s.

• Then rotate teams so that each has a go at attacking.

• The winning team is the one with the most goals at the end. The maximum score achievable per team is 27.

Why this game works:This is an intense attacking practice that rehearses three different elements –

control, pace, and getting past an opponent – in three different phases.Attackers have to vary their approach play, whilst also showing concentration

and stamina in each attack.

SMALL-SIDED GAME

1v1 finishing circuit

The players pass the ball

back and forth

1v1 finishing circuit

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SKIL

LS

• Attacking

• Defending

• 1v1s

• PositioningThe

attacker has three

touches to score

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The defender

passes to the

attacker and

attempts to

recover

The defender

passes to the

attacker and gets goalside

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This game was taken from Soccer Attack! by Michael Beale. Soccer Attack! contains 80 drills and games to develop shooting and finishing. Get your copy here:

www.coach-soccer.com/attack

january 11 2012 issue 246 under 4s - under 16s crossing...

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