Switching play...........................................................................................................23v3v3 defend from the front...............................................................................34v4 dribble or pass.................................................................................................4Crossing and finishing...........................................................................................5The scoring box........................................................................................................6Defending 1v1..........................................................................................................6Defending in threes................................................................................................8Technique and movement Warm up..............................................................13Positive forward passing..............................................................................................16Dribbling......................................................................................................................17Possession................................................................................................................184v4 games tournament.......................................................................................21Win your 1v1 duels...............................................................................................23

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Switching play

By Tony Carr

Switching the point of attack is a clever way of creating space on one side of the pitch. It can be difficult for young players to recognise when play has become congested on their side. But if you can teach them to think about where the space on the pitch is, they can take advantage of it.

This session helps you coach your team to recognise and understand how and when to switch the point of attack.

You can use this exercise straight after the passing pyramids session (above). The accuracy and weight of pass is important when switching play. If the pass is poor and the ball is intercepted, instead of switching play into space, your players will be running back trying to stop the counter attack.

What to get your players to think aboutA quick switch of play will often create space to attack on the opposite side of the pitch. If performed quickly, the player in space might be able to dribble forward to create a 1v1 situation. Or better still, a 2v1 with a team mate.

In addition, switching play can pull the opposition defence apart and create spaces for your team to attack through the middle.

How to play it Two teams play a four-goal game with each team attacking and defending two goals. The aim of this game is for players to recognise when play is blocked down one side of the pitch, and then look to switch quickly to the opposite side.

How to progress it

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Progress the previous practice by adding a central zone. Players in this zone are only allowed to use two touches when in possession of the ball. This will improve the speed of play and encourage quick switching from one side of the pitch to the other.

Play it in a game The game is played with three goals. One team defends one goal and attacks two goals. This team has the advantage of being able to use a quick switch of play to create a chance to score in the second goal.

However, if the switch is forced and not made with care, the other team could win possession and attack to score.

3v3v3 defend from the front

By Michael Beale

Closing down defenders in their own half is a job for your forwards and midfielders to do.

If your attackers work together they are more likely to win the ball back nearer to the opponents' goal and have a greater chance to score.

How to set it upUse an area 40 yards by 30 yards with two goals and two goalkeepers.

Split into teams of three. The black team defends one area, the white team defends the other, and the grey team plays as attackers in both areas.

How to play itThe goalkeeper rolls the ball out to the defending white team who must make three passes in a 3v3 situation against the grey attackers before passing to the team in the opposite half of the pitch (black team).

If a successful pass is made to the opposite team then the grey attacking team must advance into the other half of the pitch to pressure the black team who must make the three passes.

If the grey team wins possession they should try and score in the goal they are attacking.

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Change team roles every three defensive moves, so grey defends the black end, black defends the white end, and white become the pressing team in the middle.

4v4 dribble or pass

By Michael Beale

Using games to teach players how to become used to tactical moves is a great way to help them understand attacking and defending as a unit.

When defending in groups, it is important the players work together to stop the opponent. Players must support each other and communicate with each other to press the team with the ball.

This game is designed to develop a deep defence that invites attacks in order to quickly counter attack.

In an area 25 yards by 30 yards, you need six small goals marked out by cones and a ball.

How to play it1. Two teams of four players play a game and both teams have a different

way of scoring.

2. The white team drops back to defend their three yellow goals. The black team is aiming to dribble through the gates in order to score.

3. If the white team wins possession, their objective is to make a pass forward and through one of the black team's goals. This represents

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winning the ball in a game and then making a good pass into a midfielder or forward's feet.

Crossing and finishing

By Tony Carr

This session is about getting the ball into wide areas, creating crossing opportunities and getting players into the box to convert chances. With so many goals scored from crosses, it is vital that your players have the ability to create and finish from them.

By playing the ball into wide areas, your team stretches the opposition’s defence. This often leads to space in central areas. It is important that players – particularly midfielders – are willing to make runs into the box and get on the end of the cross.

How to play itUsing a 60 yards by 40 yards playing area, the coach passes to one of two attackers who must combine with their strike partner and then pass out wide to the full back.

The full back dribbles forward and passes down the line for the wide player to cross into the box. The two attackers run into the penalty area and must try to score.

In the next stage, the attackers pass directly to the wide player who dribbles inside, allowing the full back to overlap. The wide player makes a reverse pass for the full back to cross into the box for the two attackers to try to score.

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How to develop itAdd defenders to the practice.

The attackers have a choice of whether to pass to the full back or wide player. The full back and wide player must react according to the pass made.The attackers must time their runs to arrive with the cross and get in front of the defenders to get to the ball.

The scoring box

By Tony Carr Finding a pass to unlock an oppositions' defence is particularly useful in crowded central areas.

The scoring box gives you the opportunity to practice quick passing in order to create a 1v1 opportunity against the goalkeeper.

These quick passing combinations will develop movement between your players and improve their interaction when in possession of the ball.

Watch out for over-playing, 3-5 passes is ideal and represents the quick passages of play that develop towards the end of an attacking build up.

Begin with the players passing around the square in the sequence A-B-C-D before attempting one of the following sequences:

1. A passes to C, C sets B and B plays a through ball for D. D spins outside and shoots from the diagonal pass.

2. B passes to D who lays it back for A. A plays a straight ball for C who angles his run behind D to get on to the through ball and shoot.

3. A plays to C who lays the ball off to D. D plays in B for a third man run to shoot at goal. Make sure each player gets an opportunity to play in all of the positions.

Finally, give the players the freedom to make any combination of passes before one player is released to shoot. A defender can be added inside the box to put pressure on the passing.

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Defending 1v1

By Michael BealeWhen you want to start coaching your players to have a competitive edge, I find it best to work them in 1v1s where they are concentrating only on their opponent and the ball.

1v1s force players to use all their skills to try and win the ball. In this session, players need fast reactions as they are forced to engage in a physical confrontation to win possession. This is where the competitive edge comes in.

I use this simple drill from Michael Beale's Perfect Defending manual.

You need a goal, a goalkeeper and players divided in pairs. Start off around 20 yards from goal.

1. The players stand either side of you and face away from the goal.

2. The players must react to your throw and race to the ball.

3. The first player to reach the ball becomes the attacker. The second player is the defender and must use their strength to compete physically to win the ball.

Light on your feet

Defenders should always be ready to anticipate an attacker's change of direction and block their route by jockeying - holding the player up through movement without any physical contact or tackling.

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It can be said that these defenders are "light on their feet" because they are always on their toes, ready to react and move to cut out an attack.

How to play it Set up a 20 yards by 10 yards playing area and

use two cones, two balls and two small goals. Playing across the width of the pitch, the

defender passes to the attacker and races to defend. The attacker must use disguises and feints

before trying to dribble and score a goal. The defender must try to anticipate the

attacker's movement and challenge to win the ball.

Defending in threes

By Michael Beale

When teams are defending with three at the back, players need to know how to use pressure, support and depth to maximise their effectiveness.

What you are looking for is your defenders to get into the right 'shape' depending on the location of the ball when the opposition attacks.

Set up an area 20x20 yards with a 10x20 yards end zone. You need three cones and three mannequins or poles.

How to play it The defending team completes the defending

technique task. The coach calls to the players the defensive shape they should take up:1. Left – the left defender pressures and shows

inside, the central defender supports to stop a forward pass and the furthest defender gives support to the central player and provides depth.

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2. 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.

3. Right – the right defender pressures and shows inside, the central defender supports to stop a forward pass and the furthest defender gives support to the central player and provides depth.

The coach passes a ball to the attacking team at the opposite end.

Immediately, the defenders must run on to the pitch and use the group defending technique to stop the opponents from scoring in theirtarget goal.

After each game the roles are reversed.

Defending together, defending aloneOne of my U10s teams has enjoyed a great run lately in which they have had three clean sheets on the bounce. Last season the same players didn't keep a single clean sheet so the improvement has been vast. One of the things they have improved is how they react when they have lost the ball. Instead of just standing there, they now communicate with their team mates to take up good positions to stop the opposition attacking.

In a way they have got more passion into their defensive work. They react to situations to stop the opposition advancing on the goal.

I use this session from West Ham Academy Director Tony Carr which looks at defending and reacting to a number of situations. Training in a random practice like this reflects, with more realism, the changing situations that will occur in a real game.

How to play it Two defenders work together to defend 2v1 against an attacker who can score in either of the target goals.

In this situation one defender must apply pressure to the attacker with the other defender taking up a supporting position.

How to develop it

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The defenders must react to the next attack and go back to their own channel to defend a 1v1 situation where they will have to work independent of their team mate to win the ball.

How to advance it Now the defenders must react to a third situation in which two attackers enter the pitch to attack in a 2v2 situation.

This is the hardest test because both defenders pressure the attacker with the ball but have to be ready the cover the second attacker. A run off the ball from the attacker not in possession can cause confusion between the two defenders. Communication is vital.

When competent at this practice, your players are ready to play a normal game and defend a range of match situations effectively.

Delay the attacker

By Michael Beale

Delaying an attack is vital when defenders are on their own at the back waiting for reinforcements to arrive. As long as players know they will have back up and you give them the techniques to hold play up they will be happy to keep their opponents at bay.

This session covers how an individual defender can delay attackers by pressuring quickly and keeping them away from goal.

Set up an area 30 yards x 30 yards and you need 2 goals, 4 cones with a ball between two.

How to play it1. The defender passes the ball to the attacker and

races out to defend.

2. The attacker must show a disguise and try to score in one of the two goals within 5 seconds of receiving the ball.

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3. The defender must be light on his feet and stand up. Without committing himself he should try to force the attacker into a mistake and delay play.

For the next attack, the players rotate positions.

King of the ring

By Michael Beale

This is a very simple game to set up, but it forces the players to display clever movement as they have to protect their own ball at the same time as trying to remove their opponents' balls from the game.

How to play it 1. Set up a 25 yards by 25 yards playing area

and give all the players a ball.

2. Each player dribbles their ball around the area.

3. Players attempt to kick an opponent's ball out of the area while at the same time protecting their own ball from being stolen and kicked out.

4. If a player's ball is kicked out, they are out of the game. The last player left inside the area is declared the winner.

Front and back

This is a great simple drill from Michael Beale which forces players to react to the two most frequent defending and attacking situations. The beauty of drills like this is the ease with which you can set it up and get it going on a training night straight away.

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1. The goalkeeper passes to player 1 who attacks 1v1 against player 3.

2. Immediately after this attack, the coach passes to player 3.

3. Player 2 must now run out and stop player 3 from turning to shoot.

For the next attack, player 1 becomes player 2 and player 2 becomes player 3.

Encourage your players by calling out:

"Pressure"

"Force away from goal"

"Stop the turn"

 

Turn and shoot

This session from Tony Carr coaches players to create space and take a shot after they receive the ball with their backs to goal. It is an art for attackers to turn defenders when facing away from the goal, otherwise they will lose the ball.

What players should think about

Communication – verbal, signal or movement?

Create space by moving the defender before receiving the ball. Can the attacker make an angle?

Good first touch – do they control or turn first time?

Quick turn – disguise? Hook turn?

Shooting – laces or side foot? Aim low for the corners and look for accuracy before power.

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Set up a 15 yards by 5 yards area, split into two (5 yards by 5 yards and 10 yards by 5 yards). Place it centrally at the edge of a penalty area (closer depending on the players' age and ability). This works best with four players.

How to play it One player, the forward, who must stay inside the 5 yards by 5 yards area, faces three servers spaced equally apart at one end of the playing area. Each server has a supply of balls.

The forward calls for a pass from one of the servers, who passes the ball to them. The forward then must control the pass, turn and shoot into the empty goal. As soon as the forward shoots, they turn back and call for another pass from a different server. Repeat 10 times.

Encourage forwards to turn both to the left and right and to shoot with either foot. Rotate players so everyone has a go at being the forward.

There are several possible developments to this drill, including:

Limiting the number of touches the forward can have, Adding a goalkeeper, Adding a passive defender, Making the defender active

How to play itPlay a 4x4 (plus 2 goalkeepers) but award extra points for forwards who receive the ball with their backs to goal before turning to shoot.

Technique and movement Warm up

By David Clarke This warm-up is all about control, movement and using the skills of two players. Players react to the pass and then move to receive the ball again.

How to play it Get one player to act as a server. The other

player works.

The working player must move forward to receive a serve and return it. They then back pedal up and around the cones in order to receive another serve on the opposite side.

The players work for one minute each on the following drills: 1 First time pass2 Bouncing serve and a half volley

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3 Aerial serve and a volley4 Aerial serve and a header

Stop and go for a skills workout

By David Clarke This is a great work out for players of all ages. Get your players moving and stopping the ball across the cones and listen to them laughing as they do it.

Players must use skill, technique and agility. It also needs a soccer brain because your players not only have to control the ball then stop it, they are also under pressure to see where they are going.

Set up eight cones with a ball on each row as shown in the diagram. Tell your players to run to the first cone, control the ball while running across to the opposite cone and stop it with their foot next to the cone. Then move up a cone, collect the next ball and carry on.

If you get two sets going like in the diagram you can have them running against each other. First team to get back to the finish wins.

When the first player moves up to the second row of cones player two goes from the opposite side. So all they are doing is running to the cones and controlling the ball as they move across the cones and move up.

Don't worry if the ball goes all over the place at first because it takes a lot of concentrating to get the ball to go where the players want.

The one-two square

By David Clarke

When you have been using the skills zone in the first exercise in this issue you can help to warm your players down with this drill which teaches them a simple skill.

The one-two or wall pass is a great way to get past defenders without too much trouble. Done well, a series of one-twos can put your players into the penalty area with a good chance of a shot on goal and it is a good way to encourage more passing.

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How to play it Put two players inside the square and arrange

the others around the four corners.

The players on the outside must make one-two wall passes along the width of the square and dribble along the length of the square.

Players should sidefoot pass to the wall passers who must make sure they control and pass back in to the running players so they don’t have to break their stride.

Change the two wall passers regularly.

The players must work for a set time period.

Pass and get the second ball

By Michael Beale

The warm up for the article above is very simple which in my opinion is often the best type of warm up so you can set up and get your players moving quickly.

This warm up encourages passing and receiving and is again simple to set up and play.

I use this on match days when my players have just arrived to get their brains and bodies into gear for the match – and you can wake them up by calling left or right so they are not just going in the opposite direction to the player who went before them.

How to play it Set up two gates to the right and left of a queue

of players with a ball each.

You should stand about 10 yards in front of the queue.

Tell your players to pass the ball to you.

Pass back to the right or left in front of one of the gates.

Player must react and sprint to the ball and then turn to dribble through the gate as quickly as possible.

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Pass and one-two react

By Michael Beale

Warm ups should mimic what you expect to see your players doing on the pitch. If you want your players to pass the ball around, work on passing warm ups like this one:

It helps players get into the groove for passing and moving and they will take that on to the pitch and do it from the first blow of the whistle.

Arrange your players into groups of three.

The central player works in the middle for one minute.

This player dribbles the ball to the player opposite and they make continuous one-touch passes.

When ready, the outside player makes a pass into the space behind the central player.

The central player must react and turn to run after the ball.

Repeat the practice with the next player.

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Positive forward passing

When players make a forward pass into an attacker, they must be prepared to support and ensure players in advanced positions do not get isolated. This session is all about making the most of possession and movement to support the pass.

The aim of keeping possession is to make your opponents run in order to open up spaces to attack.

Some teams do this very well. However, they do not reap the benefits of their good possession as they play too many square or backward passes.

It is vitally important that players focus on making good, forward attacking passes and then make supporting runs in order to get beyond defenders and into goalscoring positions.

Use this session in a 30 yards by 40 yards area. In pairs, players make short passes using two touches over 10 yards.

Next they move backwards to a distance of 30 yards apart and play low, driven passes over the longer distance.

How to develop itPut the players into groups of three with two players starting at one end of the playing area, and one opposite. The development combines both of the passing ranges as the two players combine with a short one-two before a low driven pass is made to the player opposite.

The player making the long pass follows the ball to play a one-two at the opposite side and the sequence repeats in the opposite direction.

Put it into a game situation In a small-sided game, each team must nominate two target players to play on the goal line – one either side of the goal. To score a goal, a pass must first be made into one of the two target players, who then set the ball back to a supporting runner.

The supporting runner does not have to be the player who made the initial pass. Rotate the players so everyone has a turn working as a target player.

Dribbling

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The skills zone

By Tony Carr This session is designed to improve the dribbling ability and skill level of your players through a series of technical exercises and small-sided games.

1. Improving dribbling techniques to accelerate and change direction.

2. Improving skills to beat defenders.

3. Enhancing a winning mentality.

When dribbling with the ball, your players may have space and they must be able to pick up speed quickly to use this area. However, when there is little space, the players must be able to demonstrate quick feet, skills and turns to get past their opponent.

How to play itUse an area 25 yards by 25 yards.

The circuit includes four different techniques that should be worked on for two minutes each.

1. Complete two turns inside the square to reach the opposite side.

2. Players must complete a skill to beat the mannequin.

3. Players must use quick feet to go diagonally through the crazy cones.

4. Players must accelerate and change direction across the area. Four balls work at all times.

How to develop it Four goals and four players play a game. Each player has three lives, if a goal is scored into a player's goal then he loses a life. The last player standing is declared the winner.

You can progress this game so that each player has a goalkeeper (diagram 3) this improves the ability to create space and shooting skills when under pressure. The game is continuous and requires lots of footballs.

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PossessionBy David Clarke

20 seconds to scoreWhen you are watching highlights of goals, take a note of the time it a takes the team from winning possession to putting the ball in the net. I bet you rarely get beyond 20 seconds - unless of course it's Arsenal or Barcelona.

So I invented this game which I use with my players where the team in possession has 20 seconds to score or the ball is given back to the opposition team, which also has 20 seconds to score. This creates a fast game with players shooting at every opportunity.

I start with a shooting warm up and move into the game following that.

The idea is to encourage movement, passing and shooting.

Play this simple warm up Players should run with the ball then play a simple pass to you or an assistant who returns the ball for the player to hit a first-time shot at the goal. This is simple build up play with passing and receiving skills ending in a shot at goal.

Then turn it into a game Now you can progress your session with a 3v3 small-sided game in an area 40 yards by 30 yards. Each team has to make three passes before they shoot at goal but they only have 20 seconds to do so.

If the opposition team wins the ball then its 20 seconds start straight away and they have to make at least three passes before they can take a shot.

The time you give your players will vary depending on age and ability. An U16s team for example should be given a 10-second or less time limit and U14s a 15-second time limit.

Keep the ball under pressure

By David Clarke

Encouraging your players to keep the ball for your team is a vital part of your training sessions. Different age groups need different levels to practice at – and I

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know some of you will have teams that are more advanced than others, so here are three different levels of exercise to practice possession soccer.

Make use of a simple 2v1 gameIn diagram 1 the two white players pass and move around the square while the grey player has to try and win the ball. If he wins the ball he replaces one of the white players and the game goes on. To advance this game tell the white players they can only have 2 touches on the ball before they must pass. Once they have got the basics of the game add more players to make it a 3 v 2 or a 4 v 2.

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Expand the play so you are using 10 players Moving to more advanced exercises you can expand the play further like diagram 2. For this one use 10 players and an area 30 yards x 20 yards. Set it up so you have five attackers inside the area. Two more attackers - one on each of the longest sides of the area - can move up and down to support the play. Three defenders inside the area try to win the ball back.

They must win it back twice, then one of the three swaps places with an attacker - and the play continues.

Move it to a 6v6 gameYou can then take it a stage further like diagram 3 where we have a 6v6. Go back to a square pitch either 30 yards x 30 yards or 20 yards x 20 yards depending on the age and ability of your players. You need to have a player from each team on each side of the square, with 2 from each side inside the square. The team that starts with the ball must keep it for as long as possible using team mates on the edge of the square.

The player who receives the ball on the edge of the square can either pass or run into the square with the ball and the player who passed the ball out has to take his place on the side of the square.

The team trying to win the ball can only use the two players in the centre until they win it – players on the edge of the square cannot tackle.

Key coaching points A good first touch on the ball when receiving.

Play the ball first time whenever possible.

Count the number of passes to make it competitive.

Players should use the inside and outside of each foot.

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4v4 games tournament

By Tony Carr This session is about reacting to different situations in a mini tournament-style exercise. It helps players to force the shape and direction of play.

Each direction in each game gives the teams different problems to solve in attack and defence. The winning team will be the one that can adapt the quickest.

Make sure you have a supply of balls ready to feed in when one leaves play (always remember to roll balls in rather than throw them to avoid head clashes).

Ask a parent or assistant coach to help monitor the two games. If you are running the session on your own, you may wish to stand between the two pitches so you can easily feed the new balls in to either pitch.

How to set it up Create a 60 x 40 yard area split into two 30 x 20 yard pitches. One pitch has a full-size goal at one end and an end zone at the other. The other pitch has one mini goal positioned centrally at one end and two mini goals at the opposite end.

How to play it Split your players into four teams plus one goalkeeper. The teams rotate in order to attack and defend each scoring target, so each team will play the following games:

1. Defend the two mini goals and attack the single mini goal.

2. Defend the single mini goal and attack the two mini goals.

3. Defend the end zone and attack the big goal with the goalkeeper.

4. Defend the big goal with the goalkeeper and attack the end zone. When attacking the end zone a team scores a point when the ball is brought under control by an attacking player inside the zone.

You can change the size of goals and number of players to make the games harder or easier.

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Making it competitive Now turn the game into a competition between all four teams at once. The teams must keep a tally of their goals for and against as they move from game to game. The team with the best total result is the winner.

Win your 1v1 duels

By Tony Carr

In the game my U10s B team played on Saturday they were involved in a lot of 1v1 duels both in defence and in attack, which had a big effect on the game. By winning the majority of these battles, my team held a huge advantage by having possession of the ball much more than their opponents.

Fortunately in the session before the game I'd been using an exercise from Smart Sessions which is designed to improve 1v1s in the midfield. Players are forced to continually attack and defend 1v1 in order to forge a chance to score a goal.

These are the kind of duels they would face in a real game. Remember to also alert your players to the fact that beating an opponent in a 1v1 will remove them from the game, allowing more space to attack.

How to set it up Use an area 50 yards by 30 yards with a 10 yards by 10 yards area in the centre of the larger area.

How to play it Pass a ball into the smaller area where two players must compete for it. The player successful at taking the ball outside of the area has the chance to run and take a shot at goal.

How to develop it The player that wins teh initial batlle in the centre area has take on the defender in 1v1.

However, if the defender wins the ball from the attacker then they can pass the ball back to their team mate in the centre square.

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The team mate can now go 1v1 at the opposite end.

Now when winning the 1v1 duel, your player attacks as he would in a game with the attackers outnumbering the defenders (the picture showing 3v2 can be changed to suit the players available in your session).

Play it in a game The objective is to show the players in your team the benefits of competing and winning the duel against their immediate opponent in the game.

Throw-in Frenzy

By Keith Boanas Use this game to encourage and improve the use of quick throw-ins to gain an advantage.

Set UpArea: Use a 50 yards by 40 yards pitch with a goal at each end. Two eight-yard square boxes on each side, 10 yards from the goal line.

Players: 12.

Equipment: Cones, balls, two goals.

The rules Two players from each team are put into the

boxes at the end they are attacking. The remaining players play in the main area.

To score, a team must pass to one of the boxed players, who catches the ball or picks it up and quickly looks to take a legal throw-in.

The attacking team is looking to create a goal-scoring opportunity from the throw-in before the defending team can get organised.

Rotate the players in the boxes at regular intervals.

ProgressionAllow the receiver to play the ball back to the thrower who can then cross or shoot themselves.

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The thrower can now join in by exiting the box with or without the ball. How do players react to this?

HintBefore playing this game, you might want to make sure your players are all aware how to take a legal throw-in and give them a chance to show you their technique.

Quick, slow, quick

By David Clarke

You can use this exercise to warm up your players before they take part in the Tony Carr defending drills in the main article in this issue. Or use it to warm your players down after they have done the drills.

How to play it Set up the drill by placing four cones in a line five yards apart then two cones 15 yards from

each other. Players should zig-zag through the cones as quickly as

possible then jog to the next cone and finally sprint home.

Players run at different speeds so make sure they go at their own top speed not the one you wish everyone ran at.

You may vary this drill by increasing the distance between cones (depending on the age of your players) or restrict your players to sprinting without allowing them to jog.

Do three runs, with 30 second breaks.

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Freeze soccer

By Tony Carr This session concentrates on using a good first touch to control the ball so players can quickly make passes. It shows players how a good first touch makes it easier to move into space and gives them time to see where their team mates are.

What their team mates must do is move into space – passing without movement isn't going to get your team very far. This session will also encourage players to move between lines of opposition players to run on to the ball.

What to think about Can your players receive the ball on the run? Can they control with their first touch?

Are they using the correct technique to control the ball?

Can the team keep the ball moving?

How to set it up In a 40 yards by 30 yards area you need two teams of four players. During the session you will need to add a goal and a goalkeeper.

How to play it You pass a ball in to one team to keep possession. On your call of "freeze" the team not in possession must stand still.

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The team with the ball must make 10 passes in between the opposition players as quickly as possible. This means they must move quickly into space, call for the ball, and control it first time before finding the next pass.

Switch roles each time so that the teams take it in turn to have possession.

If at first you don't succeed – shoot, shoot and shoot again!Q: Why don't my team score enough goals?

Q: Why do they make chances but fail to convert them?

The answer to both of these coaching conundrums is the same: you need to reinforce your players' technical ability and make sure they have the right goalscoring "attitude". 

Technical abilityExcept for very young players, who can get the ball into the back of the net by the sheer force of their collective will, goalscorers need to be able to kick the ball accurately with all parts of their feet. They also need a good touch/feel for the ball when dribbling and have the ability to move and change direction quickly.

So it makes sense to ensure these basic building blocks are in place before you set out to improve your players' goalscoring ability.

There is a lot of guidance on footy4kids (see the links at the end of this article) that will help you teach your players how to kick the ball properly, develop a good first touch as well as be fast and light on their feet but if I was going to single out the three most important topics to work on they would be:

1. Ball control

Lots of practice controlling the ball, passing and shooting with all six surfaces of the foot: laces, sole, inside, outside, heel and toe.

2. First touch

Develop a soft first touch so that they can receive firmly struck passes without the ball bouncing off them and to allow them that most precious commodity: time to get their head up and see what is going on around them.

3. Agility

Improve your players' movement and co-ordination by means of agility exercises (with and without the ball) such as slaloming through poles.

Games that work on goalscoring technique

Mini Blackjack

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Set up: place a normal-sized (about 8ft wide) goal made from poles or cones in the centre of a playing area 30 yards long by 20 yards wide. Place an additional pole or cone three feet outside each post to make two small side goals, each 3ft long.

   P <<< 3' >>> P <<<<<<<<<<<< 8' >>>>>>>>>>> P <<< 3' >>> P

Divide your squad into two teams. Team A stands on one side of the goal at the end of the playing area and team B stands on the other side.

There is no goalkeeper.

You stand outside the grid, level with the goal. Have several balls so the game flows smoothly.

How to play: the coach serves a ball to the first player in team A who controls the ball with her first touch and shoots with her second.

If she scores through the centre part of the goal it is worth one point. A goal scored through one of the smaller side goals is worth three points.

Each team takes it in turn to shoot.

The first team to score exactly 11 is the winner. Going over 11 (i.e. if a team has 10 points then gets another three points by scoring through a side goal) means they have bust and go back to zero.

Progression:

Serve fast or high balls. Add a goalkeeper. Add a defender who pressures the player receiving the ball. The defender can come

from the other team and if they win the ball, they can shoot and score. Use one touch only.Now it's time for a couple of SSGs.

Jargon Buster

SSGs (small-sided games) are games played in a relatively small playing area with just a few players on each team. They are football "matches" with a condition added that reinforces the skill or technique you are working on. If you want your players to build up attacks from the back, for example, you could add the condition that every time the ball goes out of play the game restarts from the goalkeeper who has to roll the ball out.

If you have more than eight players, set up enough 3v3, 4v3 or 3v2 games to suit the numbers but try not to have more than four on a team.

SSG: All Up is a SSG that encourages your players to compress the space in their opponent's half when they attack on match days.

Condition: goals only count if all the players on the attacking team are in the opponent's half when the ball crosses the line.

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SSG: Follow Up encourages your players to follow up on their shots, an essential part of their shooting technique.    

Condition: goals only count if the shooter touches the back of the net within five seconds of the ball crossing the line.

Mental attitude

"If you don't shoot, you'll never score". It's true, of course, and we've all said it to our players.

But how many coaches go on to discourage a shooting mentality by overemphasising the importance of keeping possession?

While we all want our team to take care of the ball and not give it away too easily, we also need to make sure they know that possession has to have an end result – a shot at goal.

Playing too many keepaway-style games, where players are rewarded for playing safe, easy passes can give them the false impression that the only thing that matters is keeping the ball. That's why you should always try to have a soccer-like end result to your coaching games, i.e., a goal or, at least, a attempt at scoring a goal.

If we want our players to have a goalscoring mentality we have to make sure they know that it's OK to miss.

Games that encourage a goalscoring mentality

SSG: Take a Chance

Set up: Divide a seven-a-side pitch in two and place a wide goal on each of the four sides of the square. Divide your players into two equal teams of four to six players. No goalkeepers.

How to play: Whichever team has possession can score in any of the four goals. This game encourages your players to continually look for an opportunity to shoot rather than simply keep the ball away from the other team.

SSG: Touch, Shoot! 

Set up: use the same playing area as above but this time have just two goals, one on each end.

Condition: players can only take two touches of the ball before passing or shooting. A third touch results in a free kick for the opposition.

If a player scores with their first touch, they get two points for their team.

Note: If goals are hard to come by in either Take a Chance or Touch, Shoot!, make the goals wider or the playing area smaller.

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In diagram 2, I have added a goal and a goalkeeper.

Now when you call "freeze" the team in possession must use three quick passes and movement to create and complete a goal-scoring opportunity.

You can then move on to your training pitch and play a small-sided game, like diagram 3, with two goals and goalkeepers. Every so often shout "BLUE freeze" or "RED freeze" and see if your teams can complete a three-pass movement to create a goal-scoring chance.

Principles of play part 2: how to defendThese five principles of defensive play are the key to good team and individual defending at all levels of the game.

They were first described by the FA's director of coaching in the 1960s, Allen Wade, and have remained virtually unchanged ever since.

All youth football coaches – even coaches who have very young players – should be aware of the principles and take every opportunity to reinforce them in a way that their players can understand.

1. Pressure/delay

To prevent attackers from penetrating your defence, the first defender (the player nearest to the ball) should apply immediate pressure to the ball carrier.

His objective is not to win the ball, it is to slow the attack, get the attacker's head down and to try to force the attacker into a place where he cannot shoot.

However, if your first defender is outnumbered he should not put too much pressure on the ball carrier. Instead, he should try to delay the attack by dropping back to a spot midway between the ball and his goal. This should allow time for other defenders to regain their positions. When support arrives, your first defender should increase the pressure on the ball carrier.

Practise pressure/delay by playing a 1v1 game where the ball carrier tries to get a shot at a target or cone goal and the defender has to stop him for 20 or 30 seconds. Progress by adding another attacker.

Key coaching points for the first defender:

Move in quickly but slow down when you get to within about one metre of your opponent.

Approach at a slight angle, ideally so you are forcing the attacker towards the side line and away from the centre of the goal.

Watch the ball.

Be patient.

2. Cover/support

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The defender who is second closest to the ball takes up a position between the first defender and the goal and provides cover. His role is to take over the job of first defender if the attacker gets past his team mate.

The distance from the first to second defender is not fixed but he should be close enough to be able to put immediate pressure on the attacker if required. But he should not be so close behind the first defender that the attacker can beat both of them by simply pushing the ball past them.

Generally, the quicker the attacker is moving, the further away the second defender needs to be. If the attacker is moving very slowly or is stationary, the second defender can close right up and work closely with the first defender.  

Practise the principle of cover and support by playing 2v1 (two defenders against one attacker) in a small playing area with a goal at each end.

Progress by adding attackers until you are playing three attackers v two defenders.

Coaching points for the second defender:

While the first defender watches the ball, the second defender watches the attacker.

Make sure the first defender can feel and hear your support: tell him you are covering him.

3. Balance

While the first and second defenders are working on the attacker with the ball, the rest of the defence provides balance.

Their job is to cut off passing options, watch for other attackers making runs and to take on the role of either the first or second defender if the need arises.

The third line of defence has to work hard: they must be continually aware of where they are on the field in relation to the ball carrier and other players. They should always be able to see the ball.

Practise the principles of balance by playing a 4v4 game on a 30 yards wide by 40 yards long pitch. Emphasise the need for the third line of defenders (there is a first, a second and two defenders as a third line on each team) to work together to try to prevent the ball carrier passing the ball.

If the ball is passed, one of the third line of defenders, the one nearest the ball, should immediately take on the role of first defender.  

Key coaching point: work together as a unit. Stay connected to each other. If one moves, you all move.

4. Compact (also known as concentration)

To avoid leaving gaps in the defence that can be dribbled or passed through, defenders should concentrate their numbers in the area of the pitch between the ball and the goal.  

Practise (in a game situation) by coaching your players to play and move as a tight unit. They should mirror the movement of the ball, moving up, down, left and right as required. This cuts

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out the spaces available to play through, and reduces the chances of the defence being penetrated by a pass or dribble.

5. Counter attack

The final – and most important – principle of defence is to always take an opportunity to launch a counter attack.

To this end, the defence needs to have depth. One or more players should stay in an advanced position (between the ball and the opponent's goal) and if your defenders win the ball they need to play the ball forward at speed.

Coach your players to move the ball as quickly and in as straight a line as possible: it should not stop, go back or be passed out to the wings unless there is no other, more direct, option.

Practise counter attacking by playing a small-sided game on a pitch with a halfway line. Goals only count if all the players in the attacking team are in the opposition's half when a shot crosses the goal line.

Conclusion

The principles of play are the building blocks upon which all youth football teams should be built.

As soon as your players are old enough to be comfortable playing away from "the swarm" you should try to practise one or two of the attacking or defending principles in every coaching session.

If you continually emphasise the "right way" to play, you will end up with a team that can play well in any formation and against any opposition, no matter how skilled or experienced they are

Principles of play part 1: how to attack"You can be sure in succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended" Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Youth football coaches spend a lot of time thinking about which formation they want their team to play in.

Coaches of children as young as four or five write to me asking if it's better to play 1-2-1-2 or 2-2-2 and when it gets to eleven-a-side ("proper" football), the issue of formations seems to become even more important.

Clearly, some coaches think that it's just not possible to play football if your team doesn't play in the right formation.

But (as I pointed out in a recent Clinic) there is no "best" formation for a youth football team. Coaches have to consider their team's strengths and weaknesses, how the opposition are going to line up, the style of play they favour (slow build ups from the back? Soaking up pressure, then a fast counter attack?) and even the weather conditions on the day of the match.

Coaches also need to consider the ability of their players to understand their role in a team formation.

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In my experience, many players under the age of 12 or 13 find having to remember their role in different formations a big distraction and their performance can suffer as a result.

If you are finding it hard to get your team to play in your chosen formation you might be better to make sure they fully understand football's "principles of play" instead of the banging your head against a brick wall trying to make them play 4-4-2 etc.

The principles of play were first formalised by Allen Wade, former director of coaching for English FA, in the late '60s in the manual, "The FA Guide to Training and Coaching" and are the foundations upon which all good football teams are built. 

Principles of play are important because your players need to use them in every match, irrespective of the formation you or the opposing team choose to play. 

While principles of play may sound a bit theoretical (and you won't find principles of play even mentioned in 99% of modern coaching manuals), all youth football coaches should teach them in their training sessions. 

Principles of play can be split into two main categories: attacking and defending. Each has five elements.

The five attacking principles of play

1. Penetrate

Always try to score. As soon as one of your team gets the ball they should ask themselves: "Can I score?" If the answer is "no", they should attempt to penetrate the defence by passing, dribbling or running at them. Players should always be encouraged to look and move forwards, not back.

2. Support

Help the player who has the ball. Players who don't have the ball should immediately move to a position where they can either receive a pass or draw opposition players away from area the ball carrier is running into (see below).

3. Create width

When attacking, use the full width of the pitch. Having your players in wide positions (with or without the ball) draws defenders out of the middle, unbalances the defence and creates spaces for other players on your team to move into.

The lack of defensive pressure in the centre of the pitch also allows your attacking players time to shoot. Consequently, you should encourage players to run into wide areas of the pitch even if they have no immediate intention of receiving the ball.

4. Create depth

When in possession, your team should attempt to stretch the opposition vertically as well as horizontally. Leaving at least one player back and encouraging attackers to move as far forward as possible will create options to pass the ball forwards and allow safe backwards passes.

5. Surprise/creativity

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The ball should be moved towards the goal as quickly as possible and player movement should be immediate and hard to predict. You should also tell your players to be creative in the way they move the ball. Volleys, back heels, flicks, moves such as step overs and fakes should all be taught and positively encouraged. Even if they fail, the prize – a goal – makes them worth the risk.

How to practise principles of play

Penetration

Practise and develop individual dribbling skills in 1v1 contests. Team penetration can be practised by playing small-sided games on long, narrow playing areas to encourage direct play.

Support

The basic principle of good supporting play (moving to a place where you can receive a pass) can be quite easily demonstrated and developed in 2v2 games.

Creating width

Play 4v4 on a short, wide pitch with three goals at each end. The rewards of stretching a defence horizontally should soon become apparent.

Depth

Practise stretching opponents vertically by playing 4v4 games where players are told there must always be someone in the position of central defender. Move on to 7v7, split the field into thirds and make it a condition that there must always be at least one player from each team in each third.

Surprise/creativity

In all the above games, encourage speed of play and congratulate players who demonstrate individualism and flair. Teach moves, fakes and skills such as ball juggling and never criticise a player for trying something that doesn't work.

Conclusion

You will have a team full of players who understand the principles of attacking play (even though they may not know them by that name) can play in any formation, against any opposition and adapt quickly and effectively to whatever happens on the field.

You should take every opportunity to teach and reinforce them, ideally by using small-sided games and helping your players to discover the answers for themselves. 

Diamonds are a coach's best friend!Youth football coaches often write to me asking: "How can I make my team spread out?" and "how can I get my team to have a proper shape?".

But what exactly is team shape?

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All teams have a shape. A very young team that clusters around the ball usually has a small, roughly circular shape. As players get older, they naturally split away from the main group and the team shape becomes larger and more elongated.

As players mature, their coaches want them to take up positions on the field. There are two ways of doing this: a coach can either plant his players in fixed positions such as left back, right back and central midfielder or he can coach them to understand and maintain the correct team shape.

The first option is easy but wasteful of your key resources – your players. If you choose the latter option, your team will always have players in the right position and you won't have players that are out of the game, standing in places where they have no chance of receiving a pass or influencing what is going on around them.

Team shape should not be confused with a team's formation. The shape of your team should be basically the same regardless of whether you play 4-4-3, 2-2-1 etc. However, it does expand when your team has the ball and it should contract when the other team has the ball.

Team shape is, therefore, dynamic and it depends on your players knowing where they are in relation to the ball at all times and if your team is attacking or defending. More on that later.

What is the best team shape?

The basic team shape is a diamond, and, as we all know, a diamond has four points: one at the top, one on each side (left and right), and one at the bottom.

Why a diamond? Why not a square or rectangle or a circle?

Team shape is very closely linked to the principles of the game discussed in newsletters 167 and 168.When your team is in possession of the ball, the player at the top of the diamond provides the penetration, the players on the side provide the width and the player at the base of the diamond provides the depth.

Other shapes cannot provide all of these elements.

How to get your team in shape

First of all, its no good shouting at your players to "spread out". They will run in all directions... then go back to chasing the ball as soon as they can.

A more considered approach is required.

When introducing the subject of team shape, begin by explaining why you want your players to become "your little diamonds". Then put them into a diamond shape on the field and walk around them, holding a ball in your hands.

Get them to hold the diamond shape, no matter where the ball is. They should move forwards, backwards and sideways as a unit. As you move around, different players will form the four points of the diamond but the shape must stay the same. That is the key point: your players need to stay connected to each other (as though they are joined together with string) and not break into separate groups.

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Then pass or throw the ball around the group to coaching colleagues, parents or other players. Their movement in relation to the ball has to get faster but the shape, as ever, stays the same.

Encourage your players to look around them to make sure all four points of the diamond are in place. If one or more is missing, a player should immediately move to fill the gap.

Once the basics are understood, play 4v4 games so your players can begin to practise keeping their shape in match situations.

Why 4v4?

4v4 provides the minimum numbers needed to make a diamond shape. It also allows all of the principles of play to be covered: the player at the apex of the diamond is providing penetration, the two side players are providing the width and the player at the base of the diamond is supplying the depth.

Three players can't do this and if you have five players one of the positions will be duplicated and players who are beginning to learn about team shape will probably become confused.

Key coaching point: the player on the ball must have two passing options at all times. He or she must be able to pass either backwards/sideways or forwards/sideways or backwards/forwards. Stop the play when these options are  not present and ask your players to regain their shape.

Attack shape v defence shape.

As noted above, your team's diamond shape expands when you are attacking and contracts when the other team has the ball.

This is because you want to spread the opposition defence when you are attacking. If your wide players can tempt them to move out of the danger area in front of their goal it creates space for the front point of your diamond – your attackers.

Conversely, when you are defending you want to pack the area in front of your goal so your diamond must shrink. But it is still a diamond!

Conclusion

Teaching your players why they need to have a good, consistent team shape is important and should be done before you even think about giving players fixed positions.

It's not difficult but does require a lot of patience. You should expect to practice keeping a diamond shape for many coaching sessions – maybe even a whole season – before your players can do it on match days.

But persevere, it's worth the wait!

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