Soccer Toolbox

Creating Agile Athletes

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This article was provided by Coaches Network

Athletes who can stop, start, and change direction quicker than their opponents will almost always have the advantage. That’s why agility training is so important. One of the best ways to develop these skills is to incorporate agility bags into your conditioning regimen.

Doug Heslip, owner of Heslip Elite Sports Performance Training in Negaunee, Mich., and contributor to IYCA.org, says that agility bags are one of his favorite training tools. He believes the bags offer a fun way to teach reactionary skills, which will help keep athletes safe and performing at a high level.

Agility bags essentially represent an obstacle in the athlete’s way, typically an opponent. As athlete’s step over, jump over, or cut past the bags, they will develop coordination, footwork, and body control.  This can also help them develop spatial awareness and the ability to use peripheral vision, giving them the ability to keep their eyes on the play while knowing what is around them.

If you don’t have agility bags at your disposal, many of the same drills can be done with cones or small hurdles. Here’s a list of the drills that Heslip recommends:

Drill 1

Place six bags on the ground. The athlete can start in the middle of the six bags or at either end of the bags. You should stand at the third bag a few feet away with a ball. The ball you have can vary based on the sport. For most sports, you will hold the ball in your hands, but if you’re coaching soccer then keep a ball at your feet.

Point the ball to the left or to the right, and the athlete will follow the ball in the direction pointed. Then, point in the opposite direction and the athlete has to change direction to follow the ball. You can change direction at any time. If you are coaching soccer, you can just use your arms to direct the athletes.

When you want the athlete to transition from two-ins frontal plane to one-ins sagittal plane, yell “Score,” or another word of your choice. When you yell the word, toss/pass them the ball and they will perform one-ins until they reach the end of the six bags. This could be modified for soccer by having them dribble between the bags.

Drill 2

The bags are set up the same way as in Drill 1. The difference is you play catch with the athletes as they travel in the frontal plane performing two-ins. This is where peripheral vision must really be utilized. For soccer players, you can pass the ball back and forth as they go through the drill.

Travel up and down the six bags at first while playing catch/passing with the ball.  As the athlete gets used to this drill and is confident going over the bags while playing catch/passing, you can change direction on them and have them respond. If they are late getting to the ball and it hits the floor, the drill is restarted.

Drill 3 (Mirror Drill)

Take four bags and lay them on the ground. Take another four bags and lay them right across from the original four bags. Have each set of four bags approximately one yard from each other. For this drill, you need two athletes at a time. One of them will be the “lead” while the other will be the “responder” and will mirror the lead’s movement. You can choose how sport-specific you’d like the drill to be by utilizing balls or other implements.

The lead will initiate the movement by moving laterally with two-ins. The responder will follow with two-ins. The lead can go up and down the four bags a maximum of six times. The lead can change direction any time they want to, and before the sixth rep, they have to transition from lateral movement to straight ahead one-ins. Have a coach approximately ten yards away with their hands extended out to their side, shoulder level. The first player to slap the coach’s hand wins. You can use six to eight bags. Heslip says this drill is very fun and competitive.


Luca Modric Drill

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This is a 10 player drill that emphasizes passing, receiving and finishing.

In the video below Marcus Wood, Hardin-Simmons University Head Women’s Soccer Coach; 2010 NCAA D-III National Champions; 2010 NSCA National Coach of the Year; first using a diagram to explain the drill on a whiteboard and then follows with actual practice footage of the drill.

In this example coach Wood is using 10 players (you could use more) with a goalkeeper in each goal and consists of three progressions

Progression 1 – Stretch Run

A player passes into a center player near the goal. The center player shows and then on a half turn will receive left and pass right to an outside player that makes a stretch run. Ideally the pass will lead the player making the stretch run into a finishing position. The player should shoot low far post or high near post.

Progression 2 – Wall Pass

The ball is played into the center as before and received left and passed right. However, this time the outside player will show and receive the pass from the center. The outside player now passes back to the center player who receives the wall passes. The center player now plays the fourth pass into the outside player for a finishing opportunity .

Progression 3 – 5 Passes

The first pass is the same as before and the second. The second pass is out to the wide player showing just like progression 2. Pass 3 is back to the midfielder. The fourth pass is made to the opposite wide player who is making a stretch run. The fifth pass will be a negative pass to the center forward for a scoring oppourtunity.

This drill is just one in Coach Wood training DVD entitled 21 Passing/Receiving Activities for Reinforcing Effective Ball Movement & Off-Ball Movement Skills. You can click the link for more information about that DVD.

The YouTube video below has audio so please make sure that your speakers are on. Note some schools may block access to YouTube.


7v4 Transition Exercise

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This article was provided by World Class Coaching

 

By Sean Reed 

Former First Team Coach of Championship team Fulham FC. Sean is a UEFA A Coach with a Masters in Sport Coaching. He has over 15 years of experience working in professional football from Academy through to First team in the Premiership and Championship. Web – www.seanjreed.com. Twitter – @SeanJReed

Objective
This session focuses on possession with an overload, managing possession within a small area, working on passing and supporting angles. The team defending are looking to win possession of the ball to encourage a positive transition.

Set Up – Transition
The session is set up in an area 15-20yds x 15-20yds. The teams are split into 3 groups; 4 players (black bibs), 4 players (yellow bibs) and 3 neutral players (red bibs). The players are set up initially as; players in black bibs are the team in possession with support from the players in red bibs and the team in yellow bibs is defending.
The team in possession are positioned with the fours corners of the pitch, whilst the neutral players are positioned with 2 players on the outside of the area, both end and 1 player inside the area. The defending team are free to move anywhere within the area. When the defending team forces a mistake or wins possession the teams switch roles. See Diagram 1

Progressions
• Restrictions on the number of touches
• The neutral players can not pass to one another
• Restriction on the number of touches for neutral players

Set Up – Transition (in & out of the area)
The session is set up as within the previous session. Within this session the team in possession can receive the ball either within the area or outside the area. See Diagram 2. When the team is in possession they are on 2 touches inside the area and only 1 touch when outside the area.

Progressions
• Restrictions on the number of touches inside and outside the area
• Restriction on the number of touches for neutral players

Set Up – Transition with Goals
The session is set up as within the previous session. For this session two goals have been included for the defending team to attack when they win possession. As soon as possession is turn over they are looking to get a shot off into either goal. The team that has lost possession is looking to prevent the team from shooting. See Diagram 3.

Progressions
• Restriction on the number of touches

Some Coaching Points
• Movement to receive the ball
• Quality and tempo of play
• Angles of support
• Knowing next movement and pass
• 1st Touch changing the direction of play
• Range of passing to switch the play
• Maintaining good width and distances
• Transition in possession (focus of mindset)
• Transition out of possession (focus of mindset)


Transition Drills: 3v0 and 3v2

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Use transitional moments to make your practice sessions as realistic as possible when addressing the attacking phase of the game

In the video clip below  Bobby Muuss, Wake Forest University Head Men’s Soccer Coach; 2016 NCAA College Cup Runner-up, demonstrates two versions of a transitional drill that he uses to help teach his plays to play off of the highest player and attack in transition.

The drill is played on a field 60-70 yds wide and 44 yds wide.

The drill begins 3 v 0 with a target player in the middle of the field. A coach plays a ball to the goalkeeper who quickly plays to the target player.

The 3 players will play off the target player. What coach Muss is looking for is to play off the highest player. He asks the wide guys to open their runs and when the ball is played back he wants to make sure he gets a near a far post runner.

After approximately 2 mins, he will add a second team of 3 to the opposite end. The ball will be played into the target player in the same fashion. As the play begins 3v3 there will be transitional opportunities. When a ball is laid off, the nearest defender must run around a wall player that is in place. This creates a 3v2 scoring opportunity.

This drill sequence is just a sample of the type of coaching material found inside Coach Muuss’instruction DVD entitled Open Practice: Transition – Looking to Play Off Your Highest Player

The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your speakers are on and that you have access to the site. Note that some schools block access to YouTube

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Transitional Decisions

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This post was provided by World Class Coaching.

This drill is designed to train players to transition from defense to offense by  teaching them to be compact while defending and spread out quickly when possession is won

 By Sean Pearson

Sean is also the author of the following coaching resources: Coaching Team Shape in the 3-3-1, Coaching Team Shape in the 4-2-3-1 and Coaching Team Shape in the 4-3-3

Area: 36 x 44 yards
Time: 20mins
Players: 8v6+2

Objective:
• To be compact while defending and then quickly spread out when possession is won
• To connect passes in a composed manner in a tight area in front of goal.

Set Up:
The playing area is twice the size of the 18-yard area with the defending team set up in a 4-2-3-1 without the wingers or striker. The attacking team is in a 4-3-3 formation without the defenders. There are two neutrals outside the area.

Execution:
When the attacking team start with the ball all players must stay in the boundaries of the 18-yard area. The defending team stays compact to stop penetration and frustrate the attacking team. When they win the ball, there needs to be instant transition to open up the field. The FB’s are allowed outside the area to stretch the field but no other players are. The CB’s should drop down and out to get into as much space as possible.

It is important that the player that wins the ball, because the team is in the defensive third, is careful with their pass selection.

1) Pass out wide to a FB
2) Pass down to a CB
3) Pass to another player who is open

 

he connection of these passes is critical not just of the first pass but until the team is able to play the ball forward to either the neutrals or up to the level of the neutrals while still in control of the ball. What you are trying to educate the players on is to move instantly for the player on the ball into areas where pressure can be released while remaining composed and not rushing the decision.

Encourage the attacking team to press when they lose the ball to simulate game speed and scenarios. It is then up to the team in possession to maintain their cool and play simple passes to release the pressure from their defensive third.

1) There should always be the option of playing back to the GK and because the FB’s are allowed outside the area the GK can switch the ball to the opposite side. The FB can then dribble up. Make sure the defensive line also pushes up to simulate the game.

2) The player on the ball can either find the neutral on the ground or clip the ball over the top of the pressing attackers.

3) If the pass has not gone to the FB straight away, the FB’s need to understand that they are an outlet and move again to be available for the team to play forward.

Variations:
• Allow all players to move outside of the width of the 18-yard area once the defending team wins possession
• Add the neutrals to the attacking team to play 8v8 and increase the difficulty of playing out
• Vary the formation of both teams and the starting point of where the attacking team starts