Drills Archives - Page 25 of 38

Possession Drill: 6v2

Good teams can possess the ball, great ones turn possession into a dangerous weapon. Developing a quality possession game requires more than counting consecutive passes – there needs to be a directional objective.

If you are looking for some new ideas for drills to kick off the soccer season, below you will find a simple but effective drill to teach players to maintain possession while trying to advance the ball. In this video, Coach Frank Kohlenstein, Colorado School of Mines Head Men’s Coach and three-time winner of NCAA Division II South Central Region Coach of the Year demonstrates a 6v2 drill. This drill places all players in a 12×7 yard box, divided in half by cones. This small sided game lays the basic foundation for his team’s ability to keep possession and move the ball with a purpose. Players develop a good sense of rhythm when passing while making sure the angles of support are correct for the ability to “penetrate.”

This drill can be an effective training tool because it teaches players to patiently look for opportunities to play longer passes behind the defenders. Points are awarded anytime the offensive players are able to advance to the ball across the “midfield line”. If a defender is able to win a ball, he and the offensive player will exchange places.

This 6v2 possession game is just a sample of the content that may be found in Coach Kohlenstein’s coaching DVD. For more information about that DVD, you can click the link Possession with Purpose: Turning Your Possession into a Dangerous Weapon.

The YouTube video below has sound so please make sure that your sound is on. Click to arrow to play the video. Also please note that some schools block access to YouTube. If you are having trouble viewing the clip at school, contact your network administrator.

One Touch Finish: Scoring Drill

The video clip below is from a recent Glazier Soccer Clinic. In the video, Lee Cullip, Sporting Director of TTI, leads players in a 3 v 3 (1 Touch Finish) drill that is part of his Player Centric Development in a Group Environment demonstration. The Technical Institute (TTI) is an advanced soccer education and training organization for players looking to improve their skills and knowledge of the game.

The drill is set up with two teams of 3 players (6 total) plus one neutral player that plays offense and attacks for each team. The field is approximately 30 yards long with two small goals on each end. The ball is played in from the side once it goes out of bounds or needs to be restarted, which a coach or player could do depending on your numbers. The teams are attacking in opposite directions towards their attacking goal, but a goal is only counted when it’s a one touch finish.

Coach Cullip instructs both teams to try and focus on playing the ball behind the back lines to try and break down the defense. He demonstrates how a ball can be played from the back towards a central player, then passed or flicked on with one touch so it splits defenders. Also, Coach Cullip discusses that playing back is ok as long as it is for a purpose and to keep possession. If there is pressure from a defender or no room to turn for an attacking player, then play back to keep possession of the ball. Finally, both teams should focus on and be encouraged to play quick when they have the ball. The neutral player creates a man up advantage, but if the ball is moved slowly or dribbled too much, the defense can react and still be effective. Both teams should be playing in one or two touches and only taking more touches if they are in the attacking third and trying to beat a defender.

This drill is just one example of the the information shared in Coach Cullip’s presentation. For information about gaining access to his entire presentation, as well as hundreds of other clinic presentations, click the link Glazier Vault

The video has sound so please make sure that your sound is turned on.

Progressive Shooting Drill

The clip below is from World Class Coaching and features a progressive shooting drill.

This drill and exercise is set up in a 50 yard or half field setting with both offensive and defensive players. The first player is played a ball into towards goal where they have a 1 v 1 with the goalkeeper. Once they take a shot, they immediately turn around to play defense on an attacking player going towards the same goal. Once the play is over, these two players combine to play defense together against two attacking players trying to score on goal. A separate goal is set up on the field for any defending player or players to counter attack if they win the ball against an offensive player.

There are several important parts of this drill that coaches can use for their teams:

Offensive Attacking

Players can get a lot of good experience with 1 v 1 or 2 v 2 attacking towards goal. Forwards and midfielders will benefit from this since this can happen in a game and they need to be prepared and ready.

Defending

Similar to the offensive players getting practice attacking, the defending players will get a lot of reps with trying to shut down attacking players. 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 situations are very common in games, so this is a great exercise for defenders to work on and improve their skills.

Fitness

There is a lot of space in the grid for this drill, which creates a lot of fitness for all the players. Players not only have to sprint and run throughout this drill, they have to change directions and always be ready to move.

Counter Attacking

The defensive players are allowed to counter attack if they win this ball, which is a great way to encourage good and smart defending. Players that are able to defend properly and win the ball back are rewarded by getting an opportunity to attack and possibly score on goal.

World Class Coaching offers a wide variety of instructional videos. If you are interested in finding new ways to improve your teams ability to score, you might be interested in the DVD below. Just click on the link Dutch Shooting and Finishing or the image below for more information.

Dutch Shooting and Finishing provides you with the same drills you’d see being practiced by Manchester United, Barcelona, Ajax and other elite sides. The drills in this special video series can develop the awareness, passing technique and finishing of players at every level, whether you coach an amateur side or professional players. This is because, no matter what level you play at, shooting and finishing accurately doesn’t happen by accident. It happens from practice.

Agility Rings (Part 2): Dynamic Warm-up

By Jay Dawes

Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, FNSCA, is an Assistant Professor of Strength and Conditioning and the head strength coach for women’s soccer at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Jay has worked as a strength/performance coach, educator and post-rehabilitation specialist for over 15 years, and continues to act as a performance consultant for a wide-variety athletes, law enforcement officers and those in physically demanding occupations. Jay was recognized as a Fellow of the NSCA (FNSCA) in 2009.

In Part One of this article, the use of Agility Rings to perform low level plyometric drills was discussed. In Part Two, we will focus on the use of Agility Rings as part of a sport/activity specific dynamic warm-up.

The sport/activity specific warm-up should be an integral part of any training session. It allows the client to progressively and systematically increase core temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, blood pressure and several other key physiological functions prior to more strenuous activity. When used appropriately this portion of the workout can also be used to develop fundamental movement skills and abilities, body awareness, agility, balance and coordination.

The following are just a few examples of agility drills that can be performed using the Agility Rings.

Forward Ring Run: Stand facing the rings. Run down the rows of rings placing one foot in each ring. Refer to figure 1 for set-up.

Lateral Ring Run: Stand sideways with the left foot closest to the first ring. Without crossing the feet run laterally down the row of rings placing the left foot into the first ring of the ladder. Simultaneously place the right foot into the first ring and the left foot into the second ring. Repeat this movement down the row of rings. Once this has been accomplished immediately repeat this movement leading with the right foot and move in the opposite direction. Refer to figure 1 for set-up.

Cha-Cha – Start by standing sideways with the left foot immediately beside the first ring. Step laterally into the first ring with the left foot, then shift the right foot into the first ring. Step out of the first ring; take three quick “chop” steps, then step forward diagonally onto the second ring with the right foot. Repeat this pattern all the way down the row of rings. Refer to figure 1 for set-up.

Icky Shuffle – Start by standing with the left foot immediately to the side of the first agility ring. Step laterally into the first ring with the left foot, then shift the right foot into the first ring. Step out with the left foot, and shift the right foot forward into the second ring. Bring the left foot into the second ring and repeat this movement pattern and repeat this pattern all the way down the row of rings. Refer to figure 1 for set-up.

Chops: Facing two rows of agility rings, run forward down the rows placing the left foot in the first ring on left side of the rows and the right foot in the first ring on the right side of the rows. Repeat this movement pattern all the way down the row of rings. Refer to figure 2 for set-up.

Subtraction/Addition Lateral Ring Run: This drill performed in the same manner as the Lateral Ring Run, however the athlete/client will continue running laterally back and forth down the row of rings. Periodically during the drill the coach/trainer will reach down subtract a ring on either end of the original four rings by taking it away from the configuration. This forcing the athlete/ client to change directions more rapidly. Rings may also be added back to the original configuration to decrease the emphasis on change of direction speed and increase the metabolic demand of this activity. This drill should not be performed for more than 8-10 seconds if being performed at full speed or to maximize agility performance. Refer to figure 1 for set-up.

Reactive Lateral Ring Run: This drill performed in the same manner as the Lateral Ring Run, however the athlete/client will continue running laterally back and forth down the row of rings. At any time during this drill if the coach/trainer gives the “switch” command the athlete/client should immediately stop where they are and move in the opposite direction. Refer to figure 1 for set-up.

These drills work very well as part of a sport-specific dynamic warm-up, or can be used as stations in a circuit between priority exercises like the squat, bench, press or row. Below is a sample dynamic warm-up routine for beginners, intermediate and advanced clients. The number of sets and the amount of time performing these drills may need to be modified based on the athlete’s current levels of skills, strength and abilities.

Example of a Three Day Agility Ring Training Program:

Program 1: Beginner

Program 2: Intermediate

Program 3: Advanced

General warm-up: walk, jog, calisthenics, etc. 5 minutes

Sport-Specific Warm-up:5-10 minutes

-Perform for a total of 6 repetitions each.

-Forward run

-Lateral run

-Cha-Cha

Sport-Specific Warm-up:5-10 minutes

Perform for a total of 4 repetitions each.

-Forward run

-Lateral run

-Cha-Cha

-Icky Shuffle

-Chops

Sport-Specific Warm-up:5-10 minutes

Perform for a total of 3 repetitions each.

-Forward run

-Lateral run

-Cha-Cha

-Icky Shuffle

-Chops

Subtraction/Addition Lateral ring Run- Perform 2 sets for 10- 15 sec.

Reactive lateral ring run-

-Perform 2 sets of 10-15 sec.

In conclusion, Agility Rings are a great tool to use during this portion of the workout. Since many of the agility and foot speed drills performed with this toll are relatively low level they are a great option when getting prepared to perform more intense agility training in an athlete’s training session, or as a fun change of pace for the general fitness clients routine.

Figure 1: Agility Ring Set-up for drills #1-4,6

Figure 2: Agility Ring Set-up for drill #5

Circle Possession Game

In the video clip below from World Class Coaching Paul Heffer, who is the Assistant Academy Director at West Ham United, instructs players during a circle possession game drill. Coach Heffer is a former professional soccer player that played for West Ham United and has lots of experience with training youth soccer players.

This drill is set up in a large circle made by two teams of players. Both teams have three players inside the circle with the other players on the outside. There is one ball that is used as both teams try to play possession and keep away. The players on the inside can play to each other, as well as using their outside teammates. If there is a pass made between two players on the same team, they must switch with the outside player coming into the circle and the inside player going to the outside.

There are several important parts to focus on with this drill and demonstration

1.Space

The players need to constantly think about where the open space is at. Young players that lack experience normally struggle with finding the open space and will pass or dribble into congested areas, rather than going away from pressure.

2. Quick possession

The ball needs to move quickly in order for players to keep possession. If the pace is too slow and not fast enough, the defending team will be able to steal it or at least put enough numbers around the ball to win it back. Players should be instructed to play in 1 or 2 touches all over the field and to not stop or slow the ball down.

3. Outside players

The outside players in the circle are a key part in this drill as they not only provide multiple passing options for the inside players, but they also can see the entire circle by facing in. These players should be helping the inside players through communication and then attacking the open space when they enter the inside of the circle.

The YouTube video below has sound so please make sure that you have your sound turned on and that you have access to the site. Please note that some schools block access to YouTube.

If you are interested in improving your teams ability to take advantage of the oppositions defense, you might want to check out these 2 e-books from World Class Coaching . Just click on the images below for more information about Coaching Possession with Purpose:

Volume 1 Volume 2