Developing skills and systems for attack are critical for team success in soccer. In the video below Jay Entlich, Columbus State University Women’s Head Coach, shows an effective 6v3 drill for developing the necessary skills to attack. Coach Entlich uses a reduced field and numbers to instill the basic principles needed to effectively move through the three zones commonly used in team play. His fast-paced 6v3 possession game requires offensive players move from one zone to another to creative number advantages and use overlapping runs and combination play to maintain possession. The competitive drill allows methods for both the offense and defense to score.

The video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to YouTube (many school block access)

For more information about the dvd that this drill came from click the link Developing an Effective Team Attack

Putting the ball in the back of the net is the primary objective of the game.

While there are many fundamentals that must be practiced, tactics that must be taught and conditioning drills to be completed, nothing is more important than getting the ball in the net.

Coaches must provide ample opportunity for players to practice scoring and seeing the ball go into the goal.

In the clip below Mike Vincent, USSF “A” Coaching License and USSF National Youth license, as well as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America International Premier and Advanced National Diplomas, provides you with a simple and efficient drill to provide opportunities for your players to practice shooting and finishing.

This scoring drill is just one of many short-sided drills that can be used to improve your team’s ability to attack.

To learn more about the DVD that this clip came from please click on the link Drills and Small-Sided Games for Shooting and Finishing

The YouTube video has sound so please make sure the sound is on and that you have access to the site.

As with all drills that we provide, I hope this stimulates your thinking as to how you can modify the drills to fit the needs of your team and the resources that you have available.

This is a great drill to get several touches for all of your players in a short amount of time.

Breaking down your defense into smaller parts is an effective way to train your players and help them to develop the instincts and habits that are necessary for a championship-level defense, In the video below West Chester University Head Women’s Soccer Coach and 3x PSAC Tournament Champions, Betty Ann Kempf-Townsley, demonstrates and discusses the basic principles of 2v2 defensive play and emphasizes the necessity of keeping the ball out of the center of the field.

The drill is one of a progression of drills that she utilizes. For more information about those defensive drills click the link Techniques and Tactics for Transition Defending

The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site (many schools block access to youtube)

Being able to score in transition is clearly critical, but how do you develop those skills. Most of us have drills that we like to use to teach various principals. If you are like most coaches you are always looking for new drill to teach key concepts. New drills keep practice fresh and get the players attention.

Below is a clip of drill called Box Transition. The drill is from a collection of transition drills used by Midwestern State University Head Coach, Doug Elder (winningest active coach in NCAA Division II soccer). For more information about the DVD that this clip came from click the link Transition Soccer: Play Fast, Play with Numbers

The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is on and that you have access to the site.

As with all drills on the site, I hope it helps you to think creatively and make tweaks to it that will help your team be better!

Increasing your teams fitness level and ball handling skills will undoubtedly enhance your teams chance of winning. If you are looking for a conditioning drill that can improve your teams fitness level while simultaneously working on ball handling skills, you might like the Moving Grid Drill in the video below

Brent Ridenour, Ohio Northern University Head Men’s Coach and 2012 NCAA D-III National Runner-Up, demonstrates a simple yet effective drill that could easily be added to your collection of drills.

The drill that Coach Ridenour demonstrates is just one of several drills that you can check out in his DVD entitled Working to Win: Fitness with the Ball

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

It is a YouTube video, so you will need to make sure you have access to the site

The set up for the Moving Grid Drill is as follows. Cones are used to mark off four 15yd by 15yd boxes or grids. The boxes are placed in the four corners of one half of the field. Depending on what you want from the drill the size of the box can be changed. You can also move the boxes further apart if you want to make them work harder.

Four groups of five players each are placed into each box. The coach will call out a foot drill to use and the players will begin moving and handling the ball in tight spaces using the technique that coach called.

After 30-45 seconds the coach will may a call of Right, Left or Diagonal. On the call the players will push the ball out of their box and move to the box in the direction of coaches call. Their goal is to get the ball to the next box in three or four touches and get there as quickly as possible.

The coach will then call out another foot drill and the players will now execute that skill in tight spaces for 30-45 seconds. The coach will then give another directional call and the players move to the next box and begin executing the next foot skill drill.

You can vary the length of time in the box as well as the total time of the drill. Calling changes quickly makes the drill tougher physically as the player will be running more frequently. If you are wanting more skill work, then you can lengthen time in each box.