In a man up situation you want your players to have an attacking mentality.  

You need them to to read the defense and react quickly in order to distribute the ball and create scoring opportunities in transition situations.

In the video below Marcus Wood, a 2010 NCAA D-III National Championship coach and 2010 NSCA National Coach of the Year, explains a 4 v 3 drill he utilizes to develop appropriate instincts in scoring situations.

This continuous 4v3 drill is just one in a series of drills that Coach Wood uses that will increase your players’ speed of play and help them better understand their positioning and their role on the field in attacking situations.

For more information about other drills click the link Game-Like Goal Scoring Drills for Soccer

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As coaches we work on lots of things that help our teams win. Ultimately, however, we are striving to simply score goals. As simple as this seems we must not forget to give our players multiple reps finishing and scoring goals. In the Championship Productions video below Brian McMahon,Palm Beach Atlantic University Head Coach, demonstrates a drill that he uses the day before matches to work on finishing. In 2015 Palm Beach Atlantic scored 84 goals and led the NCAA D-II in goals per game.

To learn more about the DVD that this clip came from click on the link Combination Play and Finishing Exercises on Goal

This YouTube video has sound, so make sure your sound is turned on and you are able to access the site.

The set up for this drill is as follows. Two goals are placed at opposite ends of a shortened playing area. The goals should be offset, with on further to the right and the other further to the left.

Players are aligned in a zig-zag pattern leading towards each goal. Five players in each zig-zag line. The drill will run going both directions simultaneously. To picture the pattern. Imagine that the ball is at the center back he will pass to a right wing back, who in turn passes to a center mid. The center mid would then pass to right winger( or 7), who then passes to a 9 that has a shot on goal.

As each player passes the simply follow their pass until the receive the pass to take their shot on goal. After taking their shot, they get in line on the other side and come back the opposite direction. They will pass and follow until the get a shot in goal at the other end.

Typically he has players go until they have scored twice on each end and then he will change the combination of passes before the shot is taken. The combination that you choose to use is up to your imagination. Whatever combination you use, the players will still follow their pass and eventually move into position for the shot.

You can have the players one or two touch if necessary depending on the pass they receive. This is a simple quick way to get losts of touches, shots on goal and work some of your combinations.

There is much that needs to be accomplished in a soccer practice. Ball Control is most definitely something that a coach would want to cover daily. Maintaining possession of the ball requires technique, good decision making, and a solid physical foundation. In the video below from Championship Productions Coach Alan Kirkup, former player for Manchester United and current University of Florida Assistant Coach, uses continuous activity drills that contain elements of both conditioning and maintaining possession while under pressure.

This clips shows you variations of a 4 v 2 drill which is part of a progressive sequence. For more information about the DVD this clip came from click to the link Running a Dynamic Soccer Practice

The video has sound so make sure your sound is turned on. This is a YouTube video, so you will need access to that site.

Coach Kirkup’s practice, recorded in a live practice setting, is fast paced and provides many opportunities for players to get touches on the ball so as to improve their touch and precision in passing and receiving the ball. The drills all stress the importance of working together and communicating with teammates.

The 4v2 sequence begins by putting 6 players in a box. The size of the box may vary depending on the skill level of the players and what the coach wants to get out of the drills that day.

In the first drill the four offensive players are required to use two touches and pass the ball to each other without loosing possession, while the two defenders are trying to disrupt play. The goal is for the offense to get 50 passes. If the defenders disrupts the pass or takes the ball, then they move to offense and the player that lost the ball plays defense.

After a period of time the Coach then calls for a Three Touch Must. Now each offensive player must make three touches and pass to and teammate. The drill helps stress the importance of the first touch and where it is received. This also gives the players a chance to demonstrate some of the individual skills

The sequence concludes with a One Touch Only call. Here Coach Kirkup stresses to keep it simple and keep moving. This is obviously the most difficult of the sequence. As the players skill level increase, this drill will become more and more helpful. Lower skilled players will struggle, but the still need some reps working on their one touch.

In order to have a great defense players must first communicate and give tremendous effort.

Without communication and effort all defensive schemes will fail. In the Championship Productions video,below Doug Elder, Midwest State University Head Coach and winningest active coach in NCAA Division II soccer, demonstrates a 3 v 2 drill that focuses on defenders’ communication and work rate.

The drill is one in a series of progressive drills he uses to teach pressure defense.

The video has sound so please make sure your sound is turned on. The video is a You Tube video, so you will need to be able to access that site.

For more information about the DVD that this clip came from click the link Winning With High Pressure Defense

In this 3 vs 2 drill Coach Elder has the players working in a small box approximately 10x10yds. The two defenders are working in tandem to pressure the ball and eliminate the through ball or pass to the middle.

The drill begins with the coach passing to ball to one of the three offensive players. The nearest defender sprints to the ball communicating with his teammate that he has the ball. The on-ball defender is tight trying to win the ball or pressure a bad pass.The other defender sprints to the middle to position himself such that he can prevent a through ball.

The defense is trying to force the pass back or square. On the pass the nearest defender will take the ball and the other defender will sprint to the middle and squeeze the gap in order to eliminate a through ball. To achieve this the will have to work hard to not get stretched. The must squeeze in order to protect the middle.

The key teaching points in this drill are:

1. Communication
2. Work Rate
3. No Pretend Pressure

The players will defend for 45 seconds and then rotate groups. The drill can be made competitive by awarding a point every time the offense moves the ball across the line and the defense gets a point if the hold for 45 seconds.