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Name Your Drills
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Naming your drills saves transition time in
practice. The players will automatically know how to set
up the drill and what is expected from them! Each time
you introduce a new drill to your players, clearly define the objective of
the drill, and give the drill a name. During the drill, ask the team
what the objective of the drill is, and what the name of the drill is!
Drills
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Below are a few drills
that you may recognize and a name to attach to it:
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The Mole
Two teams (red and blue)
compete in a dribbling and passing competition. Teams must
successfully move the ball from the starting point into each grid (8 X 8
yards) and back to the point where they started. The ball must be
touched inside each grid, starting with the first grid, then the second
grid, the third grid, back to the second grid, the first grid, and finally
stopped at the same point they started at, without ever going out!
Before the competition begins, the red team sends a "mole" over
to defend against the blue team's efforts, and the blue team sends a
"mole" over to defend against the red team's efforts, similar to
"monkey in the middle" or "keep away."
- No Hands!
- Mole plays like a
defender against all the other teams players, similar to monkey in the
middle, or keep away!
- If the ball goes
outside the grid, the team must start over from the original starting
point.
- Each team should have
at least 6 balls at their starting point, because the
"mole's" job is to clear the ball away and teams may need
access to many soccer balls before they are able to successfully
complete the challenge!
VARIATIONS:
3 vs1, 4 vs 1, 5 vs 1, 6
vs 1 (offensive player to mole ratio)
The number of grids can
vary according to skill level. Three grids is fairly
challenging. Two grids may be a good place to start, allowing
players to get the hang of the game, then add another grid to make it more
challenging!
The size of the grid can
be varied according to skill level. The smaller the grid, the easier
it is for the "mole" to win the ball. The larger the grid,
the easier it is for the offensive team to possess the ball. Adjust
the size of the grid to match the objective of the drill!
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COACHING POINTS
Offensive players
should keep the ball away from the "mole" using these
strategies: shielding, dribbling, and passing. Keep head up
looking for open players. Passes should be sharp, crisp, properly
weighted, and accurate. Teammates should move into spaces where they
provide support for the player with the ball, and practice effective
communication.
Defensive players
(the Mole) should pressure the opponents quickly, cutting off passing
angles, forcing opponents to pass quickly into predictable areas where the
ball is more accessible to the defender (practicing winning the ball or
poke tackling). The "mole" can keep the ball and shield it
for a long time (practicing shielding), and or, clear it a long way
(practicing clearing), to slow down the success of their opponent, giving
their own team more time to successfully complete the challenge!
VARIATIONS:
3 vs1, 4 vs 1, 5 vs 1, 6
vs 1 (offensive player to mole ratio)
The number of grids can
vary according to skill level. Three grids is fairly
challenging. Two grids may be a good place to start, allowing
players to get the hang of the game, then add another grid to make it more
challenging!
The size of the grid can
be varied according to skill level. The smaller the grid, the easier
it is for the "mole" to win the ball. The larger the grid,
the easier it is for the offensive team to possess the ball. Adjust
the size of the grid to match the objective of the drill!
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| Flying
Changes
Flying changes is one of my
favorite soccer training drills and incorporates a variety of game
related soccer elements. The game is fast moving, with many
goal scoring opportunities.
Two full sized goals with nets make
this drill efficient and exciting! Without the goals and nets
the drill is a disaster! Face the goals between 25 and 35
yards apart. Separate your players into two different colors
and place each group next to the goal they will defend.
To start the game, have two players
from each color compete in a game related scrimmage. The team
who scores, stays on, and the team who gets scored on must go back
to their line. Immediately, two players from the side scored
on, enters the field with a new ball and attempts to score on the
remaining team. If the ball ever goes out of play, the team
who touched it last must go back in line and the next team of two
immediately attempts to score on the remaining team.
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Variations:
- Teams of three or more
- Fulltime goal keepers
- As each new team enters the
play, they must shoot the ball like a quick free kick!
Coaching Points:
- Instruct players to look for the
shot on goal first, the assist second, and possession
third. This is an attacking exercise, not a possession
drill.
- Emphasize quick transitions from
offense to defense, and players must be mentally alert after
scoring, immediately ready to defend against the next team.
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