This is Play at Home Practice 7 and is a soccer drill that is focused on developing power and finishing technique.
Attacking Emphasis100%100%
Defending Emphasis0%0%
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Focus on developing power and strength with jumps over hurdles, before movement and first touch that prepares players to finish into corner of goal. The objective is to maintain technique in the physical jumping phase and in the movement to receive and finishing technique.
Key Coaching Points
Physical: Power over hurdles Physical: Sharp movement to receive first touch Technique: Finishing low into corners
Q&A
– How can I move quickly to receive the ball where I want it? – How do I play on different sides with my weaker and stronger foot? How can I improve?
Football Practice 4 of our ‘Play at Home’ Series combines working on your touch, movement off the ball to open your body and check shoulders, running with the ball and quick feet in ladders.
Attacking Emphasis100%100%
Defending Emphasis0%0%
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Key Coaching Points 1
Focus on your first touch and movement off the angle of poles to receive on your back foot to be able to drive into space. It is crucial you get into the habit of checking shoulders as you will in a game situation, to ensure you have space to drive into and can see pressing defenders.
Progression 1: Speed Challenge
Now we can begin to introduce your speed of movement whilst maintaining technique in each step. Give yourself a score for each correctly performed technique together with the time it takes you to complete the course.
Key Coaching Points
Technical: Short side foot passing Technical: Movement to take first touch forward Physical: Quick feet and speed between poles
Q&A
– How can you ensure your movement allows you to take the first touch in front? – How can you vary sprints between ladders and poles? – How else can you take the ball to break into space?
This practice incorporates many different principles to engage players at home. We begin with some ladder work using whatever sequence you think your player needs to work on, before a bounce pass is played. After this initial pass, player must move quickly to get themselves into a position to receive a second pass to control and play off a rebound board. This must be through the poles shown and firm enough to return the bounce on one touch and play another pass off the rebound board at the opposite end.
As the ball is returned the player must then look to finish in a goal, before moving to perform right and left foot hops in the 4 hoops. On completing this, the player must dribble the ball and finish in no more than 3 touches at the opposite end.
Attacking Emphasis100%100%
Defending Emphasis0%0%
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Number of Players
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Key Coaching Points 1
Focus on individual technique in each area of the practice, with a lot of variation in player movement and skill execution. It’s very easy to just go for speed and forget technique, but it is crucial you focus on getting this right first with both feet before focusing on speed.
Progression 1
Now you are fine with your technique and you have made progress from the beginning of the soccer drill, you can now begin to challenge yourself by setting targets for accuracy and time.
Key Coaching Points 2
It is crucial to reiterate that technique over speed is the main objective here. You can steadily increase your speed without sacrificing technique and you will start to see big improvements in your, dribbling, passing and finishing.
Key Coaching Points
– Technical: Running with ball close control – Passing and finishing accuracy – Balance and speed to accel and decel as neccesary between exercises.
Q&A
– What skill do I need to work on most and how? – How does speed influence my technique and how can I adjust?
Practice one of our ball mastery section focuses on improving dribbling skills, with half of the group on a ball in the central area, and the remaining players on the outside. Players must dribble the ball to the outside and lay off to an outside player, encourage a change of direction when entering the square.
Attacking Emphasis90%90%
Defending Emphasis10%10%
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Key Coaching Points: Receive on the Move
Players must dribble the ball to the outside and lay off to an outside player, encourage a change of direction when entering the square.
Progression 1: Rotational Movement
Progress to a one two pass on the outside, allowing all players to be involved in rotational movement in and out of the square. Focus on takeover and speed of movement when transferring.
Progression 2
Players use their weaker foot in the central area, encouraging the need to think about changing direction on entering specific zones where there is player congestion.
Key Coaching Points
Tech | Ability to use both feet
Tech | Close control
Physical | Agile to change direction
Q&A
How can you keep close control?
How can you avoid players in your dribbling?
What changes in smaller and larger areas in your dribble?
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Difficulty Rating
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This practice is for younger players and focuses on their ability to dribble into specific zones, changing direction and speed as they progress. We can introduce various progressions to challenge players varying numbers, opposition, space and time.
Attacking Emphasis80%80%
Defending Emphasis20%20%
Age Group
Number of Players
Minutes
Progression 1
We introduce 2 defending players with a ball ion their hand and they must tag as many players as they can in a given time period.
Progression 2
Players must now dribble through as many cone triangles as possible in the time given, whilst being challenged by the 2 defenders and having other players as obstacles.
Progression 3
Challenge dribbling players now to dribble through 3 different coloured cone triangles without getting tagged to double their score from 3 to 6. Rotate defending players, providing a score for each pair depending on how many players they have been able to tag.
Key Coaching Points
Technical: Ball Control is crucial in tight spaces
Technical: Ability to change direction to avoid defenders
Physical: Balance to change direction, speed to get away
Q&A
How can you avoid defending players better what are the triggers?
How can you change direction quicker in between cones?
When do you lose control of the ball and what can you do to prevent this?
