This is Play at Home Practice 7 and is a soccer drill that is focused on developing power and finishing technique.
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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?
Practice 5 works on individual player’s movement to lose what would be opposition to receive, move the ball and finish quickly. In addition we include finishing and movement practices to enable players to combine these different elements.
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Key Coaching Points 1: Movement to receive
Focus on movement off the angle of the pole, check shoulders to develop the habit to check for defenders who will you press you in games and take ball out of your feet on 1 touch to attack space and finish.
Progression 1: Physical Focus (Power / Speed)
After shot, player must sprint to corner and jump hurdles two footed to develop power, before sprinting through ladders using quick feet and then sprint through to the end pole.
Link to the Game
For older players, think about how these skills can link to their game in whatever position players play in. It’s important that skills are transferrable to the game where they can be applied in a game situaton.
Key Coaching Points
– Technical: First touch and finishing – Physical: Body Shape to play forward – Physical: Speed and Balance in between stations
Q&A
– How can I move into position qiuckly to give myself time on the ball? – How can I maintain technique over hurdles and ladders and maintain speed?
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.
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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 ‘Play At Home’ practice is focused on players control, lateral movement and quick feet together with finishing in and around goal.
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Key Coaching Points 1
Focus on your first touch to move the ball through the gate accurately, well weighted so you can pass the ball on the other side before playing the pass back, performing quick feet, before receiving a return pass to finish in the goal on the opposite side.
Progression 1: Weaker Foot and Increased Movement
Develop your first touch outside of the area now and finish in the near side goal with your weaker foot on each side. With this added challenge, you will begin to slow down and execute your finish more carefully.
Progression 2: Physical Focus to Develop Speed
Introduce ladders if you have these, or poles and cones to aid the selected physical exercise. Quick feet will develop speed and co-ordination, which are extremely useful traits for attacking players
Key Coaching Points
Physical: Movement and balance to control the ball and body between sections Technique: Touch to move the ball in small spaces under close control Technique: Finishing on both feet, near and far
Q&A
How can I move quicker in between areas whilst still in control? What is the difference between weaker and stronger foot finishing technique? How does your standing foot influence this and how can you develop it?
Now let’s get players focused away from the training ground.. nothing stops individuals learning and so this new coaching scheme will aim to allow individuals to conduct their own sessions from one place. We will be hoping to get a piece of individual content out to players each day that can be applied away from training.
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Get comfortable working on both feet bouncing passes off the wall at different angles so you are able to take your first touch out in front of you before finishing into corners. Challenge yourself and set timings if you are happy with your technique to challenge yourself under pressure and add some competitiveness to motivate.
We can introduce ladders, poles or cones to add a physical component into your practice, depending on what aspect of your physical you wish to develop. This example shows how you can use hurdles for plyometrics with bounces for power and ladders for quick feet to improve speed.
Key Coaching Points
Technical: Passing Quality against wall Technical: First touch out in front Technical: Quality of finishing (Accuracy and power
Q&A
Is my technique right on both feet, how can I improve? How can I adapt my body shape to be comfortable with my first touch? How can I change technique with my finishing?
