Soccer Goalkeeper Warm-Up

Far too often goalkeepers are left on their own while the team goes through their pre-game or practice warm-up and stretching routines. Maybe someone will throw some balls or take some shots at the goalie. At www.soccerpracticebooks.com we believe that a proper soccer goalie warm-up is essential. It gets your keeper game ready and sharp, therefore being in the best mental and physical condition to make the saves that count. Below is a soccer goalie warm-up plan for you to use. Click on the link and a PDF file will open in a new window.

Soccer Goalkeeper Warm-Up

Make sure the warm-up ends with a good save by the goalie !!!!

We offer an entire book of soccer goalkeeping practice plans and drills:

Soccer Goalie Practices

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Soccer Tryout

www.soccerpracticebooks.com has developed a quick tryout package for soccer teams. This package is ideally suited for situations with limited time prior to season start. The package includes information forms, evaluation charts and three tryout sessions. It is available as a free bonus with any soccer book combo deal available at:

Soccer Practice Special Offers

Soccer 4-4-2 Zonal System

The following is an example of systems explained in our Systems Of Play book. In the book are diagrams showing basic positioning for defending, transition, attacking.

Soccer Systems Of Play

OVERVIEW

This system is very popular and used by such great teams as the Dutch National and Manchester United. It is a very effective and versatile attacking system based on coming down the sides as well as spreading the defense and then penetrating through the center. With overlapping outside defenders and midfielders the 4-4-2 quickly converts to a 4-2-4 or 2-4-4 putting immense pressure on the opposing defensive units. The vulnerability of the 4-4-2 lies in its flat back defense which can be torn apart by diagonal runs through its center.

TEAM REQUIREMENTS

Teams employing this 4-4-2 system must have outside defenders and midfielders who are in exceptional aerobic shape as they will both make deep runs to attack and then need to chase back in the team's transition to defense. The zonal system requires a high degree of verbal and visual communication, particularly when defending, to ensure that opposing attackers are challenged and covered. This system relies on the off-side trap and that is where defenders need to be alert to ensure they step
up just before the ball is played in behind them. This requires almost automatic mechanisms because there is little time to provide each other with instructions.
When attacking, the outside players as well as the forwards all need to be able to play 1v1 and place accurate crosses into the penalty area. Both forwards and central midfielders must have goal scoring technique and capability for heading the ball.
Inside midfielders are the strategists who read the play, decide when to come back to support the defenders, where to distribute the ball and when to make penetrating runs down the middle. They require excellent vision and ability to read the position.

COACHING REQUIREMENTS

First and foremost, coaches need lots of time before the season starts to train the key elements of this system. Emphasis needs to be on keeping players in their zones and on getting them to make the right decisions regarding challenging penetrating opponents. Much work will be required to coordinate the off-side trap, which again requires verbal and visual communication. Players with ability to beat opponents 1v1 on the wings with the ability to play effective crosses into the target area need to be developed. Aerobic conditioning and speed training are a requirement, articularly for the outside players.

GAME STRATEGY

This system works very well when attacking just about any other system an opponent might play. It is particularly effective against other zonal 4-4-2 systems or a 4-3-3 system because it outnumbers it in the critical midfield area. The weakness of this 4-4-2 lies in defense, particularly against a 3-5-2 system which can outnumber it in central midfield, thus pulling out a central defender causing difficulty with the integrity of the flat back zone. A 3-4-3 system can also cause difficulties, particularly if its three forwards get additional support
from overlapping midfielders. Ultimately, the strength of your own team will determine if the opponent is forced to make an adjustment to their system during the game or if you need to adjust because the opponent's system is dominating. This 4-4-2 is a very attractive attacking system with risks on defense.

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Soccer Skills Training

soccer passing drill - ages 9-12

Each month we will feature a soccer drill from one of our soccer practice books. We will show you the training secrets behind the drill, how and why they improve your players and your team. This information is exclusive to this site. All our soccer drills in all our books have the same depth and training benefits behind them.

Today's soccer drill is Technical Drill #8 from our Youth (9-12)Book. Please click on the link below to open the drill, print it and enjoy finding out the training concepts behind it:

4v2 passing drill

Skill Development

Attackers will learn receiving the ball in a tight space under pressure. They will need to move the ball quickly and therefore will need to set up a good first touch. Passing must be accurate over a short distance. Players will learn the proper weight (pace) of the pass for these short distances. One and two touch passing will quickly become the standard. The small size of the grid will ensure maximum number of passing opportunities in a very short period of time. There is very little opportunity to set up 1v1 moves. Attackers will learn to judge the movement of players and pass into space as well as to the feet.

Defenders will learn to close down players with the ball putting on pressure quickly. They will have opportunities to practice slide tackles at the appropriate times. Once defenders win the ball, passing is not likely an option. However, they will learn to keep possession, mostly through shielding the ball.

Tactical Development

The tactical underpinning for the attackers is to learn how to split the defense. That is why there are more points for a pass between defenders. They will learn to anticipate where spaces between defenders will open up. The player with the ball will need to develop vision and play a ball into the space that either is open or will open up shortly. The other attackers need to recognize the same space at the same time and move into it before the ball arrives. Therefore timing of runs and passes will develop into automatic movement after a while. It is a great drill to have two forwards and two midfielders play against two defenders.

Defenders will learn the key tactical element of "challenge and cover". One defender will put pressure on the ball carrier while the other needs to be in position to (a) challenge if their partner gets beat in a 1v1 or (b) intercept a pass to the most likely target. In particular, the covering defender is responsible to shut down the passing lane and opportunity between them. Once the ball is passed, it is typically the covering defender who now challenges and the challenger will move into covering position.

All players will learn quick transitions from offense to defense and vice versa. As soon as possession changes to defenders, defenders will now need to play a possession game to keep the ball away from attackers. Attackers on the other hand will learn how to apply pressure and win the ball back.

Mental Training

The key mental aspects being trained are anticipation and quick decision making.
Attackers need to make a decision first as to how to receive the ball, i.e. is the first touch a pass or a set up in a certain direction for the pass. Once in possession, they need to anticipate the runs of any of the other three, always looking for the pass between defenders. They then need to decide if the 3 point pass is available or not. There is little time. They also need to be able to change their decision quickly if the play they thought was available has been closed down.

Defenders also need to make quick decisions. They need to decide who will be the challenging and who the covering defender. That will require verbal communication. Once in position, they will need to read the movements of the attackers and anticipate the pass. The decision then becomes whether or not to move to close down a passing lane or to wait and intercept the actual pass. It all depends on what skill level and pace the attackers operate at. So defenders will also learn to judge the abilities of their opponents.

All players will rotate through all positions so they will all learn the responsibilities of various functions. That will make them better in reading opponents and ultimately get them to make better decisions. Communication, both verbal and non-verbal will be required and acquired.

Finally, the point system adds a natural competitive element, forcing players to play quickly and look for the play that gives maximum points.

Fitness Impact

This drill will have lots of short sprints for all players. As the players get better there will be a lot more running. The drill will deliver both aerobic and anaerobic benefits when the players are good enough to keep in constant motion, playing with few interruptions. Initially, however, expect some static breaks and hence the key benefit will be short distance speed development. There will also be lots of turns and quick body rotations so that flexibility and co-ordination should benefit.

Game Application

Playing the ball through lanes between defenders is one of the most effective ways to penetrate a defense. Two attackers can easily play through two, three or even four defenders. For instance, your team has possession in the opponent's half. The opponent plays with a flat back four defense and your forwards are covered by the central defenders. The ball carrier anticipates a diagonal run by the striker in behind defenders and plays the ball between the neares two defenders. That can open up much more space and a quicker attack than playing the ball to the feet of a covered striker with their back to the goal. Also this is a crucial technique to play the ball out of defense when being pressured.

If you watch some soccer on TV you will see this play a lot and you will see its effectiveness. It is valuable in all areas of the field.

Coaching Tips

Introduce the drill to the players, stating the objective and ask them to do a quick demonstration. If they don't seem to understand, step in and show them. Do not explain the entire theory behind the drill up front. Getting them organized and started should not take any more than two minutes.

To get the maximum benefit out of this drill, encourage the players to be in constant motion.

Do not stand in the practice grid, but rather on the side to be able to observe. Let them play without constant interruption or shouting of instructions by you. They need to learn to make decisions on their own. If the drill really is slowing down or the players are not catching on, then take a brief time out and show them what they could have done better in a specific situation. Give positive feedback as they improve. You will notice smoother and faster play as time progresses.

Have two or three grids going at the same time and spend time which each group. That allows the two groups not being observed to develop independence. Do glance over though and see if they are doing the drill or slacking off because you're not there.

This drill may give you new ideas as to which positions might be better suited for some players than where you thought. Some good passers, communicators and decision makers may offer themselves for midfield positions. Quick runners with good sense of spaces opening up may be new candidates for forwards. A forward who slide tackles may be a defender in the next game.

After the drill is done, call everyone in and ask what they learned or thought was important. They should mention most of the points above. The missing ones, you fill in. Take no more than a minute for the review.

If you think the team didn't quite get as far as you'd like, repeat the drill at the next practice, explaining clearly what needs improvement.

Our Practice Books And Resources

Kids Soccer Practices

Youth Soccer Practices

Competitive Soccer Practices

Soccer Goalie Practices

Soccer Systems Of Play

Indoor Soccer Practices

Soccer Fitness Training

Soccer Skills Training

Soccer Tryouts II - Player Positions

If your league is starting soon, you may be involved in running tryouts for your team.

You will need to have some objective way of selecting your players. We believe that a measurement system is very safe and fair. In our last article, we offered a template leading to ranking players from best to worst. Today, we offer you a second evaluation tool.

This model helps you determine which position a player is best suited for. It is based on the skills mostly required for either defense, midfield or forward. Once you have rated your players, you can see which score highest for various positions.

This is important because you need to establish how many players you need for each position. For example, if you wanted 18 players on your team, 2 goalies, 6 defenders, 6 midfielders, 4 forwards, you may find out that the 19th best overall player is your 6th best defender. Now you have a choice. Do I keep one less defender because the 7th best midfielder and 18th ranked player could be converted to a defender? Or, do I keep the 6th best defender and drop the 18th ranked player?

If you are familiar with MS spreadsheets, you can easily adapt the template provided based on your own preferences.

Soccer Tryout - Position Profiles

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Soccer Goal Scoring - Distance of Shots

A major international soccer league reported on where and how goals were scored. Over 400 goals were recorded and we will provide an analysis of the results, and what it means from a coaching point of view.

From Which Distance Goals Are Scored

Goals in the study were scored as follows:

from inside the 6yd (5m) box: 28%

from outside the 6yd box but inside the penalty box: 55%

from outside the penalty box: 17%

In total then, 83% of all goals are scored from inside the penalty box.

Coaching Implications

This confirms what good coaches have been practicing for a long time. They get theri team to work the ball into the target area inside the box, which almost forms a triangle with the 6yd box as its basr and the penalty spot at its tip.

Next we will talk about which build-ups lead to the goals.

the practice books below have many drills emphasizing attacking plays to the target areas.

Our Practice Books And Resources

Kids Soccer Practices

Youth Soccer Practices

Competitive Soccer Practices

Soccer Goalie Practices

Soccer Systems Of Play

Indoor Soccer Practices

Soccer Fitness Training

Soccer Skills Training

Soccer Tryouts I

If your league is starting soon, you may be involved in running tryouts for your team.

You will need to have some objective way of selecting your players. We believe that a measurement system is very safe and fair. Today, we offer you one such evaluation tool. You will see that it is actually filled out from a real tryout we conducted with our team. There are many ways to score and rate players, this is just one of them. We will provide another method in a future article.

The link below gets you to a spreadsheet with all the mathematical formulae intact, so be careful when you make changes.

This model places equal value on attendance, effort and skills, breaking down skills into 7 categories. The last four areas are weighted at 50% of the first three: skill application (in games), movement (off the ball, requiring vision), attitude (leadership, passion, interest, focus) and communication (verbal, non verbal.

There is a % rating excluding attendance for those coaches who place less emphasis on it and a total. You can change the weightings or the categories to whatever you like, this is just one suggested format.

The key then is to run tryout practices in which you can observe these categories and skills and get at least three opportunities to rate each player. You can use the drills from our practice books, they are well suited for this purpose.

Experience has shown that the top 10 players coming out of this rating scheme will provide at least 7 of your future starting line-up.

Soccer Tryout

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Soccer Tactics - Learning By Watching

We all watch live soccer games in the stadium or on TV. Some of us even watch taped classics. When we watch as a supporter of a specific team, or simply as a fan of the sport, we get totally immersed in the competitive aspect, in the drama unfolding, in the great plays, the goals, the referees. It's fun, it's excitement and it is what makes it the beautiful game.

There is another way we can watch soccer games, through the eyes of the learning coach. And learn we can. Instead of reading up on particular team's strategies and coaches, why not watch the strategy, the tactical manouvering, the coaching adjustments unfold before your very own eyes.

It is a matter of mindset and discipline to watch a game and learn tactics. You need to pretend that you are scouting the two teams you are watching.

Try to figure out their formations, not by what the reporter tells you, but by what you see. Write it down.

Then look at defensive and offensive moves of each team. these moves are the result of the game strategy and tactics, they just don't happen. Professional coaches also have a game plan.

If you know something about the teams, like the playmakers, the scoring threats, the unbeatable defender, the weak spots, that will help.

Remember also the basic objectives of each team: Score goals and prevent the other team from scoring. So what are the defensive tactics. How is the other team trying to crack the opposing defense. How are they trying to get players into scoring positions.

Try to notice transition plays - fast or slow. Vertical or horizontal build-ups? Possession game or fast break attack? Lots of switching side of attack or flooding one side? Overlapping or not. And so on.

Try to read each team's game plan and watch the opponent adjust. Take notes. Before your next practice, decide if something you saw is relevant for your team. Incorporate it into practice and try it in the next game.

Learning By Watching - one interesting way of developing coaching skills.

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Kids Soccer Practices

Youth Soccer Practices

Competitive Soccer Practices

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Soccer Fitness Training

Soccer Skills Training

Ideal Performance State II - Soccer

Today we will discover the ideal performance state (IPS) for soccer players. The IPS is the mental, emotional and physical condition at game time which allows a player to perform at their peak.

Each player has a different IPS and it is up to the coach to work with the players to a)find out the player's IPS and b)help the player create it before the game.

The tool we use is the IPS Evaluation sheet (click on link below). First you ask the player to reflect on past experience. Fill out section A. This will help the player remember any special thoughts, feelings, pre-game activities or special events around the best game they ever played.

Then ask the player to fill out section B for at lease 3 games, ideally 5 games. The answers in the evaluation chart will give coach and player a definition of which emotional, mental and physical state gets a player to perform best.

In conjunction with the answers to part A, develop a specific pre-game routine for each player that creates the IPS. It is important to build the individual pre-game routine into the pre-game preparation for the team. Creativity here is the key.

Ideal Performance State Evaluation Sheet

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Soccer Goalie Practices

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Soccer Fitness - Active Rest

It pains me to see soccer practices where players sit down after sprinting exercises or aerobically demanding drills. The same way it pains me to see players sit on the bench after they come off the field during substitutions, half-time or at the end of the game. I have even witnessed entire teams sitting down on the field when a player gets injured and is being tended to.

The practice of coming to a complete rest after strenuous exercise is very dangerous to anyone's health. The heart is pumping at elevated speeds from the stress and then the body stops. Blood is still being pumped at high speed to muscles delivering oxygen, except the muscles aren't moving anymore. That is a precarious imbalance.

That is why the concept of active rest was developed. It calls for a tapering down of the heart rate after it has been elevated. Instead of elaborating on theory, I'd like to give some practical suggestions.

Practice

After elevated heart training such as sprints or high speed drills, have the players work with a ball at walking pace. They can walk it on their own or pass it back and forth with a team mate.

When the team takes a (water) break, don't let them sit down, keep them moving for at least a couple of minutes. If the break extends, then they can sit.

Game

Players on the field need to keep moving. If there is a break in the action, they can walk around (even to the coach for some advice) or do some stretching exercises.

Allow the team coming off the field at half time a few minutes to walk and stretch before you sit them down for the half time talk. Same idea about drinking - have them drink and walk.

After the game, we recommend a slight cool down jog followed by a complete set of stretching exercises before the post game meeting/talk.

It is equally important to loosen up and stretch before going into action. So players on the bench being substituted in need to move, warm-up and stretch before they get on the field.

Our Practice Books And Resources

Kids Soccer Practices

Youth Soccer Practices

Competitive Soccer Practices

Soccer Goalie Practices

Soccer Systems Of Play

Indoor Soccer Practices

Soccer Fitness Training

Soccer Skills Training

Soccer Goalkeeping Drill

Each month we will feature a soccer drill from one of our soccer practice books. We will show you the training secrets behind the drill, how and why they improve your players and your team. This information is exclusive to this site. All our soccer drills in all our books have the same depth and training benefits behind them.

Today's soccer drill is Technical Drill #9 from our Soccer Goalie Practice Book. Please click on the link below to open the drill, print it and enjoy finding out the training concepts behind it:

continuous saves

Diving Technique

This drill practices low and high dives. By standing at one goal post, the keeper has the opportunity to come to full stretch. On the high throw, the keeper needs to push off the leg and dive up and across. On low shots, the keeper needs to crouch quickly, push off and dive down. It is important to keep proper shape. The keeper needs to reach for the ball with the hand that initially is closest to the ball. A lot of keepers want to reach over their head with the hand that is away from the ball initially. We recommend against that. Avoid rotating the body in the air. On the high shots yoy will likely land on your rib cage and the upper leg. On the low shots you will likely touch down with the leading hand/arm. We have lots of pictures showing proper positions on our goalie page (click link above)

Recovery

Recovery for goalkeepers means getting up as quickly as possible after a dive and be back in the "ready position" for the next shot. This drill is excellent to train recovery. After the first save, the keeper needs get up as quickly as possible, turn to face the opposite attacker, get back to the post and be ready. Stress proper and fast recovery.

Reflex

The reflex motion in this drill is in the recovery motion. After the save, the keeper needs to get up and quickly pivot to face the opposite attacker.

Fitness Development

The continuous crouching, pushing off and jumping develops upper leg strength. Be sure to alternate starting position between the two posts to ensure both legs develop evenly.

The recovery process and hustling back to the post after a save combined with the continuous shooting will increase the keepers heart rate. The aerobic base is being developed.

Game Application

Statistics show that most goals are scored in the corners, and the majority of those in the low corner. So this directly trains the most important shot stopping. Also goals are scored from within the penalty box, so these close in shots are ideal for game prep. Finally, goalies always need to recover quickly in games to face the next shot after a rebound.

Coaching Tips

Choose a striker for the shots and the second goalie for the throws. Alternate the goalies.

Soccer Goal Scoring - Where The Ball Hits

A major international soccer league reported on where and how goals were scored. Over 400 goals were recorded and we will provide an analysis of the results, and what it means from a coaching point of view.

Where The Ball Struck

In percentages, here is where the ball went into the net, looking at the goal:

Top Left: 8%
Top Center: 4%
Top Right: 5%
Middle Left: 7%
Middle Center: 8%
Middle Right: 6%
Bottom Left: 22%
Bottom Center: 21%
Bottom Right: 19%

What It means

This clearly validates what good coaches have been teaching their players for ages:
Shoot Low: 62% of all goals were scored low. This makes sense because it is most difficult for goalkeepers, especially tall ones, to get down to the ground. It is more natural for goalkeepers to jump high.

Surprisingly, the numbers were evenly distributed between left, center and right of goal. However, when isolating the corners, 67% of goals were scored in the corners and 33% down the middle.

Combining the above two statistics: Shoot Low into the corners.

From a goalkeepers perspective, the biggest improvement would result from training hard and diligent on saving low shots. Spend extra time and improve your positioning and agility to get the keeper low and into the corners faster. You might reconsider an old technique that has come somewhat out of favour, one which this author hasn't seen practiced very much: the foot save. It is a natural save to stop low shots.

Practice Idea

Take some time at the end of the practice with your strikers and goalkeepers and train shooting low in the corners. It will benefit attackers and goalies. Make a competition out of it. Every ball scored low in the corners is a point for the attackers and everyone saved is two points for the goalies. See who wins.

Next we will look at from which distance goals were scored.

Coaching Tool - Soccer Tactics

Now this tool is not your scientific data processing or template type tool. It's a "let's get back to basics" tool.

I was researching some more soccer game tactics and was reading about how pro teams develop and practice tactics today. They talk about breaking up the field into spaces, assignments of each players within these spaces. Differences between how to act and react depending on which team has possession. Then there is the synchronization of running patterns between players, timing of passes, etc. That is all great for professional teams. And then I thought about how to apply all this to kids and youth teams.

I reflected back on how we were taught tactics and game strategy when we were youngsters. The surprising answer was: WE WERE NOT!! Our coach's (at a competitive level) tactical training consisted of telling us how many defenders, midfielders and forwards we would play with and which players would occupy which positions. And somehow, when we got to play the game, we knew what to do. We knew where to run to, we knew when to pass, we knew the pace of the ball required. We moved the ball up the field and scored goals and we knew to defend against the other team. The game flowed. How was that possible without specific and detailed tactical training???? Magic????

NO MAGIC. We simply used the basic tools most humans are given:

Eyes - Voice - Ears

We saw and recognized the game situation as it happened. We recognized the spaces available and we knew that if we played a pass into space someone would be there. We also read body signals of players physical movements and saw their intended moves before they happened (anticipation). If the ball carrier didn't see the play develop, we used our voices to tell them. If the players without ball didn't seem to be moving to the right spots, the ball carrier would tell them. And of course, we had to be attentive to hearing the verbal instructions.

We knew that we had to get somewhere inside the penalty box to get a decent scoring chance and we knew to keep the other team out of our box.

How did this all develop?

It develop through playing lots and lots and lots of soccer. Today it would be called "small group games". We also played full field pick up games. As with other activities, the key to success was REPETITION.

What did our coach do during practice? Skill finetuning - general skills for everyone and some specific positional skill. Then came some fitness work and then lots of scrimmages.

So I would encourage coaches of youngsters to get their players to use the tools of

EYES - VOICE -EARS.

Is David Beckham Good For U.S. Soccer?

I would like to look at David Beckham's signing with L.A. Galaxy from a soccer coaching perspective. Will David Beckham be beneficial to soccer coaches at the grass roots level and will his move help your team?

Beckham's trade mark are his crosses, diagonal (long) passes and free kicks. He can and does switch play. So you can tell your team to watch him play and look at his skill elements. And that's about it. Beckham is far from being a complete soccer player. To see that, I would tape Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Robben, Deco and many others. So his coaching value from a soccer purist point of view is limited.

Beckham will draw media attention in the U.S. and that will be the biggest benefit. Soccer will become more popular, more kids will be attracted to the sport and registrations at club level will rise. So coaches will have the opportunity to turn more kids to the greatest sport on the planet. And that will be your challenge. To retain the wave of newcomers as a result of Beckham, to teach them, turn them into future stars.

So all in all, the answer is YES. Beckham will help U.S. soccer, the coaches, the teams and the players. It's up to all of us to make it endure past the time he plays.

Competitive Soccer Drill - 4v4 in 3 groups

Each month we will feature a soccer drill from one of our soccer practice books. We will show you the training secrets behind the drill, how and why they improve your players and your team. This information is exclusive to this site. All our soccer drills in all our books have the same depth and training benefits behind them.

Today's soccer drill is Tactical Drill #10 from our Competitive Practice Book. Please click on the link below to open the drill, print it and enjoy finding out the training concepts behind it:

4v4 in 3 groups

Tactical Development

Defenders:

This drill teaches the flat back four system (although coach can instruct defenders to play with a sweeper and man-markers). Defenders need to release from the goal line as soon as the attacking team crosses half. One defender needs to challenge the player with the ball while the other defenders cover the rest of the attackers. Also, once the defenders gain possession, they must quickly transition to move the ball out of their end.

Attackers

Attackers can freely bring the ball to the half and then face the challenge to beat four defenders. All variation of attacking can come into play, based on coach's tactical preference. For example, two attackers can go central, with two others playing wide. The key tactical elements for attackers to consider are diagonal runs, crossover runs, overlaps. 1v1 situations on the wings will utilize "moves" followed by precision crossing. Passes into space and through lanes between defenders are good tools to slice apart the defensive block. As with defenders, attackers get an opportunity to win the ball back.

Mental Development

This drill is extremely effective in developing all aspects of thinking, problem solving and decision making in soccer.

Attackers

Attackers need to decide in which formation to attack. They need to make runs into spaces and at the same time the ball carrier needs to anticipate the runs and play the ball into space. When the pass is not available, they need to decide whether or not to go 1v1 or to hold and wait for support to set up another attack. Once in the opponents half, they need to communicate verbally and non-verbally to be effective. They need to recognize the defensive shape and strategy and devise ways to solve these problems.

Defenders

Defenders need to recognize the attacking shape and communicate quickly as to who is to challenge and how the others will cover the rest of the attackers. They need to recognize runs and passes and close down passing lanes quickly. They need to decide and communicate if they want to win the ball by "doubling up" on the ball cariier. After winning the ball, they need to quickly break and again be organized in their attacking formation. That requires quick mental and physical transition play abilities. These skills will be developed extremely well in this drill.

Skill Development

This drill finetunes short distance passing and 1v1 skills. As with all our competitive drills, it puts to use skills already present in game competitive situations.

Game Application

This is the basic set-up of modern soccer with a flat back four defense. It trains defenders on how to respond to opponents once they have conquered the midfield. From an attacking perspective it sets up the basic two striker formation with two wingers. It can also develop the single striker with three supportive offensive midfielders concept. The attackers are at an advantage to develop their skill because they face less defensive players than they would normally in a game. On the other hand, it very well duplicates fast break or counter attacks.

Coaching Tips

Choose which defending and attacking formations you want to train. It is probably best to choose only one per session. Allow the players to try the drill a few times before helping, if necessary. The key to watch out for is that players follow the rules. Defenders must wait on the goal line until attackers pass the center line. Likewise, after winning the ball, defenders must be encouraged to transition quickly, while the previously attacking team needs to get into position on the goal line (which they were just attacking) as fast as possible.

Overtalented Soccer Kids

A problem in kids soccer (< 8yrs old) can be if one kid on the team clearly is more skilled and athletic than the rest of the team. We answered the following question from a concerned parent:

Question:

I'm not sure how or if I should address something that is happening on our team. My son is simply overwhelming every other player. They only play 3 on 3 in this age group (AYSO rules, I think) and for whatever reason my son is just way more developed than the other players. He's the third youngest on the team, the 3rd smallest (out of 10), so it isn't a size of age thing. I ask this because I am really concerned about how it might affect him long term, the possible restrictions they might place on him (more on that in a minute) and also how it affects the rest of his team.

The first few weeks he was clearly better than the other kids, but it wasn't yet so exaggerated. He'd score a few goals a week. Maybe 3 out of 4 goals for his team. But each week its gotten worse. Last week he scored 9 goals in a 10-1 game (no score keeping, but all the kids keep score no matter what you say). I'm not going to lie, for the first 3 or four goals I was happy for him. But then it got embarrassing.

After the game, here is what concerned me most:

1) I don't want my son to become a ball hog. In those first few weeks he was passing to teammates, but no one seemed to know what to do with a pass. Last week he just took off with the ball when he got it. He is far and away the fastest on the team, so when he goes with it, there is rarely anyone near.

2) I don't want his teammates to be adversely affected. Two weeks ago we were out of town and when another parent asked a teammate how the game went, he said they couldn't score because my son was in Pittsburgh (we live in LA now)

3) I've been told that when a team complained about another more advanced kid the league asked that that child be forced to play defense and not cross the halfway point. That might sound like a good idea, but I think it's awful. 3 on 3 is on a pretty small field. There is no OFFENSE or DEFENSE. Making a kid stay on his half the field is punishing him for being good. That cannot be good for long term development.

Don't get me wrong, I'm elated that my son likes soccer, gets soccer, and quite frankly is good at soccer. I'm glad he's good (I was never that good). But I want him to have a chance to be great someday and want to make sure we do everything right now to ensure his development in a healthy way.

Our Answer:

First, let me congratulate you on having spent time playing the greatest sport on earth with your son. It has obviously paid off with his skill and physical development. Second, I commend you on your care, both for your son and the team and the thoughts you are putting into this. And third, I detect that you are ambitious about your son's soccer future and as long as you keep his passion going, there is a good chance of success.

I'll address your concerns based on my experiences and philosphy.

The most important thing at this age is for all the kids, including your son to have fun and be motivated to come back. That includes the opposing kids. I can see some discouragement there when faced with a kid continually running through them and putting the ball in the net. So in your situation there are many interested parties:

1. your son
2. yourself
3. your team's players
4. your coach
5. your team's parents
6. the opposing players
7. the opposing coach
8. the opposing parents
9. the league or association you play in

I can tell you right up front that it will be impossible to satisfy all those diverging interest.

My personal prioritization puts the kids first. Everyone else needs to play a supporting role. And frankly, as long as everything is done right by the kids, I don'd care what the adults think.

So let's look at the kids:

At this age, they just want to be out there ( and some don't even want to be) and play with their friends or make new friends. There will be a range of skills and a range of awareness of the sport in general and the competition in specifics.

Generally speaking, the less interference with the process of kids playing, the better. So my advice is to let the team be the team and not to worry about the opposing teams because you can't influence them anyways. Let the kids play and pose no "official" restrictions on the game. They'll all get through the season and most of them won't remember what happened a day after the season end party. Parents and coaches will remember, so what.

The key thing for you to do is to manage your son. You need to keep him interested and motivated for the rest of this season.

So I suggest you devise some ways of managing him through the games. Let him run free and do his thing of scoring goals. Use this as an opportunity to teach him about team play. Tell him that passing to team mates is good for the team mates. It gives them an opportunity to practice receiving the ball. If they lose it, no big deal. Your son can help win it back. It will teach him transition play and defense. Work out a "secret" signal so you can let him know during a game when to switch modes from "all out play" to helping his team mates learn.

That'll be the best you can do in the context of the team.

Now to challenge him and get him exposure to higher skill levels, you can explore two options, if they are available where you live:

sign him up for advanced soccer camps or clinics
find an older age group team and ask the coach if your son can practice with them.
Then do your research for next season. If there are different levels of competitiveness available at this age group, get him into a more competitive team. If that doesn't exist, sign him up for a higher age division. keep the camps going as a "reward".

And do not forget, ask your son what he wants. As long as he agrees with your direction, go ahead. If you push him too hard, he may lose interest. Allow him to recognize and develop his dreams and wishes.

Mid Season Soccer Reports

Individual and team feedback is very important. The general rule is that feedback needs to immediately follow the action requiring feedback and it needs to be constructive. It needs to aim at improving and lifting individuals, not at knocking them down.

Typically you would have had a pre-season meeting with the parents, the team and each player. We suggest that half way through the season you provide a brief written update to each player. Sit down for about five minutes and discuss it and then let the player leave with the piece of paper.

This allows you the opportunity to communicate to the individual and and to send a consistent message about your feelings on the team and season. It also allows parents to become engaged if they wish.

A sample of a concise report is available as a MS Word document by clicking:

mid season report

Team Goal Setting

You are planning your first team meeting. On your agenda is the setting of team goals for the upcoming season. You want to involve the team in setting the goals, so that they are committed to achieving them. You are to be commended for this very positive and inclusive approach. We'd like to give you some ideas on how to prepare for the goal setting discussion.

Goals May Differ

You need to be prepared for the team to come with different goals than you might have in your own mind. You might want to win the championship, your players may want to make new friends. The answer is not to choose between a competitive and a social goal, but to accept both as realistic goals.

Social Goals

As coach, you want to achieve team harmony. It is well known that a harmonious team performs better. So let the players make suggestions for social goals. Listen carefully and record all suggestions, if possible on a flip chart. When all the ideas are down, try to combine them into one overriding "goal statement". Examples are:

team harmony
feeling good about the season
personal development
making friends

Then take some of the ideas presented and turn them into specific tasks you can put on your team calendar, such as:

pre-season team social
one overnight trip to tournament
mid-season pool party
post season team event
after practice "fun times"
meetings with each player

Competitive Goals

This will rely more on the coach's input. Likely when asked, most people want to win the championship. After all, isn't that why we compete?

You need to be cautious. An unrealistic goal may set high expectations. High expectations when unfulfilled lead to frustration and possible disharmony.

We sugest you do some research. Gather information about the league you compete in. If you coached in the league last season, you already know. If someone else coached, ask to meet them and discuss the level of competition. Watch the other teams in pre-season exhibition games or even play them in a friendly match.

Then look at the skill level of your own team. Write down strengths and weaknesses, not against your own standard, but against the competition. This exercise will also help you in developing your pre-season practice plans.

Knowing the competition's strengths and having assessed your team you can formulate a realistic goal. It might well be to win the championship, but other alternatives:

have a winning record
make the play-offs
not finish last
score more goals than you let in
don't get relegated

When you're discussing the competitive goal with your team, provide them with the information you gathered and talk it through. You will most likely want to express the final goal as realistic with a bit of a stretch:

"We want to make the play-offs, and if we do, we will be ecstatic. Once we're in the play-offs, it's anybody's game and we'll try to go all the way."

Monitoring

Monitor progress against the goals throughout the season. Ask players for their views. Be prepared to make adjustments in your program to meet the goals or be ready to adjust the goals. The most important thing at the end is that the team believes it accomplished what it set out to do. There must be a positive end to the season.

Summary

The pre-season team meeting is a great opportunity to set team goals. You must know your team and your competition before you have the goal setting event. Let players lead the development of the social goals. You guide them in the development of the competitive goal. Remain flexible. Celebrate success at the end !

Kids Soccer Drill: River Pirates

Each month we will feature a soccer drill from one of our soccer practice books. We will show you the training secrets behind the drill, how and why they improve your players and your team. This information is exclusive to this site. All our soccer drills in all our books have the same depth and training benefits behind them.

Today's soccer drill is Motivational Drill #6 from our Kids (4-8)Book. Please click on the link below to open the drill, print it and enjoy finding out the training concepts behind it:

River Pirates

Skill Development

Kids with the ball will learn how to dribble. both in a 1v1 situation (when they meet a pirate) as well as in traffic. They will control the ball close to feet and make quick turns to avoid traffic. It is an excellent drill to encourage players dribbling to keep their heads up as much as possible so they can see obstacles and opportunities.

The pirates are the defenders and they will learn to take the ball away from players. At this age they are not likely going to slide tackle, but thy should learn to close in on an attacker and "steal" the ball.

The role reversal gives every player the opportunity to be an attacker and a defender.

Tactical Development

For attackers, the key tactical component is to recognize space and dribble to it to avoid getting caught. Also, trying different moves and ways to beat an opponent are encouraged.

Defenders have two tactical opportunities. First they need to choose a target, because players are coming at them from two directions. If the team is advanced or if there are some talented players, they may figure out that two defenders have a better chance of stealing a ball.

Mental & Social Development

This will be a good start to teach kids decision making in a fun game environment. Attackers need to decide where the openings are and which ones to exploit. Defenders need to be aware of traffic from two directions. There are more attackers than defenders, so defenders (pirates) need to decide which ball carrier offers the best opportunity for a "win".

Communication can be encouraged, certainly amongst the pirates.

Trying to get each attacker to count their successful river crossings provides a simple means of motivation and introducing the concept of competition.

From a social development perspective, kids are working together as teams and will get a glimpse of the benefits of group work. With attackers outnumbering defenders 2:1, the defenders are clearly the underdog and may develop even more unity, while the attackers pretty much work on their own. This is supported by the fact that each attacker has his/her own ball while the defenders have none.

The fun part comes from setting the popular scenario of defending a "territory" while others need to conquer it.

Co-ordination

Agility is developed in this drill. Attackers need to make quick directional adjustments to avoid traffic and defenders. Defenders need to pivot 180 degrees to be able to see attackers from both sides and chose a target.

Everyone should be moving at all times so that during the 10 minute drill there will be sufficient physical effort.

Game Application

The basic 1v1 dribbling element is fostered which is a key component of attacking soccer. Defenders will learn to defend while being outnumbered and may begin to see the benefit of the "challenge & cover" concept.

Coaching Tips

Set the drill up as a fun game of "good guys" vs "bad guys". Let the kids learn and discover on their own, let them have fun. There should be lots of vocal interaction and laughter. Don't worry too much if the skills are being messed up.

Only intervene if the kids don't get the basic idea of direction (attackers) or ball winning (defenders).

Great Soccer Links

Please find below some very useful soccer links, based on requests for information we frequently get.

FIFA Laws Of The Game:

Laws of The Game

GOLTV - TV schedule and live results:

Live Results & TV

Soccer Players Directory:

Soccer Players

UEFA - European Championships

UEFA


Adidas Gear: