Welcome to the Soccer Awareness Coaches Corner. Browse through soccer drills, small sided games, tactical thoughts, full sessions and a variety of resources. Posts marked “Training Center Exclusive” are for members only.

Wayne Harrison 10/25/20 Wayne Harrison 10/25/20

Quick Pressing Game

This game is an excellent example of how a small change to the structure of a standard game changes the game to allow a specific skill or topic you want to work on. You don’t need to say anything; the explanation is in the game.

Organization:

Age Group U10s to adults
Pitch sizes 30/40 x 20– or at the discretion of the coach
Number of teams – 2
Team sizes 4-6 players
Bibs optional
Goals – full size adult goals or made with cones

Progression: This is a standard small sided game but with big goals and no keepers. Players can score from anywhere on the pitch. It is very easy to score a goal in this game, so players quickly understand they have to put pressure on the ball and not allow players to shoot. They must close quickly. Players need to concentrate as a poor defensive position will ultimately lead to conceding a goal. Alternatively you can add a keeper in each goal and the players have to JUST pass the ball to the opposing keeper to score.

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Teaching Players to Position Off the Ball to Face Forward to Receive It

Often players position to receive the ball with their back to play. These session plans show some ideas on how to position and instead "Face Forward" or at least Half Turned or three quarters turned rather than positioning square and facing back.

Distribution from the Keeper and Playing Out from the Back Using the 3-1-3-3 - Training Center Exclusive

Here are 9 ways to distribute from the keeper and play out from the back. We owe it to the players to teach them this as Young as is possible.

I work on this initially practicing all ways to get out. Have opponents only intercepting passes to begin. Then let it go free. When opponents win it back we work on the defending team condensing and defending correctly.

If three or four ways to develop play are done very frequently then it becomes a subconscious decision to move into position so no decision making required as such.

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Soccer Awareness: Basic Principles of Development (One Touch Play)

Linking foot preparation, body position and mental preparation to the technique involved in making a one touch pass leads us to a discussion on one touch play and its benefits.

One touch play teaches the value of being able to take your eye off the ball when keeping your eye on the ball can be a disadvantage.

To make this work, players need to have good teamwork and positional sense and therefore must work hard for each other.

The Three Team Awareness One Touch Game

Working with three teams (numbers depends on how many players you have, e.g. it can be 4 v 4 + 4 or 5 v 5 + 5 etc). Teams (1) and (2) work together to keep the ball from team (3). If team (3) regains possession the team who gave it away becomes the defenders. The defenders reward is they keep the ball and link with the other team.

Breakaway Game

In this game we are working on finishing, dribbling and breakaways. This is a great activity to work on both attacker and goalkeeper skills.

9 v 9 Animation of Team Development using One Word Commands

Just a one-word signal can organize a defense, so everyone on the team knows what to do and reacts together as a unit. Also midfield players close by can react off the call too as can strikers. These One-word calls ensure everyone will know quickly and effectively what they should do as a unit and as a team. Hence the back players (and the keeper) can organize their movement as a unit (and therefore influence those in front of them) from Five VERY simple one-word commands. The momentum is triggered from the back and runs forward through the team to the strikers. We must have a very vocal and confident leader at the back organizing this and making the decisions.

Improving Shooting On Goal Using Simple Shooting Ideas

Here are 3 simple drills to help your players develop good technique for shooting at goal.

Combination Plays and Finishing Session

Development of the mental side of the game in terms of the Awareness program, i.e. seeing situations quickly and acting upon them is very important to the player to help him or her have success by scoring goals. The shorter and sharper the practice then the less time the players have to make the correct decisions to be successful, the more important it is to train them to be able to cope with these pressure situations.

Improving Awareness In First And Second Touch Development - Training Center Exclusive

In this session, we are ensuring there is timing between the players in terms of the pass and the run to receive. We are doing simple passing in two’s back and forth, first two touch, then one touch where possible. Ask the players to look into “each other’s eyes” as they pass and NOT at the ball to see if they can keep possession between them. This will be difficult at first but it helps to teach them to look up and not down at the ball. during games and hence helping their “Awareness” development as players.

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Game Day Warm-up (ONE Touch Layoff)

In this warm-up, players pass, receive and move off the ball at GAME speed. We are getting them mentally and physically prepared for the speed of the game.