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.

 
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Small-Sided Passing Support And Combination Work Game

Using two wide positioned goals for each team to attack. This is designed to encourage players to spread out when they attack and switch play; changing direction if one route is blocked. Looking for quick transition and movement off the ball to create space but attacking the space when it is on to do so. The first thought of the player on the ball should still be “Can I run or pass the ball forward.”

The following drill comes from the Soccer Awareness Training Center. Soccer Awareness Training Center provides unlimited access to Wayne Harrison's Soccer Awareness systems, training sessions, drills and more. Wayne's system helps develop world class youth soccer players and teams in a systematic and imaginative manner that guarantees performance at the highest level of competition. Whether you’re a beginning coach who needs help getting started or someone who wants to add some variety to their training sessions, the Soccer Awareness Training Center offers a wide variety of drills to choose from. Join Today


To score players can pass through the goal or dribble through it. The ball stays in play and movement off the ball to support the player in it to score becomes more important.

Using two wide positioned goals for each team to attack. This is designed to encourage players to spread out when they attack and switch play; changing direction if one route is blocked. Looking for quick transition and movement off the ball to create space but attacking the space when it is on to do so. The first thought of the player on the ball should still be “Can I run or pass the ball forward.”

Coaching Points:

  1. Creating Space – for yourself and your teammates.

  2. Decision – When, Where and How to pass the ball.

  3. Technique – The Quality of the pass (Accuracy, Weight, Angle).

  4. Support Positions of teammates (Angle, Distance and Communication). Supporting in front and behind

  5. Switching Play using width in attack, drawing defenders to one side of the field then switching the play quickly to attack the other open side to score. Here the ball is played to (3) from (1), the defending team is drawn towards defending their right side goal. The attacking team stay spread out and this situation shows how a pass back to (1) then quickly across to (2) can open up an attack to the other left side goal.

 

Download a printable pdf of this session and more defensive small-sided games in the Soccer Awareness Training Center.


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Passing and Support Using Seven Players

With this overload situation it is a very good opportunity to practice overlaps, 1 – 2’s, diagonal runs in front of the ball and takeovers.

The following post if an excerpt from the Combination Movement Section in the Soccer Awareness Training Center. Soccer Awareness Training Center provides unlimited access to Wayne Harrison's Soccer Awareness systems, training sessions, drills and more. Wayne's system helps develop world class youth soccer players and teams in a systematic and imaginative manner that guarantees performance at the highest level of competition. Whether you’re a beginning coach who needs help getting started or someone who wants to add some variety to their training sessions, the Soccer Awareness Training Center offers a wide variety of drills to choose from. Join Today


With this overload situation it is a very good opportunity to practice overlaps, 1 – 2’s, diagonal runs in front of the ball and takeovers.

If you include a keeper then this player can pass the ball into any of the four attackers and (A) and (B) can close them down as the ball travels. Try to create a 2 v 1 set up somewhere on the field of play from the 4 v 2 situation.

Players can make their plays using each other’s movement as a decoy as well as an exchange of possession of the ball.

Playing offside makes this set up more realistic.

Condition the attacking players where they can only score with two touches (or only one touch if possible).

passing and support.png

The above set up shows a typical overlap situation. (1) Can make two decisions; to pass to (2) on the overlap or use (2)’s run to take (B) out of position and come inside with the ball creating a 2 v 1 against (A).

It is important for players to realize (in this case player 2) that they make runs to create space for themselves and also for their teammates.


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Combination Plays

(6) Passes to (8) who has come off at an angle to receive, and gets the pass back. (9) Checks and receives a pass from (6).

(9) Then turns and moves infield with the ball and plays an angled pass to (10).

The following is an excerpt from Soccer Awareness eBook 5: Attacking Combination Plays.


(6) Passes to (8) who has come off at an angle to receive, and gets the pass back. (9) Checks and receives a pass from (6).

(9) Then turns and moves infield with the ball and plays an angled pass to (10).

combination plays

Coaching Points:

  1. Communication.
  2. Receiving the pass “side – on”.
  3. Timing and angle of the run from (10).
  4. Timing and pace of the pass from (9). Try to pass with the outside of the front foot for deception.

During any of these progressions you can include defenders if you feel it is more realistic, you can have them defending passively to begin just “getting in the way”.

Sometimes players can make their movements easier if there is a defender as a reference point.


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