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.
4 v 4 Shooting Game With Keepers
In this game, players must be particularly aware of where teammates are, where the opposition are, the keepers position because the space to work in is small and the time they have on the ball is short. Hence 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.
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Two large goals to shoot at to encourage success by scoring goals. Shorter field so lots of shots on goal because players are nearly always in shooting positions. Initially have the two team / two balls set up so no opposition to enable players working both ways to get lots of shots in. Once a team has worked a position to shoot and has done so that team’s keeper sets up another attack.
Progress it to the competitive even sided game.
Coaching Points:
Quick shooting.
Rebounds.
Transitions.
Quick break counter attack.
Players must be particularly aware of where teammates are, where the opposition are, the keepers position because the space to work in is small and the time they have on the ball is short.
Hence 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.
One Touch Finishing Drill - Training Center Exclusive
70% of all goals are scored with one touch so it is important to practice this technique regularly. This is a continuous practice with lots of work for the keeper also.
70% of all goals are scored with one touch so it is important to practice this technique regularly. (1) runs around the cone at pace to receive the pass from (2). Go left then right varying the call to keep the players concentrating. Each player except the one running has a ball to serve. Player switches sides each time. One touch finishing.
This is a continuous practice with lots of work for the keeper also. As soon as a pass has gone in call the next player to start their run.
Develop – Vary the service with easy passes to begin so we get a lot of goals then chip it in for volleys, half volleys, headers, diving headers, and so on (players can throw the ball in to maintain accurate service if needed to ensure strikes on goal). Working on a positive attitude to score, accuracy and/or power, correct shot selection, awareness of rebounds. Have players counting the number of goals they score (competitive).
First team to score 10 goals is the winner. Alternatively the coach can stand behind the cone and receive the pass and vary the service for the end product, creating opportunities to volley and half volley the ball, even head it on goal. Vary the distance from the goal depending on what you want to achieve.
Functional Crossing and Finishing Session
This is a great crossing and finishing routine to practice as it is on going and you can keep a lot of players working. As soon as the three central attackers have made their runs and got back to the start they are ready to go again. Rotate defenders and wide players. You can have fifteen players and more working constantly.
Shadow Play to begin. Attack in two’s to begin. Movement away from the ball initially if there is time in the build up. Working on timing of runs. Attack near post and far post areas. Cross from both sides.
Position off the near post don’t go beyond it to meet the ball; unless drawing a defender out of position for the second striker to attack. Winger plays a 1–2 and crosses as early as possible. Strikers know this and must get in position to meet the cross. The cross should be between knee and head height. Service could be a driven pass from a striker to a wide player or the play starts wide (timing is better).
Develop:
- Introduce a defender who must choose a striker to mark. The defender starts from the same area as the striker as if retreating towards goal. The crosser finds a free player.
- Introduce a third attacking player in behind the front two for the pull back.
- Have the opposite wide player coming inside as an additional attacker to cover the area beyond the far post, and the crosser has another player to pick out (now it is a 4 v 1 situation).
- Introduce another defender to mark up another attacker (4 v 2).
Players have made their runs into the correct positions to receive the crossed ball. The crosser has four choices of cross to make, near post, far post, pull back for the midfield player and past the far post for the opposite wide player. See who is free or just get the ball in if there’s no time to look (for example in a game where the defender puts the crosser under pressure).
Take the set up ten yards closer so the wide players are crossing from the goal line and the striker’s runs are shorter and sharper. Include a chipped cross to the far post if the keeper is at the near post.
This is a great routine to practice as it is on going and you can keep a lot of players working. As soon as the three central attackers have made their runs and got back to the start they are ready to go again. Rotate defenders and wide players. You can have fifteen players and more working constantly (two sets of strikers, two sets of defenders or even more sets of players etc).
Finishing In and Around the Box with the 4-2-3-1 Diamond Attacking Set-Up
Striker movement is one of the greatest and most difficult ARTS to master. The situation is constantly changing and the striker is constantly moving to create space for him or herself but also for teammates. Small-sided games are important in the development of younger players through increased touches with the ball and more experience with basic tactical challenges.
The following session is an excerpt from Soccer Awareness eBook 8: Small-Sided Games for Strikers. This 54 page eBook combines striker training with small-sided games into eight full training sessions, each with coaching points, multiple progressions and developments.
Striker movement is one of the greatest and most difficult ARTS to master. The situation is constantly changing and the striker is constantly moving to create space for him or herself but also for teammates. Small-sided games are important in the development of younger players through increased touches with the ball and more experience with basic tactical challenges.
- Use the players on the team in their specific positions at all times, you could have two sets of 3 and 3 as attackers so they learn to switch on to defend also; like defending from the front. A 3 v 3 + 1 attacking and defending game.
- Emphasize the diamond set up as in the attacking phase of the 4-2-3-1 is between the opponents back players and their midfield to gain an overload advantage.
- Good for teaching strikers how to switch on immediately from at-tacking to defending so have 6 attacking players in there unless you want to work on defending so have the relevant defenders in place.
- Build up can be slower using the outside players until the right moment appears then it has to be as fast as possible with quick combinations plays by the attacking team.
- This is a Functional practice, a 3 v 3 + 1 with support players involving Receiving, Turning, Dribbling and Shooting. First priority of the striker is “Can I shoot?” Composure in the box is the key factor, defenders don’t want to concede a penalty so strikers have more time than they realize.
- No conditions to start but support players stay outside the box. Defenders win the ball they play to the coach or just clear it to outside players. Start again with a new ball to the strikers. Strikers try to receive the ball at an angle so they are half turned and facing the goal so they can get a quick shot in. Others take up positions off this for rebounds etc.
- Outside players can be passing a ball around between each other to keep active and when the play is finished inside the box whoever is on the second ball passes it in to restart.
- Looking for quick shots, working off rebounds, combination work, 1 – 2’s, quick movement to create space, support play
- Use the cone for an offside line likening to the deepest defender so inside attacking players can time their runs off it.
- So one team attacks the other defends. How many goals can the attacking team score in 5 minutes?
- If the defending team win the ball they pass to their own players on the outside (same as winning and keeping possession in a game) who then give the ball to an outside attacking player and the sequence begins again.
- Rotate the teams and each team gets a chance to attack for 5 minutes. Add up all the goals scored for either side in the 20 minutes for a combined winning team. Alternatively have two goals at opposite ends so it is more like a game situation.
- Rotate the players within each team.
Coaching Points In Shooting And Finishing
Make it a competition between two teams. Each team has 15 at-tempts at goal, see who can score the most goals. Attacking team continue each attempt until the ball is out of play or a goal is scored or the opponents win possession. Rotate the defenders to keep them fresh. Here the coach passes to (8) who lays it off for (9) who shoots and scores. (8) And (10) follow the shot in for any rebounds.
Coaching Points in Shooting:
- Positive Attitude to shoot, quick shooting. Every opportunity try to get a shot in.
- Receive on the Half Turn if possible (create space for yourself), take the chance
- Accuracy and Power (accuracy first). Be composed
- Shooting High or Low (low best because it’s more difficult for the keeper)
- Selection of Shot (driven, chip, side foot, swerve etc). You can use defenders to shoot around for placement. Check keepers position (if time!)
- Near Post or Far Post (can depend on keepers position, also if you shot and miss at the near post the ball is out of play, if shooting at the far post and it’s missing, the keeper may palm it to a striker following up, a striker may intercept it on its way and score, (it may hit a defender and go in off them)
- Rebounds (follow all shots in)
Get this full training session including multiple progressions, attacking from crosses, making transitions and switching positions, a 3 v 3 attacking and defending transition game and more small-sided games for strikers in Soccer Awareness eBook 8: Small-Sided Games for Strikers.
This full training session is also available in the Soccer Awareness Training Center. The Soccer Awareness Training Center powered by Edufii is the ultimate youth soccer coaches learning platform. Join Our Team
54 Pages
We want to stay with our own game plan as closely as possible; based on what we practice and to keep it simple for us; as we dictate to our opponents; and we impose OUR WAY on them.
But there will be many occasions where we must change the system of play and we may have to adjust to suit the opponents.
Here are some ideas for you to consider for your team starting with the 13313 and 14231 systems of play.