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Soccer Awareness training develops SELF THINKING players who are not coach driven; but coach guided, and within this they are allowed to make mistakes without criticism; but rather; encouraged to learn from them.
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Players are generally all very good at playing using many touches; that is; dribbles, turns and running with the ball, that is more technical training / playing.
But often not so good at one touch quick thinking and quick decision making training, that is more skill training / playing.
Hence why we must increasingly do this training with them.
Read MorePlayers have the ball at their feet for approximately 5 minutes out of 90. What do they do the rest of the 85 minutes? They must learn to move off the ball and to move into open passing lanes to be open at all times to help the player on the ball or the next player on the ball. Here is a great session to teach this.
We can use many upright cones to represent opponents rather than mannequins. We set the cones up in triangles and diamonds. We ask players to position between the cones in the best space available. Try to balance their position to find the best space in the middle of the triangle or diamond of cones (opponents). Players beyond the ball try to position in triangles and diamonds of support also.
Read MoreIn the game players must develop the ability to be calm under pressure, to be confident to receive the ball in tight spaces and to have the confidence of teammates to give the ball to you under pressure.To be good at this takes time and practice and many sessions where constant pressure is applied in the training environment hence why man marking games can be so productive.
Read MoreThe more you practice, the more you know how to do something better. However, if you believe, for even one second, that a habit cannot be undone, you are right! There is no way of undoing what you have learnt – so you might ask then, how do we get rid of a habit?
The answer is putting in more practice to learn something else than you did into learning the habit you are trying to undo. It's just that simple!
Read MoreStriker moves “OFF THE SHOULDER” of the defender. Only a matter of a few yards can open up wonderful space and attacking opportunities.
Read MoreThe majority of goals in the game of soccer are results of mistakes and most mistakes occur when players are put under pressure, especially in dangerous areas. When you are attacking and you lose possession your first goal should be to regain possession. You will be surprised the number of times your opponent will give the ball away in front of the goal when your team closes them down in an organized fashion.
Read MoreUse the penalty area and a regulation size goal. Two lines of defenders stand on both sides of the goal. Three lines of attackers stand five yards out from the top of the penalty box. The coach or server stands on the end line, between the 6 and 18, with a group of balls.
Read MoreThis is another multi goal game to consider. Promote quick play with fast penetrating forward runs beyond the ball (3rd man runs).
Read MoreThe game is played in a 3v3 format. Players try to maintain possession of the ball by constant passing and moving. 1 point is awarded for 5 successful passes. Play for a designated number of goals or for a predetermined time.
Read MoreAll training is match specific. Our work is based upon developing a balance between ball handling and functional running and sprinting in combination with jumping, stopping and turning.
Quick feet, changing stride length exercises will be particularly important.
Repetition of the exercises is important throughout the season on a weekly basis to develop good and correct habits regarding co-ordination, comfort in running, awareness of the efficient use of arms and legs in running and the synchronization of limbs.
Read MoreAttacking: Based on the 5 corridors width-wise we want all 5 corridors to have players in them.
Based length–wise we want a maximum of 2 of 3 zones filled; with the exception of the keeper.
Defending: Based on the 5 corridors width-wise we want a maximum of 3 corridors filled with players preferably 2.5 if possible.
Based length-wise we want a maximum of 2 of 3 zones filled preferably the whole team is condensed into 1.5 zones or at most half a field.
Read MorePositioning at the back when losing the ball
Both wing backs attacking. We lose the ball, the most vulnerable place for us is now the wide area as shown. We mark “goal-side” and leave the wide area open.
Read More
We develop play from the back. Work on that 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.
So certain plays are recognized consciously first of all with particular CUES offering identification of these.
If one or two ways to develop play are done very frequently then it becomes a subconscious decision to move in to position so no decision making required as such.
Read MoreLinking foot preparation, body position and mental preparation to the technique involved in making a decision leads us to a discussion on Half a touch brain centered thinking and its benefits.
Read MoreA rondo for example isn't just 4 players playing keep away from a single player and a bit of fun (though they Are fun), what you get out of a rondo is the following:
Soccer Awareness developmental training focuses on the concept of the THIRD EYE of Awareness, Imagination and Anticipation in Performance. Soccer Awareness is a highly innovative concept which aims to develop the thinking coach and player. Soccer Awareness focuses on the creation of a player centered environment which encourages autonomy and an ability to make correct decisions within a game specific context.
Soccer Awareness Training Center provides unlimited access to Wayne Harrison's Soccer Awareness systems, training sessions, drills and more. Wayne's system helps the development of all levels of soccer players and teams in a systematic and imaginative manner that guarantees performance at the highest level of competition.
This video is an example of a “One Touch Mentality” game situation U14 boys.
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.
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.
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.
Teaching players to develop a "one touch mentality" in their game, to train the MIND.
To play in "Anticipation" of the ball; both on and off it by Scanning the field constantly to make earlier, faster and more successful decisions in the game.
How do we do this? Here are some sessions to use to help develop this ability.
45 Pages
Using the 1-3-3-1-3 system of play for this, we show how your players can find free spaces between opponents with inverted runs from outside to in. Including how to create freedom of movement within the team framework.
This 295 page ebook includes 17 game situational clinics focused on tactical play and target games. To achieve the given theme successfully, many of the situational games have set conditions to them to force the theme to happen consistently and to maintain the focus of it. As we will explain, a big part of teaching in ALL these games is developing a One Touch Mentality in each players brain. So the “general” theme around all of them will be establishing this thinking process no matter the “specific” theme being taught.
This book is also available to Elite and Premium Members in the Soccer Awareness Training Center. Access Here.
We produced the eBook "Tactical Thoughts on the Development of the 4 v 4, 7 v 7 and 9 v 9 Game Sizes" covering information on team shape and development. We now add this eBook to provide Curriculums in each game size to support the tactical games eBook.
What this eBook offers you:
Its all done here for you, paying attention to the ages of the players and the depth of teaching suitable to them.
As the program moves from 4 v 4 through to 11 v 11 the focus changes from individual teachings at 4 v 4, to small sided situations at 7 v 7, to Phases of play and tactical needs at 9 v 9; through to team tactical development at 11 v 11.
11 v 11 focuses on advanced training ideas to teach the “team”.
This eBook covers up to 14 weeks of training for each game size presented as one session per week.
All sessions have small sided games scrimmage set ups as close as we can get it to finish to reflect the theme of the session.
This eBook shows how these different size games can be taught and also shows different systems of play that might be useful to you.
The idea I am trying to cultivate is to find a pattern of development that goes from 4 v 4 to 7 v 7 all the way through 9 v 9 to 11 v 11 that educates the players VERY EARLY on how to ultimately play the 11 v 11, a common thread running right through the book.
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.