Shielding & Possession

Start with a 10 x 10 grid with a player in each corner and a ball in the middle.

When the coach says “go” all four players try to win the ball and maintain possession. The player who has the ball in their possession at the end of the round gets a point (the round lasts 10 seconds). There would be 10 rounds per game and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

In the beginning, players will try to get to the ball and dribble away from the opponents but they will quickly understand they need to win the ball, shield the ball from the opponents and accept some of the body contact that will directed their way. Players need to be reminded this is a contact sport and knocking a player off the ball with a legal shoulder charge is not only acceptable but expected. As long as it wouldn't be a foul in a regular game, it's permissible in this activity.

You can also vary the size of the grid and the time periods. You can change from a 10 x 10 grid to a 5 x 5 grid or change the time length from 10 seconds to 5 seconds.

Next you would have teams. The players on opposite corners are now teammates so instead of 1 v 3, it's 2 v 2.

Now, then the coach says 'go” the two reds are trying to win and keep the ball against the two yellows who are doing the exact same thing.

This adds the element of teamwork into the activity but still works on the same things as before.

This is a great activity to work on shielding, possession, competitiveness and will prepare the players for the type of contact they will see in real games.

Under 12 Drill - "Movement Off The Ball"

Begin with a player out wide with the ball, a player in the middle and a player on the far side. There is one keeper in goal and an opponent marking the far player.

The runner would read the one hole run and make a hard diagonal run in front of the defender. The central attacker would fill this space.

The player with the ball can either lead the diagonal runner with the ball or drive the ball to the bent runner.

The defender starts by overplaying one of the runs to make it easier for the player with the ball to read the situation but quickly, this changes to the defender being live and the player on the ball having to make the correct read each time. Next, add a second defender.

The player with the ball can now either play the ball to the diagonal runner, play the ball to the looping runner or, if the defenders take away those two runs, can dribble to goal and shoot.

The key to this activity is it's not a 3 v 2 scrimmage but rather, a given situation being recreated so players can learn to read space, read runs and make appropriate passes.

It's important for all players to get the opportunity to play each of the roles because not only might they find themselves in the position to make certain runs, they also will understand how to defend them if they understand the mentality of the attackers.

If you have a team of 17 players, you could have 3 players in each line, plus two keepers and if done at speed, the players will be sprinting to the next line in order to get there in time for their turn.

Under 10 Drill - "Accuracy Passing Under Pressure"

Setup:

Set up a field that is 20X20 yards. Four players should be in each of the corners with the remaining two players in the middle of the grid. One of the two players are working while the other person rests with their hands on their knees. Two balls are used and the ball starts in opposite corners.

Instructions:

Player 1 passes the ball towards the player resting, the working player jumps over the player resting and receives the ball and knocks it to the player to his right. As soon as the working players plays the ball back, the player on the other side of the grid plays a ball towards the resting player and the working player jumps him again, receives the ball and passes to the player on his right. The play continues in this manner. Each player should work for 60 seconds. Rotate all players.

Variations:

• Play 1 or 2 touch
• Use inside and outside of foot
• Move close and serve with their hands for volleys
  

Coaching Points:

• Good first touch
• Good work rate along with accurate passes

Under 8 Drill - "5v2 Box"

Setup:

Start by setting up a 12X12 grid. 5 attackers wear Alternate jersies, and the remaining players should pair up as defenders behind one cone with the supply of balls.

Instructions:

The first pair of defenders play a ball into the 5 attackers, and step into the grid and become defenders. The attackers should continue passing until the defenders win the ball, or the ball is knocked out of play. Once the play is dead, the next pair of defenders play into the same 5 attackers, and play resumes.

Variations:

• Adjust grid (larger = easier; smaller = harder)
• Introduce splits (split defenders, defenders do 10 pushups every split)
• Adjust the number of attackers (4 attackers vs 2 defenders)
  

Coaching Points:

• Vision
• Changes in the direction and speed of play
• Appropriate use of 1st touch
• Appropriate use of short or long passing
• Good passes to feet
• Good first touch
• Good decision making (make play easy)
• Speed of play/decisions
  

Under 10 Drill - "The Bank Game"

Objective - Passing with pressure

Setup - two teams of 4 or 5 players. Each in a 40 X 40 grid (adjustable).

The Game- the coach sends a soccer ball into O's teams grid. The opposing team sends 1 players to play as a defender. The O's try to connect 4 passes in a row without the defender stealing or kicking ball out of bounds. Each time a team accomplishes this, they can make 100 bucks. Once they make a hundred bucks, they have 2 choices. Go for another hundred bucks or bank the money. To bank the money, they have to send the soccer ball back into the opposing teams grid and THEY send a defender to try to steal the ball. If the ball goes out of bound or is stolen, the coach sends a ball into the others teams grid.

Progressions -

• Send in more than 1 defender
• Make grids smaller
• To make game easier - make grid larger and add a offensive player
  

Under 12 Drill - "6v6 Team Touch"

Organization -
Play a normal 6v6 game except for the fact that every player on a team must touch the ball before their team can score. This forces players to show for the ball, to communicate, and to spread out the field. Version 2: If players are advanced, you can enforce a 3 or 2 touch limit on players.

Key Coaching Points -

• When to dribble, pass, or shoot
• Creating Space
• Creating Width
• Combination Play
  

Under 6 Drill - "Planets"

Organization -
Set up cones into multiple squares or triangles that serve as planets (or cities). All players must follow coach’s order and dribble into the planet he calls out. Coach can have all players follow same directions or break up team so they start at different planet and then have them dribble through the solar system in clockwise or counterclockwise fashion. Coach can have groups dribble in opposite direction through the solar system.

Progression -
Make two teams of players, with one team going one direction in the solar system, while the other team goes another direction.

Key Coaching Points -

• Controlled Dribbling
• Change of Direction
• Head Up to see where they are going and who is coming at them
  

4v4 With Gatekeepers

This coach uses players as his gatekeepers, when I do this drill I use parents. That allows more players to actually be involved in the play - as parents like to be involved. This is normally an Under 8 drill, but I've used late in the season for Under 6 and early in the season for Under 10.

This is a great game to get the players to keep their heads up and looking around for the opening.

Dribbling With The Laces (Top of the Foot)

Dribbling at high speed requires the use of the "laces" or the top of the foot. A natural running style exposes the top of the foot to the ball as the player is running, therefore this should be a natural dribbling style when at speed.

We want players that can dribble at high speed because that can attack the defenders and get them off balanced quickly. Below is a video with Mia Hamm explaining the technique.

Under 8 Drill - "Four Corners"

Organization: Divide the team into 4 groups of 2. Each group of two starts in their own corner. Eight balls are placed in the center of the training area. On the coach’s command players run to the middle and dribble one ball back to their own corner. Players cannot defend their corner or tackle other players. After all the balls are gone from the middle, players can then raid the corners of the other teams. After a set time period the team with the most balls in their corner wins the game.

Progression: Allow players to steal from other groups either in the field of play or the opposing corners.

Under 8 Drill - "Corner Gates"

Organization: Divide players into two equal teams. Make diagonal goals with flags or cones in each corner of the field. When a goal is scored or the ball goes out of bounds, the coach plays in a new ball to keep the game flowing. The object of the game is to score through any of the 4 corner goals by passing or shooting.

Progression: Assign each team two goals to attack and two goals to defend.

Under 10 Drill - "Monkey In The Middle"

THE GAME:
Team A and B attempt to keep the ball away from team C by:

1. Possessing the ball using their own players, or
2. Passing the ball over or through the middle zone to the other team who are waiting in their own zone.
   

The defending teams are able to get out of the “middle” by:

1. Replacing the team that loses the ball out of bounds, or
2. Dispossessing a team and making a pass into the other grid to the waiting team (e.g. Stealing it from A and passing to B.
   

The defending team is only allowed to send three players into one of the grids at one time. The three remaining players must be back in the “middle” before the ball is sent into the other grid. They can not enter the grid until the ball does. If a ball is lost out of bounds, the coach immediately puts a ball into play in the other grid area, making the new defending team run to put immediate pressure on the ball. Make the grids bigger to allow the attacking team more success, smaller to challenge them more.

FIELD SIZE: coach’s discretion

COACHING POINTS:

• Transition
• Attacking principles: long passing, attacking shape, receiving long passes, support
• Defending principles: pressure, cover, balance, compactness, immediate chase
• Make sure: if teams are not eve, it is OK for a team to play one player down.
• Keep the game flowing, if a ball goes out of bounds, immediately call out who is in the middle and put the next ball into play.
• Defending team defends as a unit and keeps compact.
• If an attacking team loses possession of the ball, they try to win it back before the defending team plays it out of their grid.
  

The Give & Go Drill

This is a great drill to use for any type of passing lesson. It can be used from Under 8 up. I, normally, use this as a warm up drill for my older players, because it gets them moving around and focusing on proper passing and receiving. Also, it gives them looking around and also talking to the other players of when to pass by calling "Ball!"

Organization -
Players on the inside pass the ball the to the outside players, who either one-touch or two-touch the ball back to the players on the inside. Player on the inside should not receive pass from the same place they made their own pass from. MOVE! Players on the inside then dribble, find a new player on the outside to pass to. Players on the outside that are "open" should call "Ball!" to get inside players attention. Players should be using proper passing and receiving technique. Rotate after a couple of minutes.

Key Coaching Points -

• Plant foot next to ball, pointed at target
• Kicking foot has toe up and ankle locked
• Proper weight on the ball
• Communication
• Accuracy of pass
• Good first touch (for both players)
  

Variations -

• Long pass out, short pass in
• Short pass out, long pass in
  

Under 6 Drill - "Red Light, Green Light"

Organization:
All players gather on a line. The object is to dribble their ball from one line to the other line. The coach calls out either green light or red light. Players dribble their ball and go when green light is called and stop when red light is called. If a ball is not stopped and controlled immediately, the player is sent back even with the last player, but not all of the way back. Progress to the coach holding either a green or red cone, or t-shirt. The coach now doesn’t say anything, simply holds up a color and the players have to look up and react.

Using The Outside Part of the Foot

The outside part of the foot is probably the most overlooked part of the foot. Many youth players focus on the inside part and don't realize that by using the outside part of the foot they will create more opportunities to beat a defender. Mia Hamm demonstrates in the video below.

Under 8 Drill - "Leave It!"

This is one of the bread and butter warm up drills for Under 8. It get them moving, dribbling the ball, and looking around (everything that you want in a warm up). Even at older ages, you can integrate the principles of this drill into more complex drills for older players.

Under 6 Drill - "School of Fish"

This is a great drill for Under 6 and even Under 8. It also allows parents to get involved. The video shows the coach using himself and three other parents, but I have used this drill with up to 8 adults. Sometimes we refer to this drill as "Finding Nemo".

Passing To The Net

Sometimes youth players get a bit too over eager in trying to score. They think if they hit the ball with a ton of force, it is going to automatically go in. The problem is that youth players may have all of the power in the world, but that means nothing with accuracy. Normally, they hit the ball a ton and it goes 5 yards over the crossbar.

Players need to realize that simply "Passing To The Net" works better than hitting it a ton. Yeah, it won't be one of those "Oh My!!" goals, but it still counts the same. Below is a video with Mia Hamm explaining the technique.

Under 8 Drill - "The Change Game"

Organization:
Divide players into two equal teams. Create two goals on each end line. Two players from each team play out on the field, the other 2 players go into a goal. Play like a normal game. When the coach yells “Change” the players who are on the field switch with the players who are in goal. The players simply leave the ball where it is when the coach yells “Change”. Goals must be scored below shoulder height. The goalkeepers cannot use their hands to stop the ball, cannot step off of the goal-line and cannot score.

Under 12 Drill - "Multi Goal End Line Game"

Organization:
Divide players into two equal team on a 30 x 40 yard fields. Place three goals on each end of the training area. Players score by dribbling through one of the multiple goals on the opponent’s end line.