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 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 8 Drill - "Protect the Ice Cream"

Objective - Accurate Passing or Finishing

Setup - Use flat cone and make a 3 yard by 3 yard grid. Put another flat cone in the middle of the grid and place a ball on top of the flat cone.

The Game - 3 attacking players against one defender. The 3 attacking players pass the ball to each other and score by knocking the soccer ball off the cone in the middle. No players are allowed in the grid. Does the ball need to always be passed through the grid?

Variations- Depending on the skill level, must complete a set number of passing before a shot. Make grid smaller to defender can defend easier which will force quicker and smarter passing.

Under 8 Characteristics and Skill Priorities

Skill Priorities:

• Dribble with all sides of both feet
• Dribble out of trouble
• Dribble past someone
• Shielding
• Quality first touch on the ball for control
• Proper shooting technique with both the inside and laces
• Proper Push Pass technique

Although U8 children may begin to be far more physically and maturationally advanced than U6 children, we must remain patient and not try to force them to develop too quickly. Dribbling still needs to be the primary focus of our efforts, though passing and shooting should be introduced at this age as well. U8 players tend to work best when in pairs and we should allow them to work in pairs (coach selected) often. Similar to the U6 children, we need to make sure that fun is a central theme in practice. Player development will occur most appropriately and expeditiously if all players are enjoying themselves.

Characteristics of this age group -

• Tend to play well in pairs – unlike 6 year-olds, these children enjoy playing in pairs. Coaches will use more activities in practice involving pairs, like passing. However, children should not always select their "buddy" in practice because it will lend to one sided practices if always working with the same player over and over
• Are now able to take another’s perspective – they now have a sense of how other’s are feeling
• Still unable to think abstractly – still do not have this capability, therefore tactical skills can not yet be taught. Adults must be patient with this age group
  
• Heating and cooling system still less efficient than adults – still make sure to give frequent water breaks
• Still much prefer playing to watching – everyone must be active during practice and remember, no lines
• Limited attention span (on average 15-20 seconds for listening, up to 20 minutes when
  engaged in a task) – this may vary greatly on any given day depending on school, diet, etc.
• Have an understanding of time and sequence – they now understand "if I do this, then that happens." This is why passing is taught at this age group
  
• Many have incorporated a third or fourth speed into play – not all players, but many players now have incorporated a speed or two between stopped and as fast as possible
• Extremely aware of adult reactions – be very aware of your verbal and nonverbal reactions, as they look for your reaction frequently. Negative adult behavior with result in negative child behavior
  
• Seek out adult approval – they very much need reassurance and you need to help build their confidence to try new things at this age
• Begin to become aware of peer perception – a social order is beginning to develop. Be sensitive to this
• Wide range of abilities between children at this age – children all develop at varying paces. You may have an 8 year-old who seems more like a 10 year-old and one that seems more like a 6 year-old on the same team. The challenge to is to manage this range over the course of a season, so that all players continue to develop
  
• Some will keep score – the competitive motors churn faster in some than others. Surely some parents are fueling the motors with their own. Regardless, we do not need to stress winning and losing at this age. Results should not be important at this age. David Beckham and Mia Hamm did not become the great players they are today, because their Under 8 team won or lost games!!
  
• Beginning to develop motor memories – by attempting fundamental technical skills they are training their bodies to remember certain movements. This is why at this age, the focus is on nothing but the key technical skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting (in that order)
  
• Less active imaginations than U6 players – still have active imaginations by adult standards, but some of the silliness that 6 year-olds allowed will not be appreciated by this group. Adults should still use the children's imaginations so they will continue to try new things and grow as players
  

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.

Under 8 Lesson Plan - Developing Dribbling Technique

Key Coaching Points for this lesson is proper Dribbling Technique through out the session.

1. Lean forward and over the ball
2. Knees bent, on the balls of feet
3. Relax body
4. Balance is a must
5. Keep ball close
6. Use inside/outside and instep of both feet
7. Be creative, use imagination -- develop own style
8. Use body feints
9. Change speed and direction: tight control vs. open field
10. Look up as much as possible (Keep Head up)
11. Use body to shield/protect ball
12. Don’t be afraid to fail, take risks in the attacking 1/3
    

Activity One: Warm-up Dribbling

Set the mentality to enjoy having the ball at their feet.

• Dribble around space, change direction/use different surfaces.
• Dribble around space on command stop the ball and do five step-ups, continue to dribble.
• Same as number #2 except this time stop the ball and take five touches inside of the feet.
• Same as number #2 except take five touches inside/outside of right foot. Then the same with the left foot.
• Dribble in space on command stop the ball and find a different ball, continue to dribble.
• On command the color called out by the coach freezes then the other team dribbles around the frozen players. Players should make moves when going around each player.

Activity Two: Many Gates Dribbling Game

Organization -
Set-up several gates (goals) through out the grid. You should have at least one more gate than players. On command players should dribble through as many gates as possible. Usually the game should go for 60-90 seconds. Players should keep track of how many times they go through the gates.


Progression -

1. Players must make a move on each gate prior to going through the gate.
2. Have three players stand inside gates as if they were defenders. These players can move to different gates. They are not trying to win the ball, but if a player sees a player in

Activity Three: Team Knockout

Organization -
Half the players with a ball. Each team should be wearing different colored vest. On command the players with the ball must maintain possession of the ball inside the grid. The players with out the ball are trying to dispossess the players and knock their ball out of the grid. If a player losses his/her ball they join the rest of their team in trying to keep possession of the last ball in the grid as long as possible. When there is only one ball left the game becomes a possession game. The coach keeps the time of how long a team maintains at least one ball in play. After all balls are out of play, the other team gets to posses the ball. The team that keeps the ball in the longest is the winner.


Progression -

1. This time teams that win possession must dribble through one of the six gates to eliminate a ball. If a ball goes out of play, but not through a gate. The team with possession puts it back into the grid and continues to play.
2. Same as one except players shoot the ball through any of the six gates to eliminate the ball.

Activity Four: 1v1 through Goals

Organization -
Start 1v1 with coach serving the ball. Players can also be used to serve the balls. Players can attack either one of the goals on the end line. Player has to dribble through the goal for a goal to count. Players switch role after each turn.

Progression -

1. Players can now also score on the two goals that are on the sides of the grid.
2. Players can only score on the two side goals, which now are balls on cones.

Activity Five: Scrimmage

Finish with your standard soccer match with goal keepers.

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 6 Lesson Plan - Dribbling With Knock Out Games

This may be a good opening lesson for Under 8 teams. It will allow coaches to assess their players' dribbling skills while keeping it fun. If an Under 8 player can not dribble well, other skills such as passing, receiving, and shooting will suffer.

Several of these games are "knock-out" games where the losers are knocked out and the last player left is the winner. Since the first ones out are often the ones who need the most practice, the ones knocked out should be required to do something to either get back into the game (juggling or toe taps) or to keep them working on their ball skills until the game is over.

Activity One: Simon Says

Purpose of the Game: To encourage children to run with the ball, keeping it close to their feet.

Area Needed: 20m x 20m.

Story: Simon is the King of Knotty Ash. In Knotty Ash all of the people are children. When King Simon says, “foot, knee, sit, elbow, head on the ball,” you must do it immediately. The coach can integrate commands such as “change direction,” “go faster,” and so on into the game. If King Simon does not issue the command or a child responds slowly, he or she receives a “Gotcha.” However, children should not be eliminated from the game.

Equipment: Eight cones to mark the area and one ball per child.

Organization: Mark out a 20m x 20m area using the cones. Ask each child to dribble around Knotty Ash (the area) with the ball remaining close to the foot (tell the children to imagine that the ball is connected to their feet by a short piece of elastic). The coach calls out a command to which the child should follow only when preceded by “Simon Says…”

The drill/game encourages children to move with the ball under close control. They now have begun the process of dribbling. The next progression would be to encourage the children to use their peripheral vision. The following game, Tigers in the Jungle, will create an environment to enhance this process.

Activity Two: Tigers in the Jungle

Purpose of the Game: To encourage children to look up while dribbling.

Area Needed: 20m x 20m.

Story: Each child chooses to be a type of animal that lives in the jungle and makes the sound of that animal. Only tigers are not allowed. The tiger is the most feared animal in the jungle and is going to attempt to kick the other animals’ soccer balls into the surrounding alligator-infested swamp. If the tiger kicks the ball into the swamp, the child can dodge the alligators and bring the ball back into the jungle again. The child then stands with legs apart and the ball in the air making the animal’s noise. When another animal/child dribbles the ball through this child’s legs, they are free to continue the game. Beware of the Tiger!

Equipment: Eight cones and one ball per child, except the “tiger.”

Organization: Mark out a 20m x 20m area using the cones. Ask the animals to dribble around the jungle without dribbling into each other or the swamp (the area outside the grid). The tiger (a child without the ball) will prowl around the grid and, on the coach’s command, will enter the jungle and attempt to kick as many balls as possible into the swamp. Remind the children of safety points regarding challenging for the ball. All players may re-enter the grid once they have retrieved their ball from the swamp.

A drill such as Tigers in the Jungle encourages children to dribble the ball at speed while using their peripheral vision in a controlled, pressurized and fun situation.

Activity Three: Crabs on the Beach

Purpose of the Game: To encourage children to dribble with the ball and change speed and direction to beat an opponent. The art of feinting a dummy can be introduced at this stage.

Area Needed: 30m x 20m grid.

Story: Each child assumes the name of a sea creature except the crab. Each creature has to run from the beach to the sea with a ball, avoiding the crabs who are trying to “pinch” the balls. A child whose ball is pinched then becomes a crab.

Equipment: Ten cones to mark the area and one ball per child except the “crab.”

Organization: Mark out a 20m x 30m area using the cones. Make on 30m line the sea and the other 30m line the beach. Ask the children (sea creatures) to stand on the beach line, each with a foot on the ball. Place a child (the crab) in the middle of the area in a crab-like position (on all fours with tummy upwards). On your command tell the creatures to dribble their ball from the beach to the sea while avoiding the crab. When they reach the sea line, they must wait with a foot on the ball until all players have crossed the beach. The crab must aim to kick each child’s ball out of the grid via the 20m side lines. Any creatures losing their balls become crabs. The game continues on the coach’s command with players now returning from the sea back to the beach. The last three children dribbling with their soccer balls become “Sea Champs.”

Activity Four: Scrimmage

Purpose of the Game: To finish practice with a normal soccer game.

The Receive and Turn Drill

This drill will work well with Under 8 and up players. Younger players should focus on ground balls, older players can mix it up with both ground and lofted balls.Organization -

• Balls start on the outside.
• Players on the inside move to receive a ball from a player on the outside, then give the ball back to a different player on the outside.

Technique -

• Proper receiving with the inside and outside of the foot. Use of the thigh or chest for lofted balls.
• Work on various turning techniques like shielding.

Coaching Points -

• Move with the head up
• Communication and awareness (visual and verbal)
• Change speed
• Find options early
• Timing of the run, so you are moving when you receive the ball
• Change of speed with and without the ball
• Keeping eye on the ball
• Relax the controlling surface

Variations -

• Players on the outside serve with their hands (like a goalkeeper)
  

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 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 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.

The Dribbling Attack Activity

This activity works with all age groups.

Play 3v3 in a 30 x 20 yard grid. Put the two groups of three into different colored training bibs. Each player in one group has a ball. Attacking players must dribble past defending players. The defending players should try to gain possession and (if they do) then dribble past an opponent. Players may dribble in any direction inside the grid to start. The activity can progress when the coach gives the attack a direction (e.g., dribble to a specified goal line). Play a round for a set amount of time. After a round the groups switch roles.

Suggestions of time to play -
U6: play one minute rounds
U8: play two minute rounds
U10: play three minute rounds
U12: play four minute rounds
U14: play five minute rounds

Under 8 Drill - "Bulldog"

Organization:
The coach starts as the bulldog in the middle of the playing area. All the players are at one end of the playing area with a ball. On the coach’s command of “go bulldogs” the players must get to the opposite side of the playing area without their ball being kicked out by the coach. If a players ball is kicked out they become a bulldog . The last player with a ball wins the game and becomes the bulldog for the next game.

Under 8 Drill - "Braveheart"

Organization:
Divide players into two equal teams. All players have a ball and start on opposite end lines. When the coach shouts “charge,” they each dribble towards each other and try to get to the opposite end line and stop the ball on the line. The team that has 3 players on the line first gets a point. Start by walking with the ball, then progress to running with the ball.

Under 8 Drill - "Ball Retrieve in Pairs"

Organization:
Each pair has a ball which in turn they give to the coach. The coach tosses the ball away and each pair must retrieve the ball as quickly as possible and bring it back to the coach. The players must bring the ball back a different way each time, e.g. balanced between two backs, balanced between two heads, throwing the ball to each other, passing the ball to each other. The coach can also limit the number of touches a pair may have when returning the ball.

Variation:
The coach may move and change position which encourages players to look up.

Under 8 Drill - "Tail Tag"

Organization:
Each player has a tail (pinnie tucked into the back of their shorts). On the coach’s command, each player tries to steal the other players’ tails and if they win a tail they throw it on the ground. When a player loses their tail they continue to play as the winner is last player left with a pinnie. A variation is for player to keep the pinnies they steal and see who can collect the moist pinnies. Players cannot steal a pinnie from another player’s hands.

Progression: Play the same game while dribbling a ball.

Under 8 Drill - "1v1 Dribbling Gauntlet"

Emphasis:
1 v 1 - Attacking and Defending

Setup:
Divide players into groups of 2’s. Create a grid for each group, with a goal at each end. Each grid is 15 yards long x 10 yards wide. The goals should be no bigger than 2 yards in width.

Objective:
Encourage players to be creative by taking on their opponent. Each 1 v 1 dual shall last one minute with a one-minute active rest of juggling. After each 1 v 1 dual, the winners move up one grid and the losers move down one grid. The objective is to move into the “A” grid by the end of the contest.

Coaching Points:

Offensively:

• Be creative and take chances
• Work on new moves
• Be explosive after move getting in behind the defender
  

Defensively:

• Keep on the balls of your feet
• Lower your center of gravity
• Go in hard when committing to winning the ball
  

Under 8 Drill - "Junkyard" With Video

Getting younger players to properly shoot the soccer ball and get the wanted distance is sometimes a hard thing to coach. Some coaches think that all shooting/finishing must involve the player taking aim at the goal. Shooting and finishing does involve the goal, but want about the long pass down the field or a diagonal long pass to change the angle of attack? Also, is it any fun to shoot at the goal and then having to dig the ball out of the back of the net?

Junkyard is a great activity to get the players really hitting the ball. It makes them to focus on distance and accuracy. Also, the players are automatically in position to keep the balls moving and eliminating down time.