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TRAINING FOR CHAMPIONS TEAMS

Sessions will usually be 60mins and have this structure (MULTIPLE water breaks MUST be added to this structure): 

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  1. SKILLS WARMUP 10mins

  2. BALL MASTERY - 10mins

  3. FUN ACTIVITY - as needed

  4. PRINCIPLES of PLAY - 15mins

  5. MATCH PRACTICE - 15mins

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PRACTICING AT HOME 

DEVELOPMENT EXPECTATIONS

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SKILL WARMUPS (10mins)

ENSURE YOU HAVE SOCCER BALLS, PINNIES and GOALS OUT prior to player arrival and allow them to play a game while you're waiting for everyone to arrive. This allows every practice session to begin with some level of a game - some of the younger players may just kick the ball around and score goals on their own. 

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Once everyone is there (or max of 10min into the session) start EVERY session with these individual skills warmups. Start with toe taps and dribbling and progress based on the skills development of the players. 

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Advanced: 

BALL MASTERY (10mins)

Decide on a FOCUS EACH SESSION (dribbling, passing or shooting) and choose drills & activities from the focus area. You can also use 1v1s each session and emphasize the area of focus that you have been working on.

 

WATCH THE VIDEOS that show correct technique and demonstrate it (even if you don't feel 100% comfortable with your skills). 

 

Dribbling (this builds on the skills warmups) 

 

Passing 

 

Shooting

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Attack & defense (see Principals of Play for more defensive and attack activities) â€‹

FUN ACTIVITIES (as needed)

If you feel there is a need to have some fun games to encourage, energize or allow for team building, these are some ideas. 

 

PRINCIPALS of PLAY (15mins)

Principals of Play is basically an expansion of the peewee training principle of SCORE goals and STOP goals. Simply put it explains what to do when you have the ball and what to do when you don't have the ball. There are 10 principles, split into - don't get bogged down in the terminology but hopefully the explanation below gives context for the drills that follow.  

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IN POSSESSION - what to do when you have the ball

  • Penetration - Penetration focuses on playing the ball through, around or over your opposition. Examples include passing to a teammate or dribbling the ball between players. The aim of penetration is to move your team further up the pitch and closer to the opposition’s goal. 

  • Creating Space - creating space is about spreading out and creating the SPACE so you can move the ball up the field. This can be done through individual dribbling or team mates moving around so there is room to pass the ball. Your team should organize themselves in a way that 'opens up' the pitch. Ideally, you want players to move into high, wide and deep positions. This tactic will stretch your opposition's defense.

  • Movement - this principle focuses on getting into useful positions. The aim is for players to create opportunities to receive the ball. Movement can be a small adjustment, like stepping backwards away from an opponent. It can also be much bigger and more intense, like sprinting behind the defense.

  • Support - providing support is about giving your team options – and helping them keep the ball. The idea is for players to move into positions that enable them to receive a pass. This could be behind, alongside or in front of their teammates.

  • Creativity - creativity helps your team solve in-game problems and it can happen anywhere on the pitch. Your players could get creative on, near or even away from the ball. A great example of creativity is finding an unusual way to solve an issue. To do this, a player could use individual skills or work together with their teammates.

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OUT OF POSSESSION - what to do when you don't have the ball

  • Delaying our opponent - delaying focuses on slowing the speed of play – and controlling its direction. Doing this makes it harder for your opposition to move up the pitch and score. To create an effective delay, players need to prevent their opponent’s preferred ‘next step’. Examples include blocking a pass or restricting space so the other team makes a mistake.

  • Being compact in defense - being compact gives your opposition less room to maneuver. To be compact, your players need to get closer to their opponents, the ball and each other. Doing this reduces the space available to the other team and makes it harder for them to progress up the pitch.

  • Providing cover & balance - like compactness, this principle focuses on the effective positioning of your players in relation to each other, their opposition and the ball. For example, if one player moves to press an opponent, they automatically leave an area of space unprotected. When this happens, their teammates should move to cover the gaps. This prevents the opposition from progressing and ensures balanced defending across the pitch.

  • Pressing the opponents - pressing is about controlling your opponent’s decisions. The aim is to force them to make a mistake so that you can regain possession of the ball. Your players can press as individuals, as units or as a full team. To do it well, they need appropriate positioning, movement, timing and teamwork. Players can create the opportunity to press. For example, purposefully leaving an opponent unmarked. Then, when this individual receives the ball, applying immediate pressure. Your team can also wait for pressing opportunities to present themselves. Triggers include the opposition attempting a long pass or taking a bad touch.

  • Defensive control & restraint - This principle focuses on defending with composure and awareness. Your players must think about how, where and when they act. Doing this means they’re more likely to make a good decision. For example, if a player is outnumbered, showing restraint may mean they hold their position rather than starting a press. 

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Principals of play.png

IN POSSESSION - includes passing, dribbling, spreading out, movement, getting open, etc.

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Penetrate & Creating Space (moving the ball through, around or over)

​Some players understand the concept of creating space very quickly - most do not! The best way to demonstrate creating space in through a combination of 1v1 and 2v2, 3v3 drills. 1v1 focuses on individuals skills that create space and 2v2 and above focus on creating space as a team. The key to development of younger or less experienced players in this area is to focus on 2v1 and 3v2 drills, for more advanced you can research 'breaking the lines'. 

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Movement & Support - for younger players this is very difficult to understand but it is teachable. The most common explanation of movement is to 'get open'. Not only does it mean be available to receive a pass but it also means an opposing player will follow you which creates space (support) for your team. 

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Protecting the ball - while moving the ball up the field is the goal, not losing the ball is also an important part of maintaining possession. Sometimes protecting the ball and restarting progression up the field is needed. AT THIS AGE DO NOT USE ELBOWS - focus on stance, arm position, use upper body and position of the ball DO NOT USE ELBOWS as this causes injuries. . 

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Creativity 

​While soccer is a team sport it is 100% OK to encourage individual creativity. The key is ball mastery and control. While you want your players to primarily focus on passing the ball up the field don't discourage dribbling and skill moves as a way to move the ball and get out of tight spaces. It's finding a balance - especially when the player continually loses the ball when they try their skill moves! 

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COACHING POINTS:

  • the goal of soccer is to move the ball toward the opponents goal and score. Moving the ball (passing) PAST opponents is the quickest and most accurate way to move the ball up the field but you can dribble or do a long pass too (prefer not to focus on this at younger ages). You might see the word 'phases of transition' used in more advanced coaching but it basically breaks down in more detail how to move the ball up the field. 

  • soccer has one ball and 22 players, what players do off the ball is just as important as what they do on the ball. Creating space and passing is the key to moving the ball up the field. ​​​​​​​

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OUT OF POSSESSION - includes winning the ball back, defending, pinching in, supporting each other, etc. 

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Get the ball back - this is the first step when you're out of possession. Teaching players the fast switch from losing the ball to getting the back is key at all levels of the game.

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​​Delaying your Opponent 

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1v1 Defending - this is one of the primary defensive skills to teach new players: 

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2v2 Defending - working as a team to defend using pressure and cover: 

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Defending the 'give & go'

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The Danger Zone - this is the area in front of goal where most goals are scored from

  • Defending the danger zone - PDF​

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Being Compact in Defense

  • ​Almost the opposite of 'spread out' being compact or 'pinching in' when you don't have the ball is an attempt to limit the opponents space - especially in front of goal. â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

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Pressing and counter pressing - this isn't something that is important to focus on with younger age groups but the key is teaching that defending is done as a team and the goal is to prevent the opposing passing the ball and closing their space. 

MATCH PRACTICE (15mins)

Use this time so encourage correct positioning, scanning, communication, build out, etc. Encourage players to use the skills they have learnt – this is the place to try and make mistakes. 

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Legal throw ins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7k4dtO2C0c

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Formation 7v7 - Coach Andrew Preferred Formation 

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Formation 9v9 - Coach Andrew Preferred Formation

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Build Out Line - ​the beginning of this video explains the buildout line rules https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGWxhBUDD6A

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Corner Kicks - at younger ages the idea of planning a corner kick might be too much (most of the time we're lucky to have them kick it in) but if you can understand the basic concepts of scoring with and defending corner kicks you can start guiding them to the right positions

DEVELOPMENT EXPECTATIONS

COMING SOON​

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