Defence tips

Defence

Sometimes your team will play a team with one player who is much more talented than the rest. This could be a striker that they rely on to score all their goals, or the player who starts all their moves. Use this soccer drill to coach your players to defend against this style of play.

Your players have two choices: 

1. Play "in the face" of that player anytime he/she receives the ball. This doesn’t always work since the target player often possesses better ball skills and “escapability”.

2. Stop the player before he/she gets started by denying the player the ball.

By using the following soccer drill - called “Defending the target man” - you are coaching your players to deny the “special one” the ball. Designate one player as the TARGET PLAYER. This could be one of your players with good fitness and ball skills but a better choice might be an older player. For example, if your team is an U11 team it might be an older sibling of one of your players who could play centre midfield.

Defending the target man drill

Put the target player in a different colour training bib in this drill. Divide into two teams and play keep ball. Assign the target man to one team and one (or two if necessary) defenders on the other team to mark him.

A good soccer coaching tip is to use the same defenders you would have marking the target man in a game. Their job is to deny the target player the ball and to immediately collapse on the target player if he is able to get the ball. Tell the marking defender(s) that he/she must always be ballside of the target player AND at the same time be able to put his/her hand on the target player (that is, be within arm’s reach).

Soccer drill tips 

Give a point to the attacking team every time they can get the ball to the attacking player. Play for two or three minutes and the goal is for the target man’s team to accumulate a certain number of points in that time period.

After you run this soccer drill once or twice, stop and explain to the defending team that they have two ways of winning the game. They can deny the ball to the target player OR they can keep the ball away from the target player’s team.

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Soccer Fitness & Diet

Speed and agility soccer drills for young soccer players

Coaching your young players to develop speed, stamina and agility is vital to help them stand up to the rigours of a match or soccer training session. With the help of this fitness soccer drill you can build  these skills and give your players an all-round soccer education.

You can see when youngsters are running back to get goalside of attackers, that a lot of pressure is put on their bodies and their stamina levels, but regular fitness drills will help them work through training sessions and cope better in matches.

Here's a good soccer warm-up drill for speed and agility skills. 

• Place two markers 10m apart to form a line, stand facing across the line.
• Rotate lower body to put one foot over the line the other behind.
• In a small, jumping action, repeated switch stance by rotating lower body to place other foot over the line.
• Jump and rotate as fast as possible.
• Move slowly sideways towards the far marker.

Soccer coaching drill tips

• Repeat the soccer drill five times.
• Rest for 90 seconds between drill repetitions.

Soccer warm up drill for passing, turning and dribbling

Try this soccer warm-up drill to get your players passing, moving, turning and dribbling with the ball. It has all the skill elements you need to get kids ready for a session on the training ground.

Warm-up drill tips

• Tell your players to pass the ball to you.
• You then make a second pass to the left or right.
• The player must react and sprint to collect the ball and turn to dribble through the cones as quickly as possible.

You are putting your players' skills to the test in this drill. You want to see how fast they can react and sprint to the second pass. They then need to turn quickly and dribble as fast as they can, keeping the ball under close control. 

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Goalkeeper Training

Soccer drills to help goalies stop a high cross

Corners, free-kicks and crosses can cause chaos if your goalkeeper doesn't jump high and catch the ball. Use the following soccer coaching drills and tips to sharpen your goalie's skills.

Drill A. Defending the High Cross 

• Use a 15m x 15m square.
• Put your goalkeeper and two attackers in the square and a player at each corner with a ball.
• The coach calls out a number (1 to 4) and that player kicks a high ball to the keeper. The keeper has to attack the ball and win it in the air, under pressure from two attackers in the box.
• Keep repeating the soccer drill, as practice is important.

Drill B. Defending the High Cross and Clearing

• In this soccer drill, have your goalkeeper in the goal against two attackers.
• Two players with multiple balls stand on the wings to cross high balls into the box. Two other players are 25m down field in a marked off target area (cones will do).
• The goalkeeper attacks the high ball, wins it in the air and immediately turns and throws it downfield in the opposite direction from which the cross came. This switches the field and catches the attackers still charging at the goal.

Throw out coaching tips for goalies

Goalkeepers like nothing better than to have the ball in their hands, run to the edge of the area and blast it into the sky. But coaching them to use throw-out skills instead can produce better results.


The ability to throw the ball quickly and accurately is increasingly important

Many of the world’s top keepers can throw the ball more than half the length of the pitch, and the distance and accuracy they can achieve is a big counter-attacking weapon for the team. The overarm throw allows your goalkeeper to clear the ball over a longer distance and at greater height.

AND IT CAN BE MORE ACCURATE THAN KICKING THE BALL.

Tips to focus on in training drills include:

• Tell your goalkeeper to adopt a side-on position, and put their weight on the back foot.
• Your goalkeeper’s throwing hand should be positioned under the ball, and their throwing arm kept straight.
• The non-throwing arm should point in the direction of the target.
• The goalkeeper then brings this arm down as the throwing arm comes through in an arc over the top of their shoulder.
• The goalkeeper’s weight should be transferred forward as the ball is released.
• It is similar to a bowler’s action in cricket.

OVER LONG DISTANCES, GET YOUR PLAYER TO CONCENTRATE ON POWERING THE ARM DOWNWARDS ON THE SAME LINE AS
THE TARGET SPOT. THIS WILL HELP YOUR GOALIE'S ACCURACY.

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Develop your soccer team's

Develop your soccer team's all-round game

The theory goes that getting teams to construct moves from deep helps them develop their all-

round game in the right way. And it's a good theory – one that will benefit most teams – but it does take practice.

The idea is that rather than dispatching a big kick upfield that usually gives both sides equal opportunity to win the ball, your team uses skill and technique, passing the ball forward and keeping possession.

It is a more reliable way of fashioning goalscoring situations, providing your players retain the ball.

Practice is vital in order to perfect this tactic. Players need to experience the pressure of having the ball passed to them facing oncoming players. Meanwhile good movement off the ball is essential to keep passing options alive.

When coaching this session "Build-up play", you need to make sure the team playing out from the back has an abundance of outlets and isn't closed down too quickly at first, then progress to a normal training situation.

How to set it up:

• Create a playing area of 40x30 yards.
• Place a goal on one side, with three five-yard goals on the opposite side.
• Play 5v3 in favour of the team that builds from the back. The team of five includes a keeper in their number. It defends the single goal.
• There are no offsides or corners – the ball goes back to the keeper if it crosses the touchline.
• Use kick-ins not throw-ins.
• Play for 10 consecutive balls, then switch so the other team plays out from the back.

Getting started:

• The keeper starts with the ball. He must roll it out to a defender.
• Team mates move and combine, looking to score in one of the small goals at the other end of the pitch.
• No outfield player can have more than three touches without passing the ball.
• For the first three rounds, opposition players cannot tackle, they can only jockey or intercept.
• Should the opposing team win the ball, it must attack the central goal.
• Experiment with numbers as the tactic progresses to put extra demands on attacking and defending teams.

Why this works: 

This is a purposeful session that rehearses teams in the benefits of building play from the back. The use of three small goals means the start team's attacking focus isn't directed to any one side, offering variation and experimentation.

In addition, the possibility of play coming back the other way means players must always retain a hold on their defensive duties.

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tips for corners

Build a defensive strategy for your team by drilling your players so they know just what they're doing at set plays, such as defending corners at 11-a-side.

Tell your players their responsibilities at corners before every match. No one should be left wondering what they are supposed to do.

Numbers 3, 5, 6 and 10 - These are your best four headers of the ball. They should mark man-to-man and their job is to mark the opposition’s main heading threats, marking slightly in front, and being first to the ball.

Number 11 - Marks in front of any opposition standing on the near post or just mark the space in their absence.

Number 4 - Marks the space in front of the main markers, keeping a look out for any opposition standing in front of the goalkeeper. If this is the case he may have to adjust his position so he is standing in front of the attacker.

Number 2 - Marks the far post.

Numbers 7 and 8 - Mark any opposition on the edge of the box.

Number 9 - He stays upfield, occupying two defenders and hoping to help spring a counter attack.

Giving players specialist positions during matches can be effective and if you're conceding a lot of goals from corners, you need a player to stand BIG at the front of your penalty area to block the corner taker. With the help of the following soccer coaching tips and drills, you need never concede from a corner again.
One of the most important positions when defending a corner is the person nearest the corner taker. Position him/her on the edge of the box right in front of the intended flight of the ball. If you put one of your strong players here, it will prevent short corners and put off the player taking the corner. That player is then faced with a one-man wall which the ball has to get over or around.
Cutting off supply
The player in this position effectively cuts off the supply into the box. This also protects your goalkeeper and defenders. The player might also be able to win the ball from poor or short corners and set up a quick counter attack.
THE DEFENDER STANDS SIX YARDS BACK AT U8, EIGHT YARDS BACK AT U10 AND 10 YARDS BACK AT U12.
Leave a man upfield
Once this position has been claimed by one of your players, use tactics on match day so that when they win the ball you leave a player upfield in the same position at each corner and your specialist player will be able to take the ball and find that player, immediately setting up an attack.

Soccer drills for corners

Work on soccer drills where players are taking corners, specifically where the player in this position is constantly having the ball hit hard towards them. They can use chest, head and feet to rob the opposition of chances to put balls into the box. Use only two players, a corner taker and a defender to drill this specialist position.

Soccer drill tips

You can kill two birds with one stone here: the corner taker has to clear the defender and the defender needs to win the ball. You can also put an attacker in position A ready to receive the ball won by your defender.

Make your corner defenders SMART

If you want to make sure you’re giving your players targets that they have to meet, do it the SMART way.

SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
AGREED
REALISTIC
TIMED

The SPECIFIC target for your players is to clear the ball when it enters the penalty area at corners during training. Make it MEASURABLE by telling your players 50 per cent of corners must be cleared. AGREE it with them in training. Is 50 per cent REALISTIC? I think so. Make it TIMED by agreeing it for a particular training session. Tailor the SMART sessions to your individual players and get them to tell you if they have reached the drill target.

Having problems with corners? A good tip is to take them short, it’s an easy way to goal.
Two players stand near the flag
The short corner involves two players standing near the flag, with the kicker passing the ball to the second player and developing the play from there. If you follow the diagrams, you can coach your players how to create space when they are closed down by a defender.


Create opportunities from a 2v1
Both players should start facing the goal and should stand side by side just behind the ball. One player should pass the ball to the other, if the corner is from the attacking team’s right side, the player who is strong with the left foot should touch the ball to the player who is strong with the right foot. This lets the player with the right foot dribble straight down the end line towards goal, or use the player with the strong left foot to either shoot first time or cross the ball.
If the player dribbling down the line goes right at the defender, the second player will be open. If the defender goes with the runner, the player with the ball keeps going to goal.

With young players, it's vital that they know just what to do when it comes to corner kick set plays. Use one of your soccer training sessions to coach these corner tips.


You've been there a hundred times. Your team wins a corner - it's a gift, it should have been a goal kick, but you get the corner. The other team are feeling miffed. "Hey! that was no corner..." The other team are dejected. "It's unfair!"
So your players take advantage of it, right? Wrong! They kick the ball, no-one moves and the advantage has gone.
You MUST coach your players so that when they win a corner they know EXACTLY what to do. I'm not talking about the coach going red in the face bellowing from the sidelines like a maniac, no-one should need to say anything except maybe your captain who can shout "positions!"
If your corner set-up is right, nine times out of 10 in youth soccer, the ball will end up in the net.
Focus on corner kick set plays
Take a good look at your players and decide who can deliver the right ball. Decide what type of delivery you want, for instance,inswinger, outswinger or just chipped to the near post, and choose who can deliver the ball.
The positioning of your players to some extent will be decided by which type of delivery you want and the soccer skills of the players.
If you have a very tall player who is good in the air, you may want him to stand on the near post to flick the ball on for others to head for goal. You may want to deliver a faster, deeper ball for him to attack directly.

• In the diagram, the corner taker 7 will deliver a longer ball to the far post with his right foot.
• We have four players looking to attack the ball directly, Nos 4, 5, 6 and 8. They will split their runs attacking different areas, with No 6 spinning away from the ball, arriving late on the back post.
• No 10 will try to distract the goalkeeper with his presence, trying not to allow him a free run for the ball.
• No 9 stands on the near post for any ball driven lower than its intended target or as an alternative for the corner taker 7.
• The use of hand signals by No 7 can alert his team-mates of his intent.
• No 11 waits on the edge of the box for any balls headed or cleared out while Nos 2 and 3 stay back as markers.

In soccer corner drills, concentrate on these skills:

• A good delivery.
• Well-timed runs.
• Being first to the ball.
• Hitting the target.
• Having problems with corners? A good tip is to take them short, it’s an easy way to goal.
  Two players stand near the flag
  The short corner involves two players standing near the flag, with the kicker passing the ball to the second player and developing the play from there. If you follow the diagrams, you can coach your players how to create space when they are closed down by a defender.
  
  
  Create opportunities from a 2v1
  Both players should start facing the goal and should stand side by side just behind the ball. One player should pass the ball to the other, if the corner is from the attacking team’s right side, the player who is strong with the left foot should touch the ball to the player who is strong with the right foot. This lets the player with the right foot dribble straight down the end line towards goal, or use the player with the strong left foot to either shoot first time or cross the ball.
  If the player dribbling down the line goes right at the defender, the second player will be open. If the defender goes with the runner, the player with the ball keeps going to goal.
  
  With young players, it's vital that they know just what to do when it comes to corner kick set plays. Use one of your soccer training sessions to coach these corner tips.
  
  
  You've been there a hundred times. Your team wins a corner - it's a gift, it should have been a goal kick, but you get the corner. The other team are feeling miffed. "Hey! that was no corner..." The other team are dejected. "It's unfair!"
  So your players take advantage of it, right? Wrong! They kick the ball, no-one moves and the advantage has gone.
  You MUST coach your players so that when they win a corner they know EXACTLY what to do. I'm not talking about the coach going red in the face bellowing from the sidelines like a maniac, no-one should need to say anything except maybe your captain who can shout "positions!"
  If your corner set-up is right, nine times out of 10 in youth soccer, the ball will end up in the net.
  Focus on corner kick set plays
  Take a good look at your players and decide who can deliver the right ball. Decide what type of delivery you want, for instance,inswinger, outswinger or just chipped to the near post, and choose who can deliver the ball.
  The positioning of your players to some extent will be decided by which type of delivery you want and the soccer skills of the players.
  If you have a very tall player who is good in the air, you may want him to stand on the near post to flick the ball on for others to head for goal. You may want to deliver a faster, deeper ball for him to attack directly.
  
  
  
  
  • In the diagram, the corner taker 7 will deliver a longer ball to the far post with his right foot.
  • We have four players looking to attack the ball directly, Nos 4, 5, 6 and 8. They will split their runs attacking different areas, with No 6 spinning away from the ball, arriving late on the back post.
  • No 10 will try to distract the goalkeeper with his presence, trying not to allow him a free run for the ball.
  • No 9 stands on the near post for any ball driven lower than its intended target or as an alternative for the corner taker 7.
  • The use of hand signals by No 7 can alert his team-mates of his intent.
  • No 11 waits on the edge of the box for any balls headed or cleared out while Nos 2 and 3 stay back as markers.
  In soccer corner drills, concentrate on these skills:
  
  • A good delivery.
  • Well-timed runs.
  • Being first to the ball.
  • Hitting the target.

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tips for short corners

Soccer coaching tips for short corners

Having problems with corners? A good tip is to take them short, it’s an easy way to goal.

Two players stand near the flag 

The short corner involves two players standing near the flag, with the kicker passing the ball to the second player and developing the play from there. If you follow the diagrams, you can coach your players how to create space when they are closed down by a defender.

Create opportunities from a 2v1

Both players should start facing the goal and should stand side by side just behind the ball. One player should pass the ball to the other, if the corner is from the attacking team’s right side, the player who is strong with the left foot should touch the ball to the player who is strong with the right foot. This lets the player with the right foot dribble straight down the end line towards goal, or use the player with the strong left foot to either shoot first time or cross the ball.

If the player dribbling down the line goes right at the defender, the second player will be open. If the defender goes with the runner, the player with the ball keeps going to goal.

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progressive defender

Support play in soccer - the progressive defender

Youth coaches will often spend a lot of time working on howattackers can move into shooting positions, but they spend less time on how a defensive player can help during attacks.

This player has an important role in repelling attacks and getting in the way of shots, but when possession is won, there's a crucial progressive role that, if perfected, can transformdefenders into vital supporting players for your own attacks.

It's all about the position they take up when play begins to move upfield.

Providing they're not full backs, being central is key, but so too is filling space so that they're neither playing too deep nor venturing too far forward. Here is a move that will really help young players get an idea of where they should be in both supporting the attack and covering in defence.

Getting started

• On a 30 yards long by 20 yards wide pitch, play 3v2.
• Start with the rear defender on his own goal line and tell his team mates to attack.
• His role is to follow the two strikers, being available for exchanges of passes, but not progressing further than halfway up the pitch.
• When a move comes to an end, restart with the rear defender.

The key elements

• In this position the progressive defender has two roles: To be used as support should the ball need to be laid back, and also to cover any potential opposition breakaways.
• Players need to think about the angle and distance of support.

Why this works

Players need to think about the angle and distance of support. Getting this right means the supporting player has a full range of vision, can receive the ball comfortably and has space to pass the ball to a team mate.

In addition, he can move forward into space in front, yet is positioned well so as to be ready for an attacking move coming back the other way. 

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