| Field Sessions from the 2007 German Coaching Association Meeting |
Reported by Jeff Vennell
DAY 1: U-10s and U-12s
FIRST SESSION OF PRACTICE: 12 MINUTES
Group A
• 4 v. 2 Possession in a 10-yard grid
• One touch on most balls; players move constantly; predominantly front foot passing and receiving; communicate well and often; use positioning to split defenders; change defenders on time working in groups of two.
Group B
• Two groups of five players with two balls; 30 x 40 yards. Number ordered passing; after six minutes changed to using one ball and passing and receiving through small disk goals in smaller 20 x 20 yard grid – five attack; five defend.
Group C
• Five players, one ball; 20 x 40 yards
• Long passing and follow pass: receive ball and drag it laterally towards the other corner, then serve and follow pass.
SECOND SESSION OF PRACTICE: 8 MINUTES
Group A
• 2 v. 2 plus four support players on each side of a 10 x 20 yard area
• Try to play vertically; only use side support players when necessary.
Group B
• Seven players; open space
• 1 v. 1 from a service, working on shielding with a negative first touch required.
Group C
• Six players and goalkeeper in full-sized goal in three groups of two equally spaced across the penalty area.
• Serve from one of the two to the forward, who receives and turns and shoots; change roles and lines.
THIRD SESSION OF PRACTICE: 8 MINUTES
Group A
• Two Red v. two Blue with two red and two blue – one color on each end and one color on each side of 10 x 20 area.
• When a color “scores” by passing to a teammate at the end of the grid, the player changes roles with that player. Support players on the side support both teams, with the “other color” in the grid trying to maintain possession.
Group B
• Same organization and space, but attempt to turn on first touch.
Group C
• Same organization and spacing, but changed to 1 v. 1 from a third player server
FOURTH SESSION OF PRACTICE: 10 MINUTES
Group A
• Possession; 6 v. 6 30 x 40 yards
• One-, two-touch away from pressure.
Group B
• Four players (three plus GK) 30 yds
• Long Passing – driven balls; GK caught and threw
Group C
• Four players and coach in the center of 35-yard area
• Long Passing – lofted ball, over coach.
FIFTH SESSION OF PRACTICE: 6 MINUTES
Group A
• 5 v. 5 plus one (took one player off); Same area.
• Looked for “plus one” as much as possible
Group B
• Same organization, changed positions and used both feet.
Group C
• Coach tossed ball five yards to player for receiving with chest to ground, passed to other side of grid; repeat.
U-14s
FIRST SESSION OF PRACTICE: 10 MINUTES
Group A
• 6 v. 3; 30 x 40 yards; looking for long pass option
• All six attackers were on the perimeter of the grid – two on each long side, one on each short side of the grid; defenders give the ball back to the attackers when the win the ball.
• After five minutes, one of the attackers from the long side of the grid moved into the center of the grid.<
Group B
• Four players open space around 15 yards apart in a diamond shape; players opposite as teammates.
• Passed and received ground balls from teammate, dragged it to the side and played it back with the opposite foot
Group C
• Five players, including two GKs; distance around 35 yards apart; GKs at one end, field players at other end.
• GKs received driven ground balls over distance, dragged it to the side and played it back; field players received with one foot and passed back with the opposite foot.
SECOND SESSION OF PRACTICE: 10 MINUTES
Group A
• 3 v. 3 v. 3; 30 x 40 yards.
• Look long; one of six shows; change defenders on errors.
Group B
• Juggling.
Group C
• Field players played lofted balls to GKs. GK caught and played it the second GK, who shot low for a collapse dive; GK saved and volleyed or half-volleyed back to field players.
THIRD SESSION OF PRACTICE: 15 MINUTES
Group A
• Four red; four yellow, four blue; 30 x 40 yards.
• 4 v. 4 possession exercise with four support players on the outsides of the grid; speed of play was very fast; also stressed angles of support. Changed teams every three minutes. Players were very good at “not using support players.”
Group B
• To full goal at one end of the field; 30 yards from goal; GK in goal.
• Three groups of 2 v. 1s taking turns. Support just behind player with the ball, who chooses a side late to overlap (usually the wide side); player with ball could pass or keep the ball and shoot.
• After 8 minutes changed to 1 v. 1 to goal
FOURTH SESSION OF PRACTICE: 15 MINUTES
Group A
• 20 x 40 yards to two regulation-size goals; GKs in goal.
• 4 v. 4 in the grid; two support players on each goal post at both ends and two support players for each team on each the side of the grid. 4 v. 4 play to shoot directly or to pass the ball to one of their support players on a post for a first time return pass and shoots. Support players on the sides can play end support players directly for a lay back pass to 4 v. 4.
Group B
• Group of four players, two on each side of a grid around 30 yards.
• Long pass across; player receives and one-touches to partner to receive and pass long to the other side; repeat.
Group C
• Wall pass and shoot.
U-16s AND U-17s
DEFENSIVE SHADOW TRAINING 4-4-2; ONE HOUR PRACTICE
Section 1 - 50 yard length by full width
• Four attacking midfielders in an arc interpassing with two forwards v. back four and two defensive midfielders.
• Began by playing the ball to one of the central attacking midfielders.
• Pressure and cover by two defending midfielders; showing attacker to the inside.
• Adjustment of the four back defenders: 4-5 yards apart.
• Center back marking of the center forwards on outside shoulders to prevent through balls down the flank.
Section 2 - Same area and numbers
• Moved the ball to an outside attacking midfielder.
• Adjustment of the outside back on that side to prevent through ball and then to close if when the ball was received.
• Moved the other forward in and noted the depth and distance of the other three back players.
• If offensive outside midfielder cannot turn, adjusted the position of the forward on that side to possibly double and the position of the two forwards to not get split.
Section 3 - 65- to 70-yard length x full width
• Ball played to a forward – center back waits for pass before closing to prevent through ball to the other forward.
• Did not coach the positioning of the GK, but the general positioning was 16 yards from goal.
• Showed defensive recovery runs to the half-way line when ball passed the two front defensive forwards.
• Waited until approximately 25 yards from goal before one of the center backs pressured the ball.
Section 4 - Full length and width, 11 x 11
• Ball in one goal; defensive team at half-way line – three arcs of players, the midfielder arc wider than the back four arc.
• Worked with defensive outside midfielders and their closing on offensive forwards forcing the ball inside into cover of central defensive midfielder – pressure and cover positioning.
• If offensive center back faces up and not pressured, back four defenders drop; when there is pressure on the ball they hold.
• Balance back four players – usual balancing principles: close enough to get to long ball, but inside enough to not get beaten over the top.
• Worked with the covering center forward closing internal space to deny through balls to forwards and through ball space.
• Ended session with a “live” game.
DAY TWO: U-17s
SHOOTING PRACTICE: 90 MINUTE PRACTICE
Full goal with alternating GKs at one end of a field. Exercises alternated sides of initial pass or dribble and players were instructed to “take a look at the goalkeeper” as they prepared to shoot. Other coaching points included the timing of the run (stay onside) and the angle and weight of the pass to the player who was to shoot. All shots were first-time with players using both feet - the coach preferred the “near” foot to the side of the goal they were approaching for all first-time shots.
EXERCISES 1-3
Exercises began 25 yards from goal almost the width of the penalty area with players in lines at both outside of four mannequins that were spaced across the area: mannequins No. 1-2 were 10 yards apart; No. 2-3 were 20 yards apart; No. 3-4 were 10 yards apart.
Exercise 1
• Diagonal runs to shoot from a diagonal pass from the outside.
Exercise 2
• Diagonal runs to shoot from a straight pass from the center of the area
Exercise 3
• Starting from facing an outside mannequin - feint, dribble laterally towards the next mannequin as player at the far mannequin feints away and then sprints a few steps laterally and then diagonally towards the goal to receive a pass from the dribbler and shoots
EXERCISES 4-6
Moved start position farther from goal - approximately 30 yards and the width 15 yards out from each side of the penalty area with players in lines at all four mannequins, which were moved to be equidistant apart.
Exercise 4
• Player from one outside line dribbles at outside mannequin as player from the adjacent mannequin shows laterally for a wall pass back to passer; passer then passes to player who starts at the other central mannequin and run laterally then diagonally for a pass diagonal pass and shoots.
Exercise 5
• Added a second ball to Exercise 4 organization which was served (rolled) by the coach who stood in the center of the area at the top of the penalty area to the player who passed the ball to the shooter who: (1) passes to third man, (2) passes to the shooter, or (3) passes to the wall passer for a “finish” type of closing shot close to the goal
Exercise 6
• 4 v. 4 with GKs; 2 v. 2 on each side of the halfway line.
A. Can’t leave your half of the field.
B. Leave your half of the field only on a combination wall pass.
C. One player at a time can leave their half of the field.
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