This session plan is the first in our series of Football Coaching Level 1 practices.
Every coach and player in the country knows the practice “Traffic Lights” so it is a perfect springboard from which to launch a complete “Moving With The Ball” session. Below we will progress this simple technical practice through a fun and effective skill practice and in to a small-sided game designed to promote confident ball-carrying amongst your players.
This session is suitable for all ages and abilities of junior player, but you will have to use your coach’s discretion when determining the appropriate size of areas for your number of players.
Session Focus
- Observation and awareness of space.
- Exploring different movements with and without a ball.
- Changing direction and pace in reaction to game-situations.
Technical Warmup
See the image above for an overview of this practice.
- Each player has a ball and explores the area whilst manipulating their ball.
- On display of a red marker players stop the ball with their foot.
- On yellow marker change direction quickly.
- On green marker speed up.
Progressions
Encourage ball manipulation with all parts of the feet including big and little toes, laces, soles, heels etc.
Ask players to get in to pairs and come up with a progression to the practice. Ask pairs to show their idea to other groups and evaluate.
Develop Your Philosophy
Encourage exploration and let players discover what works for them through experimentation.
Self-discovery leads to more profound learning and deeper understanding.
Develop Your Practice
Can you manipulate and alter the practice to better achieve the session outcomes?
Use “STEP” (alter the Space/Task/Equipment/Players) to adjust the challenges for individuals who are moving ahead of or falling behind the group.
Develop Your Players
Encourage players to break down tricks in to smaller chunks or movements
Practice combining the movements at gradually increasing speed.
Skills Practice
All aspects need to be practiced whilst being challenged by defenders.
Close control and movements with the ball whilst attempting to beat a defender.
When and why to change pace and direction.
Awareness (of other players/movement/space).
Firstly we will include “active” defenders who act as obstacles to the attackers:
Attackers Dribble Against Defenders Into Corner Areas
Organisation
- Use coloured markers to create four corner zones.
- Two players are defenders, encouraged to interfere and obstruct attackers’ runs whilst keeping their own ball under close control.
- On display of red markers attackers try to get in to the red corner. Green marker is green corner etc.
- If an attacker’s ball runs out of play a defender can swap roles with that attacker.
Progressions
- Allow the defenders to “engage” and try to win an attacker’s ball.
- If a defender can put their foot on an attacker’s ball they can swap roles with that attacker.
- Increase the number of defenders to reduce the time and space available to attackers and increase the importance of close ball control.
- Award a point every time an attacker takes their ball in to one of the corner areas.
Active Defenders Block Dribbling Attackers
Develop Your Practice
Challenge your strongest players by combining them in groups of three (with two balls).
The player without a ball must tackle one of the other two players before they can score points.
Develop Your Players
Continue to encourage turning with all the different parts of the feet.
