Free Soccer Training Drills: 4 Action Ideas
Games Guy | July 1, 2010
You might disagree, but hear me out on this. In practicing free soccer training drills, the best teams keeps on switching the ball, looking for space and exploring the opposition’s defense for a fault. Follow the techniques given below, during the soccer coaching drills, and train the players accordingly to impart these skills.
Match winning tactic: keep the ball swinging between attackers from right to left; engaging the defenders in between. Look a good opportunity and attack the goal. To relief the players from stress, ask them to keep the ball switching.
The quick switch or the blind pass: Train one or two of your mid-fielders to dribble to the right, using the right foot, and then swing the ball to the left, sending almost a blind pass.Rapid Switching or the Blind Pass: Develop a skill in one or two mid-fielders to move the ball with right foot while kicking it to the left, showing almost a blind pass. Left-footed mid-fielder, can perform the trick by moving the ball using the left foot and throwing it back to the right side using left foot.
The defender on the other side will not be expecting the pass and your team can catch the opposing team sleeping.
All players in the team will have to adjust to the expectation that a switch is always coming so tell your team to frequently switch the ball. Of all the soccer drills, your kids may find this drill rather difficult but it is it’s competitive nature that guarantees player’s total participation in soccer practice.
To complete this drill, six small goals are to be setup on both the sides of the ground. A team scores a point if it gets a player to run through the goals in the middle when playing out from the back. Setting points—say two points, for passing through the last goal, will encourage switching.
During free soccer training drills, the goals should be made sufficiently wide to show that there is not much use just positioning a player between them to prevent a run or pass. Running from point A to B should be assigned to one player. When they are in between the goal, the opposition won’t be able to score.
Young defenders have tendency to move away from their designated positions. They move to where the ball is being played. Therefore teach your mid-fielders to be aware of those areas and make a move, if they can transfer the play from one side to the other and make use of the defenders unawares.
Dedicate some time during the next session of football drills, to show the players to cover the entire width of the pitch. Make them practice the skills, and show them where the actual risk may come from.
You have quite a lot of knowledge now, don’t forget to add these drills to your free soccer training drills, so your players are always ready and the opposition mid-fielders find it difficult to catch your defenders out. Get more information on coaching methodologies by becoming a member of our youth soccer coaching community that has a plethora of informative articles, newsletters, and videos.
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Training.