South River Youth Athletics

Practice - Attack

• Arrival - Penalty Kick shooting
  • Players take shots from spot 10 yds from goal (penalty shot distance)
  • Players attempt to knock down cones placed in corners of goal
  • PLayer with most knock downs wins a prize
• Warmup -
  • Pick up feet fast
  • Gravity will put them down
  • Make faster steps not longer strides
• Skill - Soccer Moves
  • Lean and Push (Rummenigge)
  • Scissors (Van Basten)
  • Step Over (Rivelino)
  • Drag Flick (Matthews)
  • Sole role and flick (Ramos)
  • Sole role and stepover (Ronaldo)
• Game to practice skill
  • 4 vs. 2 (or 1): offense tries to score on a small goal at end of grid--must do specific soccer move before scoring. 1 point for a goal. Defense gets a point for stealing ball. Variation: offense must perform specific move three (or other number) times before scoring. Variation: three of the players on offense must touch ball and do move before scoring. Variation: bonus points move for an specific soccer move.
  • Two lines, two goals: players dribble, shoot and score at one goal then move to defend opposite goal. Both goals are on one endline. Two lines of players are on opposite endline. Vary length of field and width of field to make it easier or harder for offense
• Tactic - Diamond and Triangle shapes for 2 - 1 - 2 - 1
  • Best shapes in soccer are triangles and diamonds (double triangle)
  • Traingle offers passing angles on offense
  • Triangles offers support and cover on defense
  • Diamond allows team to play through/split defense and counter attack from defense
  • Triangles in small areas and diamonds form over larger area
  • Formation to play is goalie-2-1-2-1
• Game to practice tactic: 4 vs. 4
  • One team starts with ball. Defense must start 10 yds off of ball
  • Offense tries to score in any of goals. Defense must defend all goals (which should support use of diamond shape)
  • No throw ins-just kick in. Offense gives up ball after scoring
  • Start with three small goals on each end line
  • Change to two small goals on each end line
  • Change to one small goal on each side
  • Variation: require a specific soccer move to score
• Full Field scrimmage
• Cool down and stretching
  • Emphasize stretching improves speed and strength
  • Stretch hamstrings, quads, groin, and calves
  • Hold each stretch for 10 seconds, pause for 5, and restretch

Another Soccer game: form equal teams off about 5 players. Set up field with multiple goals (about 1/2 as many as players on the field). Rules: players can score through any goal in any direction. The game teaches the players to go in any direction to find space--not just forward. It also teaches the defense to apply pressure. Variation: require 1 pass during team's possession before team can score.

Eight Deadly Sins of Soccer

These are the areas (tactical and technical) that coaches can watch for at most levels of play.  The following list is not intended to be presented in any kind of prioritized sequence:

• 1.      Square balls across the middle-- this is a definite no-no in the defensive third.  A square ball is the easiest ball to intercept.  It also implies lack of support behind the passer.  If an opponent incepts a square ball, the passer and receiver must start their recovery runs from an equal horizontal position.  This gives the interceptor a head start on goal, as the passer and receiver must recover from greater distance.
• 2.      Stopping the ball -- players that "trap" the ball to a stationary position are easy to target by defenders.  If the defender is closing down a receiver as the ball is arriving, the defender does not have to change course or angle of run if the receiver "stops" the ball.  Also, a player that plays with the ball in one spot often invites his teammates to go into hibernation while they wait for that player to do something with the ball.  There are some very good distributors that can "hold up the ball" until runs develop.  Even though the ball seems to be stopped with these players, it is actually being moved in a very precise way.
• 3.      GK staying on the line-- as attackers and the ball gets closer to the goalline, the goalkeeper must start to cut down the shooting angles by moving out.  If the GK moves too soon, he may be open to a ball over the top.  However, staying back on the line is an invitation to shoot at a wide-open goal.  In most situations, a GK should be at least 2 yards (younger ages) to 3-4 yards (teenage and above) when the ball is in the middle of the field and within shooting distance.
• 4.       Vertical support positioning -- standing directly behind or directly in front of a player with the ball is a problem.  Players need to support the ball at angles.  If an on-ball player is going to drop the ball, he must turn 180 degrees to get the ball back.  With angled positioning it is only a half a turn.  Also, the angled pass changes not only the vertical level, but the horizontal one as well.  If a player is directly in front of the ball, he will have trouble turning and will not be open to the field.  A player directly in front of the ball carrier also takes up valuable space the dribbler can go into.
• 5.      Allowing the attacker to dribble the goalline -- attackers that get to the goalline must be kept wide.  Defenders that overplay or over commit against an attacker that is wide can allow the attacker to dribble towards the goal along the goalline.  This destroys a defense, as passing angles are created that will carry the ball away from the GK and into onrushing attackers.  This is similar to giving up the baseline in basketball.
• 6.       Standing waiting for the pass -- it is a flat out sin not to go to the ball when under pressure.
• 7.       Body position is not open to the field -- players whose shoulders and hips face the ball do not usually have a body position that allows for viewing of the field.  If the position is open to the field, there are more options available and known to the attacker after receiving the ball.
• 8.      Receiving the ball with the wrong foot -- players that reach for a ball on their left side, by stretching their right leg across their body cause themselves several problems.  First, the support foot is immobile in order to support the other leg stretch.  Second, the reception is with the outside of the foot or leg, which is a much tougher area to control a ball.  Last and most important, the player cannot immediately react to the touch without several adjustment steps.  Essentially, the ball is stopped and the player stopped because the feet are not in position to move.