Coaching Soccer For Dummies

by Greg Bach

  Although several offensive drills we mention earlier in this chapter have defensive benefits as well, the following drills really emphasize the defensive side of the ball. You can use them, make your own modifications, or let them inspire a whole new drill.

  Defending

  Disrupting an opposing team’s attack requires a broad range of skills. Here are some exercises to help your players improve those all important defensive techniques.

  Ball Touch

  Ball Touch helps youngsters learn to compete for a loose ball and make the switch from offensive to defensive mode.

  What you need: 15- x 15-yard grid. 2 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: Begin with a player on either side of you (see Figure 10-8). Roll a ball out, and on your command, the two players race to see who can gain control of it. When a player has the ball in her possession, she must see how long she can protect it before the other player steals it. Continue the exercise for 30 seconds to a minute while players continue to take an offensive or defensive mindset based on whether they have possession of the ball.

  Figure 10-8: Ball Touch helps players switch from offense to defense and back again.

  Coaching pointers: Players going for the loose ball are likely to make contact with each other, particularly older and more experienced players, who may be more competitive. Keep a close watch to ensure that penalties aren’t being committed as players vie for the ball.

  1-on-1

  Being able to stop a player from advancing the ball down the field is one of the benchmarks of great defensive play. The 1-on-1 focuses on defensive footwork and incorporates offensive skills as well.

  What you need: 30- x 30-yard grid. 2 players. 1 ball. 2 cones.

  How it works: Set up 2 pylons 25 yards apart (see Figure 10-9). Start the drill with one offensive player at the pylon with a ball and one defensive player about 5 yards away. The object is for the defensive player to stop the offensive player from working the ball down the field to the other pylon. If the defensive player knocks the ball loose, you can work the exercise a couple of different ways:

  When possession of the ball changes, you can have the players switch roles. The player who stole the ball then tries to move it downfield toward the opposite pylon.

  When the defensive player pokes the ball away, the offensive player retrieves it and continues to work toward reaching the pylon with the ball.

  Figure 10-9: A child gets a lot of practice with the 1-on-1 exercise.

  Coaching pointers: Monitor the defender’s footwork, and make sure that she doesn’t get herself out of position by going for any body fakes by the other player. Also, watch the defensive player’s movements to ensure that penalties aren’t being committed in her efforts to swipe the ball.

  2-on-1

  This drill teaches defenders how to control a 2-on-1 and provides offensive players the chance to work on their passing, dribbling, and attacking skills.

  What you need: 10- x 10-yard grid. 3 players. 1 ball. 2 cones.

  How it works: Place two cones a couple of yards apart, as you see in Figure 10-10. Designate two players for offense and one player for defense. The offensive players must dribble the ball through the cones without losing possession of the ball. The 2-on-1 isn’t a shooting drill, so emphasize that players must maintain control of the ball while attempting to get through the cones. Allow players to maneuver with the ball past the cone, but they can go through the cone in only one direction.

  Coaching pointers: This drill tests your defensive player’s footwork and reactions, because she’s required to cover a lot of ground all by herself. Remind her not to go for the offensive player’s head and shoulder fakes, but to keep her eye on the player’s chest to help reduce the chances of being caught leaning to one side and creating an opening that the offensive players can use to their advantage.

  Figure 10-10: The defensive player has his work cut out for him in the 2-on-1.

  Goaltending

  Proper footwork, good hand–eye coordination, and quick reflexes are all valuable assets for any young goaltender learning to play the position. Many beginning soccer programs don’t utilize goalies, so a youngster can be involved in the sport for a couple of years before he gets the chance to guard the nets. The following drills are designed to help make that move to the front of the net a smooth one when the time comes.

  Read and React

  This drill works on several aspects of goaltending, including:

  Helping youngsters learn to read an opposing player’s body language and figure out whether they’re setting up to unload a shot or deliver a pass to a teammate.

  Testing players’ footwork. The drill requires quick movements from side to side in order to stop the back-to-back shots coming the goalie’s way.

  Read and React also provides benefits to the offensive players, who work on their passing, receiving, and shooting skills.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 5 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: The goaltender (GK) assumes his regular position in front of the net. Put two offensive players about 5 yards away from each goal post, and give them each a soccer ball (see Figure 10-11). Position two more offensive players out in front of the net about 15 yards from the goal and about 10 yards away from each other. Move younger or less experienced players in a little closer. On your whistle:

  1. The players with the balls deliver passes to the players out in front.

  2. After receiving the passes and controlling the ball, one player delivers a shot on goal.

  3. The other youngster returns a pass to the player who just sent him a pass.

  4. The player receiving the second ball fires a short-range shot on goal.

  The first few times through the drill, let the goalie know which player is initially delivering the shot and which one is making a pass. For more experienced players or those players who are comfortable with the drill after a few times through it, you can pick which player you want to shoot and which one you want to pass without letting the goalie know.

  Figure 10-11: Several shots on goal in a row test the goalie’s ability in Read and React.

  Coaching pointers: This drill is for goalies to work on reading plays, reacting, and moving from post to post, but don’t neglect the techniques the offensive players use. You want accurate passes, proper form receiving passes, and a correct follow-through when delivering a shot on net.

  Goalie’s Delight

  Goalie’s Delight helps goalies become proficient at stopping a flurry of shots when facing lots of offensive pressure during games. It also helps develop the shooting skills of offensive players.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 3 players. 10 balls.

  How it works: The goalie takes his normal spot in front of the net. Position two players about 15 yards away, and give each player 5 balls lined up in a row (see Figure 10-12). The drill begins with one player taking a shot on goal. As soon as the kick is delivered, the second player sends a shot on net, and the players keep alternating shots as quickly as they can. This quickness forces the goalie to make several difficult saves in succession from a variety of angles.

  Figure 10-12: Goalie’s Delight gives the goalie ten chances in a row to make saves.

  Coaching pointers: Watch the goalie’s hands to ensure that they’re properly positioned on his saves and that his hands are in a relaxed position as an extension of the arm.

  Breakaway

  Breakaway helps goaltenders learn to move side to side and get in position to stop shots. Offensive players gain practice on both their passing and shooting skills.

  What you need: Area of field with goal. 3 players. 1 ball.

  How it works: The goaltender takes his position in the net. Two players start about 20 yards away from the net. The players move in on net, passing the ball back and forth until someone decides to take a shot. To increase the difficulty, add a defensive player to the mix. Or make players deliver shots with their less-dominant foot.

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p; Coaching pointers: In order to effectively defend Breakaway, goalies must be able to move side to side quickly. Footwork is crucial to success and should be monitored closely during this drill. Also, make sure that the goalie protects the ball with her entire body when she stops a low shot on the ground. This protection prevents opponents from getting their feet on the ball for a follow-up shot and reduces the chances of the goalie’s hands or fingers being injured if an opponent tries kicking at the ball.

  Putting It All Together: A Sample Practice Session

  Okay, so your kids are ready to go. You have some drills that you want to use. It’s time to put it all together. A sample one-hour practice for a team of beginning players could look something like Table 10-1. As we discuss earlier in the chapter, limit the concepts you cover during each practice to one or two. In the example in Table 10-1, we focus on passing and shooting.

  Table 10-1 Beginner “Passing and Shooting” Practice Plan Duration Activity Comments

  5 min. Warm-up Get the kids in the habit of warming

  up every time they’re participating in

  strenuous activities with some basic

  stretching and movement (see

  Chapter 18).

  10 min. Hit the Coach A quick game of Hit the Coach (which

  we cover earlier in the chapter) to

  get the kids used to kicking at a

  target.

  10 min. Shots on Goal Line all the kids up about 5 yards in

  front of the goal with a ball, and have

  them kick the ball into the net to

  begin reinforcing that the name of

  the game is to get the ball into the

  opponent’s goal.

  10 min. Partner Passing Pair team members up, and spread

  out on the field. Start with the part

  ners 5 yards apart, and have them

  work on passing the ball back and

  forth. If the team is doing pretty well,

  you may want to have all the players

  take a step or two backward to

  increase the length of the passes and

  make it more challenging for the

  players.

  15 min. Passing Fancy Conduct the Passing Fancy drill (cov

  ered earlier in this chapter). If you

  have enough kids on the team, you

  can run a little mini tournament in a

  couple of different playing areas.

  Have the winners square off and the

  losing groups play each other so that

  you always have all the kids actively

  involved. Or if you have enough kids

  to make four groups, play a round-

  robin tournament in which all the

  groups get the chance to play one

  another.

  10 min. Scrimmage Always end practice on a high note

  so that the kids leave the field with

  smiles on their faces. There’s no

  better way to do that than to have a

  fun scrimmage pitting the coaches

  and parents against the kids. Besides

  being a lot of fun for the kids, it help

  them work on the basic skills of both

  passing and kicking the ball at the

  goal that you’ve focused on during

  this practice session.

  Of course, you can be flexible with your schedule and adjust it according to how the practice is progressing. For example, if you see a number of kids struggling with a certain drill, you may want to run it for a few additional minutes and just reduce the amount of time you spend scrimmaging at the end of practice. Your practice plan doesn’t have to be carved in stone, but it’s your guide to helping your team members learn and progress during their time with you.

  Chapter 11

  Coaching Offense 101

  In This Chapter

  Covering the basics

  Dividing the field into thirds

  Attacking by land and air

  Giving offensive skills an extra boost

  What do kids love most about playing soccer? Sure, some may go for the colorful uniforms and the cool shin guards, and others may simply enjoy chasing the ball up and down the field. But most kids love the chance to score goals and feel the exhilaration that accompanies booting the ball into the net. Kids typically hunger to learn the offensive part of the game, and teaching them the techniques is like waving bags of candy in front of their faces. The eyes widen; the ears perk up; and smiles form.

  As a soccer coach, this is where your job becomes more fascinating — and also more fun. When your players have a couple of years of soccer experience behind them and have a pretty good understanding of the basics of the game, you get the chance to open the offensive playbook and challenge them to reach new heights in their play. You can teach a variety of offenses and introduce an array of new passes that enable the team to create additional scoring opportunities. But even if your team is relatively inexperienced, we have some pointers here that you can put to use too. We think your team will be eager to learn these new offensive skills.

  Building a Beginner Offense

  Regardless of what age or level of soccer you’re coaching, adhering to some key offensive principles lays the foundation for your team to enjoy plenty of success when it’s on the attack. The following are basic offensive tips to keep in mind this season.

  Keep the players moving

  An attacking team whose players are constantly on the move — whether they have the ball or not — is much more difficult to defend than a team that stands around watching the player with the ball while she dribbles around, looking to create something. Continually encouraging your players to keep moving and working to get to an open area of the field where they can receive passes makes a big difference in the effectiveness of the attack. And for the youngest of players, it can help loosen up the swarm of players that you typically find around the ball.

  If no one is open, the dribbler’s responsibility is to either send a square pass (see the “Square pass” section, later in the chapter) back to a teammate to reset the offense and begin the attack again, or dribble to a different area of the field and create space, where she can deliver a pass downfield. An offense that’s constantly moving puts enormous pressure on a defense. The more you force the defense to move and react, the greater their chances of making a coverage mistake that results in an advantage for your team (and possibly a great scoring opportunity as well).

  Spread out

  The more space that exists between your players, the greater the chances of producing a successful attack. Players who are able to keep plenty of space between themselves and their teammates — and avoid the dreaded bunching-up syndrome that’s especially common at the younger ages of soccer — have more dribbling room to operate and more opportunities for executing passes that efficiently move the ball down the field. Teammates who bunch up bring more defenders into the picture, thus providing them more chances — and easier chances — to steal the ball.

  Keep the ball moving

  When your team is on the attack, you want your players doing everything they can to make things as difficult as possible for the defense. That means keeping the ball moving. One of the biggest mistakes beginning soccer players make is stopping to gather themselves and get the ball under control when receiving a pass. A stationary target is easy pickings for defensive players — and they’re going to pounce all over it.

  Work with your team on receiving passes and trapping balls that keep moving. If you let the opponents simply run right at your player, they’re going to steal a lot of balls and ruin a lot of your team’s attacks in the process. Check out Chapter 10 for drills that help kids in this area.

  Involve everyone

  The best way to develop soccer players who will want to strap on shin guards for years to come is to focus on a more possession-oriented attack that keeps all players actively involved. Relying on just a handful of play
ers to knock the ball down the field and hopefully connect occasionally on the long passes isn’t going to be fun for the rest of the players involved, and it hinders their development and drains some of their enthusiasm for playing the game.

  Continually stress that when your team has the ball, everyone is on offense, and that when they don’t have possession, everyone is on defense.

  Understanding Field Position

  As players gain more experience, they start to recognize in what areas of the field they can be more aggressive with their passes and what areas pose more danger. Certain areas of the field dictate that players rein in their aggressiveness so it doesn’t hurt the team. Even with the youngest players, talk about what areas of the field require certain types of plays to give them a sense of what they should and shouldn’t be doing. If your team is relatively inexperienced, approach such instruction by simply dividing the field into offensive and defensive halves.

  Dividing the field in half is a little too simplistic with players who have some experience, but breaking the playing area into thirds gives youngsters a pretty good gauge of how their play should be handled. Your kids are likely to find themselves in all three areas of the field at various junctures throughout the game. How they respond while there makes a difference in how your team fares in moving the ball and creating scoring opportunities, as well as how successful it is in limiting the opposing team’s attack.

  Offensive third of the field

  The offensive third of the field is the area at your opponent’s end of the field where your team can be at its most aggressive on the attack. Down here in the shadows of your opponent’s goal, turnovers aren’t nearly as costly as they are elsewhere on the field, and mistakes aren’t as magnified. An errant pass or turnover down here doesn’t result in a scoring opportunity for the other team. Although you hate to give up possession of the ball at any time, you prefer to do so here, where the opponent still has the entire length of the field to negotiate rather than in front of your own goal or even at midfield, where the opponent is one pass away from generating a great scoring opportunity.