Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): First Touch - Session Option 21

Skill Introduction (15 mins)

Skill introduction - First touch

Tonight I want to teach my player how to take their first touch away from their opponents into space.

Setup

4 pairs of cones 5m apart with enough space between each pair.

A player behind each cone.

I get the players to play down one side of the cone, take their first touch across their body so they end up on the other side of the cone, then pass to their partner.

Switch direction so left and right foots are used.

Coach the first touch technique - what part of the foot to use.

Skill Training (20 mins)

Skill Training

Aim

The aim of this drill is to practice taking your first touch away from your opponent. By passing to your teamates you try to get the ball from one side of the grid to the other, then back again until you lose possesion.

Setup

Split the teams up into 4 aside.

Mark a 20 by 20 square

Two players in the middle from each team and a player outside the square at each end, so we have a 2v2 in the middle.

Blue team playing across the pitch, white team playing up and down the pitch.

If a player plays to an outside player, he must swap with them and rotate out.

That way the players are constantly moving in and out.

Minimum two touches inside the grid and encourage the outside players to take their first touch into the grid (first touch moving).