Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Running With The ball

Running with the Ball (10 mins)

Key Factors

• Technical Practice 
• Running with the ball
• All players with a ball, young age group, importance to keep ball moving
• U7's age group still in early development. (40 minutes of playing time)
• Final third.

Organisation

• 1 Coach
• Set up full playing area for whole practice before players arrival, with goals already set at either end for small sided game.
• 28 x 20 yrd area U7s 4 x 4  (8 players, FAW guidelines)
• 8 Balls (ball per player) kept by red cone when not in use.
• 8 Red cones one side
• 8 Blue Cones opposite
• 16 yellow cones through the middle, already set for later progression)
• Bib up players on arrival

Warm Up.

Fun warm up races. no ball 

• All players line up on red cones
• Run to blue cone and back
• Repeat but with different starting positions (Facing backwards, sitting down, lying down)

Running with the ball (10 minutes)

• All players to stand on a red cone with ball at feet
  
• Players then run with the ball to the opposite blue cone and come back.

- Players do this repetitively for 2 minutes. (coach assess players)

• Players stop the ball at red cone, coach gives some instructions 
• Look Up
• Keep the Ball Close.

- Players continue to run with the ball from red cone to the blue cone with new instructions.
During practice coach adds more instructions. stopping the players at the red cones when given these instructions, so questions and demonstrations can be provided.

Calls are:

1. Stop ball at blue cone and do 10 toe taps before returning to the red cone.2. Stop ball at blue cone and do 10 side to sides before returning to red cone.

3. Stop ball at blue cone and do 10 around the world before returning to the red cone

4. Stop ball at blue cone and do all 5 toe taps, 5 side to sides and 5 around the worlds before returning to the red cone

Balls to red cone then leave them there for drinks break, explain next task in drinks break.

Progression 1 / controlled straight line running adding gates

1. Players start on red cone

2. Players run with the ball towards blue cone in a straight line

3. Players run through yellow gates on their straight line

4. players turn and run back to red cone going through their gate

Repeat.

Balls to red cones and leave them there for drinks break, explain next task in drinks break.

Progression 2 / Running with the ball removing straight line restriction.

1. All players start at red cone

2. Players to run with the ball in any direction, avoiding other players.

3. Players to run through 2 gates before stopping at the blue cone with the ball (players should not stop at the same blue cone)

4. repeat starting at blue cone back to red cone.

Repeat or regress to easier progression if too difficult or becomes dangerous 

Mechanics:

Keep the ball close

Vary Surfaces of the foot

Head Up

Change of Pace

Change of direction

Small sided game (15 mins)

Key Factors

• Small Sided game - repetition
• 4 vs 4 no GKs - 
• U7s pitch guidelines for small sided game 28 x 20 yards

Organisation

• Balls around pitch to keep the game flowing and the ball moving
• Red and blue cones can be removed unless being used for pitch lines.
• remove 6 yellow cones from inside the pitch leaving 10 cones 5 gates. 
• Coach to remain on the outer edge for full view and help keep the balls around the outer edge.

Small sided Game (15 minutes)

• Reds vs Blues
• players asked to play normal match but consider running with the ball when they receive it.
• Players score goals as normal.

progression 

• Play is halted and the coach asks the player to try and run through the yellow gates if they can when they receive the ball.
• Players who successfully run the ball under control through a gate will score an extra goal for their team.  

Coach to observe and remove gates if becomes to easy or close the gap of gates. 
- ARE THE MECHANICS OF RUNNING WITH THE BALL BE USED?
Coach to remind players to still concentrate on other elements of the game such as passing and shooting. Can a player pass to someone in a better position to run through a gate. 
Coach can regress the practice by removing goals and adding cones to the end zones for players to run through to score a goal.