Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U7s - 22nd May

Match (15 mins)

Set up / Rules:

• Several pitches with cones for goals
• 2v2 or 3v3 or 3v2
• Ensure you show the players the boundary of the pitch (for younger kids)
• Use kick-ins over throw-ins
• Use Futsal balls
• The goalscoring team touch their goalposts before they can rejoin the game, but the team who have conceded can play immediately.

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COACHING POINTS:

For each Small-Sided Game, you should include:

• 2 or 3 constraints (not at the same time!)
• 1x Development Point (in possession or out of possession)
• 1x Communication Point

Pick 2 or 3 to use at different times

• If one team is dominating, should they have X number of passes before scoring?
• If a player kicks the ball out aimlessly, ask them to perform 20 skills behind the goal before rejoining
• Play 2 (older) & 3 touch for younger kids
• Reward each skill with a skill point; most skill points = 3+ goals at the end of the game
• Experiment with overload situations 4v2, 3v2, 2v1 etc
• Can you remove some of the touchlines so you end up with 4 goals (or 6!) on each pitch and 4v4 or 5v5 etc

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

In each session, use:

• Either 1x in possession OR 1x out of possession
• AND 1x communication

• "Can my feet see the ball?"
• "Am I calling loudly enough for the ball?"
• "Where is the space?"
• "Where are your teammates?"
• "Where is the ball going next?"

(and for the more advanced kids)

• "Can we create '3rd man run' opportunities?"
• "Can we create overloads?"
• "Are we in a strong position to maintain possession?" i.e. not standing in a line!

Out of possession 

• "Where are the opposition?"
• "Where is the ball going next?"
• "Can we block passes?"
• "Is the path to the goal protected?"
• "Can you stay with your runners?"

• "Down the line" (attacking command, down the wing)
• "Come home" (back to safety - GK or someone in space behind the player)
• "Switch" (one wing to the other)
• "Back post" (pass to back post)
• "One more" (as in "one more pass")
• "1-2" (give and go)
• "Out wide" (play the ball to the wings)
• "Turn in" (turn inside)
• "Turn out" (turn outside)
• "And again" (a bit like a 1-2)
• "In behind" (pass the ball behind the defence)

Remember to use STEP to adjust, progress, or regress the session :)

Space

Time

Equipment

Players

1 - Finishing (5 mins)

Focus: Finishing

Set up

• As shown, Green markers are coaches (or helpers!) 

• Players do a 1-2 before finishing

• After having a shot they go in goal and the GK joins the back of the queue

• Head up
• Good first touch during passing phase
• Good touch to set themselves before the shot
• Keep the ball moving
• Shot across the keeper
• Shot with laces or toe-poke
• Double points if they score in the corner
• Dinked/chipped finish
• Follow up rebounds

Coaching Points

• "Dribble, head up, eye contact, pass to feet, soft touch, shoot"
• Don't expect miracles straight away!
• Encourage the player to touch the ball forwards before the shoot (so they don't have to step back and lose momentum)
• Encourage and mix-up 'laces shot' and toe-poke finishes (these are perfectly fine - limited backlift, lots of power, difficult for the keeper to read)

• Can players finish first time? i.e. no touch

• Advanced players - can they trick the keeper by looking one way and shooting the other
• Striker becomes the receiving player (i.e coach position)
• Add a second receiving player
• Receiver becomes a defending player (i.e coach position