Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): 2023 National Grassroots Coaching Conference- Skill Acquisition (Cardiff Met) - The Stepover

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Anthony Williams

Profile Summary

Anthony Williams
Name: Anthony Williams
City: Maesteg
Country: United Kingdom
Membership: Adult Member
Sport: Football/Soccer
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Description

Organisation (Practice Layout & Transition)


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Practice Layout

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Practice Layout
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Practice Layout

Practice Layout


Organisation

The practice will involve 16 players working within the 40x30 box for the duration of the session. The number of players working within each practice will vary from the technical practices to skill
so the area size can be adapted accordingly. 

Practice Layout
1. White coned area 40m x 30m (around the outside, allows easy transition into Skill Practice).
2. 4/5 bibs 
3. At least one ball each should be available for every player (16) 

4. 5/6 boxes spread within main square (ideally use flats but cones are also adequate)


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Arrival Activity (5 mins)

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Arrival Activity (5 mins)
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Arrival Activity (5 mins)

A typical arrival activity during a skill acquisition session at Cardiff Met will involve individual ball work. The example in this session is a 'Keepy up' challenge and 'Maradona 5'. Generally, these activities will last for around 10/15 minutes at the beginning of a session. 

Organisation

Players will have a ball each and will be challenged to complete as many keep ups as possible individually whilst staying within the practice area. The second challenge will then move onto players aiming to complete the 'Maradona 5', which involves transferring the ball from the floor to the head in 5 touches using left foot, right foot, both thighs and your head. 


Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Regression- Players who struggle to keep the ball up are allowed to have a bounce in between touches 

Progression- Players who are comfortable can be challenged to use their feet only when performing keep up challenges (no thigh or head)

- Players who are comfortable to move into one of the smaller boxes to complete challenges can do so (i.e. they must perform 'keep ups/Maradona 5' without moving outside of the box

Further Adaptation- Players can work in pairs to keep the ball up between themselves

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Examples of challenges

- How many keep ups can you do in a minute? 

- Are you able to beat your previous score in a minute? 

- Can you complete the 'Maradona 5' in 5 minutes? 

Conditions

- Weaker foot only for keep ups 

Targets- Everyone to complete over 50 touches on the ball by the end of the activity


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Technical Practice- Stepover (10 mins)

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Technical Practice- Stepover (10 mins)
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Technical Practice- Stepover (10 mins)

The practice now moves on to the skill acquisition element. With the principle focus being on players developing their execution of 'The Stepover' which is one of the 11 FAW 'Welsh Way' moves. 


Organisation

Players will each have a ball again for the technical element of the practice. With the focus being on developing the stepover, players are free to move around the grid and will be challenged to perform a stepover when moving through a box within the playing area. When moving through a box, they must exit from a side that they didn't enter from (encourages change of direction and drop of the shoulder) For this part of the practice this will be unopposed, so that players are able to develop the skill at a comfortable pace under no direct pressure from opponents. 

 

The coach will aim to bring the mechanics out to players within this part of the session. Keeping an eye out for any common break down in technique and will look to affect individuals through different interventions whilst keeping ball rolling time high. 

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Progression- Players can be challenged to perform a 'double stepover' 

Regression- Players to perform the stepover from a stationary position until comfortable enough to do it when moving at speed

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Challenges- How many successful stepovers can players perform off the right foot? Left foot? How many double stepovers can players perform? 

Targets- Can you complete 10 successful stepovers through the boxes in 1 minute?

Mechanics

1. Place foot next to the ball

2. Drop shoulder

3. Take foot around the ball

4. Push ball outside opposite foot and accelerate


Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Skill Practice (10 mins)

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Skill Practice (10 mins)
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Skill Practice (10 mins)

We will now introduce defenders (yellow) into the practice to make it opposed and challenge players to perform the stepover when under direct pressure from opposition. 


Organisation

4 defenders (yellow) 

12 'attackers' (blue) with a ball each 

Initially, all defenders can move around freely and attempt to win the ball off the attackers but can't go into the boxes. Attackers must keep hold of the ball but continue to attempt to perform a stepover when moving through the boxes in the grid. The first couple of minutes will be 'free play' whilst players work out how the practice works and how they can perform successfully within it. Defenders will change around every couple of blocks to ensure that all players have equal time to work on the stepover opposed.  


Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Progression-  Points Challenge 

Two defenders now go into any one of the boxes and can't move whilst the other two defenders can move around the grid freely. Players are now challenged to perform the stepover when under pressure for points e.g. 

1 point if players are able to move into a 'free box' (no defender in it) and perform a successful stepover  

2 points if players are able to beat a defender outside of the boxes through performing a stepover 

3 points if players move into a box with a defender in it, perform a stepover and exit the box successfully 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

- How many points can players get within specified time frame? i.e. 1 minute

- Can you beat your previous score? 

- Limit the time even further to put further challenge/pressure on players 


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