Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Lofted Pass Edgemont (Start Time: 2017-10-28 12:05:00)

Warm-Up (20 mins)

Organization: Players space out within the area you are practicing, no grid needed, just every player needs a ball.

Instructions:

* Each player has a ball and mimics what coach does

* Toss the ball up and collect it with the top of your foot

* Toss the ball up and collect it using a Cruyff turn

* Toss the ball up and collect it with your thigh

* Toss the ball up and collect it with your chest

* Toss the ball up and collect it with the outside of your foot, then the inside

* (Progression)Instead of toss the ball can we pick it up with our feet, juggle it a little, kick it high, then collect it one of those ways?

Coaching Points:

* Cushion the ball, secure the ball, make it do what you want it to

* Bring whatever surface you are going to use away from the ball on contact so it dies immediatly to the ground and is under control in a second.

* Watch the ball during its entire flight.

Progressions:

* Instead of tossing it from your hands, can you use your feet to pick it up and hit it in the air?

Up-Back-Through (20 mins)

Organization: 12 cones, four triangles as far apart as you feel you need them to be. I have them roughly 20-30 yards apart because my topic is a lofted pass. I have them performing this is the defensive and middle third of the field because we need to work on our defenders ability to clear the ball up the line or pitch in general so hopefully placing this activity in the area this happens the most we can get used to the sidleline and playing close to goal.

Instructions:

* Split the players up behind the tip of each triangle (yellow cones)

* The activity starts once the players with the ball take a touch to either the left or the right, on this first touch the player at the other end of their triangle moves away from the triangle the same side as the ball carrier (little red arrow)

* UP: After their first touch the ball carrier sends a lofted pass (or ground pass depending on your topic) to their teammate on the other end, immediatley follow their pass (large red arrow)

*BACK: The player who just recieved the ball plays a quick 1 or 2 touch pass back to their teammate who has followed their pass.

*THROUGH: After they pass back, that same player then runs around the otherside of the triangle to receive a through ball from their teammate. (Player who plays through ball goes to the back of that triangles line.

*REPEAT: The player recieving the through ball takes a touch and sends a lofted ball UP to his/her teammate, follows their pass and the activity continues (UP<BACK<THROUGH)

*Have the teams go both directions left and right (up the line and down the center)

Coaching Points:

* Leaning slightly back with foot planted slightly behind the ball

* Foot level with the ground with ankle locked striking THROUGH the underside of the ball.

* Head up to obersve target, head down on point of contact.

* Ankle locked upon recieving the ball, can our first touch set up our next action?

* Make sure to move off of the triangle to create angle of support.

Progressions:

*One group versus the other. UP,Back,Through = 1 point first team to successfully complete 10 wins. (Successfully complete meaning ball has good loft, player receiving the ball has a decent touch and the through ball does not hit any cones in the triangle)