Futsal Session (Junior): Striking the ball (& movement off the ball) (Start Time: 2016-12-18 16:00:00)

Skill training (20 mins)

Frame

Instead of a standard 5v2 rondo: 5 players static maintaining a numerical advantage. The purpose here is to educate players about the importance of getting into new spaces and we suggest some different ways of doing that.

Explanation

5v2 in the playing area; 5 blues try to keep the ball, 2 whites try to dispossess them - remaining white players take up a position outside the playing area. Defending players may rotate as and when required to ensure adequate high intenisty and adequate rest period. White, if you win possession, try to score in the big goal. Blues, if white dispossess you, try and get it back off them. We'll keep blues at 5 and whites at 2 until I tell say otherwise. Team roles will rotate periodically - though, after some success we can make this contingent upon player performance - e.g. DEF wins the ball and scores = 1 point & rotation of team roles.

Progression

1. I'd like to see how many times, a girl can have the ball there, and end up with the ball over there pretty quickly afterwards. So, not only do we keep it but we move ourselves around in such a way that we get behind the whites and get the ball back.

Coaching Points

+ 1st passing line - in front of defenders. The intention here is to unbalance defenders or change the angle and therefore create gaps and opportunities to penetrate | La Pausa

+ 2nd passing line - around the defenders. The intention here is to move the ball up the pitch and attempt to secure possession in advanced areas, and then to look for opportunities to penetrate.

+ 3rd passing line - through the defenders. The intention here is to understand when (not how) to pass.

+ ball back to Peyton, we're going to walk through this with a little bit of pressure from white. Let's see if you can get over there and get the ball back any way you can. Show me another way - now we're getting somewhere i.e. take them on, overlap, give & go, hit long and move off the ball.

+ now, here's the trick if you guys get that movement going - you might all end up in the same space, unless the girl who's killing the space gets out. So, I don't want to have you all on one side of the grid.

+ check this out - I give it there, I go and I get it back - but now, what's the problem? Yeah, I might need my team mates to be quick enough to clear space for me, if I'm driving into it.

+ Lily made a pass and moved for the one-two, now she didn't get it - but Bronte did. So, showing that willingness to move and combine, will create space somewhere.

+ if they're compact, maybe I give it there and drop back into space - I don't achieve my goal of getting it behind defender but what have I got? Possession, and we can build again | La Pausa.

Skill game (20 mins)

Frame

Here, we make an implicit link between a game situation and a warm up activity; where our focus was on the types of movements, shapes and patterns of play required to effectively clear and create space as we move towards our target. P-D-E increases significantly as we frame the game situation in way that is familiar to the players. Furthermore, by giving the attacking team a slight advantage (3v2 - numbers up) we can promote the chance of success and strengthen the links between the perception-decision-execution of certain skills / movements.

Explanation

GK's always stay on the field. As do the FWD's and DEF's in the end thirds. Ball starts with white GK who plays it out to either wide player - what we then have is a 3v2 situation to blue goal (middle & final third). Once the ball is dead - 1 blue gets off, 1 white gets off and the other GK distributes a ball to either of the 2 wide blue players, and the blue team attack 3v2 to white goal.

Coaching Points

+ Stop at this picture, you decided to come in a little bit, and you decided to do the same; what has happened to the field? Yeah, we've narrowed it, things have got a little bit stagnant. If I was you, I might stay wide and make a good angle for an attractive pass (where I get it in front of me and drive towards goal).

+ target player - engage in moving the defender around before a team mate gets the ball. Doing so, will either, create space for you, or for a team mate.

+This has happened pretty much every time; the striker hasn't really got involved; now, we want to be able to see you - what could you do to give your team-mates in midfield space to drive into? Go a bit longer yeah? Or maybe wider, think about which side you might run to, the movement of your teammates will dictate that.

+ Similarly, if our midfielder is bringing the DEF inside, what can his partner do? (i) stretch it, (ii) run across front and switch with the striker, or (iii) midfield pairs could cross couldn't they?

+ What could we really improve on? I was interested in the 3, now, what were some of the good things we did? And what's something I want to make sure is always happening? Make sure that I'm using that extra man if it's 3v2.

+ Plenty of times we were calling for the ball saying give it to me, give it to me - but maybe we weren't showing for the ball; could we have been a little bit deeper for a nice angle? making a nice overlap? or maybe cheating ahead asking for a through ball? If you get a break-out opportunity, look to each other and look to the target sometimes as well.

+ Pivot - if you move to the ball, just be aware that you're going to get balls driven in to your feet, so make sure that you're aware of where your next step might be.

+ Predictability is easy for defenders to play against, you're going to have to show me something different, something other than good shapes that are just that - good shapes (with no fluidity or movement).

Finish with 5v5 SSG to close the practice | an opportunity for players to consolidate their learning and for the coach to reinforce key points made in previous exercises.