Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): RSA U10G SESSION 1

Gates Turning (15 mins)

Organization:

- 30x24 yard area, each player with a ball.

- Set up gates around the whole area, where players can dribble through.

Instructions:

-Start with tag game and 1 to 2 players being the tagger.

- Add in ball

- All players dribbling inside of area. Players are to dribble through as many gates as they can in 45 seconds.

Coaching Points:

1. Entry- Attacking the space forward on the field (looking to penetrate)

2. Execution - Stop ball with dribbling foot. Use the part of the sole closer to your toes.

- Use sole of foot to drag ball back across the body toward standing foot.

- Use of body, arms etc to fake (can the U-turn look like a fake pass/shot?)

- Hop that standing foot out of the way as you drag the ball.

3. Exit- ball should be coming right back where it came from. Distance of touch (helps next action)

4. Protect the ball or not? (risk vs reward)

Progressions:

- Introduce the U-Turn with players dribbling around and performing a turn every several touches.

- Dribble through as many gates as you can in 45 seconds- 1 point per gate.

- Perform as many U-Turns through gates for as many points as you can in 45 seconds.

- Add defenders whose job is to stand at any gate to make it off limits.

- Defenders are live and players try to perform 10 U-turns then score on goal.

Bank Robbers (15 mins)

Learning Outcomes:

-Different styles of dribbling. Ronaldo vs Messi touches, why.

-Accelerate after turning.

-Get the ball moving in the direction of your bank.

Organization:

-12 Players

-8 red cones, 8 yellow cones, 4 blue cones.

-Two teams of 6 players split in two branches.

-16 soccer balls

-Each bank (5x5) - Overall city (grid 30x30)

Instructions:

-Players are part of the 4 largest banks in the city.

-They want to be the largest bank.

-Attempt to rob money (balls) from bank of different color and bring back to your bank.

-One player at a time until all the money is gone from the middle.

-Each ball = 1 Trillion dollars - bank with the most money at the end of the round (1min) wins.

Coaching Points:

-1st touch when dribbling long (2-3 steps)

-Follow 1st touch by quick short touches

-Use Laces & Outside to speed dribble

-While dribbling in traffic, be aware of surroundings

-Dribble looking forward (see ball + space)

-Attempt feint or single scissors when in trouble

Progression:

1. Once all the ball are out of the middle all players a allowed to rob the other team's bank until expires. You are not allowed to defend your bank and you can only steal one ball at a time.

2. Add a policeman to catch the robbers. If they are caught they must go to jail. If you are caught - 1 time: warning, 2 times: you will go to jail. Play for 2 minutes.

-Play with 4 different teams.

Regression:

-Make bank bigger.

-One player at a time can steal.