Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Sky Blue Training 1

Checking to ball (15 mins)

Organization: 10x10 box. 4 cones in corners, with 4 more cones placed about 3-4 yards outside of box. One player on each cone, one ball per group.

Instructions: Players will pass to the person to their right, following their pass. Before they recieve the ball/person passes them the ball, they must check out to outside cone, and check back in.

Coaching Points: Head up, quick movement to outside cone. Receive with proper foot (across body), pass with correct technique. Be vocal and call for ball.

Progressions: Switch pass direction so players pass with opposite foot.

Add give-and-go (e.g. 1 pass to 2, 2 drops to 1, 1 passes across to 3. 3 then drops to 2, who plays across to 4, and so on).

box/give and go (15 mins)

Organization: 10x10 box. 4 cones on corners, 2 cones in the middle creating a channel. One player on each cone, if more than 6, have extra player stand on cone 1.

Instructions: Ball will move from cone 1 to cone 2, etc. etc. Players will follow their pass and move to next cone. When ball reaches cone 6, if no extra players are on cone 1, player will dribble through channel with pace back to cone 1, and start drill again.

Coaching Points: Head up. Call for ball. Receive across body. Pass with inside of foot. Pass with pace. Make sure players are standing in FRONT of cones, cones are defenders, not able to receive ball behind cones.

Progressions: Add a give-and-go between cones 1-2 and 4-5, where 2 or 5 will overlap 1 or 4after give and go to get to cone 3 or 6. Add another cone in channel where players have to do a skill move past to advance. Add a second give-and-go with the corner cones immediatly after first give-and-go.

Switch where ball starts so players have to pass with left foot.

Game (10 mins)

Organization:

20x30 field. Goal on each end. 3/4 players on each team to play 3v3 or 4v4

Instructions:

Break them into teams of 3 or 4 and let them play.

Keep them in triangle/diamond shapes, no keepers.

Rules are as follows:

No corners

Everything is a goal kick or a kick in (no throw-ins)

Coaching Points:

Focus on shape of team. On offense players should be spread out and stretching field open. Defense we pinch in

Progressions:

Each player can only defend one other player (give them a number 1-4, can only defend player with same number)

Beating a player with a skill move gives your team 2 points in the bank, must score to get points added to score