Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): U14 Movement off the Ball

Ball Mastery Warmup (15 mins)

Organization:

- As much space as needed, each player with a ball.

Instructions:

- Ball mastery warmup, focusing on dribbling using different parts of the foot, changing speed, direction, and allowing the players to incorporate different skills and movements with their dribbling.

- Challenge the players with added pressure of time or # of touches

Coaching Points:

- Preparing ourselves physically and mentally for the session

- What are the different areas of the foot we would use and why?

- Head up as we are looking for open space, instead of going in a circle or a line can we change our direction and try and cover as much of the pitch as possible.

- Close control, one step in between every touch, how is our body position? Position of our foot?

- When taking bigger touches and exploding into space, what changes with our body position?

- Turning to find new space, identifying where the space is and moving into it.

Thirds game (25 mins)

Organization:

- Size of area 20x25 or adjust if needs be

- 5v5

- If uneven numbers can add a neutral or can adjust numbers accordingly

Instructions:

- 3 zones evenly split. All players started in assigned zone and attempt to move the ball through each one to score

- 1 player may go to forward and support in a zone to create numbers up or equal numbers

- Players may not leave their zone or retreat to starting zone when they lose possession of the ball

- Players can only go forward by one zone

Progression - 1) Players can move forward through all zones 2) More than 1 player can support going forward

Coaching Points:

- Communication off the ball, verbal and nonverbal to instruct the passer or receiver

- Movement off the ball to support the first attacker. Where? Why?

- What kind of touch are we taking to receive and set up our next pass?

- How can we disguise our next pass?

- Can the first attacker drag the defender out of position to create space for teammates?

- Timing of run. When? Where?