Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Pass and Move

Keep away and Stretches (5 mins)

Players arriving to practice will get in groups and play rondo while the team arrives to training. Younger teams need to play together and build team comradery. Simple fun games get the kids engaged and moving while others show up.

Once everyone shows coaches lead stretches in their groups and get everyone together to relay the practice plan and what the goal of the practice will be. 

The goal of today's practice is to work on proper passing and movement to open space.

Players will get in groups of 5 and the grid is 5x5 yards. 

Three players will be on the outside cones and two players in the middle. Players on the cones will work on recognizing movement to open space to receive the ball. 

At this time the key is to recognize open space to receive the pass and making an option for their teammate. 

If a player in the middle intercepts the pass then a player from the outside rotates into the middle.

Once everyone arrives and the games have been going coaches lead players in some stretches to make sure everyone is ready for the practice.

Pass and Move (15 mins)

Red vs Blue vs Green vs Yellow

2v1 with runner

Red starts with the ball and tries to pass out through the zone with a 2v1. If Red carries the ball into the next zone only ONE player can enter and it turns into a 2v2 to goal. Movement and passing is going to be the stress teaching the kids not to bunch up but to keep space. Defensively the idea of Pressure, Cover, Balance can be implemented as a player needs to apply pressure on the ball while the other blue player is covering one pass away. 

Once Red scores blue steps off and then a new color steps on. The players get into their starting positions and then go back the other direction.

At this young age its important to coach staying away from each other to create a passing lane. Not to bunch up with in 1 or 2 yards. 

The passing pattern before this helps the passing player focus on passing the ball to the correct foot hitting the player in stride where they are going to be and not where they are at.

Teams should be mixed regularly so every color plays against each other. Goal totals by team color is not as important but movement and correct passing locations is more important.

Criss Cross Shooting (20 mins)

Balls are placed on the end line wide around the 18 yard line. Passes are diagonally passed to the opposite side where the shooter shoots the ball.

The shooter rotates to the serving line. Then the opposite ball is served and the shot is taken from the opposite side.

If the player runs through the drill and the pass hits the running in player the drill stops and everyone does 3/5 pushups/situps

This will help the players know to run around the drill or to keep their heads and focus on what they should be paying attention to.

For increased difficulty the coaches can put in 3 poles or cones and the passes must go through the gate to help with the strength of the pass and the proper location of the pass.

Shooters should take the shot in one or two touches.

Coaches can set a goal total for the team to achieve. 10, 15 goals by the team.

Then the players switch sides to practice their other foot.