Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Receiving & Movement Off Ball

Warm-up (10 mins)

Organization:

• Set up a box of cones for each pair.

Instructions:

• 1st game is on the left side of the square. 
  • Players are passing back and forth, player calls a color (or says left or right if you don't have different colored cones. I couldn't add different colored cones when I set up the picture above). Passing Player takes a touch outside cones, plays pass back.
  • Switch passers after 1 minute rounds. Play multiple rounds. 
• 2nd game is on the right side of the square. 
  • 1 player on the outside of the square, one on the inside.
  • players are bounce passing back until a color is called. Player inside the square, back peddles to the corresponding side, pass comes outside of the square, and is played back. 
  • Passes should be one or two touches.

Coaching Points/Questions:

• open body shape
• Receive with the inside of the foot, toe pointing up to lock ankle. Receive with the outside of the foot, toe pointing down to lock ankle.
  
• Inside of the foot, toes point up to lock the ankle.
• Hit the middle of the ball. 

Regressions/Progressions:

Main Activity (25 mins)

Organization:

• 6, 10x10 boxes
• 2 endzone players, 6v4

Instructions:

• Attackers must stay within their zones. Defenders can go anywhere. Endzone players can move anywhere in the endzone.
• Ball starts with the endzone player, Attacking team get 1 point if they can move the ball from one endzone player to the other. Keep playing back and forth to see how many points your can score.
• If defenders get the ball, they can look to try and score in the mini-goals in the corners (worth 5 points).

Coaching Points/Questions:

• Can you support the ball?
• Can you receive and move the ball quickly before you are closed down by the defender?
• Receive with the inside of the foot, toe pointing up to lock ankle. Receive with the outside of the foot, toe pointing down to lock ankle.
• Open body shape to the direction you want to play in. 

Regressions/Progressions:

• R: Less defenders. 
• R: Defenders can only stay in the middle column of zones
• R: Make zones bigger.
• P: Smaller zones
• P: play 2 or 3 touch
• P: Players can move zone, but only 1 player is allowed in a zone at a time. (you can also take one player out of a zone and play a 5v3, always leaving a zone empty. Players can still rotate into zones, but only 1 attacking player per zone.).