Soccer Coach Weekly 1

Young players often find it difficult to make quick decisions during a game, so getting them used to thinking quickly and smartly should be part of any coaching schedule. There are lots of ways to do this and it’s always good to add a fun element.

This session gets players making decisions and scoring points for their team - specifically in overload situations but also as 1v1s – with the use of five cards. Players must react quickly to the instructions on the cards in order to score points themselves or prevent opponents from doing so.

You need to make five simple cards with player combinations and points on them. So the cards might work out something like:

1v1 = 5 points 3v2 = 4 points 4v2 = 3 points 2v1 = 2 points 3v1 = 1 point

How to set it up:• Create an area measuring 40x30 yards. For younger age groups, reduce the size.

• You’ll need balls, bibs, cones and goals.

• Put a goal at each end with a keeper in each.

• Split your squad into two equal teams – one attacks while the other defends. The defending team must divide itself into two groups, positioned at opposite ends of the pitch.

• The attackers stand to one side by the halfway line.

Getting started:• You need a captain for each team. He holds the cards and decides what combination of attacking players works best for each situation. This involves looking at the defenders at each end and deciding which players he would favour his team going up against.

• The captain hands you the card for the combination he has chosen. His team earns the points shown on the card for each goal scored.

• Play the ball to the attackers and inform defenders of the chosen formation. Defenders approach once the attackers begin.

• If a goal is scored the team attacks the other end in the same combination until they fail to find the net. At this point, they return to the halfway line and a new card is drawn.

• Play until all the cards are finished, then swap each team’s role. The team with the most points wins.

• Each player must be involved at least twice, and make sure you change captains.

Why this works:This is a session that requires players to be alert across a number of

very different attack versus defence scenarios.

And while a 4v1 overload would rarely occur in any game, being able to use every player, stretching a defender and offering forwards a number of passing decisions is good practice. Sometimes, having too many players in an overload can actually be distracting because players hide away from taking responsibility.

October 5 2011 Issue 232Under 4s - Under 16s WEEKLY

Decision timeAn attacking game that requires mental and physical agility

Decision time

WELCOME…...to the new issue of Soccer

Coach Weekly. We’re chatting with dynamic QPR striker DJ Campbell about his rise from

obscurity to the Premier League in our ‘Said like a pro’ feature

on page three. His story is truly inspiring and reflects what

anyone can achieve in the game. We hope you enjoy the piece,

plus the rest of this week’s top-notch soccer training content.

3v24pts

3v11pt

1v15pts

The captain decides on a scenario and his players prepare to start

3v24pts

3v11pt

1v15pts

In this instance a 3v1 attack is called

Cards are worth different amounts depending on the difficulty of the set-up

3v24pts

3v11pt

1v15pts

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Soccer Coach Weekly 2

SAID LIKE A PROWARM-UP

Go left or go rightSAID LIKE A PROa WARM-UP

One-two drop-offHow to set it up:• Create a playing area measuring 16x16 yards, and divide it into four squares.

• Place two groups of four players so that they are in boxes at diagonals to one another.

• The players in the two groups should number themselves 1 to 4.

Getting started:• Tell the players to continually pass the ball and move in their areas.

• As they do this, call out a number. That player must leave the ball behind, sprint across to the opposite area and join the other team, who continue to pass and move the ball.

Developing the warm-up:• You can add in new elements – such as the player whose number is called might have to take possession and dribble the ball across to the opposite area.

• Alternatively, lay out some cones for the player to dribble through on the way across.

• Or why not change the number of players in the boxes, or add new players into the empty boxes so as to create two diagonal exchanges going on at once.

Why this works:This warm-up works because as well as concentrating minds on a

slick passing game, each player needs to stay aware of his number being called. If it is, he must react to the task.

player movement pass

3

2

3

1

4

23

14

One-two drop-off

KEY

ELEM

ENTS • Reactions

• Passing

• Speed

• DribblingThe number 3 is called

and players respond well, ready to swap

positions

player movement pass

3

2

3

1

4

23

14

TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

If in doubt, clear it outTactical Impact

When clearing the ball, it is difficult to be choosy about the precise direction of where to kick the ball. Tell your players to try to clear it to an area near their own forwards, or to designated points on the flanks. You never know, a hurried clearance may well spark an effective counter-attack.

ModerationRemind your players though that this is an

extreme tactic, designed to be employed in desperate situations only! And when a ball is cleared, remember to instruct defenders to push out.

Soccer Coach Weekly is always telling you how skills win

matches. It’s true. But big clearances out of dangerous situations are a skill of their own. It may not look pretty but it is very effective, just ask the captain of England, defender John Terry.

Tell your defenders when to use the big clearance and let them decide during games if it is appropriate.

TechniqueThe technique is simple – keep your eye

on the ball, keep your head over the ball, lean back, and kick through the ball so it goes high and away.

Killing momentum A smart defender may clear the ball not

only to stop an enemy attack, but also to buy time and calm a game down. It is usually safest to clear the ball out of bounds to take the sting out of an attack.

“You never know, a desperate clearance may well spark an effective

counter-attack.”

When a defender is unable to control and shield a ball from attackers he should kick the ball high and away from the danger zone. This allows time for his team to regroup.

Soccer Coach Weekly 3

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I spent many years plying my trade in non-league football, often believing

that I should be playing at a higher level, but for a lot of the time not showing the application that was going to take me there. I guess in myself I knew that I always had the talent, but I often felt that the rewards would and should come naturally.

My first real chance came when I signed for Stevenage Borough in 2001 – they were playing in the Conference at the time and were fully professional. It was a great chance to put myself in the shop window, but things didn’t work out and I had to drop back down two divisions.

At the end of the day, no player wants to have to go part-time and play non-league football if they can avoid it, but having initially come close, it was a case of regrouping and looking at things differently. For me, that

DJ Campbell tells Soccer Coach Weekly that focus played such a big part in his climb to the top, and continues to do so to this day

SAID LIKE A PRO

in that respect. But now, clubs are realising there are some absolute gems away from their academies, and they’re worth taking a punt on.

I was lucky to get spotted playing in the FA Cup. I owe a lot to that competition. At Yeading, we had a really good run in the competition, and that brought about my switch to Brentford. After only seven months there I scored two goals against Sunderland in the FA Cup which landed me a move into the Premier League with Birmingham City. Everyone all around the world knows about the FA Cup and it’s arguably the biggest platform of them all for grassroots players to really make a mark. It’s a piece of the limelight that shines on some lucky players, and I guess I was one of those.

was my mindset, the way I trained, the way I prepared, and my attitude towards what I did and didn’t deserve in the game. At that’s at the heart of it really. No player or manager or coach has a right to succeed – it’s all about hard work and doing some of the ugly stuff if necessary.

If I hadn’t dropped back to play for Yeading – something I did so that I could start enjoying my football again by playing regularly - I might never have earned the chance to go on and play for the great clubs that I have.

I look back now and the difference in my game is massive, as you would expect. In the non-league game it was a case of training twice a week and playing on a Saturday. Now, it is full-time and the standard of training is much higher and far more intense.

However, some of the best coaching lessons I learned came when I was playing non-league football. It’s not clever tactical plays or zonal marking or bespoke dietary advice that makes a footballer play well, it’s the basic ability to be fit and mentally strong. If you are those things then even the most punishing of tasks will seem more achievable. And if you don’t conquer them first time you still have the energy and enthusiasm to give them another try. That to me was always a massive thing, and it should be for any player or coach.

And it’s good now that footballers in the lower leagues or youth leagues are being spotted. When I came through from non-league there wasn’t a lot of money in it - players like Ian Wright and Les Ferdinand were rare breeds

“It’s not clever tactical plays or zonal marking that makes

a footballer play well, it’s the basic ability to be fit and

mentally strong.”

CAMPBELL’S TOP TIPSFor someone who has suffered his

fair share of setbacks in the game, what does DJ count as his top three tips for succeeding in football?

Mental strengthYou must always believe that you can

achieve your dreams, and you must always dream. Without them, you’re never going to keep pushing forward. Belief and confidence are massive things for any footballer playing at any level.

RespectEarly in my career I probably didn’t respect

the game enough, because I felt I would make it whether I tried or not. After several years of failing to move on to the next level, I guess I had to reassess my approach to the sport. Once I did that, the success came.

Physical strengthIt’s simple, but being fit, alert, healthy and

energetic is central to being a good footballer, or an enthusiastic coach.

PROFILE

QPR striker DJ Campbell was one of the game’s late developers, only turning professional at the age of 23 having played for a succession of non-league clubs. Successful spells at Brentford, Birmingham City and Leicester City, plus various loan spells elsewhere, led to Blackpool signing the London-born forward for £1.25million in 2010. Campbell’s 13 goals almost kept the Tangerines in the Barclays Premier League last season, though despite their relegation back to the Championship, the livewire forward had succeeded in climbing six divisions in five years. In July of this year, he signed for QPR, offering him another crack in the top tier of English football.

SCW SURGERY

Q I want parents to stick around for training but my idea is being met with

some opposition. What can I do? Chris Steadman, Birmingham.

A I’ve always liked the idea of parents being present at training sessions. I believe it

makes youth football transparent – they know what you’re doing so you won’t encounter some of the criticism that coaches often do.

I also find that players respond better to practices because they know they’ve got loved ones watching – so better application from them means the learning process is quickened.

The problem is that parents have busy lives. They will probably be taking time out already to watch your league matches, so to ask them to be around for training as well is starting to make a considerable dent in any spare time they have... which, as a parent, is probably not much anyway!

If I were you I wouldn’t enforce this as a rule. However, for the reasons listed above, I’d ask that parents at least attended some training sessions throughout the season so that they can see what goes on away from a match setting.

Q What’s a simple way for kids to practise technical play away from

training sessions? Terry Colman, Nottingham.

A I often remind some of my coaches what true ‘technical play’ is, because it’s easy

to lose sight of exactly what it is we’re trying to coach.

Technical play is exampling technique, and technique is all about how a player uses the football. On most occasions, the use of the ball will be with the feet, so we’re really talking about an appreciation for the ball and the close control of it.

For that reason I find juggling the ball is really valuable. There is no ground friction, no aberrations that might be caused by the pitch – just the focus, concentration and touch of a player with a football.

Juggling can start with simple drop, kick and catch (with the hands) exercises, if necessary. That will rehearse players in returning the ball upwards with the right purchase. Then, develop juggling from there, moving on to different parts of the foot, then the body and head. Experiment with different size footballs too to vary the difficulty.

Q One of the teams in our league plays on a pitch that has wooden goalposts.

Are these legal? Sean Bannan, Stockport.

A Legal, yes; recommended, no. Studies have found that wooden goalposts

typically fail strength and pressure criteria laid out by numerous football associations, including your own in England.

Despite this (and rules vary from country to country), most associations haven’t issued a specific directive to say that goalposts must be replaced with standard aluminium posts. The process is really that posts are replaced as and when finance and choice allows.

That said, in England you can apply to the Football Foundation for funding.

There are a number of other recommendations that come with goalpost safety – some sensible, some slightly over-the-top. But every coach should remind himself of goalpost regulations at least once a season, and should check the goals and nets before every game, in much the same way that the referee does.

Got a question for SCW Surgery?Email it to us at james.evans@coach-soccer.com

This week’s coach: Dirk Farrow Group: 5 to 8-year-oldsDirk is a pro soccer coach from St. Louis, USA

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: james.evans@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148 Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths

Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: David Clarke, Paul Dargan, Chris Galea © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

WEEKLY

Soccer Coach Weekly 4

This is a great game for angles of defence and changing roles in attack.DAVID CLARKE’S TOUCHLINE TALES

The crying gameIn our match last weekend we were playing against a strong attacking team,

and with half-time approaching had soaked up a fair bit of pressure. I felt we had begun to turn the tables on our opponents, playing wide from the back and using the wings to pass our way up the pitch. At one point we turned the ball into the area where one of my inrushing midfielders had a fairly easy chance about eight yards out... but his shot sailed over the bar.

Then, right on the stroke of half-time we were defending a corner. A loose ball in the six-yard box needed clearing, but my left-back miscued and it flew into our net.

So at half-time I had two sulking, crying players. I needed to get their confidence back up quickly.

First, the missed opportunity. I explained that it was fantastic play by the team to create the chance, but the player who missed the shot had the hardest role to play in getting into the right place to receive the pass and lose the defenders. It was a great piece of running and

I told him that, as a team, we wanted him to do that every time. In between these bits of praise I did mention that he needed to turn his body more and not snatch at the ball – just something to put into his head along with the praise.

I like this technique – it’s clever. It tells the player what he did wrong, sandwiched between two things that he did well.

Using this same principles I then addressed the player who had scored the own goal. The other players were quick to say it was just bad luck... with the exception of our centre-forward who announced that he couldn’t believe the team was losing to an own goal!

But regardless, I asked what had happened to the other players who should have been

clearing the ball. I explained that we had a number of chances to remove the danger but it only our luckless defender who had accepted the challenge.

We congratulated him on that and he perked up. I did say that by getting to the ball first he mustn’t panic and swing a wild boot at it. He could take a bit more time to make sure it heads away from the goal towards the sidelines.

I kept both players on for the second period. I wanted them to play out the amendments to their game that we had talked about during the break - and they did that well, having each been encouraged to take the positives out of an unfortunate event.

“A loose ball in the six-yard box needed clearing, but my left-back miscued and it flew into our net.”

Soccer Coach Weekly 5

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SMALL-SIDED GAME

Attack then defend

The players pass the ball

back and forth

player movement passshotrun with ball

player movement passshotrun with ball

player movement passshotrun with ball

As soon as he takes his

first touch the remaining three players

begin an attack

The starting player tries

to defend the cross 1v2

The defender receives a pass and

turns to shoot

1

2

3

How to set it up:• Create a playing area measuring 40x30 yards.

• You’ll need four cones and a goal.

• There are four outfield players (one defender and three strikers) and a keeper.

Getting started:• To start, the defender runs out and receives a pass from the middle player.

• The defender quickly turns and shoots at goal.

• As soon as the defender has taken a touch, the left player passes into the middle player.

• The middle player now switches the ball out to the right.

• The right player dribbles down the line and crosses into the box.

• The left and middle players must try to lose the defender and score.

• Once players are comfortable, rotate positions so that:

• The left player becomes the middle player

• The middle player becomes the right player

• The right player becomes the defender

• The defender becomes the left player

Why this game works:The defender is looking to complete multiple tasks in this game.

His first reactions are to control, turn, and shoot, but no sooner has he touched the ball is there an attack building behind him. This means his attacking instincts must quickly be switched to determined defensive play if he is to succeed twice.

It’s this switching between attack and defence that is central to football, particularly in small-sided contests, and it’s great to rehearse players in this.

Attack then defend

SKIL

LS

• Attacking

• Defending

• Control

• Reactions

player movement passshotrun with ball

A quick reaction game that has versatility at its heart

This game was taken from Soccer Attack! by Michael Beale. Soccer Attack! contains 80 drills and games to develop

shooting and finishing. Get your copy here: www.coach-soccer.com/attack