Dave Clarke is head coach and editor of Soccer Coach Weekly, providing thousands of subscribers worldwide with drills, insight and advice covering all aspects of coaching.
If you are social distancing please observe your local rules. This is very easy to set up and can be used for different distances, long and short passing coupled with a one-two skill. It is a simple unopposed activity but it needs good coordination. MORE
in Email newsletters, Warm Ups
I cannot second guess when we will all be out of this strange way of coaching with no opposed sessions but hopefully it will be fairly soon. To that end I continually remind myself that I will be going back to getting my players warmed up in a different way to how I am doing it at the moment. MORE
How well do you and your players know the Principles of Play? Give your players lessons online. These unique online classes will help your players master the basic tactics and skills used in the Attacking and Defending Principles of Play MORE
in Blog, Tips and advice
You can say one thing for certain… the players I coach are thrilled to be back out training even though they are having to be aware of distancing and not trying to tackle their teammates. So what are they doing....? MORE
in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play
If you are social distancing please observe your local rules. This session develops a high level of skill and movement. It is good for technique and uses both feet, working on dribbling, turning, changing direction plus advanced movements of the ball. MORE
in Email newsletters, Return to play
I have found using sessions from my Skills Curriculum is a great way to keep within the latest rules for youth sport and to give my players a good learning experience at the same time MORE
When your players get the ball into an attacking position they need to finish it off. This exercise helps them do that – it needs good communication, accurate passing and a good finish. MORE
This activity gets strikers ready to receive and shoot at goal from balls played in and around the penalty area. That vital first touch is made even more important due to the two-touch finish from a crisp pass. MORE
in Email newsletters, Goalkeeping
At the younger age groups I have always found it a difficult job filling the position of goalkeeper. I've done various things, put my own son in goal, had two goalkeepers so one half they play outfield the other in goal but were never subbed – it helped but didn't totally solve the problem. So what do you do? MORE
in Lesson plans
How well do you and your players know the Principles of Play? Give your players lessons online. This unique online class will help your players master the basic tactics and skills used in one of the Defending Principles of Play – Control and Restraint MORE
in Email newsletters, Return to play
What the return to play rules allows me to do is to concentrate on certain aspects of the game in a different way. Normally with shooting I would play small sided games with plenty of chances to score but always with pressure from defenders. MORE
This simple and fun activity is perfect for using as a warm up, allowing you to warm up your players with ball control, speed and good touch. MORE
Use this session to teach your strikers to attack with strength and presence – to be a strong forward who strikes fear into the heart of defenders. This simple session puts the focus on passing and moving to get into a good position to hit the target. MORE
Great for social distancing rules and numbers at trainingThis is a game that encourages fast combination play and quick reactions that players need when they have won the ball. MORE
in Defending, Email newsletters
One of the most important topics in defensive play is compactness. A key principle of compactness is that the playing area of the opposition is minimised so there is less space for them to attack in. Give your players a lesson in compactness MORE
in Lesson plans
How well do you and your players know the Principles of Play? Give your players lessons online. This unique online class will help your players master the basic tactics and skills used in one of the Defending Principles of Play – Compactness MORE
in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play, Soccer drills and skills
Watch the touch and ability to use all parts of the feet in tight spaces on the pitch from creative players like Eden Hazard and get your players to develop their creative side MORE
in Email newsletters, Return to play
I went back to coaching last week, although it was a strange form of coaching! It does take time to sort out the players, but having created 'safe' areas 2m apart where the players could put drinks, sanitiser and their bags so they could safely have a drink during training it made it an easier practice. MORE
Please check out the latest sport and social distancing guidelines in your area, and follow the recommendations when planning training sessions. This is a simple passing, turning game which will give your players the ability to receive the ball and turn with it to pass in another direction MORE
in Lesson plans
How well do you and your players know the Principles of Play? Give your players lessons online. This unique online class will help your players master the basic tactics and skills used in one of the Defending Principles of Play – Cover and balance MORE
in Goalkeeping, Podcasts
In this podcast Dave Clarke talks to Go4Goal lead coach and head goalkeeper coach Jon Lewis and goalkeeper coach Salvador Espinosa about a whole heap of coaching things, including return to play, best practice and why it helps to be a little bit crazy!: MORE
in Email newsletters, Return to play
Tonight I'm back with my Under 10s to get training back on track with some social distancing sessions. My head is full of car park instructions, drop offs, pick ups, sanitisers and 2 metre distances! But it will be great to see all the players again. My plans will be simple sessions for the small groups I am coaching MORE
Please check out the latest sport and social distancing guidelines in your area, and follow the recommendations when planning training sessions. The aim of this session is to get players working quickly in the areas in front of goal to spot openings and quickly attack them with the end result a shot at goal. MORE
Please check out the latest sport and social distancing guidelines in your area, and follow the recommendations when planning training sessions. Return to play: Great one to get kids going. Focus is on short passing and receiving in this activity MORE
