Practice plans

Fun defending practises

in Defending, Practice plans

This session introduces your young players to the principles of defending by disguising the theme of the practice through the competitive nature of fun team games. Giving them a proper structure and the correct tactical approach will make their role as a defender much more rewarding and will save your team lots of goals. MORE

Receiving under pressure

in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans

Players need to know how to create space for themselves when tightly marked and feel relaxed receiving the ball in these situations. These skills must be developed in training. MORE

Work hard to win the ball

in Practice plans, Soccer tackling drills

Working hard to win possession and then keeping the ball for your team. MORE

Stop attackers turning

in Defending, Practice plans

Keep an attacker that has the ball with their back to your goal and they won’t be able to pass or dribble into the space behind your defence. MORE

The Matthews Move

in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans

Named after the legendary England international winger Sir Stanley Matthews, who played from the 1930s to the 1960s, this fake is a simple yet still very effective way of wrong-footing a defender. MORE

Lay-off pass

in Passing, Practice plans

When performed with the right weight and timing, a lay-off pass speeds up attacking play and creates opportunities your team can exploit. MORE

Sharpen up dribbling

in Practice plans, Soccer dribbling drills

Before players can hope to dribble past opponents they must first develop good technique for controlling the ball at close quarters when running. MORE

Step-over and shoot

in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans

If there’s a defender standing in the way between an attacker and the goal, then using a step-over is a great way to create space for a shot. MORE

Intercepting the ball

in Defending, Practice plans

Intercepting, or “stealing”, the ball is one of the key ways your team can regain possession to set up an attack. MORE

Jockeying

in Defending, Practice plans

Jockeying an opponent denies them time and space, giving other defenders the time to get back in position. MORE

Passing and penetration

in Passing, Practice plans

Passing isn’t just about keeping possession – it’s about breaking through the opposition’s defensive set-up in order to create goal-scoring opportunities. MORE

Stop-turn

in Practice plans, Turning

A stop-turn allows your players to send opponents the wrong way by changing direction quickly and will give them more time on the ball to make a killer pass. MORE

Aerial control using laces

in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans

Practising using the top of the foot to “cushion” control a ball falling from a steep angle will improve a player’s touch and give them time to play comfortably under pressure and in tight situations. MORE

Forcing attackers sideways

in Defending, Practice plans

Forcing your opponents to play sideways is one way you can make their attacking predictable and so increase your own team’s chances of winning back the ball. MORE

Defending together, defending alone

in Defending, Practice plans

This session aims to improve the passion and desire for defending through a series of quick attacks. The defenders must react to each situation whether working alone or as a team to stop the attackers from scoring. MORE

Poke tackle

in Practice plans, Soccer tackling drills

The poke tackle is a simple but effective way of stopping the opposition that will either give your team a chance to re-organise or even regain possession of the ball. MORE

Applying pressure

in Defending, Practice plans

This session aims to improve individual defending. Each practice within the session builds onto the next so that your players understand how to pressure and jockey an opponent, ultimately forcing them away from your goal. MORE

Drop-kicks

in Goalkeeping, Practice plans

Drop-kicking is a great way for a goalkeeper to distribute the ball accurately, even into the wind if the trajectory is low. MORE

Cruyff turn

in Practice plans, Turning

Named after the legendary 1970s Holland international Johan Cruyff, this turn is ideal for losing a defender and creating space in a tight situation. MORE

Robinho stepover

in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans

The Robinho – or double – stepover is a great way to beat a defender and give your players space to cross or shoot. This is a great skill for players to practice on their own in the garden. MORE

Passing triangle

in Passing, Practice plans

The ability to pass accurately to feet over both long and short distances will increase your team’s ability to control the game and find holes in the opposition’s defence. MORE

Passing and receiving

in Passing, Practice plans

Practice passing and receiving regularly and your team’s attacking capability will be greatly enhanced. This session works on basic passing and the key is to ensure that players are controlling the ball to one side of their body using a single touch. MORE

Forcing the attacker away from goal

in Defending, Practice plans

This session aims to improve your defenders in 1v1 situations where there is a big goal threat. The sole aim is to try and keep the attackers away from the centre of the goal. MORE

Passing through midfield

in Midfield, Practice plans

Matches are often won or lost in the centre of midfield, so the better your team is able to maintain possession of the ball here, the better placed it will be able to attack the opposition and create chances. MORE